Crimson Sunset
By Nebula Star
Chapter 6: Desperation
***
The nightmare had gotten worse. Sunset stared down at the pegasus mare who’s blood she could still taste on her tongue, feeling as if she may be sick. It wasn’t enough that the mare was unconscious by her doing; that she bore the puncture wounds in her neck of Sunset’s fangs. It wasn’t enough that the mare’s wing was twisted oddly and clearly badly broken, or the various other scrapes and bruises from the struggle Sunset couldn’t remember. No, what truly brought the bile to Sunset’s throat for what she had done, was the slight bulge in the mare’s belly, in her otherwise trim body.
With a tortured cry, she pointed her curved horn skyward and sent a bright red flare into the sky. Once the area was bathed in crimson light, she teleported to a nearby tower with an enclosed top floor to wait. She couldn’t just run off as she had the first time. She had to make sure the mare was found…
It wasn’t long before a squad of pegasus guards flew in. Sunset’s ears twitched hearing their wing beats clearly in the all too silent streets.
“By Celestia, not again!” One of the guards gasped as he saw the fallen mare. “Swiftwing, go for a medevac team! Thunder Strike, Sky Sight, search the area; last time there were two victims!”
Three of the pegasi took to the air again, but Sunset kept to the shadows within the top of the tower, wanting to make sure they got the mare help in time. She watched as the remaining guards began giving the mare first aid, hoping it wasn’t already too late. It wasn’t long before one of the pegasi returned.
“We found a second victim, Sir. Unicorn, stallion; in his thirties. He’s breathing but unconscious. Skysight is administering first aid, but he’s lost a lot of blood.”
Sunset’s heart sank further, hearing the report, and she looked skyward, hoping to see one of the chariots the guard used for their paramedic teams. She had to wait another couple minutes before one finally appeared.
As soon as they landed, the paramedics quickly gathered the fallen mare. “Just like the first two…” One of them said. “Get the blood replenishing potion.”
Sunset watched a moment more, then decided there was nothing more she could do. With a burst of flames, she was gone.
~~~
Luna was already in the dining hall, though her sister had only just raised the sun. She wasn’t looking forward to what she had to tell Celestia when she arrived; she’d began a search soon after her encounter with Sunset, but it had proven in vain. It wasn’t even an hour later that she’d received the report from the guard concerning the two latest victims… three, truth be told. She knew her sister wasn’t going to like the news.
She sighed, there would be no denying the truth now.
Celestia was later than usual, reaching the dining hall. One look, and Luna could tell her sister hadn’t slept well at all. It wasn’t nightmares that had disturbed her sleep. Luna had made sure of that. But unfortunately, there wasn’t much she could do if Celestia couldn’t get to sleep in the first place.
“Morning, Sister.” Luna said giving a weak smile.
Celestia looked at her seeming to just notice that she was already there. “Good morning, Luna.” She said with a yawn. It was all the more reaction she gave until she took her own seat at the table.
Luna frowned and gave a nod to the guard at the door. He quickly stepped out and spoke to someone in the hall. A moment later the castle cooks brought in their breakfast, quickly serving them before quietly leaving once more. It spoke volumes that Celestia didn’t even complain that she hadn’t cooked it herself as she began listlessly eating.
“Sister, I’m afraid I have some news concerning Sunset Shimmer.”
Celestia looked up sharply. “Good news?” She asked hopefully despite her sister’s expression.
Luna sighed. “I’m afraid not. Shortly after you retired, I spotted her flying over the city. I flew after her and called out to her, but then she looked at me… Sister, the look in her eyes, It was not the look of a thinking being. The look she gave me was cold, unfeeling and feral; a predator on the hunt.”
Celestia winced, closing her eyes and lowering her head.
“Some time after I saw her, I received word of another attack. Two victims, drained of blood, just as the first two were. A unicorn stallion and a pegasus mare. Both were given blood replenishing potions and taken to Canterlot General for further treatment. I’m afraid the mare was pregnant. So far both mother and foal are expected to recover, but they intend to keep a close watch on them for the next few days.”
Head down, Celestia nodded acknowledgement. “Do you think Sunset is lost then?” She asked, wanting to know, but dreading the answer all the same.
“Maybe not.” Luna said softly, and Celestia looked up, hope returning to her eyes.
“Something more?” She asked and Luna nodded.
“The guard squad that found the victims reported that they were responding to a flare. However, when they arrived, they found only the victims and there was no sign of who had cast the flare. Then just after the paramedic team arrived, one of the guards reported a burst of crimson flames in a nearby tower, but when he investigated, he found nothing.”
Luna could see the pieces fitting together in her sister’s eyes, coming to the same conclusion she’d made herself. “Sunset Stayed long enough to make sure the mare got help. She must have come to her senses and seen what she’d done…” Celestia said, hopefully.
