Twilight took a seat at the kitchen table, accepting the glass of water Rarity had fetched for her. She had gotten her trembling hands under control, but her heart still pounded nonstop. Her eyes still saw Sunset’s hungry face, her body still felt Sunset pressed against her.
“I’m dying to see how you… taste.”
A shudder ran up her spine. The lust in Sunset’s voice had been terrifyingly real. Yesterday, she had made it clear there was an attraction, one that Twilight thought she could reciprocate the next time they were alone. But this was no longer a simple crush—Sunset wanted to do things to her.
It’s not really Sunset, Twilight told herself. It’s the vampire within her. Just like… like the voice that was inside your head… Twilight tightened her grip on the glass. She could empathize with Sunset on many levels. She wasn’t in control right now. The Sunset Twilight had come to know would never be that forward.
“All right, Rainbooms, listen up!” Rainbow sat at the head of the table, the rest of the girls picking seats between her and Twilight. “Our friend has gone blood crazy and is out somewhere in the city. We need to find her before she sucks too much blood from innocent people. So, how are we gonna do that?”
“More importantly,” Rarity interjected, “how are we going to subdue her once we find her?”
Pinkie raised her hand. “Easy! Wooden stakes and some holy water!”
Rainbow gaped at her. “We’re trying to catch her, not kill her!”
“We could tie her up.” Applejack held up a length of rope.
“She’s a vampire now. She has super speed and strength,” Rainbow said with a shake of her head.
Rarity tapped a finger on the table. “But doesn’t she get weaker if she doesn’t drink blood? If we can find her and distract her long enough for her to get weaker, maybe then we can tie her up and bring her back.”
Applejack nodded. “That’s as good a plan as any.”
Twilight sipped her water, taking in scattered bits of their plan. What would happen if they couldn’t contain Sunset? What would happen if they couldn’t find a way to reverse what had been done? Everyone had thought that Sunset being around her friends would help her self-control. Perhaps it had, but only for a short while.
Her hand moved up to her neck, the condensation from the glass was cool against her skin. Sunset had almost bit her. It hadn’t mattered that they were friends. Then again, it wasn’t like Twilight had put up much of a defense.
She’s still Sunset. She doesn’t want to do this. Maybe we can still reason with her.
“Come on, Twi, let’s go!”
Twilight jerked her head up to see Rainbow and the others exiting the kitchen. She grabbed her flashlight and hurried after them.
Everyone piled into Fluttershy’s van—the only vehicle that could accommodate them all. Fluttershy sat at the wheel, making her usual adjustments. “So, um, how are we going to find her?”
“Well, she flew north,” Applejack said. “That’s a good direction to start, I guess.”
“Okay then.” Fluttershy took a deep breath. “Here we go.”
Rainbow looked over from the passenger seat. “‘Shy, you sure you don’t want me… or anybody else to drive? This is kind of an emergency, and no offense, but—”
The tires squealed as Fluttershy slammed her foot onto the accelerator, snapping everyone’s head back from the sudden force. The van peeled off the driveway and roared down the street, swinging a perfect left at the first turn. All the while, Fluttershy kept a perfectly straight face; the only change was the determination in her eyes.
“Okay then.” Rainbow dug her nails into the sides of her seat. “I’m just gonna shut up now.”
Twilight held onto her armrest like a life preserver. She was sure they were going at least ten miles over the speed limit. She looked outside, seeing buildings flicker by, their lights like shooting stars. This was already feeling like a wild goose chase. Sunset could fly, meaning she could be anywhere at the moment. How did they expect to find her like this?
“Fluttershy, sweetheart,” Rarity said from behind the driver’s seat. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, but could you slow down just a teensy bit so we can keep an eye out for Sunset? And so we don’t get pulled over.”
“Oh, right.” Fluttershy smiled sheepishly as she eased her foot off the pedal.
There was a collective sigh of relief as the van came under the speed limit. Twilight’s stomach caught up to her and did a few cartwheels. She rolled down the windows, letting the breeze carry her nausea away.
Rainbow also rolled her window down and stuck her head out. “So, how are we supposed to find her now?”
Pinkie shoved her face past Twilight’s and shouted, “Here, Sunpire!” She whistled a few times. “Come here, girl!”
