Sunlight

by Albi

Rating: teen
Tags: Sex, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Main 7 (EqG), Twilight Sparkle (EqG), Romance, Thriller, Equestria Girls, Comedy
Length: 49040

A vampire bat escapes from Equestria and bites Sunset. It's up to her friends to save the city (and Twilight) from her new blood lust.

A lone vampire bat sneaks through the mirror portal and ends up in the human world. Instead of apples, it now craves something far richer. And unfortunately for Sunset Shimmer, she's its next snack.

Sunset can't remember any of her activities past sundown. The light hurts not just her eyes, but burns her skin. And she's thirsty.

So very thirsty.

It's up to the Rainbooms to save Sunset from herself before she drinks the whole city dry. Too bad Twilight Sparkle is her primary target.

Thanks to Saro0fd3monz for the inspiration!

Edited by DrakeyC and HenryAnthonyCourtler

Now with a TVTropes page!

Now with a French translation!

Published 2015-10-05 21:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2016-02-18 20:05:29 UTC

Chapter 1: Bat Outta Equestria

Its nose twitched.

Somewhere beyond the trees, there was a feast. The sweet aroma of apples drifted down the country lane and into the sanctuary, making its nose twitch again. It was supposed to be sleeping like the rest of its colony, but the smell was too strong—too enticing.

The vampire fruit bat opened an eye, seeing the empty sky floating beneath it, bathed in the orange light of the bright yellow ball of fire. Above it hung the ground with its rolling hills and green canopy. Twisting its head left and right, the bat saw the rest of its tree mates had not stirred. Could they not smell the succulence that lay only a few hills over? That was fine; more food for it.

It flipped up onto the branch, turning the world right-side up again. The bat leapt from its branch to follow the heavenly scent trail. In an hour, when the sun was down, perhaps the rest of the colony would follow. In the meantime, there was a feast to enjoy.

The smell of food led the bat over the hills and toward a bright purple and blue tree. The ridiculous shine irritated the bat’s eyes, but that’s where the food was. Drawing closer, the tree didn’t seem to be made of wood. It was like one of the buildings the ponies lived in.

The bat opened its mouth and screeched, letting the sound waves bounce up the shiny building. There had to be a way inside somewhere; the food was just out of sight! It flew a little higher and screeched again, this time finding a large hole cut into the shiny, hard wood.

Inside the tree, the bat found not apples, but a room full of multicolored rectangles. They were shoved into the walls, and stacked from the floor to the ceiling. Frustration and hunger building, the bat used its echolocation again to find a path to the apples, but came up short. It swooped around the room trying to find any sort of passage deeper into the tree.

It landed in front of a large something that looked like the hole it had flown through, only, there was already another vampire fruit bat standing in the threshold. It had gray mottled skin, large ears, bushy eyebrows, and long fangs protruding from the front of its mouth. In fact, the bat looked quite familiar.

The first bat moved to the left, and the other followed it. The same thing happened when the bat moved to the right, and again when it jumped into the air. This newcomer seemed to copy every move the first bat made.

With a loud screech, the two bats lunged at each other. The next thing the bat knew, it was swirling down a whirlpool of colors, its entire body stretching and pulling in several directions at once. It spun and spun and spun, faster and faster while the colors blended together into an unruly mess. All the while, something within it changed.

When the swirling stopped, the bat found itself outside again, lying on hard gray dirt. It got up and flapped its wings a few times, still feeling incredibly dizzy. Its vision went in and out of focus, so it relied on its echolocation. Something very large and solid was in front of it, but there were a few openings. It must have been another building.

Sticking its nose into the air, it smelled sweet food coming from within. Apples? No, something far richer and tastier than that!

The bat took to the air, wobbling as it searched out an opening. Its vision came back, and it flew through one of the holes in the building. Why would ponies make holes in their homes anyway?

Actually, as the bat landed on the ceiling, it saw the creatures below it weren’t ponies. They were too tall, too thin, and had too many claws to be ponies. Seven of them were in the room, most of them clustered together in one spot.

“Ready?” The blue skin one asked.

There was a consensus before the most horrific sound assaulted the bat’s ears. It was like a thousand primal roars and screeches at once—blood-thirsty creatures all screaming in the night.

The bat lost both its footing and its consciousness from the infernal racket, falling into a small, black cavern on the floor.

******

Sunset Shimmer let the last chord fade into silence—a silence that was immediately broken by Twilight Sparkle’s clapping. Sunset’s pony ears and tail vanished in a glimmer of gold dust, and she and her fellow bandmates floated back down to the stage.

Rainbow Dash undid her guitar strap. “Great work today, girls. If we keep this up, we’ll get our own record deal someday!”

Applejack scoffed. “We’re good, Dash, but we’re not that good.”

“We’re good enough that we create magic when we play!” Rainbow argued.

Sunset waved her hand. “One thing at a time, girls. We sound pretty great; let’s just leave it at that. With enough practice, who knows what could happen?” She jumped off the stage and approached the only occupied chair in the band room.

Twilight smiled at Sunset’s approach. “You were very good—I mean, you all were very good.”

“Thanks.” Sunset fiddled with her guitar strap, looking for something else to say. Twilight was no longer looking in her direction, instead, she was staring down at her shoes. “So… uhh…” That at least got Twilight to look up again.

They stood in an awkward opposition, while the rest of the Rainbooms packed away their equipment. Twilight folded her hands behind her back. “So, you girls practice like this often?”

Sunset nodded. “Tuesdays, Thursdays and whenever we can on the weekends.” Twilight was still a new addition to their group dynamic, having only transferred a few weeks ago from Crystal Prep after the debacle that had been the Friendship Games.

It had been an odd transition. Having a Twilight different from Princess Twilight walking around the school tended to cause confusion. Sunset also knew this Twilight didn’t appreciate being compared to the Princess.

Still, the Rainbooms had been as supportive and sympathetic as possible. Twilight hadn’t found a groove yet, but they were making progress. She had at least shown enough differences so that no one compared her to the Princess… as often.

Twilight adjusted her glasses. “I see.” She eyed Sunset’s cherry red guitar. “It’s very… mysterious, all the different ways you channel this magic. By feeling certain virtues and by playing music, it’s…” She hesitated.

“...Fascinating,” she finished quietly.

Sunset placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder, shuddering at the excited jolt that ran up her arm. “Hey, it’s okay to be interested, I told you that. There’s nothing wrong with being curious.” She blinked and took a large step back, feeling her cheeks burn. “A-about magic and stuff. That’s what I meant.”

“Y-yeah, you’re right,” Twilight murmured. There was a beat of silence. “So then, you wouldn’t mind if I studied it a little next time and took some notes?”

Everyone paused in the middle of their take down. They glanced at Sunset, then started to laugh.

Twilight flushed and took an uneasy step back. “What?”

Sunset stifled her own snickering. “Nothing, it’s just… well, you can study it if you want to. But, I already tried a little while ago. I learned absolutely nothing that way.”

Twilight’s shoulders dropped, both in relief and disappointment. “Oh.”

“But, maybe you can learn something by getting some hands-on experience.”

“What do you mean?”

Sunset made a wide gesture with her arm. “Well, the past two sessions, all you’ve done is watched us play. I was thinking you could join us next time. You know, learn to play something.”

“Whoa, hey!” Rainbow spoke up, snapping her guitar case shut. “Umm, band leader, remember? Don’t I get a say in who joins?”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Were you going to object?”

“Well, no—”

“Then stop talking.” Rarity gave an encouraging nod to Sunset.

Sunset scratched the back of her head. “Anyway… what do you say, Twi; wanna join our band?”

Twilight tapped her fingers together. “That’s really nice of you, but I don’t know how to play anything.”

“I can teach you guitar!” The words spilled from Sunset’s mouth, far louder than she intended. Her face heated up again, and she turned away.

“Oh, well then, sure.” Twilight’s own face turned red.

Applejack snickered. “I don’t know, Sunset. You sure there’s enough room for her with Dash’s giant ego?”

“Oh, ha ha!” Rainbow crossed her arms and huffed. “I can totally handle having three guitar players on the same stage. Three.”

Rarity waved her hand. “Ignore her, Twilight, the rest of us are looking forward to sharing a stage with you.”

Twilight tried to smile, but it came out more as a grimace. “Out of curiosity… what did the other Twilight play?”

“Nothing,” Sunset said. “She only did vocals.”

Twilight’s face brightened immensely.

The Rainbooms finished packing their instruments away and placing the sound equipment back in the storage room. Sunset snapped her bag shut and swung it over her shoulder. Was it her, or did it feel a little heavier than she remembered? She shrugged it off and picked up her guitar case, following her friends into the hall.

“So, what are y’all's plans for the rest of the evenin’?” Applejack asked.

“Homework,” Twilight said brightly.

“Homework,” Sunset said dully.

“Homework,” Rarity parroted.

“Video games.” Rainbow smirked before catching Twilight’s eye. “I mean, yeah, homework, sure.”

It was Sunset’s turn to smirk. “You know, there’s a reason you have a 2.3 grade point average.”

“Mind your own business. My grades are fine,” Rainbow huffed.

Sunset shrugged, still grinning. “If you say so. Just remember, college doesn’t start with a D.”

Rainbow swiped a hand at her, which Sunset ducked under and laughed along with everyone else. They emerged onto the schoolyard, the sun glowing like a dying fire behind the line of houses across from them. A cool, spring breeze rustled the grass and made Sunset’s leather jacket flutter.

They walked around into the school parking lot and loaded their things into their individual cars. Sunset leaned her guitar case against her motorcycle and looked toward Twilight, standing in the middle of the lot, tugging a lock of hair with uncertainty and glancing between her friends and the bus stop.

Sunset took a deep breath, calming the butterflies in her stomach and walked over to her. “Twi, do you want a ride home?”

Twilight jumped at the sudden proposal. She looked at Sunset’s motorcycle, then back at her. “Is it safe?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Yes, it’s safe.” She saw Twilight glance over again, this time eyeing the guitar case. “Yeah, you’re going to have to do me a favor and hold onto it.”

After a final cautionary glance, Twilight nodded.

“See you girls tomorrow!” Sunset called.

“Later, Sunny!” Pinkie called back.

“Have fun you two!” Rarity said, winking.

Sunset turned away before any of them could see her blush. She helped Twilight get her arms through the shoulder straps of the case, then handed her the only helmet.

“Are you sure you don’t want it?” Twilight asked, examining the interior.

“I’ll be fine; I’ve been doing this for a while. Plus, I think you’ll appreciate the extra protection.” Sunset inwardly facepalmed as fear crept into Twilight’s eyes. “Not that it’s dangerous! It’s just… a precaution. I’ll drive nice and slow, I promise.”

Twilight’s fear waned, replaced by trust, and she slipped the helmet over her head. “It smells like strawberries… you have nice shampoo.”

Sunset unconsciously ran a hand through her hair, while her lips stumbled over a simple, “Thank you.” She swung a leg over her bike, then pulled Twilight up behind her. “Just hold on tight, okay?”

A firm grasp around Sunset’s middle was Twilight’s only response. The contact made Sunset’s heart flutter. She pushed the feeling away and started the engine. With a final wave to her friends, she pulled out of the parking lot and set off down the road, keeping at a much slower speed than normal.

Her slow speed gave her time to appreciate the beauty of the evening sky; the fading orange color blending with the dominating purple and pink of the new night sky. Stars winked into existence one by one. Back on the ground, the streets were illuminated by the bright lamp posts. Parents called their children in for the day, and the small businesses closed up shop.

Seeing all of it made Sunset feel at peace with the world before she felt that last remaining nettle of guilt. She had moved out from the shadow of her past long ago, but she still cringed when she remembered how she had tried to take all of this away.

Twilight fidgeted behind her, and Sunset’s guilty feelings faded, replaced with empathy. It had been against her will, but Twilight had been through similar circumstances. It wasn’t the best thing to connect on, but turning into raging she-demons was something they had in common.

They had shared several talks in the days following the end of the games. Sunset had done her best to help Twilight heal the mental and emotional scars from her transformation. The fact that Twilight was willingly hanging out with everyone now was proof of her recovery.

Sunset came to a stop in front of Twilight’s driveway and turned off the engine. Twilight slowly unwrapped her arms from Sunset’s waist and dismounted the bike, her legs shaking.

“That was… fun.” She pulled off the helmet, her glasses going askew as she did.

Sunset laughed and adjusted them for her, lingering for a moment before she drew her hand away. She had looked into Twilight’s violet eyes many times in the past weeks, yet it was only recently that they stirred some reaction deep in her heart.

She cleared her throat. “Glad you enjoyed it,” she said quickly. Both girls shifted their feet, unsure of how to proceed.

Twilight tugged on her bangs, a common habit Sunset had picked up on. “Thank you for the ride home.” Twilight avoided further eye contact. She then became aware of the guitar still on her back and tried to get the straps off.

“Oh, here, I’ll help.” Sunset moved behind her and helped take the guitar off, her fingers brushing against Twilight’s shoulders. Over the weeks, Twilight had cried and leaned against Sunset numerous times,, and Sunset had hugged and comforted her as best as she could. But much like staring into her eyes, it was only in the last few days that any physical contact with Twilight sent electricity through Sunset’s body.

Sunset set the guitar down and took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. She faced Twilight again, watching her lace her fingers together and fold them in front of her skirt.

“Thanks,” she repeated, looking at the ground.

“You’re welcome.” Sunset shoved her hands in her pockets.

Silence reigned between them. Only soft pink hues remained against the night sky. Twilight tapped her foot against the pavement. Sunset twiddled her fingers in her pockets.

“So, yeah,” Sunset said, unable to stand the silence any longer. “Just tell me when you want those guitar lessons. I’m up for it any time.”

Twilight finally smiled. “That sounds nice.”

“Great!” Sunset picked up the guitar case and strapped it to her back. “Well, I guess I should go. See you tomorrow?”

“Yes, certainly.” Twilight teetered on her feet like she was unsure as to move toward Sunset or the door.

Sunset made it easy for them both and backed up to her bike. She hopped on and slipped the helmet over her head before waving good-bye.

From her side mirror, Sunset saw Twilight waving back. Even after Sunset took off down the street, Twilight still lingered there.

Now alone, Sunset could ride at a faster speed; one that matched her heart rate. Was it because of their shared experience of being corrupted by magic? Or was it her intellect and quirky demeanor? Sunset couldn’t say. Either way, she felt something for this Twilight Sparkle. Something that was definitely more than friendship.

She rolled up to a red light and braked. Is it weird that I like like this world’s Twilight Sparkle and not the princess? I mean, they are two different people when you get down to it. Sunset drummed her finger on the handlebar. Having a crush on the dimensional counterpart of your best friend was… odd for lack of better words. Sunset hadn’t dared to tell anyone yet, least of all Princess Twilight.

There was a honk behind her, jolting Sunset upright from her slumped position. She noticed the green light and sped forward, blushing furiously under her helmet. She put her thoughts of Twilight away until she got home.

Home was a small apartment complex called Shady Oaks. Sunset often wondered if it got the name from being built near some rather shady looking business stores in a grimy part of the suburbs. She parked her bike in her designated spot and crossed through the courtyard. It was square with four patches of dead grass surrounding an old, naked oak tree.

She fished her keys from her pocket and climbed the stairs to the second floor. The neighbor’s tabby cat hissed at her as she walked by. Sunset playfully hissed back, earning a glare from the cat.

Apartment 206 was her destination. Sunset unlocked the door and stepped inside to the kitchen, inhaling the musty scent of the old place. It was small, though Sunset tried to think of it as cozy. Just beyond the kitchen was the door to her room, and to the left was the closet and bathroom. It wasn’t much, but it was livable.

Sunset dropped her guitar off in the closet, then carried herself to her room. She kept it nice and tidy; bed made, desk organized and carpet vacuumed. She set her book bag on the desk chair, then flopped onto her bed.

Twilight entered her mind first. That was nothing new. Sunset couldn’t stop entertaining the idea of being together with her. It was both terrifying and fascinating, and made her heart flutter and her stomach tremble. She had never truly had a crush on anyone before. She had faked everything with Flash.

She cringed. These were real emotions she was feeling, right? They had to be. But what was she supposed to do with them? How did she tell Twilight how she really felt? She was certain Twilight’s first concern would be whether Sunset actually liked her, or was just using her as a stand in for the princess.

Sunset knew she liked the human Twilight. She had been in correspondence with Princess Twilight for half a year now, and felt nothing when she thought about her or wrote to her. Sunset was sure she could assuage that fear. But that was even assuming human Twilight swung that way.

Glancing at the clock, Sunset decided her time for daydreaming was over. She needed to get her homework done so she could eat and go to bed. She sat up, kicked off her boots, and peeled off her jacket, making herself at home before reaching for her bag.

She picked it up off the chair and dropped it onto her bed. When she reached back to her desk for her science textbook, she heard something rustle nearby. She paused, her fingers on the textbook. The room was quiet.

Sunset waited another second, then picked the book up.

Something moved again.

She set the book down and gave a scrutinizing look to her book bag. After a few seconds, it wiggled. Sunset scooted across her bed, making a loud, “Eeep!” as she went. The bag rustled once more, emitting a shrill cry of its own.

Okay, so something got into my bag. Probably just a raccoon or something. The bag made another shrill, chittering noise. Okay, that’s probably not a raccoon. Don’t panic, Sunset, just grab your broom. Sunset leapt off the bed and pulled her broom out from the closet. She wasn’t going to kill it of course—Fluttershy would have her head if she ever found out. Sunset was just going to humanely beat it into unconsciousness then drop it into the bushes.

Very slowly, Sunset reached a hand out and undid the clasp. The flap fell open, but nothing emerged. Sunset raised her broom higher and took a step forward.

“Come on out, little thing. Pay no attention to the big broom in my hand. I’m not going to hurt you.” Much.

Something gray and winged shot out from Sunset’s bag and took to the air. Sunset swung on instinct, hitting nothing. The gray winged beast circled around the room and dived for Sunset. She squeaked in terror before dropping to the floor.

When the wings stopped flapping around her ears, Sunset rolled over and looked up, letting out another squeak. “Sweet Celestia, you’re ugly!”

Hovering in the air was what looked like a gray rat with leathery wings. Its ears were long and pointed, much like its fangs. Red eyes and a scrunched nose rounded out its raggedy features. In Sunset’s opinion, rats might have actually been cute compared to it.

The bat (though none of Sunset’s biology books had a picture of a bat this ugly) screeched and swooped again. Sunset swung her broom, knocking it back into the air. It made a lap around the room before coming back at her, teeth bared.

“You’re taking that ugly comment personally, aren’t you?” Sunset swung again, nicking its wing so it spiraled out of control and crashed onto the floor. As Sunset lunged forward, the bat scurried into the narrow space beneath the bed.

“Oh no you don’t! Get back here, this isn’t over!” Sunset stuck the broom under the bed, blindly slapping around. She hit something solid and tried to look under the bed, but it was too dark to make anything out. She stuck the broom back under, poking the solid object with the bristles. It was far too large to be a bat.

“Where the heck did it go—ow!” Sharp fangs dug into Sunset’s neck, locking up her entire body from the initial shock. Her blood was drained out of her in quick, short sucks; she was already feeling light-headed.

Sunset’s body unfroze, and she ripped the bat off and tossed it against the wall. She took up her broom again and smacked it once more as it tried to fly up again. It crashed to the ground and twitched feebly. Sunset contemplated killing it as payback for biting her, but Fluttershy’s disapproving glare burned in her mind.

Then again, it’s not like she’ll ever find out, Sunset thought, rubbing the bite mark on her neck. It’s a good thing Equestria has a shot for rabies. Sunset pulled her hand away, finding only two tiny beads of blood. She was a little light-headed; the bat had managed to get a good meal out of her.

Considering she just had her blood sucked, Sunset thought she had every right to kill the flying rat, or at least toss it out the window. Half a year ago, she would have without a second thought. Instead, she went to her closet and pulled out an old shoe box. Using her boot, she pushed the stunned bat inside and closed the lid, then poked a few holes in the top.

“There, you just sit tight until tomorrow. I’ll give you to Fluttershy so she can take you to some bat sanctuary or something.” Sunset rubbed her neck again. Rabies or not, that bite had hurt. She thought it best to consult with Fluttershy about any other disease bats might carry.

Sunset wasn’t the paranoid type. Other than a little irritation and lightheadedness, she felt fine.

Just fine.

Chapter 2: Once Bitten

Twilight pushed the door to the back field open and held a hand up to block the angry glare of the sun. She waited for her eyes to adjust, then walked along the edge of the track until she reached the bleachers. Her friends waited at the top rows, waving down to her as she approached.

She hopped up the stands, immediately noticing the lack of red and gold amongst the group of girls. “Where’s Sunset?”

Rainbow shrugged. “Haven’t seen her all day.”

“Nor have I,” Rarity said. “It’s not like her to miss class.”

Twilight took a seat below her. “Maybe we should call her, just to make sure she’s all right.” Twilight pulled her phone out and started dialing Sunset’s number before anyone could give an objection.

Rarity lips curled into an elvish grin. “Oh, I’m sure she’ll enjoy a call from you.”

The phone rang several times before it was picked up, and a gravelly voice answered. “Hello?”

“Sunset?” Twilight barely registered the voice as her friend. She switched the phone to speaker so the rest of the girls could hear.

Sunset cleared her throat, and in a slightly less gravelly voice, she said, “H-hey, Twi. How are you and the girls?”

“We’re fine, just worried about you. Where are you?”

“Home sick. When I tell you I feel awful, I mean awful.”

Everyone let out a collective, “Awww,” at the news. Twilight continued, “Well, I hope—I mean, we hope you feel better soon. Do you know what you have? I could look up some cures and medicine.”

Sunset’s laugh quickly dissolved into a dry hacking. “I appreciate that, Twi,” she said after clearing her throat, “but I think it’s just the flu or something.”

Pinkie snatched the phone from Twilight’s hand. It happened so fast, it took Twilight a second to realize she was no longer holding it. “Just hang tight, Sunny! As soon as school’s over, we’re on our way to your house to cheer you up!”

“You girls don’t have to do that.” There was a note of appreciation in her voice.

“Too late, already decided! Get lots of rest and juice. See you later, bye!” Pinkie snapped the phone shut and handed it back to Twilight.

She accepted it with a slight frown. “Were… were we done talking?”

“Ooops, sorry.” Pinkie shrugged. “Kinda thought we had said all that needed to be said. Besides, she needs her rest.”

“That’s true I suppose.” Twilight shoved her phone away and sighed. Rarity cast her another sly look, and Twilight turned the other way, adjusting her glasses.

She and the rest of the Rainbooms sat and enjoyed the spring sunshine before their passing period ended. Even though there were six of them, Twilight felt a huge piece of their group was missing with Sunset gone. It was humorous; even though she was a pony from another dimension, Twilight found she had a lot of things in common with Sunset.

Applejack and Rainbow talked about the track and field team. Pinkie laid on her back, a comic book stretched out in front of her. Rarity sat one bleacher above, tying Fluttershy’s hair into a French braid. Twilight twiddled her fingers, looking out over the stadium, unsure how to proceed in this situation. She supposed it would be a good idea to try to converse with her friends. They were her friends after all. But how did she do that without looking like a dork?

Even after being accepted by them and encouraged to speak up, Sugarcoat’s words played back in her ears, joined by several other voices Twilight had heard over the years.

She decided, as she usually did, that just being in their company was enough to keep her happy. Twilight reached into her backpack and pulled out her trigonometry textbook.

