Chapter 7: The Best Laid Plans of Vampires and Rainbooms
Sunset closed the door to the music room, her guitar slung over her back. It was nice to get some solo practice in from time-to-time. She walked down the empty corridor to the back entrance, humming ‘Friendship Through the Ages’, a bounce in her step.
Almost everyone else had gone home over an hour ago. Walking past the gym, she could hear the basketball team practicing inside. Beyond that, the hallways were vacant and ghostly. She stepped out into the stadium, the renovations for the Friendship Games having been removed a week prior. She kept pace along the perimeter to cut to the parking lot, but stopped when a muffled sobbing reached her ears.
Sunset backtracked to the bleachers, following the hushed cries. She slipped underneath them, brushing a cobweb away and keeping her head down. The crying grew louder, and Sunset found Twilight Sparkle sitting pressed against one of the support beams, knees up to her chest and face in her arms.
“Hey, Twi, what’s wrong?” Sunset knelt down and put a hand on Twilight’s shoulder.
She jumped and hiccupped. “O-oh, h-hi, Sun-hic-set. I was just…”
“Bawling your eyes out.” Sunset reached into her bag and pulled out some tissue. “Here.”
Twilight accepted it, dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose. “Thank you.”
Sunset smiled. “Anytime.” She took her guitar off her back and sat down next to Twilight. “So, do you wanna talk about it?”
“I… I don’t know how,” Twilight admitted. “Ever since the games, I’ve felt… and every time I walk past the statue, I keep remembering…”
It wasn’t hard for Sunset to fill in the blanks. She scooted a little closer and wrapped an arm around Twilight’s shoulder. “I know how you feel. Trust me, it isn’t easy, but it goes away after a while.”
Twilight adjusted her glasses. “Really? How do you know?”
“I told you: I’ve been where you were.” Sunset sighed and looked down at her hands. “I tapped into magic I didn’t fully understand, only, I was doing it for purely selfish gains. I just wanted power. It backfired, and turned me into a reflection of my heart.” She looked back at Twilight with a sad and guilty smile. “You did some bad stuff, but at least you didn’t brainwash and try to kill anyone.”
“You-you actually did that?”
“I wasn’t the best person back then.” Sunset took a deep breath and brushed the hair out of her face. “But, I know how it feels to have all of that linger—have it haunt you.”
Twilight shuddered. “I’m glad I didn’t physically hurt anyone… but I could have… I would have if you didn’t stop me. I had all that power at my fingertips—access to a wealth of knowledge.” She wrapped her arms around herself and squeezed her eyes shut. “I feel bad about it now, but at that moment, I was enjoying all of it. I… I was prepared to tear the world apart just to know how everything worked.” More tears snaked down her face. “P-part of me wants the power back, too, Sunset.”
Sunset hugged her again and gently shushed her. “I know. I know what it’s like to have all that power coursing through you. And I’m not gonna lie, the comedown sucks.” That got a weak giggle from Twilight. “You were pressured into making a bad choice, Twilight. But that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person.”
Twilight wiped her eyes with the tissue again. “But what about—”
“It’s a natural reaction. You feel like part of you is missing something. I felt that way too, but in time, you’ll stop feeling it.” She felt Twilight’s shoulders slump. “Listen, I know this isn’t easy, but I promise, I’ll be here to help you anyway I can.”
Twilight turned her head toward Sunset, eyes filled with relief. “Really?”
Sunset nodded. “Of course. If you ever need to talk, I’ll be here. That’s what friends are for.”
******
Sunset groaned, coughing softly from the dryness in her throat. She slowly moved to sit up, immediately falling onto her side as her stomach cramped up. Sunset gently felt her middle, biting her lip as her nerve ends flared up painfully.
What? What is that? She pushed herself up again, slowly this time to not agitate the pain in her center. Pulling herself out of the blankets that covered her, Sunset lifted up her shirt to find three black marks burned just above her naval. Very gingerly, she ran a finger across the center one, wincing at the feel of charred skin.
“How did I…?” She gasped, memories of last night flashing through her mind. They were scattered and hazy, but she could see herself flying through the air, pressing Twilight against a tree, pinning Pinkie against the floor, taunting her friends from her perch in the rafters, and being burned by Twilight and the candlesticks.
She fell back against the floor and pressed a palm against her forehead. “Oh, stars above, what have I done?” She curled up into her blankets, her stomach churning as her actions replayed again in her head. What was worse was that she still had a thirst for blood.
A cross between a moan and a weak sob escaped her lips. She had lost control. She had lost control and attacked her own friends. Even worse, she had tried to take complete advantage of Twilight.
She must hate me. They all hate me now. After all of that—the Battle of the Bands, the Friendship Games, I’m still a monster.
Tears fell from her eyes and soaked her pillow. She couldn’t remember what happened after she had passed out, and right now, she didn’t care. Her body was too tired to move about anyway. Spiraling further and further down, Sunset didn't realize she wasn't alone until she felt a hand gently grasp her shoulder.
“S-Sunset… are you all right?” a soft voice murmured. The owner gently pulled Sunset into a sitting position, then into a hug.