Twilight facepalmed. “She isn’t a dog, Pinkie. And why are you calling her Sunpire?”
“Because she’s Sunset and a vampire. Sunpire! Get it?”
“No.”
Rarity snapped her fingers. “Girls, focus.” She leaned out her window, squinting her eyes against the wind. “Rainbow has a point: how are we going to find her? She could have changed directions for all we know.”
“We’re just going to have to do it the hard way,” Applejack said. “Better we at least try to stop her from hurtin’ folks than just ignoring it till sunup.”
They entered the busier part of Canterlot’s suburbs, where teens and young adults were out enjoying their Friday night. Restaurant and store lights lit up the streets, casting a glare against Twilight’s glasses.
“I don’t think she’s around here, girls. There’s too many people clustered together, and it’s pretty bright. From the way she reacted when you shone the flashlights on her, even artificial light can be damaging.”
Applejack tipped her hat. “Good point, Twi. Maybe we’re going about this the wrong way. Think, girls, if you were a vampire, where would you go to get a meal?”
Twilight shot her hand into the air, then quickly lowered it, smiling sheepishly. “Well, a hospital or blood bank would be pretty hard to break into. But that’s a big possibility. Other than that, I’d wait in dark places where I could catch people one at a time.”
Rainbow twisted back in her seat. “All right, so what’s the shadiest part of town?”
“The Hollow Shades neighborhoods,” Rarity said immediately. She looked at the odd stares everyone gave her and shrugged. “What, I have clients from all over. One has to know their market.”
“All right, Fluttershy, Hollow Shades, chop, chop,” Rainbow directed.
Fluttershy took a shuddering breath, then busted a U-turn at the next intersection. Her foot slammed on the accelerator again, and everyone was tossed back in their seats.
Twilight’s stomach flew away again. She was sure she preferred Sunset’s motorcycle over this.
******
Arriving at Hollow Shades, Twilight quickly learned why it was named as such. The trees planted around the neighborhood were tall and provided copious amounts of shade. The moon had a hard time shining through the thick foliage. In addition to that, many of the street lights were broken, deepening the gloom.
They parked under one of the few working lamps. By contrast, the darkness surrounding them seemed thick and impenetrable. Twilight hesitated to leave the safety of the car. The way the wind blew through the trees made the darkness moan like a slumbering monster.
She was the last to step out onto the uneven sidewalk, flashlight clutched tightly in her hand. A dog started barking somewhere behind them, making Twilight jump a foot in the air.
“Easy there, sugarcube, nothin’s gonna getcha.” Applejack kept a hand on Twilight’s shoulder and gently steered her forward.
“I still don’t see why we’re on foot,” Rainbow said, kicking a stray pebble down the road.
Rarity turned her flashlight on. “We’ll cover more ground this way. There’s a lot of small places Sunset could be hiding in.”
Fluttershy looked back toward her van. “Are you sure this is a safe idea though?”
“Don’t worry, dear. I know it’s a little seedy, but stories are often exaggerated. I’m sure it’s not that bad around here.”
Exaggerated or not, Twilight saw why people didn’t think highly of this place. The sidewalks were cracked and bumpy and littered with trash. Many of the houses didn’t fare much better. They were old and run down, with peeling paint and untended lawns.
Six lights wandered through the darkness, twisting toward every cat shriek and rumbling garbage can. Applejack stuck close to Twilight, but Twilight couldn’t help but shake. She didn’t understand how everyone else was so calm—Pinkie was even humming a song! Something about giggling at the ghosties.
Twilight looked over her shoulder again, seeing a figure shuffling two houses behind them. “Girls, I’m pretty sure that guy has been following us.”
Rainbow waved a hand. “Don’t worry. As long as we stay together, he won’t touch us.”
Twilight made a discontent groan in the back of her throat. They turned the corner and continued down the street, shining their flashlights into every yard and alley. Thinking it was almost like trick-or-treating took some of the edge off for Twilight. Still, she looked back again, seeing the figure turn the corner after them. She briefly wondered if it was Sunset, but thought the proportions were too off. Then again, it was hard to be sure within the thick darkness.