“Twilight?” Rarity’s voice stopped her from flipping the book open. “I’m all done with Fluttershy. Would you like me to braid your hair, too?”

Twilight twisted around and saw the pretty braid Fluttershy sported. “Oh, um… sure.” She put the book away and hopped up a seat. Rarity undid the bun Twilight was so used to wearing and set to work.

“So, did you enjoy your motorcycle ride with Sunset?” Rarity asked.

“Y-yes, I did.” Twilight was glad Rarity couldn’t see her face.

“You two seem awfully close recently.”

Twilight’s blush deepened. “Do we? I hadn’t noticed.” She was also glad Rarity couldn’t see her day planner. Originally, she had set aside an hour every other day to talk with Sunset, not just about what had happened at the finale of the games, but of general topics. Now, she had saved two hours every day for their conversations. She was even disappointed when Sunset’s other engagements got in the way.

Rarity twisted one lock of hair through a loop and gave it a gentle tug. “And I bet you’ll have plenty of alone time with her since she’s going to give you guitar lessons.”

Twilight’s glasses fogged up. She snatched them off and pretended to wipe her eyes. “Um, yeah. Plenty of time for, you know, talking… and learning guitar… and talking.”

Rarity chuckled. “Relax, darling. I won’t pry anymore. All I’m saying is, that’s a lot of quality time for two people who have a lot of commonality.”

Her words rolled around in Twilight’s head. She wasn’t stupid. As new as she was to fully understanding the true nuances of friendship, Twilight understood whatever was happening between her and Sunset was a little more. Thinking about being alone with her made Twilight’s heart beat a little faster and color rise to her cheeks.

But having a crush was even more foreign than having friends. Even if Sunset did like her in return, what were they supposed to do? Twilight only had second-hand knowledge of relationships, and while most of it was sound advice that came straight from Cadence, Twilight wasn’t sure if it applied to her case.

Could I even handle being that… intimate with another person? Twilight released a quiet sigh. As always, it was a question for later.

The bell rang just as Rarity finished Twilight’s braid. Examining it in Rarity’s hand mirror, Twilight thought it was a nice change of pace from her usual look. She wondered if Sunset would like it.

******

The remainder of the school day proved uneventful unless one counted Pinkie surpassing her record of stuffing as many cupcakes in her mouth as possible. She was up to nine now. Twilight was both impressed, and horribly disgusted by the feat.

“I don’t understand,” Twilight said as the group gathered around Fluttershy’s van. She watched Pinkie toss a handful of candy into her mouth. “How are your teeth not rotten? How are you not diabetic?” she asked, verging on outraged.

Rainbow threw an arm around Twilight’s shoulder. “See, what you need to understand is: she’s Pinkie Pie.”

Twilight blinked. “That doesn’t explain anything at all!”

“Trust me, Twi, magic is one thing, Pinkie is another. You have a better chance at catching light than figuring out how she works.” Rainbow patted her then hopped into the passenger seat.

Pinkie held out a lollipop. “Want one?”

Twilight wanted to say no on the grounds that she had no idea where Pinkie pulled it from. Against her better judgment, she took it anyway. It was sour apple.

The inside of Fluttershy’s van smelled like a variety of animals with some air freshener layered on top. There was an old stain on one of the seats that gave Twilight pause before she sat down next to the window. Even with six people piled inside, there were still two empty seats.

Fluttershy was very slow in getting herself adjusted. She checked her mirrors, checked her seat, checked the steering wheel, rechecked her mirrors, adjusted her seat belt. It took her almost five minutes just to start the car.

Twilight leaned toward Rarity, keeping her voice hushed. “Does she always take this long?”

“She’s a very cautious driver. Lord knows we need more of those on the road, but she can overdo it sometimes.”

Rainbow tapped her foot against the carpet as Fluttershy checked the dashboard again. “‘Shy,” she said in a strained voice, “by the time we get there, Sunset isn’t even going to be sick anymore.”

“Do you want to get there fast or safe?” Fluttershy asked, adjusting her rear-view mirror once more.

“I just want to get there!”

Fluttershy finally put the car into reverse and pulled out of the parking space, to everyone’s relief. Once she got going, Twilight noticed Fluttershy was quite calm and confident driving.

It was a fifteen minute drive to Sunset’s apartment complex. All of the parking spots were filled, so Fluttershy had to park on the street in front of a smoke shop. Her face remained a twisted scowl until they approached Sunset’s door.

The six of them crowded the outdoor hallway. A nearby cat hissed loudly at them before streaking away. Twilight had stopped by Sunset’s apartment a few times before, but still hadn’t gotten used to its… charm. It always smelled like cigarettes and alcohol, and every time Twilight had come over, one of Sunset’s neighbors was in a screaming match, either with another person or with the television.

Rarity knocked on the door. “Sunset, dear, it’s us!” There was no response.

“Maybe she’s asleep,” Fluttershy said.

Rainbow produced a key from her pocket. “Well, only one way to find out.”

“But shouldn’t we let her rest?” Fluttershy fell silent at the glare Rainbow gave her.

“I didn’t spend half-an-hour in a car for nothing.” She stuck the key in the lock and twisted. The door swung open, revealing a dim apartment kitchen.

Everyone filed in, with Fluttershy taking up the rear, muttering, “It wasn’t half-an-hour.”

Aside from the half-eaten bowl of ramen next to the sink, Sunset’s apartment was tidy and clean. Twilight knocked on her room door. This time there was a response, a weak groan and a shuffle of bed sheets. Twilight opened the door to find Sunset’s room completely dark, all of the blinds closed.

“Hey, Sunny, how ya feeling?” Pinkie asked in her chipper voice.

The lump under the blankets that Twilight assumed could only be Sunset groaned again.

Pinkie smiled sympathetically. “That bad, huh? Don’t worry, we’re here to nurse you back to health!”

Rainbow ruffled through a bag of chips she had swiped from the kitchen. “Are you sure you’re not just PMSing?”

“I already did that this month,” Sunset groaned. “And stop eating my food!” Her scratchy voice faded into quiet coughs.

Twilight crept around to the side of the bed and leaned over. “Sunset, if you don’t mind me asking, what are your symptoms? It’ll be easier for us to help if we know what’s wrong.”

Sunset poked her head from her cocoon. Her hair was a wild mess—crimson and gold locks flying everywhere. Her eyes were pink and filled with sleep dust, and a fine sheen of sweat coated her face. Still, she smiled when she saw Twilight, and croaked, “I like your hair.”

Twilight reached for her braid and gave it a gentle tug. “Thanks. Rarity made it for me.”

Sunset nodded, then buried herself back in her blankets. “I’m just super tired.” She sounded like she was choking on gravel. “My body feels all heavy and I’m freezing. And really thirsty. Actually, could one of you get me some water, please?”

“Sure thing, sugarcube.” Applejack ducked into the kitchen.

Twilight tapped a finger against her chin. “Do you feel nauseous at all?”

The blankets rustled. “No. But I’m not really hungry either.”

“Hmm, well, I think we can rule out the common cold and probably the flu. You were fine yesterday though. What did you do after you dropped me off?”

Sunset waited until Applejack returned with the water. She sat up and swallowed the entire glass in one gulp, then crashed against her pillow again. “Nothing. I came home and…” Her puffy eyes widened. “Right, there was the bat.”

“A bat?” Fluttershy asked.

“In the shoe box.” Sunset shrugged an arm toward the desk. “There was a bat in my bag and it decided to snack on me.”

Fluttershy walked over to the shoe box and opened it up. She knitted her brows in disappointment. “There’s no bat here.”

Sunset squeezed her eyes shut. “Crap. Oh well, whatever. As long as it’s gone.”

Fluttershy continued to examine the box with intrigued eyes. “Bats don’t normally migrate in this direction. How did it get in your bag?”

Sunset pulled the blanket over herself again. “Beats me.”

Twilight nibbled on her knuckle. Perhaps this was a lot more serious than they thought. “Sunset, you've had your rabies shot, right?”

“Do they have medicine like that in Equestria?” Rainbow asked, still eating Sunset’s chips.

Sunset sighed in irritation. “Yes, they do. And yes, I have. So I doubt it’s rabies.”

“It does usually take longer than a day for rabies symptoms to kick in,” Twilight reasoned. “Still, maybe you should go see a doctor.”

“No.”

Rarity placed her hands on her hips. “‘No’? What do you mean ‘no’?”

“Not going to a doctor,” Sunset grunted. “I’m fine.”

“Sunset, you got bit by a wild animal and now you’re sick—be reasonable!”

A hand snaked out from beneath the sheets and pointed to the curled mass that was the rest of the body. “In case you forgot, I’m not from here. I don’t have any medical records or anything like that. Besides, I’m not dying, I’m just a little sick.”

Pinkie snorted. “Hey, if you got bit by a bat, maybe you’re turning into a vampire!”

There was a pause. The hand pointed to Pinkie. “Vampires don’t exist.”

“Said the magical pony girl,” Rainbow retorted, folding her arms.

“...Touché. They don’t exist here.”

Twilight rested a hand on what she thought was Sunset’s shoulder. “Please, Sunset, we’re just concerned. We don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Sunset fidgeted. “Ahem, I appreciate that—I really do. But I’ll be fine… also, Twi… that’s my boob.”

Twilight’s face turned scarlet, and she jumped back, crashing into a laughing Rainbow and sending them both to the floor. Rainbow kept laughing.

Applejack shook her head. “Sunset, that seems bullheaded, and that’s comin’ from me.”

There was a long sigh. “If it gets any worse, I’ll go see a doctor or something. But I’m sure some rest is all I need. And some more water, please. I’m dying of thirst.”

“All right, fine, have it your way.” Applejack snatched the cup and went back to the kitchen.

Twilight stood near the door, twisting her fingers through her hair, her face still red. “Is there anything else we can do for you? Maybe make some soup or get some medicine?”

“Not hungry. And I already took something today. Should knock me out again soon.”

Applejack returned with the water, and once again Sunset burst from her soft hovel to down it in one go, then hid away again. She smacked her lips and groaned.

Fluttershy turned toward the door. “Maybe we should let her get back to resting.”

Rarity pursed her lips. “Very well. But if anything gets worse, you call us immediately, understand?”

“Mmhmm.” Sunset’s hand waved them out. “I’ll… I’ll be fine, guys. Just… need some… sleep.”

Twilight sighed and followed her friends out the door, Sunset’s light snores filling the void left behind. She supposed being a creature from a parallel dimension was a fair reason to be hesitant on entering any government-run facility, but Sunset’s health was on the line.

“I hope she’ll be okay,” Twilight whispered.

Rarity rested a hand on her shoulder. “Well, she does have magic flowing through her. I think she’ll be fine.” They exited Sunset’s apartment, just in time to hear the beginnings of another screaming rant from one of her neighbors.

Fluttershy shut the door and locked it before handing the key to Rainbow. “I wonder where that bat went...”

******

Thirsty.

Sunset twisted under her sheets again. It had to be zero degrees because she was freezing. Ice flowed through her veins instead of blood. Her body was still too tired to get up and turn the heater on. Instead, she tried to snuggle deeper within her blankets.

So thirsty.

It was more than a thirst. It was a hunger. Insatiable. But it wasn’t for anything solid. She wanted something wet and warm and rich to slide down her throat. Water could not quench the dryness she suffered through. Every time she swallowed, it was akin to getting a lump of sand down.

Sunset pressed a hand against her neck, rubbing the bite mark. She really hoped it was just a bad case of the flu. She counted herself lucky she hadn’t thrown up yet.

Feed.

She needed to do it. She needed to find something to drink—something to feed on. She didn’t care who or what—the hunger was driving her crazy!

Sunset rolled over again. Feed on what exactly? What was there to eat that would satisfy her? More important, could she even get anything down? Her mind grew hazy again, the medicine taking hold. It would help her sleep off this sickness, then she could eat in the morning.

No! Feed. Now!

That word kept flickering through Sunset’s consciousness as she blacked out. She ran her tongue through the dry desert of her mouth. The thirst was antagonizing, but she was too tired to move. But she needed to drink something. She needed to feed. She needed…

Blood.

Sunset flew over a sleeping Canterlot, tucked under the blanket of night. Crickets serenaded the quiet suburbs, illuminated by the scattered light poles and the pale, waxing moon. Sunset landed on the roof of a house. They all looked the same to her. Marginal differences were the only reason she didn’t get lost.

She jumped to the next house, completely silent. She could smell food. Someone wandering outside, alone. Their blood was quite rich. Yes, they would do nicely for her first prey.

Sunset jumped again, gliding just over the rooftops. She came to the edge of suburbia, drawing close to the forest. At the last house was a lean man, hoisting a large bag of garbage over his shoulder. Sunset ran her tongue over her fangs, salivating at the aroma of blood.

The man dropped the bag into the can and wiped his hands together. As he turned to go inside, Sunset jumped from the rooftop and landed on the street behind him without a sound. She checked one last time to make sure the coast was clear.

She opened her mouth, her fangs extending to their maximum length. The man neared the side gate of the house. He would never reach the latch.

“Food at last,” Sunset hissed before she pounced.

Chapter 3: Thirst

Sunset’s alarm went off, and she slapped it until the sound stopped. She rose from her bed and stretched her arms out, yawning loudly. Aside from the odd taste in her mouth, she felt great! She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and pushed herself onto her feet. After sleeping for an entire day, she thought her muscles would be weak and stiff, but she felt incredibly limber.

“I knew it was nothing.” Sunset smirked. She threw open the blinds and recoiled at the unholy light of the morning sun. An involuntary hiss escaped her lips, and she snapped the blinds shut. “Okay, still sensitive to light. Noted.”

After the spots vanished from her eyes, Sunset wandered into her bathroom. Perhaps it was her imagination, but looking into the mirror, her face seemed a bit paler. Of course, she had been shivering under her covers for the last twenty-four hours. Her hair was also a knotted mess, nothing a hot shower wouldn’t fix.

Speaking of hot showers, Sunset noted she was still particularly cold. Not freezing like yesterday, but enough for her skin to form goosebumps. A shower, and maybe a bowl of soup for breakfast. The thought of food, however, made her stomach turn. All right, just the shower then.

Sunset peeled off her fetid pajamas and stepped into the steaming curtain of water. While it drove the goosebumps away, she still felt cold deep inside. She swallowed some of the hot water to chase it away, but it only alleviated the cold for a few seconds. Sunset ignored it and took to washing her hair and pulling the knots out of it.

The water felt so soothing that, were it not for school starting in half-an-hour, Sunset might have stayed in the shower all morning. She stepped out, dried herself off, and prepared for the day. When she finished grooming and dressing, she stepped over to the window and carefully pulled the curtain back.

A large group of clouds had blocked out the sun, making the light tolerable. Sunset still scrunched her nose. Perhaps she had just been inside too long and needed to slowly get readjusted. Either way, she hoped the clouds would keep the sun covered for a while.

She gathered her school supplies together and slung her bag over her shoulder. Before she stepped into the kitchen, she poked under her bed for the bat.

Nothing.

Sunset scratched her head, wondering how it could have gotten free. The shoe box was one thing. How did it get out the apartment? Sunset shrugged. It wasn’t her problem now. She paused in the kitchen, trying to determine if she was hungry. Her stomach made an unpleasant flop again at the thought of food, so Sunset went on her way.

The muted light still made Sunset shield her eyes. She waited a minute to see if her eyes would adjust. If anything, the longer she stood outside, the more they seemed to burn. She ran back inside and grabbed the sunglasses she kept in her drawer. They had been a little gift from Flash when they had gone to the beach, though Sunset had only worn them that one time. She wasn’t sure why; they were pretty stylish.

Sunset slipped them on and the light became bearable again. Checking her phone, she found she had twenty minutes left until the first bell and rushed to her bike. Perhaps it was the spike of adrenaline she had from realizing she might be late, but Sunset felt like she had practically glided down the stairs and across the pavement to her parking spot. It couldn’t have taken her more than five seconds.

Whatever. She started her motorcycle and raced down the road. Ten minutes later, she arrived at the school parking lot, having gotten lucky with the stoplights.

With the first bell imminent, students began to flock inside the building. Sunset followed the crowd and broke off to her locker to put away her bag. The locker next to hers belonged to Octavia Melody, who was currently rummaging through it with a sullen expression.

“Hi, Octavia,” Sunset said with a friendly wave. “You look upset. Something wrong?”

Octavia managed a weak smile, then rubbed her puffy red eyes. “Good morning, Sunset. I’ve just had a long night. My father was sent to the hospital yesterday.”

Sunset’s heart missed a beat. “Oh no, is he all right?”

“They said he should be fine, thankfully.” Octavia slipped a book into her bag and closed her locker. “It’s just, they aren’t sure what happened to him. Last night, he went to take the garbage out. When he took too long to come back, my mother went to check on him and found him lying in the alley of our house, unconscious. They said he just had a dramatic drop in blood levels, but they can’t figure out what caused it.”

Sunset finished selecting her books for her next class. “That is weird.”

Octavia nodded. She leaned in and dropped her voice to a whisper. “It gets weirder. While we were at the hospital, three more people were rushed in under similar circumstances. They were all found with extremely low blood levels.”

Closing her locker, Sunset fixed her eyes on Octavia’s neck. “Definitely freaky.” She could almost see the blood rushing through Octavia’s jugular, flowing at a heightened speed. She was still nervous, concerned about her father’s well-being. The vein twitched every third word; Sunset had stopped listening though.

B positive. In fair shape. Great circulation. Sunset mouth salivated a little. Perhaps skipping breakfast had been a bad idea. Now she was hungry.

The bell rang; its shrill cry shook Sunset back into the present. Octavia was walking away, waving goodbye. Sunset raised her hand, flashing an uncertain smile. Her mind seemed a little hazy. What had Octavia been saying a few seconds ago? Sunset rubbed her forehead. She seemed to have blanked out for a whole minute.

Maybe I should have taken an extra day off. Well, she was here now, might as well push through. She stopped to get a drink from the fountain. It didn’t too much to quench her parched throat.

******

“Nice shades, Sunset.”

Sunset set her tray of food down next to Rainbow’s. “What are you…?” Sunset reached up and pulled her sunglasses off, squinting at the sharp contrast. She pushed them back on and sighed. “Right. My eyes are still really sensitive to light I guess.”

Twilight sat down next to Sunset, her hair back in its bun. “Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better. The fact that you’re up and at school is quite a turnaround from yesterday.”

“Yeah, besides the light and constantly being thirsty, I feel great.” Sunset looked down at her lunch food, and her stomach twisted into a knot. “I also don’t seem to have an appetite.” She pushed her plate away.

Rarity tittered and set her fork down. “I know what it’s like to be on the tail end of a sickness, dear, but you must eat something.”

Sunset pulled the bowl of salad close to her and speared some lettuce onto her fork. Her stomach churned as she brought it close to her mouth. Touching her tongue to the leafy greens, her stomach heaved, and Sunset violently gagged.

“Can’t do it,” she said, covering her mouth.

Pinkie snatched the plate away. “Yaay, more for me!”

Rarity narrowed her eyes. “You could show a little more sympathy, Pinkie.”

“S’not gonna get her appetite back,” Pinkie said, her mouth full of salad.

Sunset took a long draught from her water bottle and sighed. “Well, the good news is, I’m getting better. By tomorrow, I’m sure I’ll be starving. I told you it was nothing to worry about.”

Twilight cupped an apple in her hand. “I still think you should be more careful in the future. What if it’s something really serious next time?”

“I’ll cross that bridge when I get there,” Sunset said nonchalantly. Looking over her glasses, she saw Twilight poke her bottom lip out. It was such an adorable pout, Sunset couldn’t help but laugh. “I promise, Twi, I’ll consult a doctor next time something serious happens, all right?”

Twilight took a bite of her apple and stared straight ahead instead of looking at Sunset, a splotch of pink on her cheeks. Sunset didn’t know what it was, but Twilight seemed prettier than usual today… sexy even. The silkiness of her hair, the outline of her cheekbones, the shape of her intelligent eyes hidden behind those glasses. Sunset moved her eyes down to the base of Twilight’s neck.

Her heart rate was a little faster than normal, and some of the blood was still rising to her cheeks. O negative; very rich. Surprisingly healthy for how little exercise she gets. But she eats pretty well. Sunset looked further down, licking her lips. They were hard to see, but Sunset knew Twilight had some slight curve to her body. Oh, how she’d love to sink her teeth into Twilight… and not just the neck.

“Sure you’re not hungry, Sunset?” Rainbow’s mocking voice drifted into her ear.

Sunset jolted upright. “What happened?” Everyone around the table was giving her various looks of amusement, while Twilight was now looking in the complete opposite direction of Sunset.

Rainbow stopped her giggles long enough to say, “Well, I’m pretty sure you were mentally undressing Twilight—”

“I was not!” Sunset’s cheeks burned.

“You were drooling.”

Sunset rubbed her hand across her mouth, mortified to find a line of spit. “I was just zoning out; I wasn’t even thinking about Twilight.” Truth be told, she couldn’t remember anything between her promise to Twilight and now.

Regardless, thanks to Sunset’s staring, there was an awkward wall between her and Twilight. She kept her back turned and continued taking tiny nibbles out of her apple.

The silences stretched on, making the wall harder to mount with each passing second. The lunchroom chatter dissolved into static as Sunset wracked her brain to find the words to save this situation. She clenched a fist under the table.

Stupid Dash, making this worse than it already is! There was no way Sunset could save face now. Well then, embrace it, her conscience whispered. There’s nothing wrong with liking Twilight. Who cares what they think? Sunset nodded to herself. Yeah, so what if I stared? Twilight’s worth looking at.

Sunset scooted closer to Twilight. “Fine, I was staring at her, but I couldn’t help it.” She leaned in. “I think you’re very beautiful.”

Twilight slowly turned around, eyes filled with surprise. “R-really?”

“Yes, really.” Sunset got an exuberant thrill from this newfound confidence.

Twilight looked down at her apple. “I… think you’re beautiful, too.”

Sunset couldn’t help but grin. If she had known things would turn out this well, she would have told Twilight she was beautiful a long time ago.

Rainbow ruined the moment by loudly biting a carrot in half. “So, are you two gonna kiss or what?”

Everyone around the table groaned.

“What, I’m just asking?”

As tempting as it was for Sunset to just grab Twilight and make-out with her then and there, something in the back of her mind told her now wasn’t the right time. The bell ringing a moment later confirmed her feelings.

The Rainbooms disbanded from the lunch room and headed for their separate classes. Twilight gave Sunset a little extra wave as she departed. Sunset licked her lips, watching Twilight’s retreating form.

She shook her head as her mind started to grow hazy. “Whoa, I really should get something to snack on.”

Too bad her favorite snack had gone off to class…

******

With the school day concluded, the Rainbooms sat together on the stone wall that divided the parking lot from the school lawn. They each had a bottle of Sweet Apple Acres’ Cider in their hands as they watched the clouds roll over head. Sunset got an irritating itch every time the sun poked its head out.

Twilight sat next to her, and it took all of Sunset’s willpower not to tackle her to the ground. As much as she enjoyed this new surge of confidence, she wasn’t sure she needed the… desires that came with it.

Pinkie tossed the rest of hers back and belched loudly. “Heehee, excuse me!”

Rarity waved her hand. “Indeed.”

“So, guess what I heard in math today! It’s super spooky!”

Rainbow took a large gulp of her soda. “Let me guess, some people are in the hospital because they randomly lost a lot of blood?”

Pinkie gasped. “Dashie, you’re psychic and you didn’t tell me?”

“No, I just heard it from Cloud Chaser. Flitter was one of the people admitted to the hospital last night.”