Sunset lifted her head, finding herself lost in a world of pink hair. “Fluttershy?” she croaked. “What are you doing here? Where are we?”
Fluttershy pulled away, allowing Sunset to glance about the dim room. Her vision was blurry, but Sunset could see the outlines of old boxes and pews. A single window near the ceiling let in a thin stream of sunlight.
“We’re in the basement of the steeple,” Fluttershy said, handing Sunset a glass of water.
Sunset snatched it and tossed it back. It did nothing to alleviate her parched throat. She wiped her mouth on her arm, noticing her jacket was missing. She spread her hand out across the floor, groping around in the darkness. Fluttershy cleared her throat and handed the folded leather jacket to Sunset.
“Thank you.” Sunset slipped it on, smelling the faint odor of oak leaves and acorns. She folded her hands in her lap and sighed. “Why are you still here, Fluttershy? I only remember half the stuff I did last night and I know it was horrible. I can’t imagine what you saw.”
“W-well... it was kinda bad.” Fluttershy smiled at her softly. “But I wouldn’t be a good friend if I left you here all alone. These last couple of nights have been really scary, but we’re not going to give up until we figure out a way to cure you.”
“We?” Sunset looked around again, unable to see anyone else in the dark.
Fluttershy pointed to the outline of a staircase. “They’re all upstairs. I offered to look after you until you woke up.”
Sunset tried to stand up, ignoring the pain in her stomach. She still stumbled, her head light from the lack of nourishment. Fluttershy jumped to her feet and wrapped an arm around Sunset to hold her steady.
“Thanks.”
They trudged through the darkness and up the stairs. It was slow going at first with Sunset’s body feeling sluggish and unresponsive. Fluttershy practically carried her upstairs.
When they reached the foyer, Sunset hissed at the amount of light coming in from the windows. It wasn’t a dramatic shift from the basement, but it still stabbed at her eyes.
“Oh, goodness! I’m so sorry, Sunset!” Fluttershy squeaked.
Sunset held a hand over her eyes and shook her head. “It’s fine, just, take me to the others.”
Fluttershy led her into the chapel, where she could hear her friends talking at the front in hushed tones. At least, she was sure they meant to be talking quietly. Her advanced hearing made it hard not to eavesdrop.
“... It’d be hard to move Sunset now, but maybe that’s for the best,” Rarity said. “We can just keep her here until the Princess writes back. Which reminds me, add the diary to the list of things we need to go get.”
“Diary, got it,” Twilight said with a yawn. “We still haven’t discussed what we’re going to tell our parents.”
“We went camping,” Rainbow said, “done and done. As long as we’re back before Monday, we’ll be fine.”
Applejack sighed. “The question is, will we be back by Monday? Last night was… bad, and that’s puttin’ it mildly. If friendship ain’t enough to break through to Sunset while she’s goin’ all vampire on us, what is gonna fix this?”
Rarity cleared her throat, and the conversation stopped. Sunset peeked between her hands to see all her friends staring at her from across the room. All save for Twilight, who was staring intently at a list.
“Afternoon, Sunset!” Pinkie waved. Sunset was relieved she still looked and sounded so cheerful after what had happened.
Fluttershy eased Sunset down on a pew in the back where the sun couldn’t reach her. The rest of the Rainbooms came to her, Twilight taking up the rear.
“How ya feelin’, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.
“Terrible.” Sunset already felt tears welling up in her eyes. “Girls, I’m so, so sorry about last night. I know it’s a sucky excuse, but I couldn’t control myself. I-I was hungry a-and I felt so strong and free and I—”
Rarity knelt down and pressed a finger against Sunset’s lips. “We know this isn’t your fault, Sunset. Please don’t beat yourself up over this.”
Sunset looked off to the side. “But it is my fault. I should have been able to control this… this vampiric side of me, but so far it’s felt like I’m just fighting to not completely lose myself to this thing.”
“Hey, you were winning that fight for a little bit!” Pinkie encouraged.
She looked past Pinkie and felt the tears she been holding back flow down her cheeks. “T-That’s not good enough... You guys could have gotten seriously hurt! Or worse…”
Twilight looked up from her paper, mouth open like she wanted to say something. Her eyes met Sunset’s before pulling away. Her cheeks turned red, and she returned to scribbling aimlessly.
Sunset lingered on her for a moment, heart thumping away before looking at the concerned expressions of her friends. Twilight hadn’t told them what had happened in the forest. Perhaps if they knew, she wouldn’t be getting off this easy. She swallowed the knot in her throat. Perhaps there were some things better left unsaid.
“Sunset, you’re our friend, vampire or not,” Rarity said firmly. “We’ve been in danger before, and I have a feeling we’ll be in danger again.”
“But—”
“I know you feel responsible, dear, but we have a responsibility too: to try and help you any way we can. We’re going to stand by you no matter what happens.” Rarity placed her hands on Sunset’s shoulders. “We’ll face this together, Sunset.”
Sunset bit down on her lip, accidentally extending her fangs and puncturing it. The pain stopped her from bursting into tears, but also sent a small trickle of blood into her mouth, reminding her body that she hadn’t drank anything in hours. She shook her head, driving the word feed from her mind.
