> Trading Souls
>  by kitkataddel
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Two lives for one
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You're... you're leaving me here?" she whispered, staring at Adagio's retreating form past Sunset’s arm. "You have your hearts back, and you're leaving me here?! With her...  She'll..." She shot Sunset a small frightened glance, and then burst recklessly forward, bashing against the blocking limb. "I'll die! She's a vampire! You know that, and you’re still-" She broke off as it became clear that Adagio wasn't going to look back around. Sonata's tears fell down her face, and she swallowed hard.

"D- Do I really mean so little to you?"

Adagio didn’t verbally reply to this. She instead lowered her head, and Sunset heard a small noise from her. Whether it was a sigh, a small laugh, or if Sunset had just imagined it, she didn’t know. Then she walked forward into the hallway, and the door swung shut behind her, leaving Sunset and Sonata in the grim semi-darkness of the hotel room.





Aria heard a soft click from behind her, and instantly shuddered, fighting her instincts to lash out. Glancing upwards, she saw Adagio hold a gem, moments before tossing it towards her, catching the red jewel with ease. Stuffing it in her pocket, she saw Adagio look at her with a serene face, gazing up and down her form. "Too late for regret."

"Shut up." Aria spat in response, storming past her.

Smirking, Adagio glanced at her own stone, before she too put it into a pocket. Stopping for a moment, she breathed in a short breath, before muttering, "It's the least we deserve. We deserve it. We-"

A muffled scream put her feet back to work, briskly making her walk out of the hotel.





Sonata cried out as she was pushed onto the vast bed, quickly silencing herself in fear. Her tearful eyes followed Sunset, who was pacing at the foot of the bed. "Here's the thing, Sonata. I need food. You know what I am, and what I need to survive. Blood. You've got a choice. The first is me sucking out all of your blood and leaving you an empty husk."

The ex-siren whimpered at the words, instinctively shuffling away from the predatory grin that Sunset had suddenly adopted. "P-please..."

The vampire paused, looked at Sonata, before she sat down on the bed, but didn't relax. "Look, Sonata. I honestly don't want to kill you. If I'm honest, I only threw you so you would scream and scare off Adagio. But that still doesn't mean I'm just going to let you go." Her voice took on a tone of calmness. Not the kind of calm one would use when negotiating, but the type used whenever someone was scared out of their mind. "I highly doubt you'll ever be truly free again - you lost that when you were banished here. I can at least make it bearable again, and safe."

Sighing, Sunset pushed herself up, back to her feet. She moved to gaze out of one of the locked windows, seeing the nightlife go by. "Before I give you the other option, however, I want you to think about something. Your sisters."

Sonata's sobbing renewed behind her, tears surely flowing freely. "They- They..."

"Left you to die." Sunset finished for her. "Or at least Adagio did. I've definitely seen the last of her. Hopefully. Aria, on the other hand..." She pushed away from the glass, turning her gaze back to the curled up girl on her bed. "Between you and me, she really didn't want to do this. I suspect I'll be hearing from her soon. For better or worse."

"She still... still..."

"Had a part in this. I know. I'm not trying to defend her, but to me, it was clear that she was reluctant." She strode confidently over to the side of the bed, looking down at Sonata. "Now. Here's your other option. I can make you immortal again. I need an indefinite food source. These two things go hand in hand. It also means you don't die, not for the foreseeable future. Of course, that's not all. Until I know I can completely trust you, you will be under my control. I already own your body - if you choose the second option, I will own your soul as well."

Sighing, Sunset turned away, running her tongue over her teeth. "I'll give you until early tomorrow morning, which is when I'll be leaving, with you. Oh, and just for the record, if you chose to simply die, I will make it painless. I may be a vampire, but that doesn't mean I don't have morals."