Fluttershy almost dropped her bottle. “Oh no! Is she going to be okay?”

“I hope so. I’ve never seen Cloud Chaser so upset.”

Sunset leaned forward so she could see Rainbow at the other end of the wall. “Well, the same thing happened to Octavia’s dad, and she said he should be fine.” She stared into her empty bottle. “Still, this is really weird.”

“I say it was a vampire!” Pinkie exclaimed.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Pinkie, I told you, vampires don’t exist.”

Rainbow stuck her hand up. “Yeah, and I called BS on that, remember?”

“Yes, yes, magic pony girl can’t say things are only a myth. I stand by what I said that there are no vampires in this world, and I’m nearly positive there are none in Equestria. We have a lot of mythical things, but not vampires.”

Pinkie put her hands on her hips, trying to look serious. “Well, what else could have done it?”

Sunset rubbed her neck, passing over the tiny teeth mark. “A very hungry bat?”

Fluttershy cocked her head. “You mean the one that you said bit you?”

“Sure. I mean, maybe it’s just weird and wants human blood.”

Fluttershy tapped her fingers together. “Well, I suppose it’s not out of the realm of possibility. But I’m still wondering why a bat is here in Canterlot in the first place.”

Applejack sipped her drink, then said, “Someone’s idea of an exotic pet?”

Every head turned to Pinkie.

“Hey, it wasn’t me!” She held her hands up. “Besides, you know I take good care of Gummy. He never leaves my side.” She reached into her hair and pulled the baby gator out. “See?”

Twilight’s jaw nearly hit the ground. “You… you have a pet alligator? You keep him in your hair?”

Sunset put a hand on her shoulder. “Let it go, Twi, you’ll live longer.”

“But-but-but—”

Sunset placed a finger on Twilight’s lips. “Trust me.” She let it linger there for a moment before slowly pulling away.

“Anyways,” Applejack cut in, “if there is an aggressive bat flyin’ around and feeding on people, should we do somethin’ about it?”

The sun peeked out from the clouds again, and Sunset hid her face behind her arm. “Unless it’s sucking souls out of people, it’s a problem for animal control, not us.”

“What, are we the magic police now?” Rainbow asked.

“Oh my gosh!” Pinkie jumped up and stood on the wall. “We could totally be super heroes! By day, we’re your ordinary high school rock band, but by night, we’re hunting down magical creatures and artifacts and saving the world from evil!”

Applejack pulled her down. “No more sugar or Sailor Moon for you.”

Time kept slipping away until the sky was orange with the dying glow of the sun. A car pulled into the parking lot, and Twilight hopped off the wall.

“That’s my dad. I’ll see you girls tomorrow.” She paused and gave an extra wave to Sunset before getting into the car.

Sunset waved back. Her arm felt sluggish, as did the rest of her. Her skin was red from her persistent scratching, and she was even thirstier than before she drank the cider. She climbed down the wall, stumbling as she landed.

“I think it’s time for me to go, too. Still feeling kinda out of it.”

Pinkie leaned forward, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips together. “Are you sure you’re just sick, Sunny?”

Sunset slapped her forehead. “Yes, Pinkie. Just because I got bit by a bat, doesn’t mean I’m a vampire. You watch too much television.”

“No; I watch just enough. That’s why I've got my eyes on you.” She pointed to hers, then to Sunset’s, then back to hers.

“Goodnight, girls.” Sunset waved to the rest of them.

“Night, Sunset,” they chanted.

Sunset hopped on her bike and took off down the street, wincing when the sun came out again.

She’s just got you paranoid now. Just because you got sick after a bat bit you and you’re a little sensitive to light, doesn’t mean you’ve suddenly become a vampire. The rational part of her brain knew she was right. The half that thrived on magic still had some doubt, however.

But magic or not, a bat can’t turn you into a monster. Even if there is some magical residue leaking into this world, that doesn’t mean every fairy tale creature is going to pop into existence. Sunset nodded. She just needed another night of rest, and she’d be back to normal.

******

Sweet nectar.

Sunset ran her tongue across her mouth, sipping up every stray drop of blood. It ran down her throat, finally quenching the unbearable thirst she had struggled with all day. She felt revitalized, energized…

She still felt thirsty.

The man lying on the ground before her had been delicious; a consistent jogger out for a night run. His foolishness was Sunset’s meal. He hadn’t put up much of a resistance when Sunset got her teeth into him. Then again, none of them did.

She walked across the open field of the park, enjoying the refreshing night air. So many smells dancing on the wind, they almost covered up the succulent aroma of blood. Her nose twitched, finding a new target. People in this town were either very brave or very stupid to be wandering around outside at night.

Sunset got a running start, then leaped into the air, gliding against the wind and over the trees. When she lost the cover of trees, she ascended higher, silhouetting herself against the lovely moon. Canterlot spread out before her, an entire buffet of fresh blood—thousands of meals just waiting to be had.

Speaking of meals, Sunset spotted her next targets. The two girls were parting ways in front of a music store, one of them Sunset recognized as Vinyl Scratch. She put her headphones on and started down the street, grooving to her music.

Sunset growled in excitement. If she was fast enough, perhaps she could catch both girls. She decided to start with Vinyl, following her from the rooftops. The rest of the street was empty, but Sunset waited until Vinyl neared an alleyway just to be safe.

When Vinyl left the luminescent glow of a street lamp, Sunset dropped down onto the pavement, quieter than a feather. She drifted closer to Vinyl, slowly opening her mouth.

Vinyl whipped around, taking a karate position before relaxing. “Oh, it’s you, Sunset. Had me scared for a sec.”

Sunset had her hands in her pockets, looking as casual as could be. “Sorry about that.”

Vinyl lifted her shades. “You okay? You look kinda… off.”

“Guess I’m just a little… thirsty.” She pulled her lips into a smile. “Want to come get a soda with me?”

“Kinda late, isn’t it? I mean, we do have school tomorrow.”

Sunset took a step forward, her patience already wearing thin. Her eyes glowed bright red. “I insist; one drink.”

Vinyl’s eyes took on the same crimson shade, and her entire body relaxed. “Y-yeah, sure,” she droned. She allowed Sunset to take her hand and pull her into the alley.

Keeping Vinyl tranced was harder than Sunset realized. She could feel her strength sapped by the effort. Once they reached the end of the alley, she wasted no time in spinning around and plunging her fangs into Vinyl’s neck, allowing the trance to break.

Blood streamed into Sunset’s mouth, its rich flavor and smooth texture dancing over her tongue before sliding down her throat. She’d compare it to fine wine if she had ever tasted it before.

Vinyl moaned and went limp in Sunset’s grasp. She occasionally tried to raise a hand to defend herself, but the more lifeforce Sunset drained, the less Vinyl resisted.

Sunset came up for air, blood dribbling down her chin and onto her shirt. She hadn’t meant to suck as much as she did, but Vinyl had tasted so good, surprisingly better than the jogger. She now lay curled on the cold ground, barely breathing.

Something itched in the back of Sunset’s conscience. Something telling her this was wrong. Her overwhelming hunger quickly silenced it, but she did agree leaving Vinyl in a dark alley at night was a bad idea.

A wide smirk revealed Sunset’s fangs. She would drop Vinyl off in front of the hospital. And then, if she was careful, perhaps she could get some snacks for the road.

******

The bat flapped through the night, still hungry. So far, it had fed on five rats, a squirrel, and a cat, but after being stuck in a box and a closet for a whole day, it needed more sustenance than that. If that red-headed creature hadn’t gone out last night, it’d probably still be stuck flying around in her tiny living space.

There was so much blood around it, but it couldn’t get to any of it—it was all locked away in those big buildings. And anytime these weird, tall things saw it flying through the air, they screamed and waved their limbs at it.

It was sick of feeding on tiny animals though. It wanted a proper meal for once. And the blood that came out of the red-haired creature had been the best thing it had ever tasted, even if it was just a sip. It wanted more of that, more blood from these weird, bipedal creatures.

It flew over the black dirt road laid out between two gray dirt roads, past dozens of identical looking buildings. It screeched once, more out of frustration than navigation. The echo came back, bringing more of the same landscape—

Wait! Something was slightly off. It hovered in the air, peering into the moonlit night. It screeched again, delighted to find one of the buildings had a hole in it like at the purple pointy castle. It flapped as fast as it could, smelling blood on the other side.

Through the hole, the bat saw a light green skinned creature curled beneath a bundle of soft, odd colored leaves. She had hair that matched her skin tone, streaked with white. She rolled over, showing off her neck.

The bat swooped in and landed on her shoulder. She stirred but did not wake.

Finally, it could eat!

******

Sunset hissed as her alarm went off again. She smacked it, hearing a loud crack and a cry of broken static. She looked up from her pillow, seeing the alarm broken in half.

Crap, how’d I do that? She pushed herself up, surprised to see herself still dressed in her clothes from yesterday. Her mind was foggy, and her mouth tasted like copper. What did I do last night?

She got out of bed and looked around her room. The curtains were still drawn, keeping everything drowned in darkness. She flipped the light on, wincing as the bright burst, but quickly adjusted her eyes.

Something on her desk caught her attention. She drew closer, her heart rate skyrocketing as she made out what it was. How… when… what?

Packets of blood were laid out across her desk, some full, some empty. With a shaky hand, she picked one up, watching the red fluid slosh around.

A sharp hunger tore through her, and before she knew what she was doing, she tore the bag open and guzzled down its contents. She licked the excess blood from out of the pack, then tossed it away.

Sunset stood rigid, her eyes slowly coming back into focus. She looked down at her hands, flecked with drops of spilled blood. There was an urge to lick them off—an urge Sunset almost gave into. She began to hyperventilate, her eyes dilating as the full weight of her actions crashed onto her. She looked into the mirror, seeing dried blood on her shirt, and her fangs retracting into her mouth.

“No… no, no. This can’t be happening. How? They don’t exist! I can’t be a… a… vampire.”

Chapter 4: Fang-Freakin-Tastic

Dear Princess Twilight,

This is going to sound really crazy—I’m having a hard time just writing it out—but a few days ago, I got bit by a bat. I was sick the next day, but it was just a passing cold, I was up and about a day later.

But… I woke up this morning wearing my clothes from yesterday. I can’t even remember what I did after I got home. There were packets of blood on my desk, and I drank one of them! There was blood on my shirt, and when I looked in the mirror, I swear I saw fangs!

Twilight, I think I’m a vampire!

I know how that sounds, but I’m freaking out here! I don’t know what to do! Please write back as soon as you can!

Sunset Shimmer

Sunset snapped her diary shut, then continued to pace her room with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. The logical part of her brain wanted to disprove the crazy notion that she was a blood-sucking creature of the night. She could find excuses for just about everything. But then, she would flash back to just a few minutes ago, when she had torn open the packet of blood and sucked it dry. Try as she might, she couldn’t disprove that.

“What do I do? Wait for Twilight to respond? Who knows how long that’s going to take! And what if she doesn’t know what to do either? I have to tell the other girls. But school’s about to start.” She paused and gripped the sides of her head. “Oh man, what am I going to do about school? I can’t go back there—I’ll be putting everyone in danger! Unless this… whatever it is only happens at night. I was fine yesterday. If it does only happen at night, it might be better for me to go now so I can tell the girls. But what if I lose control and bite someone?”

Sunset rushed to her computer and flipped it open, anxiously tapping her foot while it booted up. When it came on, she hastily typed in ‘how to cure vampirism’ is the search bar. Unfortunately, most of the results were just about some stupid game called Skyrim. The only helpful suggestion she found was, in some movies, people were cured when the head vampire was killed.

She bit her knuckle. There was no other vampire! What if she was the head vampire? What did she do then? A switch flipped in her brain. “The bat!” She had contracted vampirism from it, that’s the only place it could have come from. How, was another question entirely.

“Maybe if I can find the bat, I can cure this!” Sunset’s jubilation crashed down in an instant. The bat was long gone by now. Heck, it could have already been dead, and Sunset was still a vampire.

She shuddered. “A vampire. First, a raging she-demon, now, a vampire.” She threw her hands up. “Why me? I’ve been a good person… lately.”

The time on her laptop read 7:54. School started in six minutes. Did she dare risk going out? No, better safe than sorry. She’d have to hide here until school ended and her friends could rush over. But it would be close to nightfall by that time. And what could her friends do, anyway?

Sunset clenched a fist, then reached for her phone. They’re my friends! There’s nothing we can’t accomplish together! She furiously tapped her phone’s screen, sending a message to her fellow Rainbooms.

Emergency! My apartment after school!

She put her phone away and drummed her fingers on the armrest of her chair. What did she do now? She had alerted the Princess, rallied her friends. There was no known cure for this. What could she do now?

“Call the hospital?” Sunset had promised Twilight she’d consult a doctor if things got worse. “No, this is out of their league—they wouldn’t even believe me. The police?” She looked at the packets of blood sitting on her desk. “All that would do is alert them to who stole from the hospital last night.”

One of the blood packets found its way into Sunset’s hand. She stared at it, feeling her hunger act up again—hearing a voice that screamed, feed! Sunset flung the pouch away and turned her chair. She would not give in to those urges… at least not now.

I’ll save them for when my friends come over. That way, if I have a worse craving later on, I can drink that instead of them.

Sunset closed her eyes and breathed slowly. Seven hours alone without drinking blood. She could do that, easy-peasy. She stood up, grabbed the remaining packets and shoved them under her bed. “There, out of sight, out of mind!”

She rocked back and forth on her toes. She had gotten by yesterday without drinking any blood. Of course, she hadn’t been aware she was a vampire. These new instincts were at the center of her mind now, mingling with her everyday thoughts. Blood was the sustenance she needed to survive! Hunting helpless prey in the dead of night was her favorite way of getting it!

Sunset pressed a hand to her head. “No, bad! Very bad!” She walked into the bathroom to clean herself off and change out of her bloodied shirt. She looked in the mirror, seeing the same girl she always saw. Her skin was still a little pale, but beyond that, she looked fine. She stretched her mouth open, finding no trace of the fangs.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Sunset slumped in her chair again. She checked her phone, finding a majority of her friends had responded, agreeing to come over but asking what was wrong. She didn’t bother replying. This was something she had to explain in person.

*****

Sunset was sure an eternity had passed while she waited in her apartment. All she could do was watch the diary (it had made no movements whatsoever) and pluck at her guitar. Thanks to her somber mood and noise restrictions on the apartment, she couldn’t get herself to pony up, though it had given her something to think about.

Could going into our magic forms get rid of it? Or would I just become some anthro pony vampire freak? She had wasted an hour pacing her room trying to figure that out. Ultimately, it was impossible without testing it.

With an hour to go, Sunset was both stir crazy and starving. She could smell the blood coming from underneath her bed and from the surrounding apartments.

Don’t think about it. You don’t need it. It’s disgusting. It’s human blood. Sunset curled in her chair, her whole body twitching. It doesn’t taste good. It’s warm body fluid. It’s for emergencies. This could be an emergency though. Just one sip before my friends come, maybe it’ll sate me. No, no… I shouldn’t be drinking it at all! But it’s in my nature. No, it isn’t! You’re not a vampire—you don’t need blood!

Sunset’s mind grew hazy. Yes, I do! I need the strength! I need to quench my thirst! She tore the packet open and tilted her head back, pouring the contents down her throat, savoring every drop.

She brought her head down, panting like she had just ran a mile. How had she even gotten this—she couldn’t remember moving from her chair! It was wrong—so very wrong! But it tasted so good. She hugged her stomach, feeling mentally ill, but physically great.

“You’ll get through this, Sunset. That’s why you have friends now.” Assuming they still wanted to be friends with someone who could drink their blood at any given moment. Sunset chased the thought away. They would stand by her… probably.

Her doorbell finally rang, and she could hear the collective voices of her friends outside. Sunset stuffed the empty blood packet into the trash and wiped her mouth. Okay, you had your snack. Now, stay in control.

She opened the door and quickly ushered everyone inside before the light could hurt her. They discarded their things and followed Sunset into her room, trying to get comfortable in the small space.

“Geez, Sunset,” Rainbow said, moving a hand toward the blinds. “It’s almost pitch black in here. Open a window or something.”

“I kinda need it dark,” Sunset said, twiddling her thumbs.

Applejack frowned. “What’s the matter, Sunset? Your eyes still buggin’ you?”

Sunset bit her lip, grateful her fangs weren’t out. She turned her back to the group. “Y-yeah, that has something to do with it. Hold on.” Sunset slipped her sunglasses over her eyes and maneuvered over to the light switch, flipping it on. “Is that better?”

Rarity nodded. “We’re fine, dear, it’s you we’re worried about. What’s this emergency?”

“Well… remember yesterday, when I said vampires didn’t exist?”

“Yeah…” Applejack said slowly.

“Well… turns out… I was wrong.”

Pinkie gasped. “There’s a vampire running around Canterlot?”

Sunset nodded. “There is…”

Twilight spoke up, dread and suspicion in her voice. “And how do you know?”

“Because…” Sunset hunched her shoulders. “I’m the vampire.”

There was only the sound of uncomfortable shuffling amongst the silence until Pinkie yelled, “Called it!”

“Not helping!” Rarity chided.

Sunset kept her back turned, both out of shame, and to help keep her hunger under control. It was easier to manage if she wasn’t staring at their necks. “Yeah… so…”

“Wait,” Rainbow said, “That means you were the one who drank the blood out of all those people and sent them to the hospital?”

Sunset paled. “Dear Celestia, I totally forgot about that!”

“Again, not helping!” Rarity snapped.

Mental queasiness overtook Sunset, and her knees buckled. How could she have ignored that? It all added up now, didn’t it? People losing large quantities of blood, her insatiable appetite. That’s what she had been doing at night: stalking people and sucking their blood out.

Someone placed a hand on her shoulder. Sunset looked up, surprised and glad to see it was Twilight. “It’s going to be okay, Sunset.”

Sunset looked down at her own hands before her thirst could kick in. “I want to believe that,” she whispered. “I just… I can’t believe I’m a monster again.”

Twilight took Sunset's hands and pulled her to feet. “You’re not a monster. You’re still you. That’s what you told me, remember?”

“Yeah… I did say that.” Sunset remembered the first time she had stumbled across Twilight, huddled under the bleachers and crying her eyes out. It had taken a while, but Sunset got her to calm down. Near the end, she had even managed to get Twilight to smile.

“Besides—” Rarity spread her arms out “—you’ve got all of us to support you. Monster or not, we’re here to help.”

Sunset wiped away the tears trying to fall from her eyes. “Thanks, girls. You’re taking this better than I thought.”

Rainbow shrugged. “Well, all things considered, we’ve already seen you turn into a raging she—ow!” She clutched her side and glared at Rarity, who had two fingers up and was poised to strike again. “All right, I get it, not helping.”

“You told the Princess about this, right?” Applejack asked.

Sunset pointed to the diary sitting on her bed. “Of course, but she hasn’t responded yet.”

“So what do we do in the meantime,” Fluttershy asked.

“I don’t know.” Sunset pulled up her chair and looked at the floor. “I’ve been hiding in here all day. I’m afraid to go out in public in case I lose control. But at night… I guess I lose it anyway, because I’ve been drinking people left and right.” She pressed her teeth into her tongue. “Honestly… being in the same room as all of you is making me hungry.”

Applejack moved a hand to hide her neck. “You wouldn’t actually bite one of us, would you?”

Sunset kept her eyes focused on the floor. She could hear their collective heartbeats, smell the fresh blood flowing through them. Her throat was scratchy and dry again. Between the bags of blood under her bed and the girls standing in front of her, Sunset knew which choice her instincts craved more. “I don’t know, Applejack. I’m not sure what I wouldn’t do right now.”

An apple sailed through the air and landed on Sunset’s lap. “There, drink that!” Pinkie said.

“Why?” Sunset held the apple in her hand, turning it over a few times. It was a lovely shade of red.

“Well, maybe if you pretend you’re sucking the blood out of someone when you bite into it, it’ll help!”

Rainbow shook her head. “Pinkie, that’s stupid.”

Sunset was willing to try it, however. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine the apple as someone’s neck. She pushed the apple against her teeth. The skin was too smooth, and the fruit was too round. Part of her wanted to gag as actual food tried to pass through her mouth. Still, she pressed on, breaking the apple’s skin and letting the juice flow.

She forced her imagination to pretend it was blood, warm and sweet. Her fangs shot out, and she slurped the remaining juice from the apple, reducing it to a shriveled husk. Her friends gasped when she came up for breath and let the apple fall to the floor.

Her gag reflex kicked in, sending the juice back up her throat before she forced it back down. “It’s not blood,” Sunset said as her fangs retracted, “but… the hunger seems a little more distant. I guess just the act of sucking things helps sate me.”

Rainbow bit her lip and snickered.

“Oh, grow up!”

“All right, Ah can just get you some apples to suck on,” Applejack said, ignoring Rainbow’s continued snickering. “That should keep you busy until the Princess responds, right?”

Sunset slouched in her seat. “I don’t know. I told you: it’s not blood. It might stop me now but… when night falls…” She shook her head. “I don’t know if I can control myself.”

They fell silent again, each with a contemplative look. Then, Pinkie snapped her fingers and held a hand up. “Oooh, oooh, a sleepover!”

Rarity shook her head. “That seems counterintuitive.”

“Silly, we’re not actually going to sleep! We’ll just be there to make sure Sunny doesn’t go batty! We’ll be like guardians!”

Sunset bit the inside of her cheek. Being monitored sounded good in theory, it was certainly better than staying here by herself. “But what about all of you? You’ll all be in danger, staying in the same house as me.”

Rainbow crossed her arms. “Pfft, yeah, because we’ve never been in magical danger before.”

Pinkie slid up and wrapped an arm around Sunset. “I’ve got flashlights and garlic at my house! And if push comes to shove, we’ll lock you in the closet!”

Ignoring the over-excited smile Pinkie had over locking Sunset up, it was a decent idea. Well… it was really the only idea they had. Sunset looked over at her still diary. Hopefully being surrounded by her friends would give her an incentive to keep her fangs to herself long enough for Princess Twilight to respond.

“All right then. Sleepover at Pinkie’s.”

******

The girls departed to prepare for the sleepover, leaving Sunset to organize her own supplies. She packed her sleeping bag and guitar. Being able to play music at max volume might provide a good distraction from her hunger. She could feel it acting up again; the craving for warm blood, the urge to stick her fangs into someone and let their lifeforce slide down her dry throat.

She reached under her bed and pulled another packet out, tearing it open and sucking it dry before coming up with a gasp and a shudder. It was going to be a long and painful night. Her face twisted in revulsion as she took another packet and stowed it in her jacket pocket.

Please let the apples be enough.

Balancing her backpack, sleeping bag, and guitar while riding her motorcycle had not been easy, but she had managed. She marched up Pinkie’s driveway to her gray, stoney-looking house. It was such a contrast to Pinkie’s bright personality, though it matched the rest of her family.

The door opened before Sunset could ring the doorbell, and Pinkie pulled her inside. “There you are, Sunset! You didn’t stop to bite anyone on the way here, did you?”

Sunset put her stuff down. “No.” She spotted a bowl of apples in the kitchen. In one swift motion, she moved from the living room to the bowl and back, now with an apple in hand.

“Whoa.” Pinkie looked between Sunset and the fruit bowl. “That was super-fast.”

Sunset bit into the apple, her fangs extending deep into the fruit. She sucked it dry and tossed it into the trash can, fighting the urge to throw up. She wiped the excess juice on the back of her hand. “I’m going to be doing that all night, I just know it.”