“Thank you, girls. That means a lot.”
Rainbow cracked her neck, and stretched her legs. “I think it’s about time we go get Sunset’s journal and see if Princess Twilight is gonna show up sometime soon.”
Sunset leaned back in her seat with a sigh. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.” She closed her eyes, trying to let the tension drain from her body. Something scratched at the rafters above her and made chittering noises. A rat, no doubt.
Rat… bat…. Bat!
Sunset snapped her eyes open. “The bat!”
Pinkie cocked her head. “Bat?”
“You know, the thing that started this wonderful adventure,” Sunset said sarcastically, a heavy frown pulling at her lips.
“What about it?” Rainbow asked.
“Did you find it?”
“Sugarcube, we were chasin’ you all night,” Applejack deadpanned.
Sunset pressed her hands against her eyes. “Oh no. You mean it’s still flying around out there, biting people?”
Pinkie tapped a finger against her chin. “Yeeeaaaah, probably should have realized that a while ago. If that bat turned you into a vampire, then anyone else it bites is gonna turn into one too.”
Rainbow groaned and threw her hands in the air. “Do you know how hard it was tracking you down, Sunset? Now we’re supposed to go find a tiny bat? That’s impossible!”
Sunset massaged her forehead. “I might be able to find it with my super hearing, provided it makes enough noise. But, I can’t go anywhere right now. And I’m pretty sure the bat is only active at night, so…”
“So, you’d be in your vampire state if we waited that long.” Rarity crossed her arms and sighed. “In that instance, we’d have to pick the lesser of two evils.”
“I can’t even guarantee I’d be willing to go find it when I’m like that.”
“Well,” Twilight said, raising her hand into the air. She kept her eyes downcast. “Maybe we could lure the bat to us? Set up a trap of some sort?”
“What kind of trap?” Applejack asked.
“I-I’m not sure.” Twilight pushed her glasses up. “Something that plays on its basic instinct. Maybe we can attract it with… blood?” Her eyes shifted toward Sunset.
Applejack rubbed a hand against her neck. “Ah’m not sure that’s a good idea, or if it’ll even work, sugarcube.”
“No, it might,” Sunset said. “That bat is the reason I have all these enhanced senses. It stands to reason that it should have them as well. If it does, then like me, it can smell free blood from pretty far away.”
Rainbow’s mouth curved into a suspicious frown. “What are you saying?”
Sunset shook her head. “I’m not asking any of you to cut yourselves open. In my room, under my bed, there are a few packets of blood left.” Sunset gripped her growling stomach. “Maybe if you pour them into a bowl or something and leave it out, the bat will come looking for it.”
“Maybe.” Rarity rubbed her chin. “A bit of a gamble, but it’s probably the easiest plan we have. It sounds more efficient than running around all over the city again.”
Fluttershy spoke up. “We could try asking the animal shelter or pest control if someone reported a bat first.”
“Well, those sound like plans to me,” Applejack said with a satisfied grin. “Looks like we’ve got a busy day ahead of us. Question is, who’s gonna stay here with Sunset?”
The Rainbooms looked at each other for a second until Twilight cleared her throat. “Um, I’ll stay with her.”
Sunset’s heart fluttered. She stared at Twilight, mouth slightly ajar, though Twilight still wouldn’t make eye-contact with her.
“Uhh, you sure you want to do that?” Rainbow asked.
“Yes,” Twilight said with a little more confidence.
Applejack bit her lip. “Maybe one more person should stay here, too. No offense, Sunset.”
Sunset pulled her jacket tighter over her shoulders. “None taken,” she muttered.
“So, who else should stay?” Fluttershy asked.
“Probably Dash,” Applejack said.
“I vote for Rainbow.” Rarity held her hand up.
“Dashie!” Pinkie cheered.
“What?” Rainbow looked flabbergasted. “Why me?”
“Well, you were the one complainin’ about looking for a bat,” Applejack said.
“That was before we had a plan! I don’t wanna stay here and babysit Sunset! No offense.”
Sunset laid on her side, using her hands as a pillow. “I’m not getting into this again.”
Pinkie placed a hand on Rainbow’s shoulder. “Okay, tell you what, we’ll have a nice, fair competition to decide—nose goes!” She immediately pressed her finger to her nose. “Not it!”
Everyone else quickly followed suit, with Rainbow Dash completely caught off guard and grinding her teeth in frustration. “That’s bullshit, Pinkie and you know it!”
“You’re just mad ‘cause you lost!” Pinkie sang, skipping toward the door.
Rainbow crossed her arms and grumbled expletives, glaring at Pinkie’s back all the while.
Rarity leaned over Sunset. “Would you like us to get anything while we’re out?”
Blood. Sunset shook her head.
“All right then. We’ll be back later, hopefully with the bat and Princess Twilight.” She turned to Rainbow. “May I have Sunset’s spare keys, please?”
Rainbow thrust a hand into her pocket and pulled the keys out. “Have. Fun.” She dropped the keys into Rarity’s outstretched hand.
“No need to be so sour, Rainbow, you’re helping your friend.” Rarity walked out the chapel, following a snickering Applejack.