“That was my thought as well,” Luna said with a nod. “Whatever is happening to her, it appears to be driving her to seek blood every few days. And when it does, she loses all control, entering a feral state…”
Celestia nodded, thinking, their breakfast all but forgotten. “But surely she doesn’t think I would blame her if she is losing control. Why wouldn’t she come to me for help?”
“You would know better than I, sister? Is she the kind of mare that would seek help?”
She sighed heavily. “No, Sunset is proud. She would try to take care of it herself, and only when her attempts fail will she seek help.”
Luna frowned. “Then it seems we will simply have to keep searching and hope she comes forward before more victims are added to her toll.”
Celestia shook her head. “No… I mean yes, but… I’m not doing enough myself. I want to join the search directly.”
“But sister, your responsibilities…”
“Yes, I know,” she said tiredly, looking over at her sibling with a pleading look. “Luna. I have a favor to ask…”
Luna sighed, knowing all too well what that favor would be. “Sister, I will do whatever I can, of course, but I am only recently returned; I do not know enough of the modern government’s workings to take on more than a few or your responsibilities.”
“I’d only need you to take over a few things, the rest can be put on hold until this is resolved.” Celestia insisted.
It was entirely likely she would end up doing those things whether she agreed to or not, Luna knew; but she was more than willing to help her sister after all the work Celestia put into orchestrating her own release from the nightmare she’d become. “Tell me what needs to be done.”
~~~
The frantic scratch of a quill was the only sound that could be heard in the cave that Sunset had made her lair. There was hardly any of the stone floor that wasn’t covered with crumpled and discarded pages as she ran calculation after calculation trying desperately to figure out what had gone wrong with her spell, and how to fix it. Whenever the scratching slowed and her eyes began to drift shut, the image of a young pegasus… a mother to be… lying there in the street, the dark stain of blood covering her neck filled her thoughts and the intensity of the scratching would intensify.
She had to find a way to fix it. She had to; before she hurt anypony else… before she killed somepony.
A shiver ran through her body at the thought. She hoped she hadn’t killed anypony. By Celestia, she hoped she hadn’t killed anypony.
What she’d already done was bad enough; but at least with those she’d drained of magic, she’d been in enough control to make sure she didn’t do any permanent damage… Except with Runic Passage, she thought guiltily. There was a good chance his magic would be permanently weakened after what she’d done… But even then, she’d been in enough control to make sure she didn’t put his life in danger. That was not the case with the victims of her thirst. She wasn’t an expert in the medical field by any means, but being drained of so much blood was definitely dangerous. She didn’t even know for certain if they’d survived. She couldn’t let it happen again.
But so far, her attempts at fixing herself had been fruitless. As had her attempts to find a way to control the thirst. No matter what she did, she could feel the thirst growing stronger every hour she went without blood. If she couldn’t find a way to control the thirst… then perhaps she’d have to control the feeding.
The scratching of her quill paused as Sunset considered that option. If she were to satisfy the thirst before she lost control again, then maybe she could stop herself from taking too much. At least then the ponies’ lives wouldn’t be in danger. But that would mean assaulting ponies to take their blood. Obviously, she already had, but in this case, she’d be doing it by choice. There was no way anypony would let her take their blood willingly. At least if she was in control she could make sure they weren’t hurt any more than a couple puncture wounds and a little blood loss.
Sunset shook her head angrily. Why was she even considering it!? No! She was the most talented unicorn in all of Equestria!... Well, second most talented… She wouldn’t have to resort to such desperate measures. She’d find a way to fix this. She had almost three days before she’d lose control again. She’d find a way!
The image of a pegasus mare, young and obviously pregnant, lying on the ground unconscious and broken winged flashed through Sunset’s mind. She hoped she’d find a way.
~~~
The throne room was empty except for the royal sisters. Luna was about to hold night court for the first time since her return and usually she would have been nervous, but at the moment she was too concerned for her sister to worry about herself. Two days had passed since the last attack and she’d managed to take enough of the vital responsibilities of running Equestria to give Celestia at least a few hours to focus on finding Sunset each night. The first night, Celestia had spent trying every scrying and locating spell she’d ever learned, to no avail. Sunset’s magical signature had changed too severely for any of them to get a lock on her. Now Celestia was trying to plan her next move.
“You don’t think she’ll surface tonight?”
Luna shook her head. “No. There were three days between the first two attacks, and it appears she took roughly the same amount of blood each time.”
Celestia frowned. “That’s not much to go off of.”
“True.” Luna conceded. “But I think it is reasonable to believe that the same amount of blood will last her the same amount of time.”