She walked into another room with supernatural speed, leaving Sonata alone. Her eyes nervously darted at the door, knowing it was locked - not that she would get far anyway. Instead, she simply rested on the bed, hoping Sunset was being honest when she said she still had morals. Her gaze swept over the dim room, looking for anything to distract her from her impending doom. It wasn't that she didn't trust Sunset, but she knew vampires had low self-control. One wrong move, and she might be dead. So she went remained curled up, tightening the scarf around her neck so her arteries weren't readily available.

A few moments later, and Sunset re-emerged with a small, sharp knife and what could only be called shackles in her grasp. Sonata shrank back as Sunset turned her head towards her once more, earning a sigh from the vampire, who was muttering, "Hoped it didn't have to come to this."

Sunset was at her captive's side in a second, growling softly. Grabbing the pale blue arms, she pulled them behind Sonata's back, simultaneously snapping one of the manacles to her ankle, the other end falling limply on the bed. Still holding her arms, Sunset pulled out a pair of handcuffs from a back pocket, slipping them onto her wrists and closing them tight. Rolling Sonata into her back, the vampire gazed into her prisoner's teary eyes with her own predatory glint. Her eyes momentarily flashed red, before a look of realisation slowly made its way upon her face. Shaking her head, she crawled off of Sonata, unlocking the handcuffs with a key as she did so. Taking the other end of the shackles, Sunset attached it to one of the legs of the bed. Taking the knife and setting it on her bed, she hissed at herself, mentally chiding her own actions.

Walking away, she looked over her shoulder at Sonata. "I need to clear my bloodlust. Put some of your blood into that cup on the bedside table." Hearing Sonata's breath hitch, Sunset rolled her eyes, explaining, "Just cut your finger or something. I don't need you to faint from blood lus- loss, but I do need some sort of substantial amount. I'll be back in an hour, I expect to see some red in that cup by then."

She rushed out the door, locking it behind her. As the pale girl heard the footstep fade into the night, she took the time to examine her situation. The pair of manacles had roughly a meter of chain for her to move about with, just enough to reach the headboard of the bed. Glancing at the knife, she let out a shaky breath, recalling the time she had seen a vampire lose control at the mere sight of a fresh wound. Deciding to get it over with, she reached out to the knife, grasping it with a shivering hand. Carefully, she pressed the blade against a fingertip, holding it over the cup, as a crimson liquid dripped into the container. Grimacing, she let the blood pool at the bottom, a sharp sting causing her finger to twitch slightly.

Slowly, the pain started to fade, and the blood flow started to be cut off. Shaking her hand a little, Sonata pulled it away, taking her thoughts with it. Her... sisters.

"T-They sold me... My life for theirs..." The shackled girl had to fight back more tears, if there even were anymore she could shed. 

"They really didn't care about me..."





The fat pigeon let out a strangled squawk as Sunset bit into it, throwing it aside once she had drained the blood completely. Footsteps alerted her senses, and she spun around, making sure to cover her face with the hood she was wearing. There, coming up the ladder to the rooftop, was a sad looking Aria Blaze, her normal moody self completely absent. Noticing the vampire's gaze was on her, she flinched, fearful of the reaction she might get.

"Can't say I'm surprised to see you already." Sunset casually commented, lowering her hood.

"Is that... err..." If Sunset didn't know better, she would suspect Aria was about to start crying.

"No, Sonata's alive, and, so far, unharmed." She licked her lips, gesturing to the dead bird on the ground. "What do you want?"

Letting out a relieved sigh, Aria stepped forward. "Is that black van in the hotel car park yours?"

"Rental, but yeah."

"Good. There are boxes inside of it. All of Sonata's stuff. I know you're a killer and everything, but you're not without morals. Throw 'em out if she dies, but if you want her to survive..." Aria took another few steps forward, stopping a meter from Sunset. "Be honest with me. These pendants don't do much, do they?"

"You're not gonna die from starvation or anything like that. They keep you healthy, and give you a tiny bit of magic. I have no idea if you're immortal again."