The room was a lot larger with four people missing. Sunset lay across the pew, looking at the ceiling. Twilight sat one row ahead, playing with the folds of her skirt, having given up her list to Fluttershy. Rainbow sat across from them, looking through her phone with puckered cheeks.
Twilight cleared her throat again. “Rainbow… could I… could me and Sunset have a few minutes alone?”
Sunset sat up, curiosity and panic rushing through her. Rainbow gave Twilight a matching expression.
“Why?” she asked slowly.
“We… need to talk about things.”
Rainbow stood up. “Okay, I’m all for talking out the problem, but maybe I should be here just in case things…”
Twilight shook her head and gave Rainbow a pleading look. “I appreciate it. But it’s a private conversation.”
Rainbow crossed her arms and huffed. “Is this just an excuse so you two can make out?”
Both Twilight and Sunset fixed her with a heated glare.
She threw her hands into the air. “Fine! But I’ll be right outside the door. Right outside it.” Rainbow cast both of them one more wary look before stepping into the foyer, moving the door until it was open just a crack.
Sunset made herself as small as she could in her seat, looking everywhere but at Twilight. Her heart thundered in her chest, making her entire body shake.
Twilight spoke in a soft voice, “Sunset—”
“I’m sorry!” Sunset blurted. “I’m sorry, Twilight! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to do it, and if I hurt you in anyway… I’ll understand if you never want to see me again,” Sunset finished, dropping her head into her hands.
A robin chirping somewhere beyond the broken window filled the silent void between Sunset and Twilight. Sunset heard Twilight’s shoes scuff against the floor, then felt a pair of hands fold over hers, pulling them away.
“You…” Twilight took a deep breath. “You weren’t yourself, Sunset.”
“That’s not an excuse!”
“Sunset!” Twilight’s eyes glossed over with unshed tears. “I wasn’t myself when I unleashed all of that magic and turned into a monster. Do you remember what you told me afterwards? I wasn’t a bad person, I had just been pressured into making a bad decision.”
Sunset fell silent. Twilight’s soft hands tightened their grip against hers.
“I’m not going to pretend that I wasn’t scared or that I wasn’t hurt. But I know you. I know you would never do that to me of your own free will.”
“That’s why I should have been stronger, Twilight,” Sunset whispered. “I should have fought that stupid urge, not given into it. If you hadn’t kicked me, I would have—”
“You wouldn’t.”
Sunset finally looked up into Twilight’s violet eyes. “What?”
“I think you would have stopped,” she said firmly.
“You can’t be certain of that,” Sunset said bordering on outrage. “You girls spent all night telling me not to drink you because of our friendship, and I didn’t listen to that! Twilight, I was acting on basic, primal instincts.”
Twilight shook her head, closing the distance between them. “Sunset, I know you wouldn’t have done it. After you snapped out of it last night… I just know that you didn’t have the heart to go through with it, vampire instincts or not.”
Sunset didn’t know whether it was naiveté or innocence she found in Twilight’s eyes. Either way, she wanted to believe Twilight was right—that she had enough self-control not to rape her best friend.
She released a sigh, exhaling much of the tension that had built in her chest. “Thank you, Twilight.”
Twilight smiled, a contrast to the tears falling from her eyes. She reached out and hugged Sunset tightly, making loud sniffles. “I-I’m sorry for burning you with the candle,” Twilight whimpered. “I was so scared after you passed out that I… I thought I killed you!”
“Not gonna lie, it hurt. A lot.” Sunset grinned weakly and returned the hug. “But I’m glad you did it.” They sat in each other’s embrace for a moment. Sunset could still smell Twilight’s lavender scent underneath sweat and forest loam.
Something primal rose within Sunset, arousing her desire for Twilight. It was weak and distant, but it distracted Sunset all the same. What was to stop her from taking Twilight and pushing her down against the bench?
Her answer came in the form of Rainbow, pounding on the chapel door. “Can I come back in now? Or are you two still kissing?”
Sunset and Twilight broke apart, both their faces red. Rainbow, if we weren’t friends, I’d tear your throat out.
******
Rarity pursed her lips as she looked down at the motionless diary. She opened it up regardless, but couldn’t say she was surprised to find it blank, just disappointed.
“Any luck?” Applejack asked.
“No. Nothing.” Rarity slipped the diary into her bag. She glanced about Pinkie’s living room. Nothing had been touched since their abrupt departure last night. “I know we made it a point not to rely on the Princess after the Friendship Games, but this really seems like something only she would know how to deal with.”
Applejack tugged on her ponytail. “Yeah, all the movies just tell you how to kill a vampire, not cure one.”
Pinkie popped her head in from the kitchen. “Hey, I was just thinking about that last night! We should write to Hollywood!”
“Well, there are plenty of fictional characters who learned how to live with their vampire powers,” Rarity reasoned.
“Except we’re not fictional characters,” Applejack said. “Maybe Sunset can learn how to keep her fangs to herself, but in the meantime, she’s a danger to herself and everyone around her.”
Rarity sighed. “Poor, Sunset. First a demon and now this. She just can’t catch a break.”