“Well, better fruits than us, right?”

“Yeah,” Sunset said, casting her eyes downward. She traced a finger over her pocket. Dear Celestia, give me the strength to not bite my friends.

Twilight was next to arrive, bringing with her an armful of books. “Just a little light reading if things slow down.”

Both the sight of Twilight and her nerdy habits cheered Sunset up. She helped Twilight find a place to set her books down, while Pinkie went to order the pizza. “So, how are you feeling?” Twilight asked.

“Hungry and a little nauseous after sucking an apple. But I suppose that’s a good thing. Maybe if I make myself sick, I won’t want any blood.”

Sunset watched Twilight kneel down and place her sleeping bag near the couch, exposing the back of her neck. She was perfect. Perhaps her blood wasn’t the greatest, but it was the one Sunset craved the most. She wanted anything that tasted like Twilight.

Twilight stood up and turned around, her calm, purple eyes snapping Sunset out of her trance. “Just remember,” she said, “you’re not a monster. You can control yourself.”

A thin smile eased onto Sunset’s face, masking her uncertainty. “I’m really surprised you’re so calm about this.”

“Well…” Twilight put on a guilty smile of her own. “I’m actually kinda freaking out on the inside. But, having turned into a monster a month ago and seen actual magic first hand kinda softens the blow.” Her smile turned sympathetic. “Besides, I know you’re already having a tough time. Me freaking out isn’t going to help.”

Gratitude hit Sunset with such a force that, if Pinkie weren’t in the next room, she might have taken Twilight right then and kissed her.

And then maybe just a quick nibble. Sunset snatched another apple from the bowl and sucked it dry. No! No thinking about friends as snacks!

Twilight looked away, adjusting her glasses. “That might take some getting used to though.”

One-by-one the rest of the Rainbooms arrived. Applejack refilled the fruit bowl with a variety of apples. Pinkie came around and gave everyone, save for Sunset, a flashlight and a clove of garlic.

Sunset eyed the cloves. “You know, other than just smelling really bad, I don’t think garlic has an effect on me, Pinkie.”

“Well, we can’t be sure until you try to bite one of us—”

“Which you won’t do!” Twilight interjected.

“Right, of course!” Pinkie nodded fervently. “Just a precaution.”

Late afternoon slowly melted into evening. The pizza arrived, luring everyone into the kitchen for a slice. Sunset remained in the living room, tuning her guitar. She looked out the window, watching the world turn orange. Soon, the real test would begin.

She strummed a few chords, releasing a few slow notes, devoid of any pep. She stuck her tongue out. Just because she was a little worried didn’t mean her music had to suffer. She jumped to her feet and played a riff, feeling the vibration run up her guitar. With a wide grin, Sunset strung together a melody from one of the half-finished songs in her head. She hopped on the balls of her feet, feeling the flow of the music take hold.

As she continued to play, light shone around her. Magic blossomed within her heart, and with it, she felt the transformation take place. Her ears elongated, reverting back to their original pony state. Her hair lengthened, forming a ponytail in a sparkling flash. She played on, her feet leaving the ground. In that moment, her worries were miles away. She played chord after chord, riff after riff until finally, she ran out of notes.

Her feet touched the floor, though the transformation still lingered. Sunset wiped the sweat clinging to her brow. That little performance had been quite the unexpected workout. A round of applause snapped her attention to the kitchen door, where her friends were crammed in the threshold.

Rarity squeezed through first. “That was quite the solo, dear. You were at it for nearly ten minutes.”

“Really?” Sunset looked out the window again. “It didn’t feel that long.”

The rest of the girls came in with their plates of pizza. Sunset’s transformation finally petered out, returning her ears and tail to normal. Fluttershy looked at her curiously. “Sunset… do you think that maybe…. helped you with your, um, condition?”

Sunset pulled the guitar over her head and gently set it down. She swallowed, her throat still scratchy and dry. Her eyes looked longingly at the pizza, but her stomach rejected the thought of eating it.

“No,” Sunset said, dejected. “I’m still a vampire.” She sat down on the floor, taking an apple from the table as she descended.

“Hey, maybe if we all play our instruments, it might help,” Rainbow suggested.

Sunset shook her head. “Unless you can curve the rainbow to come and hit me, I don’t think that’ll work.” She reached over for her diary.

Still no response.

“Don’t worry, sugarcube,” Applejack said with a comforting smile. “Ah’m sure the princess will come through.”

“I really hope so.” Sunset slipped the diary back into her bag.

The evening progressed smoothly. The girls chattered and laughed, moving from one topic to the next over the course of an hour. They played a few card games, using the Monopoly dollars as betting money. The later it got, the more apples Sunset sucked on, filling the trash can with their dried corpses.

“Okay, Sunny, are you in or out?”

Pinkie’s voice brought Sunset's attention away from Twilight’s figure and back to the cards in her hand. Two queens, a five, and a ten. Not bad. “I’m in.”

Pinkie nodded. “All right, then, lay ‘em on the table.”

Rainbow put her down first. “Read it and weep—two eights and two tens!”

Applejack smirked. “Ha, Ah got a straight!”

“You mean the thing Sunset isn’t,” Rainbow said with a laugh.

Sunset gave her a rude gesture and huffed as she laid her cards out. “Pair of queens.”

“Ahahahaha!”

“Not bad,” Pinkie said, her face unreadable. “Buuuut—” she broke into a devilish grin and slammed her hand down. “Four aces! I win!”

“What?” Rainbow stared, awestruck as Pinkie took the pile of money, cackling like mad. “I swear, if you cheated—”

“Pinkie cheats at life, Dash,” Sunset said, leaning back in her chair. “No point in getting mad about it.”

Rainbow was silent for a minute. “After graduation, we’re going to Vegas.”

Pinkie looked over her pile of money, smirking and wiggling her eyebrows. “Whoa, Dashie, take me to dinner first.”

Everyone snorted with laughter, even Rainbow. Sunset’s was cut short by a stabbing pain in her stomach. She quickly reached for an apple, only to find the bowl empty. The pain spread, and she wrapped an arm around her stomach.

“Sunset, are you okay?” Twilight asked.

The words sounded distant. Sunset could feel it now—her urge to feed growing stronger. She could hear all of their heartbeats, see the blood flowing through their veins. How badly she wanted to tear into them, drink them, relish the taste and satisfaction. What did it matter if they were here friends? She was hungry!

She was thirsty.

Sunset bolted up out of her seat with a desperate look toward Applejack. “There’s more apples in the kitchen, right?”

Applejack nodded, eyes wide with concern and a hint of fear.

Sunset paid it little mind and raced for the kitchen, the door swinging shut behind her. She grabbed an apple from the bag on the counter and bit into it. This time, however, she could not get the juices down. She spat the apple out onto the floor, dry-heaving at the taste that had befouled her tongue.

What was she doing, trying to feed on apples when there were six healthy girls a room over? It was a free six-course meal!

She tried to shake her mind of the fog, and reached into her jacket pocket. Instead of a pouch of blood, her hand rubbed against sticky, congealing fluid. Breathing hard, Sunset pulled out the pouch, a tiny hole punctured near the bottom.

No… No, no, no! She tried to lick the blood off her fingers and suck the pitiful remains within the packet. There, that should be good enough, right?

The pain stabbed at her again, and she doubled over. Spit hung from her lip—the urge to bite into each one of those girls in the other room grew more intense with each passing second.

No! I can’t! Those are my friends!

But I’m starving! I haven’t eaten anything since this afternoon; and that was just a measly snack!

I’m not drinking my friends’ blood!

But I need nourishment! I need to feed!

I don’t care!

The argument circled around in an endless circle in Sunset’s head. All the while, she didn’t notice her fangs growing longer, or the red haze creeping across her vision.

******

Twilight tapped her fingers together. “She’s been in there for a while.”

Rarity nodded, her head facing the door. “Agreed. Something isn’t right.”

“You don’t think she just ran away, do you?”

Pinkie shook her head. “All the windows have garlic on them, she couldn’t run if she tried.”

Twilight sighed, easing her way out of the chair. “Pinkie, even though we’re living out a fantasy horror film right now, I still have to question the validity of vampires being weak to garlic. Why would they be weak to garlic?”

“Oi! Less talky, more finding out if Sunset is okay!” Rainbow shouted.

They all grabbed their flashlights (and, at Pinkie’s insistence, their cloves of garlic) and rushed to the kitchen. Rainbow entered first, waving her flashlight about. Twilight looked over her shoulder, seeing no other signs of life.

“Uh oh.” Rainbow pointed her light down to the floor, where a bitten apple lay in a pool of its own juices specked with bits of red. Panic ran across the Rainbooms faces.

“Okay, let’s not get hysterical yet,” Applejack said, her calm voice straining. “She can’t have gotten far. If—and this is a mighty big if—Pinkie’s garlic theory holds true, then she’s still somewhere in the house. Let’s find her real quick and get her trussed up.”

“Right!”

“Let’s split up, gang!” Pinkie yelled.

Twilight looked up from the spill of apple juice. “Wait, are you sure that’s a good—” Before she finished, the kitchen was empty. “—Idea.” She switched her flashlight on and tightened her grip on the garlic.

Pinkie’s house wasn’t that big. Sure, it was bigger than Twilight’s, but not big enough that someone couldn’t hear her scream. She returned to the living room first, finding everything still in its place. She turned the flashlight off and stood a little straighter.

The door creaked behind her, and Twilight whipped around, flashlight on and garlic ready to be thrown.

“Whoa there, Twi, it’s just me!” Applejack held her hands up.

Twilight relaxed, blushing. “Heh, right.” She followed Applejack into the hallway, where she gestured for Twilight to go check upstairs. Twilight complied, though trepidation weighed her every step. Even with the lights on, Pinkie’s house was dim and gloomy, casting odd shadows against the walls.

Every board creaked under Twilight’s foot. She stopped and looked over her shoulder every three steps, dismayed none of her friends were behind her. She hunched her shoulders and kept climbing, waving her flashlight at every shadow that looked humanoid.

At the top of the stairs, Twilight heard rustling coming from the master bedroom. “Girls?” she squeaked in a hoarse whisper. She stepped closer, tightening her grip on the flashlight.

She pressed herself against the wall next to the door. Okay, if it’s a vampire, scream as loud as you can. Twilight nodded and eased her head around the corner. Like the rest of the house, the room was poorly lit. Twilight’s heart pounded in her chest as she stepped inside.

A gasp escaped her, one that quickly turned into a sigh of relief. Pinkie stood in the doorway of the closet, moving clothes around.

Twilight shook her head and left, moving further down the corridor. The last room on this side of the house was Pinkie’s, and even without the light on, it was brighter than most of the house. Twilight stepped inside, admiring the sunshine yellow walls and large, puffy bed covered in stuffed animals.

The door softly closed behind her, and Twilight whirled around to come face-to-face with Sunset.

Her eyes were blood red, hypnotic and glowing with hunger. Fangs protruded from her top lip, unnaturally white and glistening with saliva. Her normally brushed hair was disheveled and hung around her shoulders in a tangled mess. Two pointed ears poked out from the top.

“Y-y-y-you, y-you really are…” Twilight shook and stammered. Even with the magic she had already witnessed and been a part of, staring a vampire in the face was on a new level of unbelievable.

Sunset took a step forward, and reached a hand out, showing off her sharpened nails as she pushed down Twilight’s flashlight. Twilight’s trembling hand finished the job and dropped it. A loud voice in Twilight’s head told her to scream, but Sunset’s half-lidded crimson eyes told her to be silent.

“Good evening, Twilight,” Sunset whispered. She placed a cold finger under Twilight’s chin and lifted her head. “You’re looking… delicious tonight.”

Twilight’s heart drummed in her chest. “T-thank you?”

“You know, I meant what I said yesterday, about you being pretty.” She pulled her body closer to Twilight, their breasts pushing against each other. “I don’t know why I was being so shy about this before. We have a lot in common, Twilight.”

The neurons in Twilight’s brain kicked into overdrive trying to process everything that was happening. The intimate physical contact was stirring something within her, but the bone-chilling fear negated any pleasure she was supposed to be feeling. Scattered thoughts shot around in her head—her feelings for Sunset, the time they had spent together, the gravity of the situation she was in.

Sunset moved her hand to the small of Twilight’s back. “I’m feeling… daring tonight, Twilight. I’m so, incredibly thirsty right now, but standing here, looking at you, I remember that I have a thirst only you can satisfy.”

Twilight’s body locked up. Sunset leaned her head in near Twilight’s neck.

“I want to drink you, Twilight. I’m dying to see how you… taste.” As the word drifted through the air, Sunset ran a finger across Twilight’s waist, making her shudder.

“I think I need an adult.”

“Technically, I am an adult.”

The door banged open, and the Rainbooms rushed in, shining their flashlights on Sunset. She hissed, throwing an arm over her eyes and leaping to the side.

“Begone, foul demon!” Pinkie cried, flinging her garlic clove. It nailed Sunset right in the eye. “Ha! It worked!”

Sunset glared at Pinkie with her good eye. “Just wait, I’m going to suck you dry.” She moved with incredible speed, her hair a red and gold blur. The window crashed open, and Sunset leaped out, gliding into the night.

Everyone gathered at the window, staring open-mouthed as she flew away.

“Pinkie,” Rainbow said in monotone, “your garlic theory sucks.”

Chapter 5: Lust Sin

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.

Chapter 6: Pinkie Van Helsing

Twilight used the tree to push herself upwards. Vertigo struck her immediately, and she collapsed onto the ground again. She rested her head against the trunk and closed her eyes. Her breath came out labored and her head continued to swim.

Help… Her fatigued mind managed to pass that single thought through the rest of her body. Twilight reached a hand into her pocket and fumbled around until her cell phone slipped out. She opened her eyes, seeing only darkness, and groped around the grass for it. Her hand brushed over something wet and sticky.

Pulling it close enough so she could see, Twilight found a smear of blood across her palm. As she stared at it, her thoughts snapped together, her brain slowly building up to its regular performance.

Sunset… bit me… she tried to… Twilight moved her hand down to her chest, then continued to the hem of her skirt.

Nausea. Fear. Betrayal. Above all, sadness. Twilight pulled her legs in and rested her head on her knees, tears falling from her eyes. Her best friend had almost taken advantage of her. Even if she hadn’t been in the right state of mind, Twilight felt violated. If she hadn’t fought back, how far would Sunset have gone?

Twilight didn’t understand. Sunset had said friendship was the most powerful magic of all. Then why did she attack her own friends? Was the vampire influence really that powerful?

There were too many emotions building inside Twilight. She wanted to punch Sunset in the face, and at the same time, hold onto her and tell her it was going to be okay. She wanted to lie down and cry, but also get up and run after her wayward friend.

Her exhausted body prevented her from fulfilling most of those actions. Having the blood sucked out of you really… sucked. Twilight moved her fingers up to the bite mark, finding a trail of blood running down her neck. She wiped it on her sleeve, then reached down for her phone again.

Some of her blood smeared the screen when she picked it up, but it was nothing a quick wipe on her blouse couldn’t fix. The light it emitted upon turning on nearly blinded Twilight. She held it as far from her face as she could while she scrolled through her contacts. She selected Rainbow’s number and pulled the phone to her ear.

“Twilight!” Rainbow screeched through the phone, making Twilight almost regret her choice. “Are you okay? Where are you?”

“I’m—” The words stopped before they could fully form. She wasn’t okay—she was far from okay. But how did she tell her friends that? She couldn’t. Not like this at least. “I’m somewhere in the Everfree Forest.”

With her vision back, Twilight could make out the dense foliage surrounding her. She was in a small clearing, with just enough room for two people to get intimate. Above her, the north star shone through a gap in the trees.

“What? The forest?” Rainbow swore loudly. “Okay, just hang on. Fluttershy has gas again, so we’re on our way. Are you hurt? Did Sunset bite you?”

Twilight’s hand moved back to her neck. “Y-yeah… she bit me a little,” she said quietly.

“Are you okay?”

A lump grew in Twilight’s throat. Rainbow’s concern was too much. “Just hurry,” she choked out before ending the call. She curled her knees up, burying her face in them.

“I’m so sorry.”

Twilight bit her lip, but was unable to stop the building sobs. Eventually, she gave up and cried silently. “Sunset… how could you?”

******

Pinkie’s body swerved along with the van, leaning into the turn instead of fighting against it. Fluttershy could really put the pedal to the metal when she needed to.

On the outside, Pinkie kept her smile up, albeit, thinner than normal. But on the inside, she was thinking, calculating. Things were becoming dire real fast.

Dire. There’s a word she never got to use. A shame, because it was such a fun word too.

She knitted her brow. Sunset had bitten Twilight. Did that mean Twilight was a vampire too? Pinkie hoped not. She was running out of garlic.

One vampire at a time, Pinkie. How do we deal with Sunset? She was proving to be quite strong against the garlic cloves. Maybe they needed to be cut in half first? Either way, Pinkie was starting to think she needed something stronger to combat a vampire.

The van swerved again, and Pinkie flowed with the motion, leaning into Applejack.

“Ppbbbt! Pinkie, your hair is gettin’ all in my mouth!”

“Whoopsies! Sorry, A.J.” Pinkie straightened up and returned to thinking. If Sunset was still hiding in the forest, she could easily get the drop on them. It’s a good thing her Pinkie Sense warned her about falling objects! But that still left the question of how to subdue her.

Why do they always kill vampires in movies? They never show how to just trap them and turn them human again. Pinkie reminded herself to forward that complaint to Hollywood at a later date.

The paved road quickly came to an end, and the girls bounced along the twisting dirt path that traveled the length of Canterlot's city border and led to the Everfree Forest.

There were grim faces all around the van. When Rainbow had relayed Twilight’s call, she said Twilight had sounded on the verge of tears. Pinkie couldn’t blame her. Being bit by a vampire and left in the spooky forest didn’t sound like fun.

Don’t worry, Twi-Twi, we’re on our way! Just don’t turn into a vampire!

Fluttershy came to a stop at the mouth of the forest, the path forward too narrow for most cars to drive down. Everyone piled out and switched their flashlights on.

Applejack let out a low whistle. “And I thought finding Sunset was hard. This is going to be like finding a needle in a haystack.”

“At night!” Pinkie added.

Rainbow pulled her phone out. “Hang on, I’ll call Twilight again. Hopefully she isn’t too far off the path.”

“What about Sunset?” Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow shook her head. “Let’s just try to find Twilight before Sunset finds us. We can ask questions later.” She led the group into the forest while she waited for Twilight to pick up. Rainbow switched it to speaker mode, scaring a murder of crows off with the dial ring.

“Hello?” Even beyond the static, Pinkie knew Twilight was in desperate need of cheering up.

“It’s us, Twilight. We’re in the forest.”

“O-okay.” Twilight sniffed. “I think I can see a road from here. Maybe I can get to it.”

Fluttershy took the phone from Rainbow. “No, Twilight. It’s safer and easier for us if you just stay put. Can you describe anything around you?”

“Well…” Twilight launched into describing the small clearing she was in. Pinkie was glad Twilight was a smartypants with an eye for details. While Twilight kept talking, Pinkie kept her eyes peeled, looking up into the trees for any signs of movement.

An owl hooted somewhere yonder, and Pinkie readied a clove of garlic before relaxing. This forest sure is scary at night. She made a full rotation, making sure they weren’t being followed. She stepped at an even pace, examining each bush and tree.

“Pinkie, hurry up or you’ll fall behind!” Rainbow shouted.

Pinkie snapped her head forward, seeing the faint cluster of lights down the gloomy path. They vanished into the darkness, leaving Pinkie alone. She gasped and ran after them, flailing her light every which way to make sure nothing got the drop on her.

She came to a split in the path and shined her light down both of them, unable to see which her friends had taken. “Giiiiiirrrrls! Where are you?”

“This way, Pinkie,” Rainbows distant voice answered.

Pinkie threw her hands up. “Which way is that, left, right?”

“Right!”

“See, was that so hard?” she mumbled to herself. She took the right path, quietly whispering a song to herself as the forest around her became even more haunting and twisted. Gnarled trees reached at her, red eyes peered at her from the shadows, and animals growled and hissed from their burrows.

I wonder if Fluttershy knows what they’re saying? The path twisted and turned, and while Pinkie remained unafraid of the forest around her, she grew concerned that she hadn’t caught up to her friends yet. “Girls!” Pinkie shouted, earning her a growl from a bush.

She walked a little faster, trying to pay it no mind. “Rainbow! Fluttershy! Hellllloooooo!” None of her friends answered her call. When she said right, did she mean go right, or right like left was right? Pinkie stopped in her tracks. “Uh-oh.”

The smart part of her brain told her the best thing to do was to turn around and hurry down the other path. Pinkie was about to follow it when her left eye drooped, her hair sagged to the right, and her left elbow creaked. She faced forward again with a curious frown.

“Someone’s up ahead. And they’re really sad.” Maybe it was her friends who had gone the wrong way. Pinkie continued down the road, trusting her sixth sense. “Twilight, are you there? It’s Pinkie!”

Instead of Twilight, Pinkie came out to a large clearing that rose into a hill. At the top was a very old steeple made from gray stone. The front window was broken, and some of the roofing on the spire had chipped away. Vines creeped up the walls and sneaked their way in where some of the bricks had fallen out.

Pinkie edged closer, passing through the broken gate. Her Pinkie Sense told her to go inside. The rest of her told her to turn the other way.

No! It’s my job to cheer someone up, and right now, someone in there needs me! She straightened her back and marched up the hill.

******

The chapel was dark and would have been quiet if not for Sunset’s sobs and harsh whispers. She curled up on a pew at the front, near what had once been the altar. All of the holy artifacts had been removed long ago, stopping Sunset’s chance of seeing if a cross could help her.

Her body convulsed again, but she stayed firmly in place. No matter how thirsty she got, she refused to go out again. She would starve, end of story.

I need to feed! It’s in my nature!

“No, it’s not! I’m not drinking anymore blood tonight.” The red haze blurred her vision, and Sunset bolted upright, hissing to herself.

“You can’t not drink! Your body craves it!”

Sunset wrapped her arms around her stomach. She lowered her head and blinked some of the red away. “My body craves a lot of things. That doesn’t mean it gets to have it.”

She shuddered again, then snapped her head up. “You’re still mad about Twilight? I don’t get it, you want it, she wants it deep down. She would have loved it once you got into it… and her.”

Sunset’s hiss bounced off the walls. “What you did… what I almost did is inexcusable! She’s one of my best friends and I…” Sunset cupped a hand over her mouth. “Sweet Celestia, I’m so sick right now.”

A wicked grin formed behind her hand. “What happened to ‘no inhibitions’? No morals holding you back?”

Sunset snapped her head to the left. “That was you talking.”

She twisted to the right. “And you were enjoying it. The freedom, the power, having Twilight at your fingertips. You wanted her. You still want her. Her blood, her body, everything. You can have all of that, you just need to feed!”

Sunset fought against the red haze, but it was a losing struggle. She needed blood. The dryness in her throat was aggravating beyond belief. She wanted to hunt, she wanted to sink her teeth into someone’s flesh and suck their lifeforce dry.

She pounded a fist against the pew. No! She would not give into temptation. She would not drink any more people, especially her friends. As long as she stayed in here for the night, everything would be fine.

Footsteps approached from outside, making their way up the hill.

Sunset snapped her red eyes open. She could smell blood. Sweet, delicious blood. Perhaps a little too sweet, but it would do for now.

No, wait… that’s Pinkie!