Shaking her head, Aria gave a mirthless chuckle. "Figures." Any sliver of humour vanishes from her face, looked Sunset directly in her eye. "I don't know what you did, but you fucked up. While I can't, Adagio can go full siren again."

"Shit."

"I doubt you'll go after us now, but keep an eye on the Mediterranean. A little fishy tells me Adagio will go there." Without another word, Aria turned on her heel, sliding down the ladder and walking off into the night, leaving Sunset with more questions, and very few answers.





Sunset got back early in the morning, around four o'clock, and saw Sonata curled in a ball, tears staining both her face and the sheets. She would wake her prisoner later, opting to gather her few possessions in the hotel into one spot, as well as changing into more casual clothes. She grabbed a long coat in preparation for Sonata. Walking over to her fellow equestrian, she gently rolled her over, moving her hands so they could be handcuffed behind her back again, this time with much less force. She undid the shackles and stuffed them into a duffel bag, along with a few other objects. Moving to the side of the bed, Sunset eyed the cup, leaning over it to see the blood pooled in side. Picking it up, she swirled to container around, noting that the blood was slightly dry - Sonata must've cut herself just after she left. Shrugged, she downed it in one go, licking her lips as she pulled the cup away. 

When Adagio had asked what blood had tasted like, Sunset had been purposely vague. It didn't vary with one's body, but rather their mental state. The naive always tasted sweeter to Sunset, it was why she was happy going after rodents - after all, what was more naive than a clueless animal? Sonata was naturally naive, and while there was no real reason why she had asked for her particularly, it did factor into it. As a result, drinking her blood was akin to devouring a caramel chocolate bar. Sweet, but not overly so, as it was dulled by centuries of life. Smiling, Sunset carried the cup over to a sink, making sure no trace of the red liquid was left. 

When she turned back to the bed, Sonata was sitting up right, apparently trying to shuffle the cuffs into a more comfortable position. When she noticed Sunset staring at her, she instantly shrunk away, making herself as small as possible. Sunset wandered over as if she hadn't noticed, pulling Sonata off of the bed by an arm. "Get up. We're leaving."

"Um..."

"Toilet's the door on the left." With a grateful nod, Sonata scrambled into the room, closing the door as a relieved sigh come from within. While the ex-siren was doing her business, Sunset picked up her bags and set them next to the door, eyeing the long coat hanging on the hook. A moment later, and Sonata came around the corner, an unreadable expression on her face. Ignoring it, Sunset wordlessly put the coat on her captive, easily covering the bondage. Picking up three bags, tossing the lightest one onto Sonata, she opened to door, lightly guiding Sonata into the hallway.

Silently, they made their way down to the main lobby, with Sunset signing herself out and finding the van she had rented. Checking the back window as she went past, there was several small boxes in there that weren't before. Nodding slightly, she opened the passenger door, shoving Sonata inside, then closing it and getting into the driver seat. Glancing over at Sonata, she reached into the duffel bag, taking out the roll of duct tape. Tearing off a small strip, she immediately slapped it on Sonata, earning a muffled scream of alarm. Tossing the roll behind her, Sunset then grabbed a blindfold from the same bag, tying it over her captive's eyes, earning the same reaction. 

Turning the engine on, Sunset started to drive out of the area in which the hotel was located, and into her own neighborhood. It wasn't a grand deal, but it was near CHS, and that was what mattered at this point in time. The houses there were cheap, but still had some good space, recently constructed from the rapid expansion of the city. Sunset's own house was a deceptively small house. It was a one story building with an attic and a fairly large garden. Below the surface, however, was an expansive basement, perfect for a vampire.

Sunset used the subterranean space as a bedroom - even if she didn't sleep much, or at all, she still preferred to sleep away from the light of the sun. The attic was simply a storage space, and the rest of the house was used as standard human utilities. The rest of the basement had recently been converted to something... new.