“Well, plainly speakin’ the demon thing was kinda her fault.” Applejack flinched under Rarity’s withering gaze. “Ah still feel bad, Ah’m just sayin’.”
“Don’t. You sound like Rainbow.” Rarity flipped her hair as she walked past Applejack and toward the front door. Fluttershy waited for them in the driveway, the engine of the car still running. The sun slowly made its descent across the sky, but Rarity lamented how much time was still left in the day.
Once everyone was in, Rarity pulled out the checklist and marked off Sunset’s journal. “So, we’ve checked in with our parents, got some food and supplies, and picked up the journal. All we need is the blood from Sunset’s apartment and a place to set up our trap.” She sighed, setting the checklist in her lap. “I guess it was too much to ask that animal control had caught it first.”
“Maybe for the best,” Applejack said from the passenger seat. “They’d probably ask us a bunch of funny questions if we said it belonged to us.”
They drove down the road, watching the orange rays of dusk settle across the world, stretching the shadows out like rolls of black fabric. Rarity pulled her phone out and checked the time—5:22. They still had about an hour until they could be sure the bat was flying around.
“Better check in with Rainbow and Twilight,” she said, tapping Rainbow’s number in. After three dial tones, Rarity’s anxiety began to rise. Rainbow was usually diligent when it came to phone calls. By the sixth ring, she was holding her breath, assuming the worst.
But it’s still daylight. Maybe Sunset had some sort of lapse? Oh no, maybe we should have left another person there to help keep her under control! Or maybe—
“Hello?” Rainbow’s voice broke through the static.
Rarity took a deep breath, holding her hand over her heart. “Rainbow, you had me worried for a minute! What took you so long to answer?”
“Weelll… I was helping to tie Sunset up.”
“What? But it’s still—”
“I know, I know,” Rainbow said quickly. “She’s fine...ish. She told me and Twi to do it. We found some of the chains used to keep the chandeliers up, so Sunset asked us to tie her up in the basement. Hopefully, that should keep her contained tonight.”
Rarity tapped her finger against the armrest. Personally, she didn’t feel good about wrapping their friend in chains, but given the circumstances… “All right. That should do until the Princess shows up.”
“Has she responded?”
“No,” Rarity said with a disheartened note. “But, I’m sure she’ll come through.”
“Fingers crossed. Good luck bat hunting.” Rarity could hear the lingering resentment in Rainbow’s voice. She hung up before Rarity could say anything else.
Pinkie leaned over. “So, how’s everyone?”
“Fine mostly. They’ve tied Sunset up in the basement as per her request. That should keep her busy until we come back.”
They arrived at Sunset’s apartment, and Pinkie took the key from Rarity before dashing upstairs. She returned two minutes later with three packets of blood and a bowl. “So, where are we going to set up for Operation: Batty?”
“Well,” Fluttershy said thoughtfully, “bats like really dark and quiet places. But this one likes to—” she shuddered “—feed on people. So, it won’t be in a completely isolated area.”
Applejack leaned back in her chair. “Well, Hollow Shades is pretty dark at night. Maybe we could set up in the neighborhood park over there.”
Fluttershy whimpered.
“Don’t worry, ‘Shy, we’ll keep a close eye on the van this time.”
With a sigh, Fluttershy shifted into drive and turned onto the street. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”
******
Sunset watched the light fade away from her seat in the basement. There was only a thin strip of orange remaining, slowly sliding across the floor and up the wall as time slipped away.
An angry roar came from Sunset’s stomach, followed by a stabbing pain. She writhed in her seat, rattling the chains that bound her.
“How ya doing down there?” Rainbow’s voice called.
“I’m freakin’ starving!”
“That’s nice.”
Sunset hissed, struggling harder against the binds. It was a short endeavor, ending with her hunched over and out of breath. She barely had any energy, and couldn’t tell if her irritation came from her lack of blood or just the general feeling of malnourishment.
Either way, she was ready to kill someone. Preferably Rainbow.
The only sustenance Sunset had managed to obtain were two of the rats running through the building. It was between them or Rainbow and Twilight, and Sunset still had enough of a conscience to tell her biting friends was wrong.
To be fair, the rats hadn’t tasted that bad.
This is killing me! I need to drink something—anything! Sunset tossed her head back. No, I’m fine. Totally fine. I don’t need blood. She rocked forward. No, I need it! The red haze clouded her eyes, but she squeezed them shut and shook it away.
“I can control this. I’m in control. I don’t need to drink blood. I’m perfectly—” She doubled over, whimpering at the knives digging into her stomach. “Starving!” She flexed her arms, getting the chains to strain against her strength. Still, they proved to be stronger than her. She yelled and hopped up and down in the chair. “Let me out!”
“Sorry, Sunset,” Twilight said from upstairs. “You told us not to let you out no matter what.”
“Twilight Sparkle,” Sunset growled, her fangs extending, “Let me out of here this instant!”
“No.”
Sunset managed to hop her chair forward. “Fine. But rest assured, when I do get out, I’m going to do horrible things to you. Wonderfully horrible things.” Sunset fidgeted in her seat, pressing her legs together. “I’m getting excited just thinking about how I’m going to screw the highlights out of your hair.”