The foyer door creaked open, making the whole building groan along with it. The footsteps approached the chapel door.

Sunset looked for somewhere to hide, and out of desperation, dove under the pew. The door opened, creaking as much as the first. From her position, Sunset could see Pinkie’s blue boots.

“Hellooooo? Anyone home?”

Please, Pinkie, leave! Leave before I lose control!

Pinkie made her way down the aisle, shining her flashlight across the floor. She came to the front and stopped to examine the altar briefly.

Now turn around and go… so I can catch you from behind—no, just go!

Unfortunately, Pinkie dropped to her hands and knees and looked under the bench. “Sunset?” She shined her light on Sunset’s face.

With an irritated hiss, Sunset jumped out from under the pew and landed on the altar behind Pinkie. The moon shone through the glass window, illuminating Sunset’s figure, and darkening her shadow. She bared her fangs and flexed her sharpened nails, only to be met with a garlic clove to the face.

“Augh! Again with the freaking eye!” Sunset pressed her hand against it. “I swear, Pinkie, if I go blind, you’re gonna pay for it!”

Pinkie took a defensive stance, more garlic in her hand. “Sunset, is that you talking right now?” she asked slowly.

Sunset looked down at her. Heart rate was elevated. Blood circulation was surprisingly good for her diet. O negative, one of Sunset’s favorites. She shook her head and took a step back. “Pinkie, you have to leave.”

Pinkie lowered her throwing arm. “But you need help.”

“The best way you can help me is by not being near me right now,” Sunset urged. She turned her back to Pinkie. “I already hurt Twilight tonight.”

“Yeah… the girls are trying to find her right now.” Pinkie’s upbeat voice softened. “Did you… turn her into a vampire?”

“No, but I was going to.” Sunset’s voice cracked. “Pinkie, I… I almost…” She shook her tears away. “You have to go, now!”

“What about you?”

Sunset clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palm. “If you don’t go, I’m going to drink your blood!” That wasn’t just a scare tactic; Sunset’s hunger was growing, and her willpower was fading fast.

Pinkie leaned on her back foot but didn’t turn away. “I can’t leave. I can’t leave you here like this.”

“Pinkie!” Sunset whirled around and snapped her fangs. “We both know what’s going to happen! I don’t want to bite you, but if you stay here, I will! I can’t control myself!”

“You’re doing it now.”

The silence panned out between them. Sunset stared at Pinkie through unfocused eyes. Pinkie looked back at her, nervous but defiant. Sunset broke into a delirious smile. “You’re… so stupid.” She closed her eyes and collapsed to the floor.

“Sunset!” Pinkie raced over and knelt beside her. “Are you okay? Oh, that’s a dumb question to ask, of course you’re not. Umm, just rest here; everything will be better in the morning.” Pinkie flipped Sunset onto her back and tried to pick her up. “Let’s get you somewhere comfy.”

“You’re comfy enough,” Sunset mumbled.

“Wha?”

Sunset’s eyes snapped open, and she tackled Pinkie to the floor, pinning her arms down and sitting on her stomach. “I can’t believe you fell for the old fainting routine! Too easy!”

Pinkie struggled and kicked her legs in a fruitless effort to get free. “Sunny, don’t do this! We’re friends!”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Why does everyone bring up friendship thinking it’ll stop me from biting them? I’m. Freaking. Starving! Seriously, I value our friendship, Pinkie, but survival comes first. That, and honestly, I’m having too good of a time!”

“But, but—”

She didn’t get to finish. Sunset bore down on Pinkie’s neck, puncturing her skin to let the blood flow like milk. Sunset took one sip and stopped, her eyes shrinking to pinpricks.

“Bleeeegh!” She reared up and jumped off Pinkie, rubbing her tongue against her jacket. “Too sweet! Waaay too sweet!” It was worse than concentrated sugar; it had practically burned Sunset’s throat on the way down. “Is candy really the only thing you eat?”

Pinkie rolled backwards and leaped to her feet. “No, just… ninety percent of it.” She rubbed her bite mark. “Oowwww. Sunset, that hurt.”

“Well, now you know how my throat feels!” Sunset blew a raspberry to get the rest of the taste out of her mouth. “Okay, so, no drinking your blood.”

“Woohoo!”

“I’m just going to turn you into a mindless servant instead.”

“Awww.”

Sunset flew at Pinkie, hands outstretched. Pinkie ducked under her and spun around to give Sunset a shove before she got another grab in. Sunset moved with inhuman speed, however, and caught Pinkie before she could get too far. With both her arms bound, Pinkie responded by head-butting Sunset’s face.

“Auugh!” Sunset let go to grab her throbbing nose. Blood trickled onto her hand, and she looked at it with curious intent. She licked some of it, swishing in her mouth to get the full flavor. “Hmm, I don’t taste half-bad,” she decided.

Pinkie, meanwhile, had made it to the side of the room and was running along the wall to get around to the door. Sunset flew over the rows of pews and landed in front of her. Pinkie dove between the aisles as Sunset swung her hand.

Under the pews, Pinkie crawled forward, still trying to reach the door. Her position was exposed when Sunset lifted the bench and threw it across the room where it smashed into hundreds of pieces. Pinkie sprung up, looked toward the splintered mess, then to Sunset, who casually strolled toward her.

Pinkie pouted, “That’s not fair.”

“Well, if you want, I could turn you into a vampire so you could do it too.”

“As tempting as that sounds—” Pinkie ran for the door again. She blinked, and skidded to a stop, finding Sunset in front of it.

Sunset crossed her arms. “All you’re doing, Pinkie, is building up my appetite and delaying the inevitable.” She watched Pinkie run toward the wreckage of the pews and sighed. With one leap, she tackled Pinkie from behind and pulled her to the floor, rolling over the splinters.

Pinkie landed on her back with Sunset pinning her shoulders. She jerked her arm up, and Sunset felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She rolled off Pinkie and looked down, see a small splotch of red staining her blue blouse.

In Pinkie’s hands was a jagged remnant of the pew. She pointed it at Sunset, hands trembling and eyes wet. “D-don’t make me have to do it, Sunny. I’ll aim for your heart next time.”

Sunset straightened up, wincing at the cut Pinkie had made. “You’d kill me, Pinkie?”

“Some myths say it might just paralyze you. I’m really, really hoping that’s all it’ll do. But I don’t want to take that chance. So, just give up, please?”

Something stirred within Sunset’s heart. Was it guilt? Sadness? Whatever it was, it wasn’t what she wanted right now. What she wanted was blood, and Pinkie was going to help her get it, one way or another.

Their eyes locked. It was going to drain Sunset of even more energy, but the payoff would be worth it. Her eyes burned a deeper shade of red, and after a second, Pinkie’s did as well. The makeshift stake dropped from her hand, and her mouth hung open a little.

“Yes, Mistress?” she droned.

Sunset slid over to Pinkie and wrapped a hand around her waist. “Mistress, I like that. Well, my servant, here’s what I want you to do for me…”

******

Twilight had cleaned her face up and done everything she could to look like she hadn’t been crying while waiting for her friends to find her. Unfortunately, none of them had been fooled. They had given her hugs and asked her if she was okay. Rarity had lent her a handkerchief.

They all wanted to know what happened, and Twilight had obliged. Sunset had bit her. Twilight had fought back. Sunset had fled. End of story.

No matter how scared and angry Twilight felt, she couldn’t bring herself to tell the others of what else almost happened. She couldn’t condemn Sunset in the eyes of her friends like that.

Applejack helped Twilight to her feet and allowed her to lean against her for support. “We need to get you to the hospital. Yer lookin’ pretty pale.”

Twilight shook her head. “I didn’t lose that much blood. I just need to eat and lay down for the night.”

“You sure, sugarcube?”

“Y-yeah.” Twilight felt the puncture marks in her neck. What was she going to tell the doctors anyway; she had been attacked by her vampire friend? The rest of the school would believe it, but she wasn’t sure if professionals in the medical field were ready to buy into magic.

Her friends gave her a dubious look, to which she flashed what she hoped was a convincing smile. She didn’t want any more attention or questions, she just wanted a snack and a bed.

Rainbow held her hands up. “If that’s what you want, fine.” She turned around. “Where the heck is Pinkie? I told her to go left—she can’t have fallen that far behind.”

Rarity let out an exhausted sigh. “Let’s hope we’ll find her on the way back to the car. I’m tired of all this running around.”

“But…” Twilight’s voice was barely louder than a whisper. “What about Sunset?”

“You said she looked like she was snappin’ out of it when she ran off,” Applejack said. “Let’s just hope that lasts until mornin’.”

Fluttershy spoke up. “But what if she’s still in the forest? She’ll be terrified when she wakes up!”

Rainbow started back toward the main road. “Sunset’s a tough girl with freaky vampire powers among other things. I think she can handle herself for one day. Let’s go home, get some rest and try again tomorrow, when it’s light out. We’ll find her, then lock her in the Apple cellar until the Princess writes back.”

To Twilight’s fuzzy brain, that sounded like as good a plan as any. Sunset could take care of herself. Twilight bit her lip. She hoped Sunset could take care of herself when the sun came up.

They found the dirt road and began their walk back to Fluttershy’s van. They hadn’t gotten far before Rainbow’s cellphone went off. She pulled it from her pocket and rolled her eyes, switching it to speaker. “Pinkie, where are you?”

“....ash. I’m… old… met… she’s…”

Rainbow grunted in annoyance. “Well, guess reception sucks this deep in.” She held her phone higher. “Pinkie, we can barely hear you!”

“I’m at… steeple in… and Sunset… come!”

Applejack shrugged. “I heard somethin’ about a steeple and Sunset.”

“Pinkie must have found her,” Rarity said.

Rainbow stood on her tippy-toes, holding the phone higher. “Pinkie, where’s the steeple?”

“Right at the turn!”

“Got it; hold on!” Rainbow groaned, putting her phone away. “I just want this night to be over!”

Applejack took the lead, still helping Twilight keep steady. “Come on, Dash, Sunset needs our help! At least we know where we’re goin’ this time.”

By the time they reached the fork in the road, Twilight was sure she could walk on her own, if at a slow speed. Her head was no longer as foggy but her body was still tired. She likened the feeling to when she had come down from her magical rampage; her body had felt sluggish and tight.

******

Twilight and Sunset sat on a bench in the park, popsicles in their hands. Twilight watched some of hers melt. “I still feel… weird. Like, this body isn’t my own. Like that… that thing I was is really my true form.” She looked at Sunset. “Is that weird?”

Sunset slurped her popsicle and shook her head. “No, I know what you’re talking about. I grew up with magic in my body, so having it forcefully expelled at the Fall Formal when I just got it back again…” Sunset looked longingly at the blue ice pop. “I felt weak, powerless, slow. Everything about this body felt wrong.”

“You said it would go away.”

“It…” Sunset bit into her popsicle and chewed slowly, cringing at the cold texture. “I think it will for you. I was born in a world of magic. Coming here, I’ve always felt like something was missing.” She smiled at Twilight. “But you’re human. The magic you felt was exhilarating, but it wasn’t part of you. You’ll remember what it’s like to just be yourself soon.”

******

Twilight looked at her hand, flexing her fingers. It felt right again—it felt like her. Sunset and her fangs wandered through Twilight’s mind again, and empathy struck her. Is that why you’re indulging in this, Sunset? Does it make you feel whole?

The girls came into the clearing, spotting the dilapidated steeple on top of the hill. They clambered up to the door, and Applejack and Rainbow gave it a hard shove, forcing it open. The foyer was only lit by the moonlight spilling from outside. There were smaller doors leading off to the right and left, with the door to the chapel across from them, open a crack.

“Pinkie, Sunset!” Rainbow called. Something scurried in the rafters above them, but there was no response. Rainbow motioned with her arm for the group to follow her into the chapel. Twilight brought up the rear, casting one more glance into the shadows that surrounded them, a sense of foreboding building in her gut.

The chapel was almost as dark as the foyer; it had a few thick candles and a candelabra lit near the altar, but nothing else. Twilight spotted the pile of broken pews and stopped halfway through the door. “Girls, I think this might be a—ooof!” She was shoved into the room and landed face-first on the floor. Whipping around, Twilight saw Pinkie dragging the door shut.

“Bye-bye!” she said cheerfully, a red glint in her eyes. The door slammed shut and locked.

Rainbow stared dumbfounded at the door. “What?”

The rafters creaked, and everyone looked up to see Sunset crouched on a wooden beam. She put on a sinister smile. “Oh good, dinner’s here.”

Rarity took a step back, though she had nowhere to go with the door locked. “Sunset, think about this very carefully. Do you really want to bite us? Your best friends?”

“Yes.”

Rarity slumped her shoulders. “Not the answer I had hoped for.”

“You already bit Twilight!” Rainbow yelled. “Isn’t that enough for you?”

Sunset twisted a lock of her hair. “Twilight and I didn’t exactly get to finish, did we, Twi?”

Twilight got up and backed away, hiding behind Rainbow and Rarity. “Sunset, please stop.”

“Sunset,” Applejack said, taking a step closer, “we’re your friends, and—”

“Uuughhh!” Sunset groaned, clapping her hands over her ears. “Enough already! I’m so sick of all of you playing the friend card! Maybe it’s just because I’m starving, but it’s more annoying than usual!” She stood up and glared down at them. “Now, here’s how this is going to work: you’re all going to line up in a nice orderly fashion, and I’m going to drink all of you one by one. If you behave yourselves, I might even make you vampires too, so you can join me in my fun!”

Rainbow clenched her fists. “Not gonna happen!”

“Funny, I don’t remember asking for opinions.” Sunset clapped her hands. “Come on now, line up like good little blood bags. I don’t care which order you get in, just as long as Twilight is last.” Sunset looked directly at her through half-lidded eyes. “I’m saving her for dessert.”

Twilight’s body locked up as the implications sank in. She watched Sunset jump from the rafters and landed gracefully on the carpet. There was no escape this time. Twilight’s flight or fight response still told her to act. She bolted for the altar, aiming for one of the lit candles.

Sunset jumped over her head and blocked the path. She tsked. “You’re being a naughty girl, Twilight, ignoring my orders like that. I might change my mind about being gentle with you.”

She’s not herself, she’s not herself, Twilight chanted. She broke into a run again, hoping to barrel her way past Sunset. Instead, Sunset merely embraced her in a full-body hug.

“Mmmm.” Sunset inhaled deeply. “You smell like lavender. You’re making it really hard to save you for last.”

Twilight threw her head back and rammed it forward, bashing Sunset’s nose.

“Aaaugh!” Sunset covered her nose with both hands. “I can’t believe you! I-I-I…” Her eyes went unfocused, and Twilight swore they were teal again for a moment.

“Sunset?” Twilight asked tentatively.

“Too hungry…” Sunset shook her head. “I’m too hungry for this!” She made to tackle Twilight, but Applejack intervened and tackled Sunset first.

“That’s enough, Sunset! We’re tryin’ to stop you from makin’ a mistake!” Applejack grunted as she scuffled with Sunset across the altar.

Sunset managed to pin Applejack to the floor. She opened her mouth to bite, but Rainbow jumped on her back and wrapped her arms around Sunset’s neck. Sunset straightened up and bucked Rainbow off, throwing her across the room. Fortunately, it had given Applejack time to slip away. Sunset stood to give chase, but Twilight barred her path, wielding the brightly burning candelabra.

“Stay back, Sunset! I’m warning you!”

Sunset smirked. “That’s cute. You think a few candles are going to—”

Twilight drove it forward, pressing the sticks into Sunset’s middle. She let out a bloodcurdling scream as smoke rose from the marks Twilight burned into her skin. Sunset wrapped her arms around her waist and dropped to her knees.

The silence that fell as Sunset’s screams faded away was deafening. Twilight stared at her trembling hands, still processing what she had just done. She stepped back, watching the candelabra fall to the floor before resting her eyes on Sunset's motionless form, unable to keep her eyes away from the ugly black, singed flesh exposed through the hole in her shirt.

“I… deserved… that,” Sunset managed to get out before she fainted, her eyes turning to blue just before they closed.

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.

Chapter 8: Bite to the Finish

The chains binding Sunset rattled as she finally slipped out of them, tossing the last one over her head. They couldn’t be heard over the argument those girls were making upstairs. Interestingly enough, Twilight’s voice was absent from the conversation.

She stretched her arms and worked the kinks out of her shoulders before lifting the bottom of her shirt up to examine the burn marks. They no longer hurt, but the skin was still black.

Sunset sat down again, crossing one leg over the other. Twilight left a mark on me. It’s only fair I leave a mark on her, too. She put on a feral smile and clasped her hands together. They could argue and protest all they wanted, but Sunset knew the choice Twilight would make. It was just a matter of waiting now.

“I’m not about to just hand off Twilight to a vampire!” Rainbow shouted.

“But, Rainbow...” Twilight said softly.

Applejack cut over her. “I hate it too, but what choice do we have?”

“Girls, I’ll—”

Rainbow slammed her fist on the door. “Ask for something else, Sunset!”

“No.”

“I’ll do it!” Twilight yelled. The room upstairs fell silent, while Sunset grinned to herself in the dark. “I’ll do it,” Twilight said again in a softer voice. “I-it’s just a little bit of blood. It’s for the greater good.”

Oh, I can assure you, Twilight, blood isn’t the only thing I’m taking.

The door knob wiggled, then abruptly stopped. “Twilight,” Rainbow said in a serious whisper. “You and I both heard all the things she said earlier. What if she wants more than blood?”

Twilight was silent for a moment. “I trust her.” Underneath her trembling voice, there was a note of confidence. The knob turned again, and light spilled down the steps, silhouetting Twilight's figure. She closed the door and descended the stairs, stopping at the base.

She gasped, seeing the coil of chains in the small sliver of light the moon provided. “S-Sunset?”

“Don’t worry, Sparky.” Sunset got up from her chair and stepped into the light. “No surprises this time. Here I am.”

“How’d you get out of those chains? When did you get out?”

“About two minutes ago. As for how…” Sunset played with her pointed ear. “Let’s just say I’m quite slippery when I want to be.” Sunset stepped closer, watching Twilight raise her arms and cover her chest. “Don’t be so modest, Twilight. I told you, you’re beautiful, every inch of you.”

Twilight stood her ground against Sunset’s advancement, but she began to tremble. “You just want blood, Sunset. That’s all you need, right?”

“That’s all I need but not all I want.” She reached out and gently pulled Twilight’s arms down. “And deep down, you want the same thing I do.”

“I want you to help us.” Twilight made sure to avoid Sunset’s eyes.

Sunset slid around to Twilight’s side, running a finger up her arm. “I will, I promise. But I need to help myself first. And maybe I can help you, too.”

Twilight shook her head. “I don’t need help—ah!”

Sunset blew in Twilight’s ear, making her shudder. “You’re such a stickler for rules and regulations. Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to listen to that little voice in your head telling you right from wrong?”

“I did that already,” Twilight whispered. “I never want to do it again.”

Moving behind Twilight, Sunset wrapped her arms around Twilight’s waist, pulling her into a light hug. “What if I was beside you the entire time?” She blew down Twilight’s neck.

“Ah!” Twilight stifled her gasp. “No-no, I don’t want to be a vampire, Sunset. Please, let’s just get this over with.”

“Really? But I want to take my time with you.” Sunset pressed into Twilight’s back and raised her hands to just below Twilight’s breasts. Jolts of electricity snapped through Sunset’s body, and her voice came out as a husky pant. “I want to savor this moment. Relish every touch and taste.”

Twilight didn’t resist Sunset’s grip, though she shook like a leaf in the wind. “I know you, Sunset. As strong as those vampire urges are, I know you won’t go through with it.”

Sunset gently turned Twilight’s head, exposing her neck. “And what if I do?”

“You won’t.”

There it was again: the confidence buried beneath the fear. Sunset paused, hovering just over Twilight’s soft skin. Did she really want to do this? Twilight was her best friend. Sunset shook her head. She didn’t have time to ponder morality. She was in the moment! This moment with just her and the object of her desire!

Sunset sank her teeth into Twilight’s neck, eliciting a gasp from Twilight and a moan of pleasure from herself. Twilight’s blood spilled into her mouth, warm and rich, sweet with a little kick. Ecstasy blossomed across all of Sunset’s senses as she enjoyed every drop of Twilight’s blood. Her strength returned, prompting Sunset to suck even more of Twilight’s life force.

Twilight! You don’t know how good this feels! Sunset raised her hands, unbuttoning Twilight’s vest. But you will soon. Twilight made small moans, but was limp in Sunset’s grasp. She made one more draw from Twilight’s neck, then pulled her fangs out, letting some of the blood dribble down her chin, before lapping it up.

Sunset spun Twilight to face her, pulling the vest off her shoulders. Twilight looked up at her through unfocused eyes.

“I… trust you.. Sun…”

Sunset stopped undoing Twilight’s tie. She… trusts me. The jolts of ecstasy dancing up and down her body started to fade. Why? I have her right where I want her! Another voice spoke up in her head. You got what you needed. Now leave her alone. But I could do so much more! I could make her a vampire! Sunset bit the inside of her cheek, drawing a thin stream of blood. What was wrong with her? Why was she hesitating now of all times?

She looked into Twilight’s violet eyes. They stared back at her with the naive trust that made Sunset want to hit her and kiss her at the same time.

“Fine,” Sunset said, running a thumb against Twilight’s cheek. “You win, Twilight. I want you so badly. But tonight isn’t the night, I guess.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips against Twilight’s, tasting refreshing mint still lingering on her tongue.

Sunset pulled away, then hoisted Twilight into her arms and glided up the stairs. The Rainbooms were gathered on the other side of the door, and they jumped back when Sunset kicked it open. Upon seeing Twilight in Sunset’s arms, they each broke into a tirade of questions, assaulting Sunset’s ears with their echoing voices. She ignored them all and carried Twilight into the chapel, resting her on the nearest pew.

Finally, she turned and addressed the group. “She’s going to be fine. Just make sure she has food and water when she wakes up.”

Rainbow gave a worried look to Twilight, then glared at Sunset. “Did you do anything to her?”

Sunset flashed a grin. “You would have heard if I did.” She turned down the aisle and walked toward the broken window at the front. “Guess she was right after all. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a walk.” She jumped into the air and glided through the window’s opening, welcoming the night air against her face.

******

Rarity leaned over Twilight, falling into the disgusting habit of biting her manicured fingernails. “She looks dreadfully pale.”

Fluttershy knelt beside Twilight and measured her pulse. “She seems stable. But I think you’re right; Sunset took a lot of blood.”

It had only been ten minutes since Sunset’s departure. Ten long minutes of monitoring Twilight and wondering how much they could trust Sunset. Rarity clutched a fist against her chest. It was better to be safe than sorry. “Come on, girls, let’s get Twilight to a hospital.”

“What about Sunset?” Pinkie asked.

Rainbow helped lift Twilight onto Applejack’s shoulders. “As long as she catches the bat and locks it up, we’ll be fine. I’m sure the Princess will write back any minute with a way to fix all of this.”

With Twilight secured and murmuring to herself, Applejack led the Rainbooms out of the steeple and down the hill. The moon was full tonight, its luminescence outshining the stars surrounding it. The forest around them was eerily quiet—even the wind made little noise as it blew through the trees. No sounds came from the animals or insects within.

As the hair on Rarity’s neck began to stand up, Pinkie stopped walking and random parts of her body began to convulse.

“Pinkie Sense… activating!” Her hair vibrated and she pointed to the sky. “Look out!”

A shadow swooped in, dive bombing Applejack. She threw herself to the ground, grunting loudly as Twilight’s extra weight crushed her. The shadow swooped again, silhouetted by the moonlight.