The second she looked forward again, she heard something scrape against the ground behind her. When she looked back, the figure was gone without a trace. She stopped in her tracks and shined her flashlight where he had been standing. There was only an unlit cigarette.
“Umm, girls.” Twilight’s voice trembled. “He’s gone.”
“Good,” Rainbow said, still walking forward.
A muffled cry for help came from around the corner, prompting everyone to spin around and follow after Twilight. They rounded the corner and stopped at the narrow space between two houses. From within the shadows, they could hear a few weak moans before something dropped to the ground. Twilight slowly raised her flashlight, finding the pale body of the man who had been stalking them.
She yelped and jumped back, being caught by Rarity. “I-is h-he…?”
“Well, better him than us,” Rainbow reasoned.
Applejack knelt down and turned him onto his back. She checked his heart and sighed in relief. “He’s still alive. Guess Sunset didn’t get too far.”
Twilight shined her flashlight deeper into the alley, finding it empty. She lifted it to the rooftops and gasped when it passed over a crouching shadow. “Look!”
Sunset hissed as five more lights shined in her face. She scuttled across the roof and leaped on top of the chimney, hiding her eyes with her arm. Her fangs still dripped with blood. “Hey, point those damn things somewhere else! You’re going to make me blind.”
Rarity stepped forward. “Sunset, sweetheart, why don’t you come down here… and maybe stop being a vampire, please?”
“No to the second, yes to the first, but only if I get to drink your blood.”
Everyone placed a hand over their necks.
Sunset stuck her tongue out. “Then the answer’s no!”
“Come on, you can’t really like being a vampire, can you?” Rainbow asked.
Sunset looked at her sharpened nails. “Are you kidding? I love this! It’s like all my inhibitions have disappeared. I can do whatever I want! I have all the power I could dream of!” She eyed each of them in turn and licked her lips, lingering on Twilight. “Provided I have the proper meal every now and again.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Great, the megalomaniac is back.”
“And she’s thirsty!” Sunset readied herself to pounce. “So, who volunteers as tribute?” She locked eyes with Twilight. “How about you, Sparky?”
A cold wind raced across Twilight’s back. Even from the rooftop, Sunset’s crimson eyes pierced her, filled with lust and hunger. “Sunset…” Twilight forced her voice to cooperate. “We’re your friends. You wouldn’t actually bite us, would you?”
“On the contrary. If you were really my friends, you’d want me to bite you.” She raised her arm to her forehead and released a dramatic sigh. “Or would you let your best friend starve to death because she couldn’t get the blood she needed? Real friends let their vampire friends suck their blood.”
Pinkie tapped a finger against her chin. “Really? I don’t think that’s in the Friend Code.”
“I’d think of them more as guidelines.”
Applejack stomped her foot. “Forget it, Sunset, you're not bitin’ any of us.”
Sunset relaxed her shoulders and sighed. “Fine. Guess I’ll just have to go feed somewhere else.” She gave them a sharp grin. “See ya!” Before any of them could protest, she was in the air, zipping away at tremendous speeds.
“Nice job, A.J,” Rainbow said, poking Applejack in the shoulder.
“Oh, like you were doin’ much better.”
Rarity stepped between them. “This is no time for assigning blame. We need to stop Sunset before she hurts someone else.”
“How?” Fluttershy asked hopelessly. “She’s a vampire, and we’re, well… not.”
Twilight briefly traced Sunset’s flight pattern, following it southeast. She sighed and brought her attention back to her surroundings, finding Pinkie with her eyes squeezed shut, biting her lower lip, and her fists tightly clenched. Twilight took a step back. “Umm, what are you doing?”
“I’m trying to pony up,” Pinkie said in a strained voice.
Rainbow facepalmed. “Pinkie, you look constipated.”
Pinkie’s concentration broke and she collapsed to the ground. “We should have brought our instruments.”
“Forget that for now,” Applejack said sternly. “Let’s call the hospital to get this fella some help, then plan our next move.”
Fluttershy pulled her phone, while Rainbow and Rarity helped the man into a sitting position and leaned him against the side of the house.
“Should we wait for the ambulance to show up?” Twilight asked.
Rainbow waved a hand. “He’ll be fine. Besides, we have bigger things to worry about. Sunset’s already bitten one person tonight, and could be sucking on someone else—” She clapped a hand over her mouth, her cheeks turning red.