“Oh, can we not!” Rainbow shouted.
Twilight raised her voice, though Sunset could still hear a hint of distress. “You also told me to ignore anything you say because you’re not in the right state of mind.”
“I haven’t properly fed in over twelve hours! Of course I’m not in the right state of mind!” Sunset slammed against her chair, violently rocking it back and forth. “Just a snack! A little taste of someone! One freaking bite—whoa!” Her chair toppled backwards, and Sunset found herself staring at the ceiling. She flailed her legs and tried in vain to break free of her chains.
She sighed. “And now, I’m sad.”
******
A single light bulb lit the Hollow Shades Community Park, providing just enough visibility for the Rainbooms to see if anyone approached their trap.
A bowl full of blood sat just outside the circle of light. Beneath it was a net, tied to a rope that looped over a tree branch and led to the Rainbooms' hiding spot behind the bushes. Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie stared intently at the bowl, while Fluttershy kept glancing back at her van.
Rarity pulled her turtleneck sweater up, trying to stay warm in the brisk evening air. “Come on, little bat,” she murmured to herself, “come get the nice blood before it goes bad.”
Applejack tightened her grip on the rope. “Do we have a plan B if this doesn’t work?”
“Ask Sunset really, really nicely and hope she’s in a good mood?” Pinkie asked optimistically.
“... Do we have a plan C?”
Rarity placed a finger on her lips and shushed Applejack. “Have a little faith this will work. We just have to be patient.” And lucky.
Their luck had been running well so far. The park was empty, and there was a good breeze blowing, hopefully wafting the smell to wherever the bat was hiding. Rarity’s legs were cramping up from the kneeling position she had taken almost an hour ago. The night was young, however, and she remained optimistic.
Something buzzed within her bag, and Rarity snapped it open to find Sunset’s journal glowing. “Girls, look!” She quickly pulled it out and flipped it open.
“‘Sunset, I’m sorry it took me a while to respond. When things get crazy around here, they really get crazy. But this is about you. Don’t panic. You’ve presented some striking evidence which has raised a lot of questions. I might have a way to reverse it, but I need to do a little research first. Can you tell me more about any of your symptoms or cravings? Twilight.’”
Finally! Rarity grabbed a pen from her bag. Maybe luck really was on their side now. “Pinkie, keep watching the bowl.” She put the pen to paper and read aloud, “Dear Twilight, it’s Rarity. Due to the circumstances of Sunset’s condition, I’m writing for her. She definitely craves blood, and it gets worse as the day goes by. When night falls, she becomes a whole different person, willing to bite anyone, even us! We’re having a hard time keeping her contained—she’s already bitten several people, including the human version of yourself. We thought apples might sate her, but it was only temporary. I hate to rush you, but please respond quickly.”
Rarity shut the book and exhaled. At least they were making progress now. Here’s hoping this is the last night we have to deal with this.
“Hey, look, free blood!” a voice came from the darkness.
Twisting around, Rarity couldn’t see who it belonged to, nor could anyone else. Both sides of the park were empty. Then, from the black sky, two figures descended, one bridal carrying the other, and landed just outside of the net.
“Uh-oh,” Pinkie squeaked, hiding deeper in the bush. The others followed her lead.
Lyra bent down and scooped the blood bowl up. “That’s nice of someone to leave this out.”
Bon Bon shook her head. “Lyra, it’s obviously a trap.”
“By who? No one even knows we’re vampires.” She raised the bowl to her lips, slurping loudly. “A little stale,” she said, smacking her lips, “but still good.”
Bon Bon slapped her on the shoulder. “That could have been poisoned for all you know!”
“Again, by who?”
“How about those four sitting in the bush?”
Rarity’s blood turned to ice. She looked at her friends, their expressions aligned with horror. Fluttershy mouthed, “More vampires?” and looked ready to cry.
Pinkie popped up from the bush first, two cloves of garlic in her hands. “You won’t take us alive!” She lobbed them forward, nailing both Lyra and Bon Bon in the face.
“Ow!”
“Dammit, that was my eye!”
“Run!” Pinkie yelled, scrambling for the van.
Rarity stuffed the journal into her bag and sprinted after Pinkie. Fortune is a fickle mistress! Fluttershy was already revving the engine when Rarity jumped through the door after Pinkie. Before she could close it, Lyra jumped up and held onto the frame. There was a thud as Bon Bon landed on the roof and crawled down over the windshield.
“Hey, girls!” Lyra said cheerfully, her eyes shining red and teeth dangerously pointy. “Mind if we tag along?”
Fluttershy screamed and floored the gas, throwing everyone back in their seats. She swerved, unable to see with Bon Bon blocking her view. Lyra teetered but still held on.
“Aw, come on. We just want a little snack.”
Rarity reached into her purse and pulled out her new can of pepper spray. Lyra's eyes widened as the cap came off, and Rarity gave her a direct blast to the face.
Lyra wailed and covered her eyes, falling back and bouncing onto the black pavement. Bon Bon gasped in horror and leaped off the window, jumping back for her friend. Fluttershy sped up, kicking a cloud of dust and exhaust into the air.