Rainbow jumped in front of Applejack and shot her fist out, catching the shadow in the nose. It yelped and came to a stop, holding its nose.

“Aw man! What’s with you girls and aiming for the face?” Lyra asked in a nasally voice.

Instead of responding, Rainbow heaved Applejack to her feet and shouted, “Run!” They made a break for the forest again, but a blur sped in front of them and blocked the path.

Bon Bon grinned at them, showing off her pointed teeth. “Going somewhere?”

The girls skidded to a stop and circled up. Lyra approached them from behind, while Bon Bon continued to smile.

Rarity held her hands up. “Now, ladies, I’m sure there’s a peaceful solution to all this—”

“Give us your blood!” Lyra said eagerly.

“—that doesn’t involve blood-sucking,” Rarity finished.

“Nope,” Bon Bon said, taking another step closer. “That’s the only way this is gonna end.”

Applejack groaned. “Great, done in by two vampires in the middle of a creepy forest.”

Bon Bon made a noncommittal shrug. “Well, a vampire and a half. Lyra turned me, but I can’t fly or mind control people.”

“How exactly does that work?” Applejack asked.

“Hot vampire sex!” Lyra shouted. “And then I gave her some of my blood.”

“And then, more sex,” Bon Bon added.

Rainbow gagged. “Okay, you can just bite me now.”

Lyra flexed her fingers. “With pleasure!” She sprang into action, teeth aimed for Rainbow’s throat. A clove of garlic sailed through the air, aiming for Lyra’s eye. She caught it mid-pounce and crushed it into pieces. “No.”

Pinkie tapped her fingers together and made a high-pitched giggle. “Well, there goes my last garlic. New plan.” She threw herself in front of Rainbow. “Bite me instead!”

Rarity gaped at her. “Pinkie, what—” Pinkie gave her a subtle wink, then flickered her eye toward Rarity’s purse. “Uh, yes, take Pinkie first.”

“What?” Rainbow shouted. “Have you both—oof!” Rainbow massaged her stomach. “Uhh, sure, take Pinkie.”

“Dibs!” Lyra tackled Pinkie to the ground. “Bonnie, you can take Applejack first.”

Applejack adjusted Twilight against her back and took a defensive stance. It didn’t do much for her when Bon Bon rushed her and brought her to the floor. Twilight rolled across the ground, groaning and curling into a ball.

“Applejack!” Rarity shouted. She preemptively reached into her purse and wrapped her hand around her pepper spray. As she pulled it out, Lyra let out a yell of pain and jumped away from Pinkie. Her scream was enough to distract Bon Bon. Rarity jumped forward and sprayed her right in the eyes, causing her to flail and scream as well.

Applejack kicked her off and got to her feet, then grabbed Twilight. “Thanks, Rare!”

Rarity gave her a quick thumbs up while she ran over to Lyra, who was still rubbing her tongue against her sleeve. Rarity sprayed her with a face full of mace, then helped Pinkie up and dragged her down the path. “You okay, dear?”

Pinkie rubbed her neck. “Y-yeah, I’ll be fine. She just took a bigger gulp than I thought.”

The Rainbooms left behind the screaming vampires and ran into the forest, sacrificing the moonlight for the dark camouflage of the trees.

“Now what do we do?” Fluttershy asked between breaths.

“Keep running until we get to the van, then drive as far away as possible!” Rarity said.

Two loud hisses echoed after them.

******

Sunset crept closer, her ears twitching at the chittering coming from the other side of the roof she was perched on. She looked over the edge and toward the park across the street. Two kids were talking under a tree, illuminated only by the pale moon. Moving her eyes up, Sunset saw the bat perched in the topmost branch, eyeing the children.

With the amount of chittering it made, she was surprised neither of them had heard it.

One of the kids stood up and stretched, then waved a hand to his friend. As he left, the bat twitched its nose and flexed its wings. Sunset tensed her muscles as well, pressing herself against the rooftop.

The other boy got up and adjusted his propeller hat before walking toward the houses that bordered the park. The bat swooped from its perch, launching itself at the back of his neck.

Sunset did likewise, flying faster than an arrow. She snatched the bat from midair, just before it got to the kid’s neck, and landed at the top of the tree.

“Well, you’ve been busy, haven’t you, ya little blood sucker?” Sunset flicked the bat’s ear as it struggled in her grasp. It stuck its teeth into her hand, out of irritation or hunger, Sunset wasn’t sure. It hurt, but Sunset refused to let go. She looked down at the boy, standing at the edge of the sidewalk, staring up with his mouth open.

Sunset grinned. “No one will believe you.” She jumped and glided away, savoring his look of incomprehension. Sure, she could have drunk his blood while she was here, but she had already had two meals on the way. And there was a tiny voice telling her biting children was wrong.

She looked at the bat. “So now what?” As if to answer her question, the distant screams of her friends reached her ears. She sighed and turned back toward the forest. “Well, at least this night promises to be exciting.” She gave the bat a little shake. “So how many people did you bite?”

It only screeched angrily and wriggled even more.

“Keep it up and I’ll just snap your neck.”

The bat actually fell quiet, though it continued to bite Sunset’s hand. She didn’t think much of it—she was already a vampire, what else could it do?

It took her a few short minutes to reach the Everfree Forest. She didn’t need her super hearing to hear the commotion going on below her. Rainbow screamed, a branch was swung, and someone yelled, “Ow! Godammit!”

“Oooo, a party!” Sunset said enthusiastically. She dropped down below the tree line and landed on a branch, just in time to see Rainbow and the girls run underneath her. She jumped again and glided alongside them. “So, what’d I miss?”

“Aaaagh!” Each of them screamed, and Rainbow reached out and slapped Sunset with a tree branch.

“Ow! What the hell?”

“Oh, s-sorry, Sunset,” Rainbow panted. “I thought… wait, why am I apologizing, you’re a vampire too!”

“Yeah, I’m the vampire that caught your stupid bat!” Sunset held it up, showing off its scrunched nose and large fangs.

“Yeesh, that thing is ugly!”

“I know, right?” She gave it a solid bap on the head, knocking it unconscious. “Here ya go.” She dropped it into Fluttershy’s hands. Even she looked a little apprehensive of it.

Rarity came to a stop by a large tree, doubling over to catch her breath. “Sunset, could you do us one more little favor, please?”

Sunset floated up to the closest branch and sat down, watching all of them struggle for air. “I don’t know. What’s in it for me?” She looked at Twilight, still knocked out and being carried by Applejack. “I already got Sparky’s blood.”

Rarity looked at her in desperation. “Sunset, please, just help us! We’re—”

The wind picked up, and Lyra and Bon Bon burst from the foliage and onto the narrow path. Lyra sported a cut that was already healing up, and Bon Bon’s sleeves had been torn. “All right, no more games,” Lyra said. “We’re gonna… oh, hi, Sunset!”

Sunset lifted a hand. “Sup.”

“I didn’t know you were a vampire.”

“Yeah, I was kinda the first one.”

“That’s cool. Wanna help us drink these girls?”

Sunset tapped a finger against her chin. “You know, as tempting as that sounds…” She jumped down and stood between the two vampires and the Rainbooms. “I’m gonna have to say no.”

Lyra frowned. “Why?”

Sunset rushed forward and delivered a solid roundhouse kick to Lyra’s jaw, sending her straight into the air. “I don’t share food.”

Bon Bon gaped at Sunset, then hissed and slashed at her with her sharp claws. Sunset ducked to the side and grabbed Bon Bon by the arm. With an effortless heave, she lifted Bon Bon off the ground and tossed her up into the air after Lyra.

Rarity’s shoulders relaxed and she slumped against the tree. “Thanks, Sunset.”

“Oh, it’s not over yet.” She tilted her head toward the group. “But when this is over, I’m drinking all your blood.” She jumped into the air, bursting above the trees in time to see Bon Bon reach the peak of her flight and start to fall back to the earth. Before she could fall too far, Lyra flew over and caught her.

“So, vampire fighting?” Lyra asked. “This is a thing that’s happening right now?”

Sunset crossed her arms. “Yep.”

“Cool. But are you sure you want to go two-on-one?”

“More like one and a half.”

Lyra growled, her fangs gleaming softly in the moonlight. “Semantics You’re still outnumbered, Sunset,” she said firmly as she cracked her neck. “I’m going to ask you one more time: are you going to help us drink tonight or not?”

“Allow me to answer that in the following way.” Sunset flew forward and brought her fist across Lyra’s cheek.

Lyra staggered back, keeping a tight grip on Bon Bon before righting herself in the air. Sunset’s eyes followed Lyra as she descended to the ground, setting her friend down and rubbing her cheek. Sunset flew ahead of the two, dropping down into the trees as she quietly circled her opponents, smirking at the confusion on their faces.

“What’s wrong, Lyra? You look a little lost. Need some help?” she teased, her voice echoing throughout the small clearing.

“I’m just getting started!” Lyra huffed, baring her fangs as she rotated her stance in an attempt to spot Sunset.

Sunset jumped forward the moment Lyra turned her back to her, bringing her arm back as she nailed Lyra with a fierce blow to the back of her head. Before she could follow it up, Bon Bon reared her fist back and struck Sunset’s sternum, knocking her to the floor.

Sunset rolled on her back and swept her legs out, bringing Bon Bon down with her. Just as Sunset got back to her feet, Lyra slammed a fist against the back of her head, sending her to the ground once more. Sunset saw dirt, flipped over onto her back, then saw the underside of Lyra’s boot. Blood splattered across Sunset’s face, and her nose made a terrible crack.

“So, who’s lost now, Sunset?” Lyra said, slamming her foot into Sunset’s side this time, knocking her into the bushes.

Sunset licked up the blood dribbling into her mouth and grunted. “Why does everyone go for the nose?” By the time she was on her feet, the pain was gone, and Sunset could snap her nose back into place. She burst back into the clearing, claws ready to strike, only to find it empty.

Crap, where’d they go? Sunset spun around, her sense on high alert.

“Gotcha!” Lyra’s arms wrapped around Sunset’s frame and held her tightly in place. Sunset struggled and kicked her legs, but Lyra had a surprisingly strong grip.

Bon Bon appeared from the shadows, fist drawn back, and punched Sunset in the face. It was followed-up by three more direct hits before Sunset delivered a kick to Bon Bon’s stomach, knocking the wind out of her. While she caught her breath, Sunset planted her feet firmly on the ground and flipped Lyra over her back, slamming her into Bon Bon and knocking the two of them to the ground.

“I’m getting very close to being done screwing around with you two,” Sunset grunted, wiping the blood off her face with her sleeve. “I suggest you run along and find something else to snack on.”

Lyra rolled off of Bon Bon off and pushed herself back onto her feet before picking up her friend, bridal style. “You know… you’re right. We’ll be off now,” she said simply. She ran off into the forest, leaving a faint trail of dust behind.

“Yeah, you better run!” Sunset crossed her arms and smirked.

She blinked.

“Aw, crap!” She ran after them, swiping vines and branches out of the way. She reached the edge of the forest, where the Rainbooms were still scrambling toward Fluttershy’s van. Lyra swept around and cut them off, grabbing Rarity in the process. Sunset made a running jump, throwing herself over everyone’s head and tackling Lyra to the ground.

They grappled in the dirt for a moment before a strong hand grabbed Sunset’s neck and slammed her into a tree, the bark cracking behind her. Bon Bon slammed a fist into Sunset’s gut, forcing up blood and making Sunset choke on air.

She wrapped her arms around her stomach and dropped to one knee, watching Lyra pin Fluttershy down while Bon Bon caught Rarity by the arm. Sunset grit her teeth together and stood up. “Hands off my food!” She ripped a branch from the tree and hurled it at Bon Bon, nailing in her the head. When it bounced to the ground Applejack picked it up and smacked her again.

Sunset bolted forward and got her hands around Lyra’s neck before she could bite into Fluttershy’s. Lyra threw her elbow back and smashed it into Sunset’s rib. Sunset cringed but refused to let go, tightening her grip on Lyra’s throat instead.

Lyra raked her claws into Sunset’s arm, drawing blood and leaving long lacerations across her arm. Cries of pain built up in Sunset’s throat, but she refused to give Lyra the satisfaction of acknowledging she was causing any pain.

Just as Lyra’s scratching began to weaken, Bon Bon swiped her claws against Sunset’s cheek, drawing a yell of pain and surprise from her. Bon Bon then grabbed Sunset and flung her forward, where she crashed into the side of the van, denting it before falling limply to the ground.

“Sunset, are you all right?” Rarity asked, gingerly picking her up by the arm.

Sunset shakily managed to get to her feet, pushing Rarity away. “I just got tossed into the side of a car, how do you think I’m doing?” she snapped, leaning against the van for support. She brushed her hair out of her face. “Just get out of here before they drink you. You’re supposed to be my next meal.”

Rarity pursed her lips, but said nothing. She tried to get the dented door open, but it wouldn’t budge. “Um, Sunset could yo—”

But Sunset was already making a sprint for Rainbow, pinned against a tree by Bon Bon. Sunset was tempted to just rip Bon Bon’s throat out and be done with it, but there was that voice in the back of her head, telling her not to kill these other vampires. It wasn’t their fault they ended up like this.

Sunset settled for grabbing Bon Bon by her hair, yanking her backwards and socking her across the face. She went down with the single blow, giving Rainbow time to tear toward Rarity, still struggling to get the door open.

Pinkie and Fluttershy quickly made their way to the car, Pinkie fending Lyra off with the broken tree branch. Lyra ducked underneath Pinkie’s haphazard swing and snatched the branch from her hand, tossing it overhead. Sunset jumped into the air, caught it, and brought it down over Lyra’s head with a solid thwack!

Lyra teetered back and forth before crumpling to the ground, clutching her skull and groaning loudly. Pinkie and Fluttershy gave a cheer of thanks and joined Rainbow and Rarity. That only left Applejack, still carrying Twilight like a backpack. She wasn’t far, but carrying Twilight that long had left her winded and slowed.

Bon Bon sprung like a cheetah, claws stretched out in front of her and eyes gleaming red. “I’m sick of this game! I want food now!”

Sunset matched Bon Bon’s speed, shooting across the clearing and shoving Applejack out of the way. She and Twilight tumbled into the dirt, avoiding Bon Bon’s claws.

Sunset was not as lucky.

Five searing lines of pain tore across her chest, slicing through her shirt and tearing her skin to ribbons. Sunset threw her head back and yelled, warm blood running down the remains of her blue blouse, staining it crimson. Sunset grabbed Bon Bon’s hand, weakly trying to dislodge the nails buried in her chest. She tried to concentrate on breathing, the mere action causing her muscles to twitch uncontrollably.

Bon Bon grinned sadistically, a face Sunset never thought she’d see on the girl. “Gee, that looks like it hurts a lot.” She started to turn her hand to the left, tearing more of Sunset’s skin.

Sunset screamed louder, her legs giving out beneath her, only to be held up by Bon Bon’s claws. Tears streamed down her cheeks while she whimpered in sheer agony.

Bon Bon leaned close and whispered, “That was for Lyra.” She grinned again, licking her fangs sultrily. “Well, I guess now’s as good a time as any to find out what other vampire’s taste like.”

A purple hand gripped Bon Bon’s wrist, bringing both her’s and Sunset’s attention to the world around them. Twilight stood in between them, her eyes half-closed like she was in a trance. She looked at the blood streaming out of Sunset and covering Bon Bon’s hand.

“Blood?” Twilight whispered. Her eyes widened, revealing their red irises. She yanked Bon Bon’s hand free from Sunset’s chest, allowing her to fall to the ground.

Clutching a hand against her wounds, Sunset watched Twilight bite into Bon Bon’s hand, trying to suck the blood off. Crap! How—when—why?

Bon Bon came out of shock and smacked Twilight in the head, sending her to the ground next to Sunset. “Okay, what just happened?”

Sunset coughed, struggling to find her voice. “Well, I may have accidentally made her a half-vampire.”

“When?”

“That’s an excellent question. When my chest stops bleeding, I’ll let you know.” From behind Sunset, there was a loud horn and a flood of light. She twisted her head just enough to see Fluttershy’s van turned in their direction, the engine revved.

With a yell of agony, Sunset grabbed Twilight and pulled her out of the way as the van sped forward and crashed into Bon Bon, launching her back into the forest.

Sunset gasped for air, propping herself up on one arm to look over Twilight. “Hey,” she rasped. “Y-you okay?”

Twilight opened her eyes again, still crimson. She sat up, looking groggy and confused. “Sunset? What’s going on?” As she spoke, Sunset could see her pointed teeth. “And why am I so thirsty?”

With her gashes healing, Sunset could move into a sitting position without feeling agonizing pain. This had to happen now of all times. Any other moment, this would be perfect. She put a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Don’t freak out—”

Twilight caught sight of Sunset's wounds and scrambled back. “What happened to you!”

“It’s fine, it’ll heal.” Sunset waved a dismissive hand.

Twilight continued to stare. “That’s… a lot of blood,” she said with a hint of longing.

“Yeah, listen, so—”

The rattling of a car door interrupted Sunset this time as Rarity and Applejack came over from the van. “Are you two okay?” Rarity asked.

“I’ll be fine,” Sunset said with a layer of irritation. “Twilight on the other hand…”

Twilight was on her feet, staring curiously at the two girls. “Blood… thirsty… feed.” Her fangs extended.

Applejack grabbed Rarity and took a giant step back. “Sunset, what did you do?”

“It was an accident!” Sunset reached forward and grabbed Twilight by the legs before she could jump at them. “But now would be a really good time for you to leave if you value your necks!”

Applejack and Rarity shared one last moment of hesitation before retreating. The van lingered a minute longer before finally turning down the road. Sunset kept a tight grip on Twilight’s ankles, though she stopped struggling after the girls had disappeared into the car. She looked down at Sunset again, eyes flickering between red and violet.

“Sunset,” she said in a heavy and trembling voice, “what’s happening to me?”

Sunset sighed. “I accidentally—”

“Hey!” Lyra sat up, rubbing her head. She looked around. “Where’s Bon Bon?” she asked groggily.

For the love of Celestia! Sunset pushed herself onto her feet, using Twilight as a support. “Listen, Twilight, do you trust me?”

Twilight stared into her eyes, then nodded firmly. “Yes.”

“Then don’t move.” Sunset bit hard on her lip, drawing a well of blood into her mouth. She cupped Twilight’s face and pushed their lips together, slowly secreting the blood into Twilight’s mouth.

Twilight made a noise of surprise that quickly melted into hungry moans. She slurped every drop of blood Sunset gave to her, then explored Sunset’s mouth for more.

Sunset yielded, enjoying Twilight’s soft lips against hers. Her other hand wrapped around Twilight’s waist, but she quickly remembered where they were, and who was watching. She could hear Lyra struggling to get to her feet.

Sunset released her, a line of saliva bridging the gap between their mouths. Twilight’s crimson eyes stared expectantly into Sunset’s. She wiped a hand across her chest, soaking it in the remaining blood, then held it out to Twilight.

Her tongue snaked out and licked it up with avarice. Before Sunset’s eyes, she could see Twilight’s ears became pointed, and her fangs extending past her lip. Within her eyes, Sunset could see a wanting—a desire for more than just blood.

Any other time, Sunset thought bitterly. Any other time.

A shadow shot from the trees and slammed into Sunset, throwing her down the road. She landed on her back, pinned by her shoulders and forced to stare up at a livid Bon Bon.

She didn’t say anything, she just bent down and dug her fangs into Sunset’s neck. Sunset’s body locked up; her blood flowed in reverse, drained out of her system.

A primal screech ripped through the night, and Bon Bon was torn from Sunset, dragging her fangs across Sunset’s throat.

Sunset pressed a hand against it, breathing easy that the cuts this time were shallow. She got to her knees and looked behind her, where Twilight grappled with Bon Bon. There was a maniacal gleam in Twilight’s eye as she blocked Bon Bon’s hits and struck with her own.

Might have given her too much blood. Sunset stood up and took a deep breath, the pain in her chest finally subsiding.

A new pain burst across the back of her head, and stars flooded her vision. When she blinked, Sunset found herself staring once again at dirt, a lump of it sitting in her mouth.

“You know,” Lyra’s voice floated somewhere above Sunset, “there’s a voice in my head telling me I shouldn’t kill you. Buuut…. yeah, I’m just gonna ignore it.”

A boot pressed against Sunset’s skull. She tried to push herself off the ground, but Lyra threw her entire weight onto Sunset.

“Hey, Lyra, catch!”

Bon Bon sailed through the air and crashed into Lyra, knocking them to the ground next to Sunset. She sprung to her feet and rubbed the back of her head, wincing at the tender bruise. She jumped when a hand grabbed her ankle; Bon Bon's claws broke through her boot and dug into Sunset’s skin.

Twilight dropped from the sky and smashed her foot on top of Bon Bon’s wrist, eliciting a loud, sickening crack! Bon Bon howled in pain, while Twilight leaned down, still grinning fiendishly. “Gee, that sounded like it hurt a lot!” She ground her heel deeper, getting more cracks and whimpers from Bon Bon until Lyra got up and slashed Twilight across the face.

She leaned back, her head tilted to one side. A giggle passed through her lips, then she threw herself forward, jabbing her claws into Lyra’s shoulder, and following up with a punch to the chest. As Lyra stumbled back, Twilight pounced on top of her, laughing in delight.

“Yep, too much blood.” Sunset looked at Bon Bon, nursing her shattered wrist. “Give up now and I might be able to call her off.”

Bon Bon glared at her. “Don’t get all high and mighty just because you have a blood-crazed side-kick.”

“Isn’t that what you are to Lyra?”

Bon Bon hissed and swung her good arm for Sunset’s face. Sunset ducked and brought her boot up into Bon Bon’s sternum, sending her into the air. With a single jump, Sunset overtook her and wrapped one arm around her neck. She used her free hand to grab Bon Bon’s good wrist.

“So, Bonnie, who has a B average, two broken wrists, and can’t fly?”

Through Sunset’s stranglehold, Bon Bon choked out, “But I only have one—”

Snap!

Bon Bon opened her mouth, letting out a pathetic whine.

“This girl.” Sunset smirked and released her, letting Bon Bon drop to the earth. There was a dull thud and a cloud of dust upon impact, followed by a cry of distress from Lyra.

Sunset descended to find Twilight straddling Lyra against the ground. Both of them were covered in half-healed cuts and blood. Twilight pinned Lyra’s arms down and leaned over her ear.

“Shhh,” Twilight cooed. “This won’t hurt, I promise. I’m just taking your blood. No offense, but you’re not really my type.” Twilight sank her fangs into Lyra’s neck and slurped loudly.

Lyra’s struggles weakened and she let out a moan of defeat. Eventually, she fell still under Twilight’s grip, her eyes glossing over.

Sunset rushed over and ripped Twilight off of her. Twilight hissed and lapped up the blood around her mouth. “Why did you stop me?”

“You were going to kill her,” Sunset said, drawing her mouth in a thin line.

“You make that sound like it’s a bad thing.” Twilight traced a finger along one of her cuts, wiping up some of the blood. “I believe they were trying to kill you first,” she said in a sultry whisper. She ran her bloody finger along Sunset’s cheek. “And I’d hate to see anything bad happen to you… mistress.”

Sunset trembled with excitement. The smell of Twilight’s blood right under her nose was almost too much. She shook her head, blocking out the alluring mix of blood and lavender. “I appreciate it, Twilight, but you can’t kill them.”