Twilight put her hands on her hips. “Take this seriously.”
“I am, I swear!” Rainbow snorted a few times, then took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m good. Now, let’s get back to the van and figure out how we’re going to keep up with Sunset.”
The group retraced their steps and returned to the van, sitting in the luminescence of one of the few working lamps. They piled in and waited for Fluttershy to finish her start-up routine. However, when she turned the key to the engine and pressed down on the gas, all she got was a spluttering cough from the van.
“Oh no!” Fluttershy pressed her face against the dashboard. “We’re out of gas! I don’t understand, I just filled up yesterday!”
Applejack muttered a curse. “Someone must have siphoned it while we were gone.”
“We weren’t gone that long!”
Twilight slumped in her seat. “I knew this was a bad neighborhood.” She let out a defeated sigh “What do we do now?”
Rainbow slammed her fists against the dashboard, giving everyone a jolt. “I’ll tell you what we’re gonna do! We’re gonna split up! Fluttershy, you and Applejack stay here and call a tow truck to take you to the nearest gas station. Rarity, take Pinkie and go north by northwest. Twilight and I will go south by southeast.”
Rarity raised an eyebrow. “What, on foot? Weren’t you against that idea a few minutes ago?”
“Yeah, because we had a working vehicle then. Us going around on foot is a little better than us sitting here and waiting around. We have to stop Sunset from hurting more people! Wait until tomorrow when she wakes up; you know how guilty she’ll feel, right?”
“Mmm, you’re right. She has quite the guilty conscience. I just doubt we’ll make much headway like this; Canterlot is a big place.”
Applejack made a grunt in the back of her throat. “Are you really sure we should split up again? I know it beats sitting here for who-knows-how-long, but…”
“It’s just until Fluttershy gets gas again,” Rainbow said. “We all have each other’s number, and we’ll be in groups this time. Just keep each other posted. Now come on, we have a vampire to catch!”
Twilight filed that under ‘words she never thought she’d hear in real life’, then followed Rainbow out the van. “It’s not the most conventional plan, but it’s the only one we’ve got I suppose.”
Applejack leaned out the window, still looking skeptical. “And what are you gonna do if you find her?”
Rainbow raised a fist. “I’m not afraid to hit a vampire. She’ll appreciate it later.”
“That’s the dumbest thing Ah’ve ever heard you say,” Applejack deadpanned. “Try talking to her, even tricking her to come with you. Then, if that don’t work, you can try punchin’ her. Ah’ll be the first to send you flowers.”
“Appreciated,” Rainbow said lacing her voice with a generous dose of sarcasm. “Come on, Twi, let’s go save your vampire girlfriend.”
Twilight froze, her entire face setting aflame. “W-w-what? Sunset isn’t—we’re not—we’ve never…” Rainbow kept walking down the street, oblivious to Twilight’s stammering. She wiped the fog building on her lenses, and stormed after Rainbow, muttering under her breath. “She’s just a friend.”
Sunset smiled and held a hand out to her…
“A very good friend.”
******
Bon Bon usually wasn’t the worrying type—she left that to Lyra. But seeing as Lyra was the problem this time, Bon Bon had no choice but to worry.
She sat against the headboard of her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her cellphone sat loosely in one hand, while the t.v remote took up the other. A cheesy black and white romance played on the screen. She hadn’t been paying too much attention, her eyes mostly watched the phone.
Lyra hadn’t been at school today. On top of having perfect attendance, she had been perfectly healthy the day before. Now, it had been almost twenty-four hours since Lyra had called or texted her. Bon Bon had left several messages, but never received a reply.
Had she done something wrong? Offended Lyra in some way? Lyra was open about her feelings though; she would have told Bon Bon if something was amiss.
Now Bon Bon wished she had the number of Lyra’s parents. Or maybe that would have been weird? But what if Lyra was hurt, or worse? Bon Bon bit her lip. She didn’t know what she would do if something happened to Lyra.
Something knocked on her window, stirring Bon Bon from her spiraling thoughts. Who’s dumb enough to climb to the second floor? Perhaps she had imagined it.
Knock, knock!