With a heave, Rarity slammed the door shut and fell into her seat. She looked out the back window, but was unable to see the two vampires.
“Well,” Applejack said, disgruntled, “we know the bat’s been busy.”
Pinkie nodded. “This is bad. Now we’ve got a Sunpire, Lyrapire, and a Bonpire to deal with! I don’t have enough garlic to deal with this many vampires!”
Rarity closed her eyes and slumped against the window. “Now would be a good time for that plan C. Does anyone have an idea?” Unsurprisingly, no one answered her. She groaned. “Then I suppose we’d better get back to the church.” She looked behind her again. “Though, you might want to take the long way, Fluttershy.”
******
Twilight sat in the foyer with Rainbow, candles in both of their hands. Sunset would yell and scream and make both violent and sexual threats at them, but so far the chains had proven effective. Even so, Twilight kept a tight grip on the candle holder. She didn’t want to burn Sunset again, but she would if she absolutely had too.
Rainbow groaned and sprawled out across the floor. “This is so boring!”
“Come down here, Dash, I’ll get you excited!”
“Shut up, Sunset,” Rainbow said in a bored tone.
Twilight sighed. Being placed on vampire duty was indeed a boring job, yet there was a permanent sense of danger. The second Sunset got free, all hell would break loose.
Rainbow’s phone buzzed, prompting her to sit up. “‘Incoming,’” she read. “The heck does—?”
The door banged open, and the rest of the Rainbooms hurried inside, slamming it shut behind them. Rarity flipped around, an odd smile stretching across her face. “Well, I’ve got good news and bad news.”
“Okay then.” Rainbow stood up. “What’s the good news?”
“Twilight wrote back!”
“Awesome!” Rainbow punched the air. “What’d she say?”
Rarity pulled the journal out. “She said she’d do some research, but she might have a way to fix all this.”
Twilight frowned, getting to her feet as well. “So then, what’s the bad news?”
Pinkie chimed in. “There’s two more vampires on the loose, and we didn’t catch the bat!”
“What?” Rainbow screeched. “You mean I sat here and listened to Sunset go on and on about how she’s, and I quote, ‘Twisexual’ for nothing?”
Applejack held her hands up. “We did the best we could. We laid the trap, only we snagged two vampires instead.”
“Who were they?” Twilight asked.
“Lyra and Bon Bon,” Pinkie said.
Rainbow shook her head. “Somehow, I can’t bring myself to be surprised. So, what are we supposed to do now?”
The foyer fell into a contemplative silence. A silence that was broken by the squeaking of chair legs against the floor. “I can help you,” Sunset voice drifted up from the basement.
Applejack puckered her face. “Not happenin’, Sunset. We ain’t lettin’ you outta there.”
Sunset spoke again, her voice slick with confidence and swagger. “Let’s look at it this way. You’ve got two vampires flying around biting people, and a bat swooping around making more. You can’t stop it, but I can. Provided you pay me.”
Twilight bit her knuckle. Sunset was right; they had barely managed to stop her and now there were two more vampires! And how did they hope to catch a tiny bat without any more bait? Still, fighting fire with fire? What did they do if that fire tried to burn them?
“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Twilight asked.
“You don’t. You’ll just have to trust me.” Twilight could hear the grin behind Sunset’s voice.
The girls cast an anxious look amongst one another. Their eyes all said the same thing, What choice do we have?
Rarity sighed and stepped up to the door. “Very well, Sunset. We’ll accept your help. What are your terms?”
“Well, as you may be aware, I haven’t eaten all day. I need nourishment if I’m going to be chasing bats and vampires.”
Everyone rubbed a hand against their neck. Rarity raised the neck of her sweater a little further and asked, “Very well, who do you want?”
“Don’t play dumb. You know who I want.”
Every head turned toward Twilight.
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Ooh boy! This is getting GOOD! Keep it up!!! I want MOAR!
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How to combine the strength of spirit of Good Sunset, and badassery of the Evil one? You got the answer spot-on right there.
ooooohhhhhhh sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit
*squeals in excitement*
Oh irony, you are my friend.
Murphy, come out and play.
I'm just a sweet Twisextite, from pure magical E-e-questriaaaaa!
Oh my god
Somebody go and double the Twilights.
We know they can interact without the universe imploding.
Let's ship them both with Sunpire.
Let's do it.
:::;)
These updates aren't coming fast enough… but when I have to choose, I prefer quality over quantity
What's to stop Sunset from just eating them all when they let her out?
sexyhard bargain. Poor Lyra though! She and Bon bon need to exact a little drinky vengeance on Rarity! Maybe. I swear, I'm not a vampire.Ooooh jeez. This is gonna be interesting.
Great work! Onward!
What could possibly go wrong!?
...Still a better love story than Twilight...
Sunset has given them a proposition which they have no other choice but to accept given how more vampires are starting to show up, in addition to the bat itself which is the source of all of this madness. This is where "trust" is going to become essential as who knows what is going to happen if the girls free Sunset.
Well no bat but Lyra and Bonbon. Uh-oh Sunset wants Twilight's blood. Hopefully things will get better.
Well, they can be pretty sure she won't screw them for now...