“If your theory is correct.”
“Yes.”
Celestia sighed. “In which case she’d likely lose control again tomorrow night. There has to be something I can do before then.”
“I do not see what else you can do, sister. The guard has been searching for days to no avail. Your student clearly knows how to hide.”
“I know Sunset better than anyone. I just have to think about what she would do…”
Holding her tongue, Luna did not point out that she hadn’t known her student well enough to see this coming. Instead she focused on the problem. Perhaps there was something else that could be done…
“Wait; Luna! If Sunset is going to lose control again on the third night, and she knows it, then if she’s going to try something desperate, it will likely be tonight!”
~~~
Berry Bit yawned briefly as he made his way toward the bakery in lower Canterlot where he worked. It was well before sunrise, but that was a baker’s life. Early as it was there wasn’t anypony else on the streets save for a few guard patrols. There’d been a lot more patrols as of late, but he wasn’t sure why. Something about an ongoing search, but that was as much as he knew.
Otherwise, this part of Canterlot was always quite this time in the morning. It wasn’t one of the wealthier neighborhoods, not by a long shot, but it was a pleasant enough part of the city, with little crime, a nice marketplace, and plenty of friendly neighbors. He smiled a bit smugly; and the fourth highest rated bakery in the entire city. A rating they earned the year he started working there, not that he was claiming credit, of course.
Taking an alley that connected the two main roads, he began humming a soft toon. Not too loudly, though; he wouldn’t want to wake any of his neighbors.
A sound of hooves touching down behind him and the beat of heavy wings, accompanied by a rush of air made him freeze. Slowly he turned to look. The last thing he saw was a pair of emerald eyes that seemed to shine unnaturally bright, and the glow of a long, curved horn. Then everything went black.
Sunset looked down at the stallion lying in the shadows of the deserted alley. She swallowed nervously. He seemed to be healthy enough. He could likely handle some blood loss. She’d still had no luck curing herself or resisting her thirst, and she knew she couldn’t wait another night. She was already struggling to control herself. She could smell the stallion’s blood from where she stood and ever fiber of her being was screaming at her to sink her fangs into his neck and drink her fill.
But she couldn’t, she had to only take a little. That was the whole point of doing it herself, she had to only take a little from each victim. Sure there’d be more victims, but at least their lives wouldn’t be in danger; she hoped. When she lost control, she always took a dangerous amount from two ponies. To be safe, she figured she’d have to take just a little from five or six, just enough to satisfy her thirst until she could fix this.
She would find a way to fix herself! She had to! She just needed more time.
Stepping closer, she reached down toward the stallion’s neck. The scent of his blood was intoxicating. Her mouth watered and she found herself licking her lips between her fangs. Opening her jaws, she reached for his throat.
And froze.
Could she really do this? Take this poor stallion’s blood? He’d never done anything to her, she didn’t even know who he was. She hesitated, pulling back slightly.
Her body screamed at her to sink her fangs in, to drink. Slowly she began to reach for his throat again. But then a terrible thought occurred to her: What if, once she tasted his blood, she lost control and ended up taking too much like the first two times? What if he wound up in just as poor condition as the others? It would be no better than when she had lost control before only this time she will have chosen the victim… that almost made it worse!
And even if she didn’t lose control, how would she even know how much she was taking? How could she measure how much she drank? What if she took too much anyway? What if he died because she couldn’t tell how much blood she was taking? She could just try to just take a little, but if she took too little then she’d have to attack dozens of ponies instead of just a few.
The image of the pegasus mare filled her mind. No, she couldn’t let that happen again! She couldn’t control the thirst so she had to control the feeding! She had too!
She reached toward the stallion’s neck once more. This was how it had to be! Until she figured out how to fix it, she had to satisfy her thirst before she lost control again! Still she paused, her fangs poised ready to pierce his neck and draw out his delicious smelling blood! She couldn’t wait to taste…
‘Delicious!?’ She recoiled in shock; stumbling back several steps as she realized she was actually looking forward to the taste of blood in her mouth!
‘No! NO! That’s just the thirst! I… I don’t actually like it! The thirst is just making me think I do!’ She thought furiously. Even so she found herself staring at the unconscious stallion. If she was already so far gone that she couldn’t wait to taste blood again, was it already too late? Would she lose control as soon as the taste hit her tongue?
She began trembling as she thought of accidentally killing him if she did. Who knows how long it would be before he was found if she lost control and drained him like the others? But if she didn’t satisfy her thirst now, she’d definitely lose control! The pegasus mare once again flashed before her eyes. She had to… she couldn’t risk…
…she had to.
…
…
… she couldn’t.
With a scream of anguish, she shot an enervating spell into the stallion and vanished in a burst of crimson flames.