Twilight pressed herself closer, lacing her fingers through the holes in Sunset’s blouse. “What happened to ‘no inhibitions or morals’? I’m thirsty, they’re right here. I’m not seeing a problem.”

Sunset ran her fingers through Twilight’s hair, sighing deeply. It wasn’t just the voice in the back of her head telling her this was wrong, something in her heart was off too. Her body enjoyed every touch Twilight gave her, but it didn’t feel right. “I’m going to sound like a hypocrite when I say this, but even vampires need limits. I… I almost raped you Twilight and I just…” She looked away.

Twilight’s fingers slipped underneath Sunset’s shirt and pushed Sunset to the ground to straddle her. “It wouldn’t be rape if I want it,” she said, a familiar lust in her voice. Her lips were inches away from Sunset.

Well, we’ve come this far, might as well… Sunset closed her eyes and shook her head. Her hand drifted toward her burn marks, then pushed Twilight’s face away. “I can’t, Twilight. I want to—I really, really want to. But…”

A frustrated scowl overtook Twilight’s face. “What happened to you being ‘Twisexual’? What happened to your vampire urges?”

Sunset looked away. “Someone reminded me that there’s something more important.”

Twilight hissed and pinned Sunset’s arms down. “You’re not going to tell me it’s friendship are you?”

“I’m sorry.”

Twilight grit her teeth. “So am I.” She bit into Sunset’s neck.

Sunset shuddered and tried to push Twilight away, panicking as her energy left her far more quickly than when Bon Bon bit her. “Twi… Twilight…” she mumbled, her vision blurring. She felt Twilight’s hands move from her arms down to her belt. “I… trust you…” Sunset breathed as she passed out.

Author's Note

Happy Halloween!

I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. A great musician by the name of Ponysphere liked it enough to make a song for it! Thanks a million!

Chapter 9: Midnight

“You want us to what?”

Rainbow’s shrill voice cut across Canterlot High’s campus, disturbing the otherwise peaceful night. She and her friends were gathered around the mirror portal, of which Princess Twilight Sparkle had just stumbled out of a few minutes prior.

Her first action upon arriving was taking the bat from Fluttershy and locking it in a small cage before shoving it back through the portal. Afterward, they exchanged short pleasantries before Princess Twilight told them what was required to save Sunset.

The Princess now looked upon them with apologetic eyes. With their tattered clothes and cuts and bruises, her stomach churned at the news she had to deliver, even if it would help them in the end. She sighed and raised a hoof to her head, only to remember her recent acquisition of fingers. They were much more useful for massaging away headaches.

“Listen, I know this has been hard—”

“No!” Rainbow wildly shook her head. “I don’t think you understand what we’ve been through tonight! Or last night! We’ve come this close—” She held her index finger and her thumb a centimeter apart “—from being drank, turned into vampires, and/or killed! And now, you want us to go back?”

Princess Twilight gestured a hand to the statue behind her, almost losing her balance in the process. “The only way I can cure them is if they come through the portal with me. I don’t have access to the proper magic required on this side.”

Rainbow crossed her arms and tipped her head so her bangs shadowed her eyes. “Then you go get them. Because if I have to deal with anymore vampires tonight, I’m going to lose it.”

Applejack stepped forward, rubbing her arm and keeping her eyes to the ground. “Ah ain’t one to give up, but, you’re askin’ a lot for us, Twilight. You sure there ain’t some other way we can do this?”

Twilight shook her head. “If they’re really vampires, we can’t wait until morning, otherwise, the sun will burn them.” She clasped her hands together. “I know you’re all tired, and I know this is asking a lot. I’m sorry—I really am! I’m always late to help you girls when you need it the most, and I feel awful.”

She wiped a tear from her eye. “I’ll go with you, I’ll do anything I can to make this easier, but I need you girls to come with me. Please.”

Rarity took one of Princess Twilight’s hands. “It’s… it’s to help a friend,” she said in a tired voice. “Of course we’ll come. Right, girls?”

All but Rainbow nodded their heads. They turned their gaze on the odd duck. None of them looked angry, just expectant.

Rainbow clenched her fists and released an angry sigh. “Fine, I’m coming, too.” She made an exaggerated roll of her neck and started for the van. “But if I hear the word ‘Twisexual’ my boot is going up someone’s ass.”

Twilight watched her walk away, then looked back at her remaining friends, searching for an explanation. “Twi… sexual?”

Rarity shrugged helplessly. “Did we mention it’s been a long night?”

******

Princess Twilight had only driven in a car a few times during the Battle of the Bands, and everything about it still fascinated her. A mechanized vehicle that could transport you anywhere, but you still had to control its actions. It was like a personal train! Unfortunately, her fascination was replaced with terror on this particular venture.

Fluttershy made the van tear down the streets at speeds that turned the outside lights into nothing more than flickering stars. Twilight felt like she was hurtling through space, and held onto the safety belt for dear life. They swung around a corner and Twilight smacked into Applejack, who had taken one of the window seats. Twilight was snuggled between her and Rarity. Neither of them seemed fazed by Fluttershy’s crazy driving.

“Do people normally drive this fast? It seems dangerous.”

“We’re kinda in a hurry, remember?” Rainbow said from the front seat. “Fluttershy really gets into it when one of us in trouble. Otherwise, we’d be driving slower than a snail.” A sharp turn made Rainbow smack her head against the door.

The smooth road turned to gravel, and the dark outside became blurred by a veil of dust. A minute later, Fluttershy pulled to a stop at the edge of the forest. “Oh my,” she whispered, leaning forward in her seat.

Applejack opened the door and got out, whistling at the sight before her. Twilight stumbled behind her, still getting used to her new legs. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she gasped at the scene.

The ground was sprinkled with blood and impact marks, with branches and rocks littered about. Sunset’s leather jacket laid alone in the middle of the road. And just off the path, tied upside down by chains were two unconscious girls that Twilight identified as the human versions of Lyra and Bon Bon.

“Wow, what did we miss?” Pinkie asked, walking over to the tree.

Rarity knelt down and picked up Sunset’s jacket. “Well, I’m guessing Sunset and Twilight won the fight, but… where are they?”

Twilight joined Pinkie by the tree, watching the unconscious girls’ labored breathing. Did Sunset really do this? She walked along the side and found the knot in the chains. “Come on, we have to get them down first.”

Applejack moved to help her, and easily undid the knots. The girls slid down and landed on their heads, groaning in pain.

“Applejack, be careful!” Twilight chastised.

“Relax, Twi. We told you, they’re vampires, too. Ah doubt it did much to them.” Applejack proceeded to tie Lyra and Bon Bon up again, back-to-back with their arms pressed between them. “Come on, Rainbow, help me get them back to the van.”

As they hoisted the duo away, Twilight ran her fingers through her hair. She’d be taking two human natives back to Equestria to get rid of their vampire powers. If it weren’t for the fact she and Sunset were already on one side of the mirror, one of them having had an extremely extensive stay, she’d be concerned for the fate of the worlds. Instead, she just hoped Lyra and Bon Bon didn’t freak out too badly.

Speaking of doubles…

Twilight looked over to Rarity. “I don’t think you mentioned what happened to the other me. Where is she?”

“Oh, err…” Rarity’s cheeks turned red. “Well, we’re not… entirely sure. You see—”

“Uuuuggghh…” Lyra groaned, her eyes starting to open. “Need… more blood.”

“Nope!” Rainbow shouted. She swung a fist against Lyra’s head, knocking her out cold. “Not dealing with this shit again.”

Twilight took a measured step back from the already distant Rainbow. Her frustration was palpable. “Right… well, back to the matter at hand—” Something slammed into her stomach and there was a delay between Twilight realizing she was lying on her back, and the stabbing pain in her abdomen.

“So, we meet again, Princess,” a hauntingly familiar voice said.

“Oh, crapbaskets,” Rainbow whined.

Fluttershy ran over and helped Twilight into a sitting position. Raising her head up to the towering branches, Twilight found herself looking into a warped mirror. Her reflection grinned at her, showing off pointed fangs extending just past her lower lip. Her eyes glowed red in the night, absent of their glass frames, and her ears poked through her messy hair. Clinging to her body was her damaged school uniform, cut and torn and several places.

Rarity rallied behind Fluttershy and Princess Twilight. “Well, in a nutshell, Sunset turned the human you into a vampire.”

“Great,” Twilight said, her voice hitting its higher pitches. “Any other vampires I should know about?”

“If there are, you’ll find out when we do.”

The vampire Twilight stopped grinning and appraised them with narrowed eyes. “You girls don’t know when to give up, do you?”

Rarity raised her hands in a calming manner. “Twilight, dear. The Princess is here to help you and Sunset. Speaking of which, where is she?”

“Who says we want help?” The vampire ran her tongue across her teeth. “Sunset and I were about to share a very intimate moment together until you came along.”

Rainbow gagged. “Enough of the horny vampire act! Just tell us where Sunset is and come quietly so we can fix you!”

“Didn’t you hear me? I don’t want your help.” Twilight dangled her legs off the branch. She raised her arms over her head and stuck her chest out. “I’m quite happy with this power. I’ve got the missing piece of me back, and I’m not letting it go this time.”

Applejack grit her teeth. “Great. It’s Midnight Sparkle all over again.”

Princess Twilight got back to her feet, massaging the spot she had been kicked. Sunset had told her of the entire incident involving the Friendship Games. Twilight found it hard to believe there had been, however briefly, an evil version of herself destroying the world. Yet in front of her was some vestige of that dark persona, now in the form of a vampire.

The other Twilight continued to grin. “Ah yes, my moniker. It would be handy to differentiate between the two of us, wouldn’t it, Your Highness? Very well, you can all call me Midnight again.” Her eyes narrowed. “Now, leave.”

Applejack dug her boot into the dirt. “Not without you and Sunset. This vampire business has gone on long enough.”

Midnight stood up, growled, then smiled deviously. “If you want us, you’ll have to come and get us.” She jumped back, disappearing into the dark eaves of the trees. A high-pitched giggle echoed after her, settling over the others like the leaves left behind.

“So we all know we’re walking into a trap, right?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy quivered. “Inside the forest, she’ll have all kinds of ways to sneak up on us and get us from behind.”

“Not to mention, we still don’t know where Sunset is,” Rarity added.

Pinkie sagged her shoulders. “So what should we do?”

“Go in after her,” Rainbow said. She finished dragging Lyra and Bon Bon to the van and pushed them in. “We really don’t have a choice—I’m not doing this another night.” She pulled several flashlights out from the back seat and started tossing them out.

Twilight caught one and looked to the dark, winding road. Rainbow was right. What choice did they have? “Okay, we stick together in a tight formation. Someone keep a lookout behind us.”

Applejack picked up a thick branch. “Ah’ll do it.” She caught the looks of apprehension her friends were giving her. “What? We need to defend ourselves somehow. ‘Sides, most it’ll do is stun her.”

Twilight shuddered at the mental image of being hit over the head with a large stick. Even if that image was technically of her other self, she could still empathize with the pain. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“It will,” Rainbow said flatly.

Twilight sighed. We never had to get violent when Fluttershy was a vampire. She flicked her flashlight on and let Rainbow take point, following her friends into the unyielding dark.

******

Sunset’s eyelids were heavy. In fact, her whole body felt sluggish, like someone had filled her with lead. She rolled her head to the side, unable to do more than that.

“Uuughh.” She licked her lips, finding them dry like the rest of her throat. Forcing her eyes open, Sunset found a bleary and distorted chapel in front of her. She blinked until it returned to focus, though her senses remained duller than normal.

Head clearing of neverland fog, Sunset realized she was standing upright with her back to a pillar near the altar. Her hands were tied behind her, locked in the chains that coiled her middle. Looking down, Sunset found her shirt had been torn down the middle, revealing her black bra. Her belt buckle was still undone.

“Twilight,” she growled. She didn’t feel violated, and she was sure she would know if Twilight had done anything to her. A knot undid itself in Sunset’s chest. Perhaps Twilight’s vampire half wasn’t in complete control yet.

Sunset rattled the chains, testing their hold as well as her strength. The chains held tight, while exhaustion crept up Sunset’s arm. She needed blood, and a lot of it.

“Great. So we’re doing this again.” Sunset worked her arms, trying to slide them through the chains. Twilight had proven she was excellent at knot tying. “When I get out of here, someone is getting their neck drained. I don’t care who it is.”

Sunset took a break in her bid for freedom and looked about the chapel. There was no sign of Twilight or anyone else. Sunset’s ears twitched. She could pick up some ruckus happening in the forest. “Gonna take a stab in the dark here. The girls came back to save us, only for Twilight to cut them off and they’re all running through the forest.” Sunset sighed, her irritability levels rising even higher. “They’re dead.”

She resumed pulling on the chains, their rattling loud enough to wake the dead. “Guess I should save them again before Twilight drinks them all dry.” Sunset paused again, replaying the look Twilight had given her after Sunset had pulled her off Lyra. “Twilight…” she whispered.

Even if she did manage to break free, how would she stop the newest blood-crazed vampire? Sunset knew she couldn’t take Twilight in a fight in her current condition. Could Sunset even raise a hand against her?

Why did Twilight make her pause in all of her actions? Sunset could fly around, biting people left and right and enjoy the rush of power. But the moment Twilight came into the picture, she questioned everything. Sunset bit her lip, drawing a bead of blood. Being her own, it didn’t taste extraordinary, but it was still nice to have the metallic tang on her tongue.

Though it did nothing for her strength, Sunset resolved to pull harder, her wrists starting to chafe against the metal. Twilight had already been a monster, just like her. If their experience was anything alike, there was a war waging somewhere in Twilight’s heart. Sunset just needed to talk her down.

Or, knock her unconscious. Whichever comes first.

******

Princess Twilight crept forward, wincing as she stepped on a fallen branch. The cracking limb made everyone jump, with Fluttershy releasing a small, “Eeep!”

Rainbow glared back at Twilight, who could only smile sheepishly in return. The group tightened its defensive circle and continued along the forest road, their lights flashing in all directions. The brush continuously rustled around them, and Midnight’s giggle occasionally drifted out from the shadows, but so far, she hadn’t revealed herself.

The suspense began to mount on all of them. The hairs on the back of Twilight’s neck were constantly on end. That had never been a good sign when she was a pony, so she was sure it didn’t mean anything positive now. A line of sweat coated her forehead, despite the chilly temperature.

Next to her, Pinkie’s teeth violently chattered, and Fluttershy made squeaking noises every few seconds. They were all pressed tight together, eyes pointed in all directions. Still, Twilight didn’t feel safe. None of them were safe.

Midnight was watching them. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike. In the meantime, she toyed with them, letting their anxiety build and build. Twilight had to admit, it was a devious strategy. But, if everyone stuck together, it was six against one. All they needed to do was get to the steeple and stay in the open.

Rainbow came to an abrupt stop, throwing off their movement rhythm. Twilight bumped into Fluttershy, and Applejack kept backing up until she ran into Rainbow. Both of them jumped, and Applejack swung around, looking over Rainbow’s shoulder. “Why’d we stop?”

In front of them, leaves, twigs, and bramble were conspicuously clustered together to cover an obvious pitfall. Rainbow put her hands on her hips. “This is the oldest trick in the book. She doesn’t seriously think we’re this dumb?”

Twilight leaned to the side to get a better look. Even in the dark, one could see the space beneath the covering. She opened her mouth to comment but a hand blocked her, gripping her cheeks tight while another wrapped around her middle and dragged her off to the side. Before Twilight was fully aware of what had happend, her arms were wrapped behind her back and her flashlight was on the ground.

“I can’t wait to see what you taste like, Princess,” a voice whispered in her ear.

Twilight silently screamed as two fangs broke the skin on her neck and sank into her vein. Her blood was sent off course, directed into Midnight Sparkle’s mouth instead of the rest of her circulation system.

The trap was the bait for the trap… Twilight’s thoughts began to slow, even as she continued to kick and struggle in defiance.

“Get off of her!”

Rainbow flew through the bushes and bodychecked Midnight into the nearest tree, ripping her fangs out of Twilight’s neck. The world lurched to one side and came in and out of focus for Twilight. She felt Rainbow take her by the arm and yank her forward.

Twilight stumbled over her feet several times before her head began to clear. The longer branches snagged at her clothes, tearing open holes and nicking her skin. They burst through the foliage and onto the main road, nearly crashing into Applejack and the others.

“Run for it!” Pinkie screamed, tearing off down the road.

“Wait… that’s what… she wants,” Twilight panted. Her head swam and she was only passively aware of what was happening around her. She knew Rainbow was still pulling her forward, and she could hear Midnight laughing somewhere in the darkness.

Twilight’s sense slowly returned, and she saw their defensive circle was broken; the girls were now just racing to make sure they weren’t left behind. Slowly but surely, Twilight’s blood recirculated, and she pulled her arm free, deciding she could carry her own weight. Her head was still woozy but she wouldn’t let Rainbow fall behind as well.

In one motion, Midnight jumped from the trees, snatched up Fluttershy, and jumped to the other side of the road. Twilight barely had enough time to turn her head to follow the spectacle.

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow yelled. She ground her heels to a halt, kicking up dirt before she twisted and dashed after them.

Applejack cursed and ran after Rainbow, brandishing her stick as she charged.

“Wait!” Twilight yelled. “We shouldn’t—” She looked down the road, where Pinkie and Rarity were already hazy specks against the backdrop of darkness. Impressive seeing as Rarity wore her heeled boots. “Oh no, oh no!” Twilight danced in place. Either go into the trees and help her friends, or stick to the road where she knew she wouldn’t get lost.

As desperately as she wanted to chase after Rainbow and Applejack, Twilight knew that was a foolhardy idea. But they were dealing with a vampire. But then, what could Twilight do without her magic? She stomped the ground and cried in frustration, then ran after Pinkie and Rarity.

I’ll catch up, then we’ll double back to help. There’s power in numbers!

The road turned and sloped up before the trees gave way to a large clearing, where a steeple sat at the top of a hill. Near the entrance, Pinkie and Rarity were doubled over, gasping for breath.

Rarity looked up as Twilight drew near, and her face went rigid. “Oh no! Don’t tell me we left the others behind?”

Twilight leaned against the doorframe and took a few deep breaths. “Twi… Midnight got Fluttershy and ran off and Applejack and Rainbow chased after her.”

Pinkie’s eyes bulged. “We have to go back for them!”

“My thoughts exactly,” Twilight said, standing up straight. “But, we need a plan first. The human me is clearly just as intelligent so… do you hear that?”

They all silenced their breathing and heard the sounds of chains rattling from inside the steeple. “Oi,” a familiar voice shouted, “get your scrawny butts in here!”

Rarity gasped and led them into the foyer. It was dim, the only illumination coming from the moon shining through the open door, and the candles flickering in the chapel.

Twilight overtook Rarity and made her way down the aisles, to where Sunset was chained to the front pillar, a scowl on her face.

“Well, it’s about time you got here.”

******

Sunset tapped her foot as Princess Twilight and the others approached. She didn’t double-take when Twilight first came through the doors; she knew the differences between her and human Twilight to not bat an eye at the sight of them.

And, quite frankly, she was too agitated to care which was which at the moment, as long as one of them untied her.

Twilight stared, a mixture of confusion and shock on her face. Her eyes lingered on Sunset’s open shirt for a moment then quickly found her eyes. “Are you okay? And… why are you chained up like that?”

“Because human you is quite kinky when she’s corrupted,” Sunset said, unable to hide her grin. It quickly fell and she shook the chains again. “Now, untie me! It’s not as sexy as they make it out to be!”

Twilight’s cheeks burned, and she moved to undo the chains, but Rarity held an arm out.

“And what are you going to do if we free you?” There was a hint of accusation in her voice.

Sunset knitted her brow. “Excuse me, last I checked, I saved your asses. I think some gratitude is in order.”

“You turned Twilight into a vampire.”

“It was an accident!”

Rarity crossed her arms. “Well, accident or not, she’s out there hunting down the rest of our friends! So if we let you go, whose side are you on?”

“Yours!” Sunset sighed and bowed her head. “Twilight isn’t supposed to be a vampire. When she snaps out of it…” Sunset shook her head. “I have to stop her before she does something she’ll regret.”

“And afterward?”

Sunset made a guilty, lopsided smile. “Well afterward, I was probably going to drink you all myself.”

“Sunset!” Twilight jumped back.

“What? I like the rush of power! Sue me!” Her smile fell. “But if you let me go, I’ll do whatever you say. Just hurry up before the others end up as prunes.”

Pinkie shifted her weight from one foot to the next. “We are on a tight schedule.” The others nodded in agreement and Pinkie got to work untying Sunset.

She sprung forward as soon as her arms were free, startling Rarity and Twilight back. Sunset rubbed her sore wrists and rolled her shoulders. “Oh, that feels good.” A dull roar rose up from the hollow cavern that was Sunset’s stomach, and she smacked her parched lips together. “Yeah so, there’s one more caveat I forgot to mention if you want me to help.”

Rarity’s eyes widened. “Oh no.”

“Yeah, Twilight sucked a lot of my blood, and I’m starving again, so…”

Pinkie raised her arm. “I volunteer!”

“Hell to the no!” Sunset pointed to Rarity and Twilight. “It has to be one of you two.”

Twilight stepped in front of Rarity. “Can’t you do this without drinking anyone’s blood?”

“Nope.” Sunset ran her tongue over her fangs. “One of the few drawbacks of being a vampire. No blood, no strength.”

“But—”

Sunset grabbed Twilight by the front of her shirt and lifted her in the air. “We do not have time to argue this! Our friends’ lives are in danger! Either I drink Rarity or I drink you! And since you need to be conscious to change the other vampires back to normal, guess who it’s going to be!” She brought Twilight closer. “You do have a way to fix this, don’t you?”

Twilight trembled in her grasp. “Y-yes, I think so.”

“Good answer. So, are we gonna keep arguing this, or are we—”

“Hi, Sunset.”

“Hey, Twi. Or are we…” Sunset looked beyond the Twilight Sparkle she was holding to the one standing in the doorway, an unconscious Applejack and Fluttershy at her feet.

Midnight smiled and licked the remaining blood off her mouth. No one moved or made a sound for a full minute.

Finally, Pinkie said, “We’re all gonna die, aren’t we?”

“Pinkie, don’t help,” Sunset said, lowering Twilight to the ground.

Midnight stepped over the two unconscious girls and strutted forward. “I leave for half an hour and I find you cheating on me with… me.” She stuck her lower lip out. “Mistress, I’m hurt.”

Twilight edged back as Midnight drew closer. “Cheating?”

“Didn’t Sunset tell you? She’s completely Twisexual. I guess she meant both Twilights.”

Twilight’s cheeks turned red. “Well, that’s one mystery solved.”

Midnight waved her hand to the side. “Good. Now, could you all move aside, please? My mistress and I have some urgent business we need to attend to.”

Sunset crossed her arms. “If it’s so urgent, why didn’t you do it out in the forest? You had plenty of time and no interruptions.”

“Well…” Midnight cleared her throat. “I wanted the right atmosphere is all. This is more romantic than a spot of dirt.”

There was a flutter in Sunset’s chest. “Face it, Twilight, deep down, you couldn’t go through with it because you knew it was wrong. You still want to be in control. You fought that urge because you care too much about our relationship.” Sunset added in a smaller voice, “You fought because I trusted you.”

Midnight hissed. “Don’t presume to know why I did what I did! I do what I want because I can! Because I have all the power! That gaping hole is finally gone! I feel invincible and I’m not going to let you or anyone else—”

“Hyaaaaaaa!” Rainbow leaped from behind and brought the branch down on Midnight’s head. It snapped in half with an earsplitting crack and left Midnight hunched over. She stood in place, tilting forward, eyes wide in astonishment.