Bon Bon got up, smoothing out her purple nightgown as she walked over to the window. She gasped, finding Lyra kneeling outside on the roof. Bon Bon threw the window open at once. “Lyra Heartstrings,” she hissed, “do you have any idea how worried I’ve been? And why are you on my roof?”
Lyra gave her a sharp grin. Her teeth seemed pointier than usual. “Sorry I made you worry, bestie. I had a really bad sick day today. May I come in?”
Bon Bon stepped back and pointed Lyra in, still cross. Lyra jumped inside and landed on the bed, bouncing a few times before facing Bon Bon again. This time, Bon Bon was sure she wasn’t imagining it, Lyra’s eyes were very red. “Sweetie, how sick were you? You still look pale, and your eyes are bloodshot.”
Lyra waved a hand. “Don’t worry, I’m feeling better. Though, I am just a little… thirsty.” She showed off her sharp incisors again.
“Would you like something to drink?”
“In a minute.” Lyra patted the space next to her. “Sit with me.”
Bon Bon listened, her eyes lingering on Lyra’s fangs. “So, what’s with the Halloween teeth?”
“Oh these? They’re real.” She pretended to bite down on something. “I’m a vampire now.”
“You’re what?” Bon Bon deadpanned.
Lyra shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t know what happened. I woke up this morning feeling pretty crappy, then later on, I was, like, super thirsty. Then I could smell blood and run super-fast and glide through the air! It was pretty cool. I’ve already bitten, like, three people tonight.”
Bon Bon gaped at her. The knowledge that Lyra was a vampire and the casual way she presented it left her head spinning. She gave it a firm shake and narrowed her eyes. “Are you playing some sort of trick on me?”
Lyra stuck her lower lip out. “Bonny, you know I’d never lie about something like this. Here, I’ll show you.” She got up and leaped out the window, ignoring Bon Bon’s frightened cry.
“Lyra!” Bon Bon ran to the windowsill, finding Lyra hovering in midair just outside her reach. “Wha…?”
“See, I told you.” Lyra grinned and floated back inside, sitting on the bed again. “Believe me now?”
Bon Bon crashed down next to her. “Yeah… yeah, I think I believe you.” She took a deep breath. Compared to all the other stuff that happened at school, this seemed pretty tame. “Okay, you’re a vampire. Now what?”
“Well…” Lyra scooted closer and fluttered her eyes. “We share everything, right?”
“Of course, we’re best friends.”
“Best friends,” Lyra said, wiggling her eyebrows. Her hand slid over Bon Bon’s.
Bon Bon felt Lyra’s eyes bore into hers. Her body started to shake. “Lyra…”
“How would you like to be a vampire with me?”
******
Twilight trailed five steps behind Rainbow, still feeling sore and a little awkward about the ‘girlfriend’ comment. Yes, she thought Sunset was pretty… and smart… and had saved her from going crazy and destroying reality. And maybe her curious mind had entertained the idea of them being more than friends once or twice, but that didn’t mean Sunset was her girlfriend!
Twilight’s heart quivered as she remembered Sunset’s body pressed against hers. Whether it was out of excitement or fear, she couldn’t say.
She wondered what Sunset was going through on the inside. Was she on a power high like Twilight had been; losing a piece of herself everytime she drank someone’s blood? Twilight shuddered again, this time remembering the magic that had consumed her, and how invigorated she felt with every tear she made. Looking into Sunset’s eyes, Twilight knew the same invigoration was coursing through her.
“I love this! It’s like all my inhibitions have disappeared. I can do whatever I want! I have all the power I could dream of!”
Did you forget what you told me? Twilight thought. About power and magic, and how alone you still are even with all of it at your disposal? But this was about more than power; Sunset was a hungry vampire. Was that something this ‘Magic of Friendship’ could fix?
“Hey, Twi.” Rainbow’s voice derailed Twilight’s train of thought. “I think we’re near Sunset’s apartment.”
They had walked for half an hour, and now that Rainbow had mentioned it, the scenery was starting to look familiar. “Okay, so?” It had come out a little more venomously than Twilight intended.
“So, maybe we should check it out. Sunset might be in there taking a break, or there’s some clue about where she’s going.”
Twilight pushed her glasses up. “I doubt Sunset left a list detailing the people she was going to attack.”