I mean if some pest were threatening MY livestock I would obliterate them.
Also they learn nothing from the past chapter and didn't get a flamethrower in the glorious name of mankind +1 sin
6583739 She still like them, they'r just also food right now, delicious regenerative food.
Why does it seem that gay people are more likely to get bitten. Assuming that Lyra and Bonbon are gay, but the fandom ships them all the time.
Fluttershy lead her into the chapel, where she could
1. Led.
6583569 Indeed, She will protect Twilight and her friends, because they are HER food, and not to be stolen and killed by some noobie vampires that don't know how to control themselves! Dead people don't give blood, but living ones do!
6583935 flamethrower. It solves all your undead, alien, robotic, cloning, monster, pony, spider, and parenting problems.
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Well, better the vampire they know then the vampires they don't? And there could be even more out there too by now. They're going to need a lot more garlic. Or pepper spray would be good too.
Oh Sunset is going to be so embarrassed by all of this later on.
Also, I know the mane six don't have a lot of options right now, but I think setting Sunset free is a really bad choice. They really should just wait for Princess Twilight at this point and hope Lyra and Bon Bon don't find them in the mean time. It would be good to feed Sunset considering the fact that she's literally starving at this point, but letting her have Twilight right now is a really really bad idea. This can't end well.
Comedy - Excellent.
Story - Well written and hooks you from the beginning and doesn't let go.
Characterization - All the girls talk and act like they should but you've knocked it out the park with Sunset. Sunset has the good will of the second and third movie while Sunpire is just as fun to watch as her bad version but tripled by your writing and her lust for Twilight.
I am so looking forward to seeing what's next. Especially as deals are being made and Lyra and Bon Bon are now involved.
I will be very disappointed in them if they let Sunset go. She has given them literally every reason imaginable not to trust her and it's just as likely, if not more likely, that she'd simply join Lyra/Bon Bon hunting than actually help.
There are a lot of points in this story that made me laugh so hard. I love humorous stories!
Do not let sunset out. I love her to pieces but she is lying. Albinocorn what is it with you and toruring sunset man?
6583832 and Flash
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What else would Rainbow like to use as an analogy? I thought the screwing of the highlights was pretty clever.
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Does kinda sound like a bonfire.
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Well, things keep getting worse it seems like. Poor Twilight, going to be fed to a vampire.
Yep.
She has a point.
This is amazing.
All the yes.
Plan C?
Yep.
6583638
Corner, now.
Sunset wants ALL of Twilight, not just her blood, this could end in a sexual scene maybe? :3 or at least a very hot moment? :3
I didn't catch that classic vampire reference the first time! I don't know if it was intentional, but it's a really fun addition! :D
I would be surprised if Sci-Twi was kept as Sunpire's thrall. Also, Lyrapire and Bonpire!? Well... this won't end well.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh crap.....
1. Don't let Sunset out
2. Twi has already lost a fair amount of blood
3. and 'Twisexual' is not a great thing to talk about when Twi's in the room
Love the chapter though!
All I can say is...
I SCREAMED IN AGONY OVER THIS CLIFF HANGER AND SCARED MY FRIEND.
Well done.
Am I the only one who wants them to find away for Sunset and the other human vampire girls to control their powers instead of some deus ex machina spell from Princess Twi turning them back to normal?
Also, it's obvious Sunset is trying to finish the job of turning Twilight... Or maybe she just wants to see if she can make Twilight... Sparkle.
#WorstAndMostForcedSoundingPun2015
OOOOHHH. I wish I could be there. I would be a vampire chasing after them.
6584274 Yeah
The could Send Sunset to Mina Tepes at the Bund or Evangeline A.K McDowell in Mahora?
Wonder if blood is the only type of bodily fluid Sunset wants from Twilight?
6584797
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I have no idea how I'm supposed to feel about this.
I think I'll go with several different shades of concerned and morbidly curious.
...yeah, that sums up my thoughts about this chapter- hell, this story in general- pretty well.
Well Twilight is researching now so they could in theory just wait and run out the clock.
Considering what happened to them later… I'd say they got a nice douse of karma.
Sunset!!! ,finish the job
make Twilight "sparkle"
So we have a Sunpire, a Lyrapire, and a Bonpire. This can only end in 3 ways:
1.) They do free Sunset, and she is true to her word (which is highly unlikely considering what's happened throughout the first seven chapters). She goes out on the hunt for Lyrapire and Bonpire. Cue the badass, intense fight scene between the three of them!
2.) Again, they let Sunset out, she deceives them, and joins Lyrapire and Bonpire on their hunt, which leaves the Main 6 no choice but to barricade all the church doors, set candles in every room, and hide down in the basement. And somehow, someway, Pinkie Pie arms herself with more garlic cloves.
3. They don't let Sunset out and choose to barricade themselves (and Sunset, mind you) in from Lyrapire and Bonpire and hope that Princess Twilight can pop out a cure soon.
By the way, won't we soon have a Vinylpire to worry about, too? You know since Sunset bit her in the third chapter?....
6584980 That would definitely get Sunset under control
(and turned into a "video game boss" if they went with Mahora)
6585145