Midnight whirled around and grabbed Rainbow by her neck. A red stream made its way down the back of Midnight’s head. “So, Rainbow, on a scale of one to ten, how smart do you think that plan was?”

Rainbow gurgled out a few choice swears.

“So is that a one?”

Pinkie ran to help free Rainbow, though Sunset doubted she could do much. Rarity tried to run forward as well, but Sunset grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She abdicated asking for permission and just sank her teeth into Rarity’s neck, covering her mouth so she wouldn’t scream.

Twilight’s eyes dilated and her mouth gaped in horror, but she didn’t make a sound. After the initial shock, a resolve flickered in her eyes and she clenched her fist. She turned and tackled Midnight from behind, helping Pinkie bring her to the floor.

Sunset took one last, long drink from Rarity, then gently lowered her to the ground. Her body trembled at the new surge of strength, and she punched the air in excitement. “Twilight!”

Both Twilights stopped their grappling and looked up at her.

“Err, the vampire one.”

Midnight kneed Twilight in the stomach, then threw Pinkie into a staggering Rainbow. “Yes, Mistress?” she asked standing upright.

“Playtime’s over. I know you think you need this power, but it’s just messing with your head.”

“Hello, pot, I’m kettle.”

Sunset ran a hand through her hair. “Fair enough. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy being a vampire. But you’re human. You never had this level of power to begin with. You don’t need it either. You’re fine just the way you are, Sparky.”

Midnight’s eyes softened. “Do you really mean that, Sunset?”

“Of course I do.”

Rainbow groaned in the corner. “Gag… me.”

Sunset ignored her. “Come on, let’s put this whole thing behind us and go back to being semi-normal high school girls.”

Midnight stepped closer, a tear rolling down her cheek. She lifted a hand out to Sunset. Sunset reached for it, a warm smile on her face.

A fist impacted against her stomach, and she flew backwards, crashing into what was left of the stained-glass window and landing in the courtyard behind the church. She got to her hands and knees shaking the glass off of her as Midnight perched on the windowsill.

“Did you really think I was going to fall for that a second time?” She threw her head back and laughed.

Sunset got to her feet. “Can’t blame a friend for trying.”

Midnight jumped down and sauntered toward her. “You’re right though; let’s put this behind us and just make passionate love!” She gestured back to the chapel. “There’s a whole meal in there waiting for us. We can drink to our heart’s content, and spend the rest of the night making each other scream in pleasure!”

Sunset’s primal instinct wanted to scream yes, but she shoved it down. “I’m not entertaining that idea anymore, Twilight. You’re getting treated.” Sunset put her fists up. “Even if I have to knock you out first.”

“Please,” Midnight said, rolling her eyes, “you wouldn’t lift a hand—”

Sunset flew at her, grabbing by the wrist and swinging her around into one of the crumbling stone pillars that held up nothing. It cracked under the force, and dust rained down on Midnight’s body. She pushed herself up in time for Sunset to fly at her and smash her deeper into the pillar. This time, it collapsed into a pile of rubble and old vines.

When the dust cleared, Midnight laid in the debris, her bun undone and new tears in her clothes. Her eyes flickered open and a growl rose in her throat. She shot to her feet and jumped at Sunset, bringing her fist back.

Sunset grabbed it as it came forward and twisted it around Midnight’s back before kicking her back into the pile of stones. This time as she rose, Midnight took one of the larger stones and flung it at Sunset.

“Whoa!” Sunset ducked, but Midnight’s shoe met her chin and sent her straight into the air. Sunset caught herself and brought her leg straight down over Midnight’s head, but Midnight caught it and threw Sunset across the yard and into a dried-up fountain pond.

Sunset hit the dirt, bounced up, and was punched again by Midnight as she ran past. Sunset rolled into the grass, coming to a stop at the fence. Footsteps rushed toward her, and Sunset rolled to the side narrowly avoiding Midnight’s kick.

“Sparky,” Sunset said, getting to her feet. “Remember what I told you. Remember what you told me. You’re not a monster. You can fight this.”

“Maybe.” Midnight wiped a smear of blood off the side of her face. “But I don’t want to.”

Is that what I sound like?

Midnight rushed her, but Sunset was ready. She flew into the air, then dived at Midnight from behind, pinning her with a Full Nelson. Sunset floated back into the air, hovering high above the courtyard. Their skin glowed in the light of the moon. Midnight continued to struggle but Sunset’s grip was iron tight.

“Twilight…”

“Let me go! Let me go! I need this power!”

“No you don’t, Twilight,” Sunset said gently. “No one does. I underestimated the amount of magic you took in at the games. I know you feel empty without out it. I know sometimes you feel alone. But that’s why you have friends. We’re here to fill the void.” Sunset’s eyes clouded over. “I wish I could have remembered that myself a few nights ago. I know the urge is strong, Twilight, but I know you’re stronger. Come on, prove you’re stronger than the instincts of a stupid bat.”

Midnight stopped struggling and went limp in Sunset’s hold. Silence filled the night. Then…

“Please, Sunset… take it away.”

Sunset smiled. “That’s my girl.” She bit into Twilight’s neck, sucking just enough blood so she fell unconscious. Sunset repositioned Twilight in her arms, holding her like a new bride. She sighed. “You still don’t know how badly I want you, Twilight. But maybe another time.”

Chapter 10: Crimson Love

“Mmmmm,” Sunset groaned, turning over on her soft pillow. A bird continued to chirp outside her window, and she wished it would be quiet for at least another hour. Still, it persisted, and Sunset had no choice but to crack her eyes open, finding a crystallized ceiling above her.

She blinked three times, forcing the bleariness to go away. The crystal ceiling remained, shimmering in multiple hues. What? Where am I? It was a bit of a struggle, but Sunset lifted herself up, removing a hoof from under her bedsheets. She twisted about and ran her hooves over her face. Her eyes grew wider as it dawned on her she was rubbing her face with hooves.

“A pony? When… how?” Blurry images bubbled to the surface of her bewildered mind. She rubbed her forehead, hoping to clear up her memory. She could see it now, her fight with Twilight. Helping her friends get to safety. Going back through the portal before the sun came up. After that, everything was still hazy.

An impatient growl broke her train of concentration. Her stomach felt hollow; so hollow in fact, that it was ready to cave in on itself. “Ugghh, it can’t even be noon and I already need more…” Sunset paused. Actually… she didn’t feel the need to drink blood. She was hungry, not for sweet red liquid, but actual food.

Turning her head to the left, there was a small table with a bowl of assorted fruits. Sunset reached for it with a hoof, but remembered the convenience that was her horn. Her magic came to her like a second instinct, and she picked an apple up and brought it to her mouth. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she just wasn’t imagining the change. Her stomach roared again, and Sunset bit into the red, juicy fruit.

It tasted delicious.

Sunset tore into it with fervor, savoring every taste and texture. A tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m normal!” she cried, tossing the apple core into the air. She went to work on the vine of grapes, popping them in three at a time.

A door to her right opened up, and a voice said, “Sunset, you’re awake! And it looks like you’re doing better!”

Sunset twisted around and found Princess Twilight Sparkle beaming at her. She swallowed the mouthful of grapes and smiled as well. “Hey, Twilight.”

Princess Twilight trotted over and sat next to Sunset’s bed. “Hi, Sunset.” She blushed and rubbed a hoof against her neck. “Looks like I kinda dropped the ball again, didn’t I? Seems every time you need me, I’m not around.”

Seeing the guilt in the Princess’ eyes, Sunset was desperate to say something, but words failed her. She had really needed Princess Twilight’s help, or at least some general advice. At the same time… “It’s not fair for me to keep relying on you whenever we have a problem though. You’ve got enough to worry about as is.”

“Still, as resourceful and resilient as you are, this was something I think could have only been solved with access to magic.” Twilight stood up and held a hoof to Sunset. “Do you think you can walk?”

Sunset took her hoof and eased her way out of bed. She was a little wobbly, but she soon found her footing and trotted along after the Princess. Sunset marveled at the large hallways and ornamented doors. “So, this is your castle? It’s huge.”

“Yeah,” Princess Twilight giggled. “I still find new rooms I haven’t explored sometimes.” She led Sunset into the library, where the mirror portal sat against the back wall, still active. “I wish I could have brought you over under more pleasant circumstances.”

On a table next to the portal was a small cage containing the bat. It hung from the bars, asleep with its wings folded around its body. Sunset kept her distance, rubbing her neck. “So, how did you cure us?” She looked around. “And where is everyone?”

Twilight gestured to the portal. “I sent them back home as soon as the treatment was done. They had already been vampires; I felt the less time they stayed as ponies, the better.” She trotted over to a small sitting table. “It’s a good thing your school has already been exposed to so much magical weirdness.”

Sunset joined her, taking a seat on an overstuffed pillow. “Yeah. Otherwise, we’d have a lot of complicated questions to answer.” She shifted on her pillow, trying to get adjusted to her pony anatomy again. “So, everyone’s okay? Rarity and Lyra and… Twilight?”

“Everyone’s fine. They’re all probably waiting for you on the other side.” Twilight shared a familiar look. “I just thought you’d like a little extra time here at home.”

Home. Sunset looked at her hoof. Her magic swirled around inside her very being, making her feel whole. “Thanks.” She cleared her throat. “So, back to the cure.”

“Oh , right. Well, in a nutshell, I used my magic to extract the vampirism from you by reflecting the general traits onto the original host.” Twilight nodded to the bat cage. “I never told you about the similar incident that happened here, did I?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

Twilight smiled fondly. “It was a good lesson for all of us. Remind me to tell you the full story later. The short version is: our Fluttershy became a vampire pony by taking on characteristics of the vampire-fruit bats that had invaded Applejack’s orchard. Except she only craved apples.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t sounded as bad as wanting blood,” Sunset mused.

“In hindsight, no, but we still wanted our friend back. So after cornering her, I was able to magically remove the desires of the vampire-fruit bat, thus taking away those characteristics as well.” She nodded toward Sunset. “Basically, I did the same thing to you, albeit, a bit more advanced. You might still be a little sensitive to sunlight though.”

Sunset ran a tongue across her teeth, feeling their dullness. “Hey, if the only cost to being normal is wearing more sunscreen, I think I’ll be fine.”

“I’m glad you feel that way.” Twilight tapped her hoof on the table and bit her lip. “What I don’t quite get is, how was this bat able to turn you all into vampires in the first place?”

They took a minute to think. Sunset lifted her hoof onto the table and leaned against it. “I have a theory. Since the human world doesn’t have vampire-fruit bats, when it crossed through, the mirror must have decided to just pick one. It turned it into a vampire bat, but since it still had Equestrian magic in it…”

Twilight nodded. “It’s a good a theory as any.”

Sunset eyed the bat again. “What are you going to with it now?”

“I don’t know.” A shadow crossed Twilight’s face. “Since I reflected all the vampire traits it gave you back onto it, it definitely doesn’t just want apples anymore. It has the ability to turn other ponies into vampires. It’s… one of the most dangerous creatures in existence as of now.” Twilight sighed. “It might be better just to… get rid of it.”

Sunset sucked a slow breath between her teeth. It was dangerous yes but… death seemed a little harsh. Still, part of her was still angry at it for all the trouble it caused. “I don’t think Fluttershy would agree to that.”

Twilight shook her head. “No. Neither of them would. I’ll consult Princess Celestia first. Maybe she’ll have a better solution.”

“... How is she?”

Twilight pierced Sunset with her violet eyes. Sunset couldn’t meet them for very long and bowed her head. “You know, busy as always.”

“Yeah?”

“She misses you.”

“... Yeah.”

“... She’s proud of you.”

Sunset raised her head again. “If… this hadn’t just happened, then maybe…” Sunset shook her head. She knew she was just making excuses now. But it simply wasn’t the right time. She stood up, shaking her rear legs out before heading to the mirror. “I should probably head back now.”

Twilight sighed, but got up to see Sunset through. They faced each other in front of the dais. “Well, next time I come through, it’ll be just for fun. No monster attacks, no end of the world scenarios. Just you, me, and the girls hanging out.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Sunset smiled. “Thank you, Princess. You may be a little late, but you always come through.” Her cheeks turned red. “I’m sorry about all the trouble I put you through last night.”

Twilight flicked her ears and shrugged. “I’ve been in dangerous situations before. No big deal.” Her own cheeks turned red. “But, umm… forgive me for asking but… do you really have a crush on… the other me?”

Heart hammering in her chest, Sunset’s cheeks went from red to crimson. “W-well, you know, she’s… gottagowritesoonebye!” Sunset dove into the portal, letting the swirling vortex overtake her. Anything was better than telling your best friend you found her human counterpart more attractive.

Colors and shapes swirled around her, flashing like the world’s wildest rave party. Sunset’s body stretched and contorted, reshaping itself into its human form. One moment later, she was on the ground, staring at several pairs of boots.

Two sets of arms helped her to her feet. She wobbled for a second but quickly found her balance. Examining herself, she was grateful to see the portal had restored her clothes from their previous tattered conditions. Looking up, she found all her friends smiling expectantly at her, though she could tell Twilight’s was forced. Her shoulders were low, and she kept her hands close to her chest. Coupled with her pigeon-toed stance, Sunset knew what was going on through her head.

Standing off to the side were Lyra and Bon Bon, looking a little lost. They gave an awkward wave to Sunset which she returned.

“So,” Rainbow said, crossing her arms. “You done being a blood-sucking demon?”

Sunset raised a hand. She contemplated slapping Rainbow upside the head but decided against it. The sun was falling behind her, turning the world orange. Her skin itched a little, but other than that, she felt fine. “Not thirsty, not bursting into flames…”

“You’re also not sparkling!” Pinkie added. She saw the deadpan look Rainbow gave her and shrugged. “What?”

“No, Pinkie. Just no.”

Sunset smiled. “So, you’re all okay?”

Rarity nodded, though she ran her fingers over the bite mark on her neck. “I guess being part magic helps us heal faster. We all woke up soon after you went through the portal. We were a little lightheaded, but no worse for wear.”

“That’s good.” Sunset lowered her eyes and fiddled with her thumbs. “Listen, girls, I’m so—”

“Upbupbup!” Rarity stuck her hand out. “Enough apologies. We know, dear. It wasn’t your fault. And as much trouble as the whole experience put us through, you came through in the end.” She looked over at Twilight. “Both of you.”

Twilight’s forced smile twisted into a grimace.

Lyra finally walked over, finding a good moment to slip in. “Rarity’s right. We’ve kinda been throwing apologies around for the last hour.” She rubbed the back of her head. “It gets old kinda fast. But, me and Bonnie are still sorry about, you know, fighting you to the death.”

Sunset waved a hand. “Apology accepted. I’m sorry you got sucked into all this magical craziness.”

“Yeah, this has to be the weirdest thing yet, and that’s saying a lot.” Lyra stretched her arms behind her head. Her eyes looked between Sunset and Twilight. “So, are you two like, a couple? Or was that just the vampire thing? Because we could totally go on a double date.”

Both Twilight and Sunset shifted uncomfortably, looking anywhere but at each other while they stammered out feeble half-sentences. Anything Sunset said would put Twilight on the spot, and that was something she couldn’t handle right now. Besides, that was a decision they needed to make in private. Sunset looked to her friends for help, but they looked as expectant as Lyra.

Lyra grinned. “Okay, I get it. You guys are just best friends, right? That’s cool. But hey, if you have any more wild adventures, you should totally call me and Bon Bon up!”

Bon Bon took Lyra by the arm. “No, Lyra. Just no.” She looked at Sunset with dark circles under her eyes. “Please leave us out of your next adventure. I just want to go home and take a nap.” She dragged Lyra off while Lyra held a thumb and pinky to her ear.

“Call me,” she mouthed.

Fluttershy kicked a loose pebble across the pavement. “So… what do we do now?”

Sunset scratched the back of her hand. “First, let’s find somewhere with a little more shade.” She looked at Twilight from the corner of her eye. “Then we can talk.”

They moved from the front courtyard to the stadium, half of it covered by the lengthening shadow of dusk. They settled on the lower bleachers and sat in silence. Sunset knew they ought to talk, but how did they begin the conversation without another apology?

Applejack put her hands up. “All right, let’s all just agree this whole experience sucked.”

Pinkie snickered. “I get it. ‘Cause we were dealing with vampires.”

“Ah was tryin’ to be serious.”

Rarity crossed one leg over the other and leaned forward. “Well, even if this experience did indeed… suck—” She glared at a giggling Pinkie. “—I’m sure we can take away a few lessons from this.”

Fluttershy raised a hand. “Don’t split the party?”

“Yes, that’s one.”

Rainbow leaned back against the higher seats. “Sometimes, you gotta hit your friends really hard to stop them from drinking your blood?”

“... I suppose.” Rarity rolled her hand. “Though I was thinking more along the lines of friendship overcoming even the most adverse challenges, and sticking together and believing in each other, even when things seem grim.”

Rainbow frowned. “I mean, you’re not wrong. But I like mine better. Rolls off the tongue easier.”

A bubble of air rose in Sunset’s throat, and after a few seconds of fighting it, it finally escaped as a short chuckle, followed by another one. Pinkie’s own giggling didn’t help matters. Soon Sunset was laughing in earnest, joined by her friends.

Rarity tried to keep a straight face but cracked under the unified mirth of the group. “Come now, it wasn’t that funny.”

Sunset wiped her eyes. “No, but after the nights we’ve had, everything seems funnier, doesn’t it?”

“Ah reckon you’re right,” Applejack said. “Or at least, it seems so implausible, ya can’t help but laugh. We survived an invasion of vampires.”

Fluttershy sighed. “Things just keep getting weirder, don’t they?”

“I hope we fight werewolves next!” Pinkie said, bouncing in her seat.

There was a collective, “No!”

The sun’s light had almost fully receded, leaving the world in the last flickering shades of twilight. A chilly night wind blew over them, and one by one, they stood up to go.

“Would anyone like a ride home?” Fluttershy offered.

The majority said yes. Twilight pulled out her phone, still stained with dirt and flecks of blood. “No thanks. I should call my parents. Make sure they aren’t freaked out or anything.”

Sunset also shook her head. “I can walk from here. Thanks anyway, ‘Shy.”

Rarity gave a dubious look to the pair but waved her hand in dismissal. “Very well. We’ll see you both tomorrow. Just remember: we’re all one call away if either of you need anything. We’re all still friends, okay?”

Twilight nodded but said nothing.

“Don’t worry, Rarity, we know,” Sunset said. She waved to them as they went, staring into the distance after they turned the corner to the parking lot. She breathed a slow sigh through her nose. Rarity had been right: their friendship had overcome adversity again, but it was only after people had gotten hurt. What was she supposed to take away from that? What was she supposed to tell Twilight?

After breathing another sigh, Sunset scooted a little closer to Twilight. They sat in silence, watching the stars come out before the stadium lights switched on and drowned them in artificial light.

“So,” Sunset said slowly, “I’m guessing they already gave you the whole, ‘it’s not your fault’ speech, right?”

Twilight nodded.

“Well, they’re right. It’s not.” Sunset bowed her head. “It’s mine.”

Twilight looked at her. “But—”

“I’m the one who turned you into a vampire.” Sunset clenched her fists. “I turned you into a monster because I couldn’t control myself.”

The bleachers creaked as Twilight closed the gap between her and Sunset. “I understand how hard it is to control yourself when you’re like that.” She pushed her glasses up and wiped her eyes. “So it’s not really your fault.” Her voice shook, and she rubbed her eyes furiously. “I know you tried as hard as you c-could. Y-you beat it in the e-end. Please, d-don’t blame…”

Her damn broke, and Twilight flung herself onto Sunset, crying into her shoulder. Sunset quickly balanced herself, caught off-guard by Twilight’s sudden tackle. When she regained her balance, she wrapped her arms around Twilight and patted her back.

“I-it didn’t g-go away, Sunset! I-I thought it d-did, but it was always there! I’m a m-monster! I loved having all that power! I loved hurting Lyra and attacking all my friends! I couldn’t stop myself! I-I-I didn’t even try!”

Sunset didn’t say a word. She just rocked Twilight back and forth while she released all the tears she had saved up.

When Twilight began to quiet down, Sunset said gently, “You did try, Twilight. You told me to take it away, remember? You fought it at the end.”

“At the end,” Twilight said miserably. “Why couldn’t I fight it sooner?”

“The same reason I couldn’t. Part of us missed that power we had tapped into.” Sunset took a deep breath, inhaling the faint scent of lavender still clinging to Twilight. “I misjudged the amount of power you took in at the games. I should have said more to you than just, ‘it’ll go away.’ And I’ve tapped into a more virtuous power than the corruption you and I experienced. I shouldn’t have been craving more of it after that. So in the end this is my fault, Twilight. I’m sorry.”

Twilight slowly pulled away and moved her hands down to Sunset’s. She took them within her own and gave them a light squeeze. “Rarity is right. I think we’ve done enough apologizing now.” Her brief smile was shadowed by the dip of her head. “We both messed up. A lot.”

Sunset’s stomach fluttered at the contact with Twilight. “Yeah, we kinda did. But you were right. I stopped myself before I went too far with you. And you did the same. When it really counted, we found ourselves.”

“Yeah… I guess we did.” Twilight kept her head bowed, not sounding relieved in the slightest.

Sunset removed one of her hands from beneath Twilight’s and raised her chin with a finger. “Okay, Sparky. We’re both two for two on the monster count. We both did some messed up things. But you want to know the silver lining this time?” Sunset saw the sparkling curiosity she had come to admire and adore in Twilight’s eyes. “We both messed up. We both have new scars that are going to hurt for a while. But that means we can heal together this time.”

Twilight smiled. “You’re right. Someone who’s had a tragic event happen to them heals better when they have someone who can relate to it.”

“And I think we can relate to each other pretty well.” They both started to giggle. It was weak, but Sunset could feel the catharsis already beginning. She moved her hand back down, hesitated for a moment, then took Twilight’s. “I’ll do better this time, Twilight. I’ll be here whenever you need me. Even when that void is gone.”

Twilight’s cheeks turned red, but she didn’t break eye contact with Sunset. “And I’ll be here for you. We can be two monsters learning to be human again.”

Sunset leaned a little closer, her own cheeks growing warm. “You’re not a monster, Twilight. You’re not a bad person. You were just… forced to make a few bad choices.”

“Hello, pot, I’m kettle,” Twilight whispered.

They stared at their reflections in each other’s eyes before Sunset took the plunge. She tilted her head and closed her eyes, finding Twilight’s soft lips just beyond the darkness. There was no feral instinct, no desire to ravage Twilight’s body, no craving for blood. Sunset just wanted to enjoy the gentle press of Twilight’s mouth against hers while she ran her fingers through Twilight’s hair.

Sunset eased away, a goofy smile on her face. “So much better without the fangs.”

Twilight laughed, then remembered to slide her glasses back on. She fingered one of her tresses and looked away, her face still red. “Sunset… I was wondering, umm…” She looked back. “Do you think I could have those guitar lessons now?” Her stomach let out a long growl. “And maybe a pizza, too?”

Sunset’s grin widened. She stood up and took Twilight by the hand. “Of course you can, Sparky.” They stepped off the bleachers and started down the road, their hands wrapped around one another.

Now, how do I tell the princess about this?

End.

Author's Note

Yay, it's over. I'm done. Here's an angsty postscript. No. There will not be a sequel.

Happy Halloween!