Rainbow stopped and turned around, flashing the light in Twilight’s face, temporarily blinding her. “You have any better ideas?”
Rubbing the spots from her eyes, Twilight shook her head. “Fine, let’s check it out.” Their options were severely limited in this situation.
Two blocks later, they found themselves at the Shady Oaks Apartment complex. They crossed through the open courtyard. The small hairs on Twilight’s neck stood up as they passed the old oak tree. Its branches were bare, and its trunk was thin and twisted, almost like its sap had been sucked away. If Twilight stared hard enough, she could see a face crying for help.
She hugged her arms and followed Rainbow to the second floor, ignoring the hissing cat in the hall. Rainbow reached into her pocket and frowned, pulling out a clove of garlic.
“Pinkie,” she muttered in exasperation. She put it away and fished out the spare key.
Nothing had changed since this afternoon. Sunset’s apartment was neat and organized, something Twilight appreciated. The bedroom, however, smelled like blood, and there was an empty packet of it lying on the desk.
Twilight picked it up, being careful to only grab it by the corners. Her stomach still turned at the contact. “Looks like she can sneak into hospitals if she wants to.”
Rainbow came up from under the bed, holding one still full. “Then why go after people?”
“Maybe… maybe she just likes the thrill of the hunt.”
“Bingo, Sparky, you got it in one!”
Twilight and Rainbow spun toward the bedroom door, where Sunset leaned against the frame. “Well, that’s part of the answer anyway. These are snacks for during the day when I’m starving and hunting is near impossible.”
Rainbow edged her foot back, dropping the bag. “Okay, Sunset, don’t you think you’ve had enough blood for tonight?”
Sunset leaned off the frame and stepped into the room. “Pfft, no. I’ve only had three people to drink, and you interfered with one of them.”
Twilight’s legs shook, and her eyes were glued to Sunset’s fangs. Was there a friend trapped behind those sharp teeth and red eyes? Or was Sunset indulging in her newfound abilities? Twilight steeled her resolve; she had to try and remind Sunset who she really was.
“Sunset.” Twilight stepped forward with her jelly legs. “You’re not a monster. Remember what you told me? About power and the feeling it brought? It isn’t worth it, you said so yourself. You’ve already been here, remember?”
Rainbow jumped in. “She’s right. You want another raging she-demon incident?”
Sunset frowned. “Well, when you put it like that...” She shook her head. “This isn’t about power—although being a vampire comes with so many advantages—this is about my hunger—my thirst. I need to feed, end of story. So nice sentiments, but Imma drink your blood now.”
Rainbow backed up again, hitting the bed. “Come on, Sunset, we’re friends.”
“Great! So there’ll be no hard feelings afterward, right?”
“All right, that’s it.” Rainbow made a fist. “This is for your own good!” She rushed at Sunset with a loud battle cry, fist drawn back.
Sunset moved faster than Twilight could follow. She circled around Rainbow, grabbed her arm, and twisted it back. Rainbow howled in pain, dropping to her knees as Sunset twisted harder.
“Oh, Dash. So brave… so stupid.”
“Sunset, stop, you’re hurting her!” Twilight yelled.
“If I recall, she was going to punch me.”
Rainbow whimpered. “Arm… breaking… stop.”
Sunset smirked in satisfaction. “Say you’re sorry.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
Sunset let go, and Rainbow threw herself into the kitchen to get some distance. She reached into her pocket and hurled the clove of garlic at Sunset, hitting her in the eye.
“Dammit! Really, again?” She pressed a hand against her eye and rushed forward, slamming a fist against Rainbow’s skull and knocking her to the kitchen floor. “Well, Dash, at least you can say you put up the best fight.”
Regaining the feeling in her legs, Twilight ran and grabbed Sunset by her jacket. “Stop! You can’t drink her blood!”
Sunset looked over her shoulder. “Pretty sure I can.”
“W-well, I’m not gonna let you do it!” She hoped Sunset couldn’t hear the quiver in her voice.
Sunset turned and cupped Twilight’s face. “You know, you’re super cute when you’re trying to be brave.”
The grip wasn’t that tight, but Twilight found she couldn’t break away. She gazed into Sunset’s eyes, seeing her own reflection in them.