Parking on her drive, the vampire hopped out, shutting off the engine. Glancing about, she opened the passenger door, forcefully dragging Sonata out and pushing her towards her house. Unlocking the front door, she shoved Sonata in, sending her stumbling onto the floor with a muffled whimper. Locking the door again, Sunset pulled her prisoner back to her feet, guiding her to a door with a complicated electronic lock. Punching in a code, the door swung open, and Sunset undid the blindfold, stuffing it in a pocket. Sonata fearfully glanced at Sunset, before looking down the stairs, taking the first step down into the dark room. When she hesitated on the next one, Sunset commanded, "Go down."

Giving a shaky nod, Sonata complied, making her way down the stairs one step at a time, Sunset's hand on her back to balance her. The basement was almost pitch black, only a dim lamp next to the double bed that was to the right of the stairs, providing a meagre amount of illumination. Quickly dashing up the steps to close the door, and then back down again, Sunset gestured for Sonata to take a seat on the bed. When she did so, the vampire joined here, carefully peeling the tape gag off, the bound girl letting out a gasp of air.

"Have you made your decision?"

"Will... will you k-keep your wor-word?" Sonata stumbled over her words, clearly terrified of the situation she had been placed in. "Y-you won't end up killing me?"

"Only if you choose that. Once you've willingly submitted yourself to me, there will be no going back. Either way, I somewhat doubt you'll be leaving this basement for a good amount of time." Sunset honestly answered. While she had a plan in mind for what to do with her prisoner, she knew that no plan survives first contact.

"I... I... Will I have any sort of physical freedom?" Sunset blinked at the question - she knew Sonata wouldn't have made her mind up already, but she didn't expect something like that. Perhaps 'will you beat me?' or 'will you torture me?', not something with being able to move around.

"Depends. As my trust that you won't try anything goes up, the better your conditions get. If I can completely trust you, I'll allow you to roam about my house with ease. At the moment, to start you off..." She reached out to behind the head board, flicking a switch. Sunset flinched as the light came on, revealing the rest of the room. It was fairly bland, the only colour being the crimson walls and red and yellow bedsheets. Under the staircase was what drew Sonata's attention. Instead of just a wall, the underside had been removed, creating a small enclave, which was blocked by vertical bars.

Getting up and moving to stand in front of the prison cell, Sunset explained, "This is where you'll be. I'll bring food down to this cage. I'll let you out if you need to go to the toilet, and don't be afraid to ask." She gestured to a door to the left of the cage, Sonata noting the bottom right corner was cut out. Reaching past the bars, the vampire pulled out a large metal ring will a long chain attached to it. "You'll be wearing this collar at all times. And I mean absolutely all times. You'll see why later. The tether's more a precaution, than anything."

Dropping the leash and collar on the bed, she pulled out the knife Sonata had cut herself with earlier, dropping it beside it. "So what is it going to be, Sonata? A slave to me for the rest of eternity, or a simple death? Put the collar on, or cut your finger again."

Sunset reached around and snapped off the handcuffs, not even bothering with a key. Seeing Sonata hesitate, she added, "Remember, you're just lucky I'm giving you this choice. I own you right now, don't forget that. I could simply choose one or the other. Kill you and be done with it, or slowly bend you to my will."

"Just... just tell me why they did it."

"Fear makes us do strange things." Sunset whispered, leaning in so Sonata froze like prey being sniffed. "Things that, usually, we might not think of doing." She started to pace, raising her voice again. "They sold you like some cheap whore, for some lost power and their own fear of mortality. Fear. That's your answer, at the end of the day. Fear."

Giving a slow nod, Sonata reached up with a shaky hand, pulling her scarf off. She reached out towards the knife, then to the collar, and back again. Pausing, she glanced at Sunset, who was watching with an impassive expression. Trembling, she made her choice, reaching out to the collar. Holding it up, Sonata opened it, moving it around her neck, before snapping it shut with a quick squeeze. Nodding in approval, Sunset grabbed the chain, roughly pulling on it as she forced her slave to their feet.

"I want you to understand this now. Doing this now means you will do everything you say. I own your body, your mind. Your soul's gonna be mine soon." Reaching down, she attached the other end of the chain to a sturdy looking hook in the floor, halfway between the cage and the foot of the bed, making sure it was secure. "That means even if I piss on the ground and tell you to lap it up, you do it. That's a rather extreme example, of course, but you get the idea." Tugging on the chain once more, Sonata was pulled across the room, towards the small cell. Sunset grabbed the discrete narrow door, yanking it open, before dragging the collared girl inside. Almost throwing her in through the entrance, Sunset slammed the door behind her, a click signalling it was locked, the chain trailing through a small slot at the bottom of the door.

"I'm going to go get some pillows or blankets or something." The vampire said as she went up the stairs above Sonata. "I'll be giving you something tomorrow. Until then, get settled in."

The prisoner had to fight back another sob as she was left alone, her own reality starting to dawn on her, as she slumped down in a corner, her head in her knees.





True to her word, Sunset had returned with some blankets and a pillow some hours ago, and had since been working on something just out of Sonata's visual range, as a small bulb next to the door provided her with a little illumination. Sonata herself had taken the time to arrange her makeshift bed in a comfortable manner, or as comfy as one could be with a concrete floor to sleep on. Sunset had also brought a dish of simple food down, which the mortal equestrian had practically devoured in an instant, her mood lifted slightly as she was reminded Sunset was, at the very least, going to take care of her.

Sonata hadn't seen her owner for a while now, though she had heard several curses come from somewhere in the room. She would call out to Sunset, but she was afraid of any retribution she might receive, as Sonata was very aware that Sunset had been going easy on her, for now. Anything could change that in a blink of an eye. A crackle of energy drew her attention upwards, and she saw Sunset get launched across the room by a bolt of red lightning. Picking herself off of the wall, Sunset let out a string of curses, cutting herself off when she looked at her hand.

Grasped in her palm, was a diamond shaped blood red jewel, very similar to Sonata's old pendant. Noticing she had Sonata's attention, the vampire started to walk towards the cage, causing its occupant to shrink back. Rolling her eyes, Sunset bent down, feeling the chain through her fingers, as she paced towards the bars. When she was a few feet away, she simply dropped the chain, before lunging to grab the chain links closest to the collar, growling softly as she did so. Pulling her hand back through the bars, and therefore bringing Sonata against them with a terrified expression on her face. Raising her other hand, gem in hand, Sunset pushed her hand against the back of Sonata's collar, a hissing sound emerging from the metal. Sonata was about to fight against Sunset's hands, but was stopped by another low growl from the vampire.

They stayed like that for a minute, before Sunset finally pushed her captive away, landing with a grunt. Raising a hand to feel the collar, the siren felt the gem embedded in it, before her captor brought her attention back to her. "That's the thing that makes you immortal again. It only works for as long as I'm alive, so if I die, you start to age and probably starve. It also provides immunity to all illnesses, including the vampiric curse. While you don't need food any more, I'm still going to give you meals so you produce healthy blood."

She turned, going around to walk up the steps, adding, "I might be giving you another one of those gems soon. Not my priority though." Sonata heard her go up the stairs, only to come back down a few moments later. Reappearing on the other side of the bar, Sunset laid down a simple meal of bread and water, which Sonata quickly reached out and grabbed, ripping into the bread, consuming it in seconds. Gulping down the water, she nodded gratefully at the vampire, placing the jug back on the other side of the bars and leaning back on the wall. Giving a satisfied nod, Sunset moved the jug away with a foot, before going back to where she was making the gem, presumably working on the other one.





A day later, and Sonata had been let out of her cage to go into the cramped toilet, which only consisted of a lavatory and sink, both of which were rarely used. Sunset was waiting for her, leaning on the bars of the cell, arms folded across her chest. Behind the physical look of casual confidence, however, was actually feelings of nervousness, as she was going to try something new.