“It’s pretty fun being a vampire, Twilight. Like I said, no inhibitions to stop you from doing what you want, without the power craze from being a demon. The perfect balance of freedom and clarity.”
Twilight swallowed hard. “Then why do I feel like this isn’t the real Sunset talking?”
Sunset took her other hand and traced Twilight’s collarbone. “Reality is subjective. I’m the real Sunset, just without those pesky things called morals, and driven by a thirst like you wouldn’t believe.” Her finger slid down Twilight’s cleavage and circled around her naval. “Like you wouldn’t believe,” she whispered.
There it was again: the combination of arousal and fear. “Rainbow,” Twilight squeaked. She only got a groan in response.
Sunset wrapped an arm around Twilight’s waist. “Come on, Twi, come be a vampire with me. It doesn’t hurt much. And we can spend all night hunting and sharing blood.” She leaned forward, placing her mouth near Twilight’s ear. “Among other things.”
Twilight’s heart slammed against her chest. Every bell went off in her mind, telling her to leave now! She squirmed in Sunset’s grip, but Sunset just held on tighter. “Sunset, this isn’t you. Snap out of it, please.”
Sunset nibbled Twilight’s ear, making her gasp. “The only trance I’m under is yours, Twilight.”
“Stop it!” Twilight struggled harder, trying to look anywhere else but Sunset’s eyes. She felt Sunset’s fingers trace the small of her back, sending a jolt up her spine.
“I think you need just a little persuasion.” Sunset’s eyes grew an even deeper shade of red. “Why don’t we take this somewhere private and talk a little more, hmm?”
Red. All Twilight could see was red. All she could hear was Sunset’s heavenly voice. Why was she fighting? Sunset was right, they should go somewhere private. Twilight’s body stopped struggling, and she nodded her head.
“Good,” Sunset sang in her angelic voice. “You got lucky this time, Dash. Although, when I’m done with Twilight, I might still want a midnight snack, so don’t go too far.”
Twilight felt herself lift off the ground. She was flying. Flying was fun. Flying with Sunset was even better.
Wait, something is wrong.
But what could possibly be wrong with Sunset leading the way?
No… Sunset is doing something wrong. Why can’t I move?
Everything would be fine as long as Sunset was in charge.
This is like when I… when the magic…
They had landed. Twilight could smell leaves and damp earth. Her back was pressed against something hard and rough, probably a tree. Her vision occasionally flickered, and she could see Sunset smiling at her.
“You don’t know how bad I want you, Twilight. It’s just too bad I had to trance you.” Sunset’s finger ran down Twilight’s cheek. “Just a little longer. Just until I have a little taste of you. I want you to be conscious during our first time.”
First… time? No… no, no!
A set of fangs sank deep into Twilight’s neck, locking her entire body up. She felt her blood being drained away, yet her heart was still pounding.
Stop… this is wrong!
A cold hand slipped up her shirt and grabbed her breast, while another tugged at her skirt. The red fog cleared, and even though a new haze was clouding her mind, Twilight still knew what was happening. She moved her arms to repel Sunset, but couldn’t find the strength to push. Sunset responded by pressing further into Twilight, moaning as she sucked more of her blood.
Twilight gasped, her body coming out of its initial shock. Sunset’s hands were still working their way across her body, sending shocks of pleasure across her skin.
No!
A burst of adrenaline tore through Twilight. Before her skirt could slip any further, she used all her strength to bring her knee forward, slamming it into Sunset’s abdomen. Sunset’s fangs ripped from Twilight’s neck and she staggered back, leaving Twilight to fall forward onto the forest floor.
The only sound between them was their heavy panting. Twilight’s vision swam, and her body felt weak, but she pushed herself up into a sitting position, keeping one hand on the bite mark Sunset had left.
Sunset stood hunched over, her hair in front of her face. She didn’t move, she just continued to breathe heavily. Twilight watched her carefully, struggling to get to her feet. Her body refused to manage it, just sitting up was proving to be a challenge.
A small sob reached Twilight’s ears. She inhaled sharply as Sunset lifted her head, revealing one teal eye contrasting with her crimson one.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. She sped off deeper into the forest, leaving Twilight alone and confused.