She was broken out of her thoughts as the door swung open, and Sonata was already making the very short distance back to her cell, chain trailing behind her. Sunset reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the vampire with a cry of alarm. 

Spinning her around, Sunset positioned her slave so her own chest was against Sonata's back. "Time for a taste test." She started to claw her yellow hands over blue skin, leaving red marks over the previously unbroken flesh. Licking her neck, Sunset started to let the bloodlust take over. Her sclera blackened, fangs growing from canines, amber skin starting to redden slightly. The red streaks of her hair seemed to resemble blood, and Sunset could feel something threatening to sprout from her back. Clamping a clawed hand over Sonata's jaw, the vampire opened her own maw, biting down on the neck in front of her with all four sharp teeth. The siren threatened to scream through her captor's hand, though any sound was still muffled.

Sonata's instincts were to strong, however, and an arm lashed backwards, the elbow smashing into Sunset's ribs. Hissing, Sunset responded in kind, bringing her free hand onto her slave's own ribcage, breaking ribs with a crack, earning another scream from Sonata as she coughed up blood. When she struggled still, the supernatural equestrian brought a knee into the back of Sonata's thigh, snapping the bone with another pain filled scream. As the blue girl went limp, Sunset started to suck the blood out of the artery she had punctured, as Sonata continued to whine and cry wordlessly, but put up no further protest.

Releasing her prisoner, Sunset's hands started to roam over the body in their grasp, caressing and groping different parts of her body. Stroking Sonata's sides, Sunset pulled her mouth away from the artery she was drinking from, and tilted her head to rest it on the other shoulder, before biting into the flesh once again. Screaming, Sonata's limbs twitched slightly, but otherwise didn't resist. As Sunset drank once more, her hands became more adventurous, one roughly groping a breast, the other rubbing an inner thigh, earning a moan from the enslaved siren. Dislodging her teeth, generating another pleasured groan, Sunset backed away, smiling devilishly.

"Well, well, well, is my little slave enjoying her abuse? I didn't expect you to be a masochist..." She gave a short chuckle, gently picking Sonata up and depositing her in the cage, grinning at the new revelation. Sonata groaned as she touched the soft blankets, gingerly touching her side where Sunset had hit her. "Hurts?"

"..." Sunset frowned at her prisoner's silence, as her body started to return to normal. Sonata hadn't said a word ever since she had entered the cage. The only time she had asked to be allowed to go to the toilet was communicated through vague gestures.

"Well?"

"...Numb, mistress."

Taking a step back, the vampire took in a few calming breaths. Had she truly broken Sonata's mind already? She knew the siren didn't have the strongest will, but with many centuries of life in her mind should've made up for that. A serious expression on her face, she walked forward so she was inches away from the bars, then bent down so she was at Sonata's eye level. "Tell me, Sonata. What do you like the most in life?"

"I like... I like to be used, mistress. For someone to take away all my true responsibilities. For no burden to be put on my shoulders." So it was some secret and long sought after desire, something Sonata had locked away deep under her personality long ago. Before Sunset could think, her slave continued. "I have other desires, mistress. Ones that start out as a guise, only to become reality. I like to adapt, to change, to see where my life takes me, mistress. To see who I get made into."

Sunset stood back up, a more thoughtful expression now adorning her features. "Just... just, for now, I'm going to give you an order. You'd better obey for the rest of your damn life. Understood?"

"Yes, mistress."

"You are going to rebuild your personality. Understand this: I don't want a mindless slave. I want someone who I can converse with, at the very least, even if I beat them. Got that?"

Sonata gave a dry chuckle, coughing up a little blood in the process. "In that case, mistress, you'd better get me a damn taco."

Sunset had to bite back a laugh at the statement, glad that not all of Sonata had disappeared. As the siren lay beaten, chained and pale in a cage, and the vampire, standing up so she towered over the other equestrian with a fading predatory look, they both felt at ease. 

Something they'd feel for a long time to come.