Cold Hearts Never Thaw

The next morning, Double Diamond woke up with a rather stiff problem, and he looked about, groaning to himself. "That was a pretty intense dream.." he muttered, and he stood up, hobbling groggily to the bathroom. He took a look in the mirror, shut the door, and he turned on the shower, taking a moment to relieve himself, folding his ears back from the rather loud noise he made. Sighing softly, he stepped into the steaming water, taking a moment to shudder and groan out as his body relaxed and soaked in the heat.

His mind wandered back to the mare he had met last night. Red. She was such a strange character. So quiet, so confident, so...mysterious? He wasn't too much into mystery, or random chances, given that he had trusted Starlight almost too easily when they had met. But she was different. She didn't seem like she had anything to hide.

Or did she? A cutie markless mare with little to no other information besides her name? Surely there had to be some reason, some explanation to her being a blank flank.

Double Diamond's eyes snapped open as a sharp knocking picked him out of his thoughts. He turned off the water, stumbling out of the bathroom, and down the stairs, before flinging the door open. To his surprise, Starlight Glimmer was there, her eyes wide and she gave him a look of confusion, noting his soaking mane and wet coat.

Feeling a little more than self concious, especially after the earlier stiffy he had, Double Diamond gave Starlight a confused look as well, "Um...what is it?" he asked, looking around outside, noticing his friends all gathered outside and looking at Starlight with faces that he assumed to be disbelief.

Starlight regained her composure, and she took a deep breath, "We have a problem with our new visitor. If you come with me, I can explain." she said, giving him a pleading look.

Double Diamond blinked, and his guard went up, and he scowled, "What do you mean? She hasn't done anything wrong..." He mused, looking at his friends who were wearing similar scowls now.

"Please Double Diamond you have to trust me! It's for your own safety!" Starlight pleaded, her voice anxious.

"That's what you said about giving up our cutie marks, and look how that turned out!" He snapped, pushing past her despite having recently woken up and taken a shower, which he still hadn't dried from. "What exactly is the issue."

Starlight turned, closing the door to his house and following after him, "It's about Red..." She started, hesitating. "Please, can we move to a more private setting?"

"And why should we do that?" Night Glider sneered, "You say this affects the whole town? Then it should be known by the whole town!"

"But she'll hear us!" Starlight argued, her voice bordering on exasperation. "Double Diamond please believe me on this..." she said, giving him another pleading look.

Double Diamond hesitated, looking between his friends and Starlight, and he shook his head. "No. If you have something to say, you say it here. In front of everyone.." He gave Starlight a firm look, his lips set in a frown.

Starlight looked between them all, and she sighed, "Fine..." she growled, grinding her teeth. "That new girl, Red? Well, as you know, I have studied magic for almost my whole life, and in turn, I have studied magical creatures and supernatural beings. And I have recognized the symptoms. Night based activities, secretive, distaste in food or drink, and anti-social behavior to start. Might I add dangerously beautiful and fangs as well?" she finished, giving Double Diamond a sharp look. "And all of these things add up to one simple truth..." she paused, mostly for the dramatic effect.

"Red is a vampire." she stated, and she took in the expressions before her much to her despair though, they weren't what she was hoping for.

Double Diamond let this roll over in his head, his expression a full scowl, and he growled out. "That is a pretty serious accusation Starlight...She has only just arrived here...how can you be so sure?"

"Because I saw her! I saw her fangs! I spoke to her and she admitted it!" Starlight snapped back, her eyes flashing with anger.

"And when was this? It had to have been last night, and the only other place Red was besides the bakery was her house. I was doing patrols last night!" Night Glider said, her look of fury undisguised as she gazed at Starlight. "I think she is just eager to have somepony else be the bad guy..."

"Then where is she now? It's morning! She should be out and about too hm?" Starlight argued more, her own face becoming frustrated as she looked between them all.

"Starlight...where were you last night?" Double Diamond asked slowly, his gaze narrowing darkly at the unicorn.

"She must have been incredibly stressed out from the exertion of her magic when she teleported herself and you here last night..." Came a silken, smooth voice, and five heads whipped around to spot Red approaching, full stride, confident as always and her wings tucked in. Double Diamond took note of the necklace she wore, bearing a single but rather large, black pearl.

Starlight's eyes seemed to pop out of her skull, and she stuttered. "H-how? Y-you're...what?"

"Mmm..poor dear. You see..." Red cooed, stepping beside Starlight and wrapping a firm wing around her, "This one was stumbling outside of my house last night, obviously distressed, she was drained of her magic. Must be very difficult to teleport more than oneself at a time. And so I took her in, gave her some food and water I could spare from the house you loaned me, and she started rambling about vampires and she swore I had fangs." she laughed, "Seems she is pretty sure what she saw last night..."

"I know what I saw!" Starlight argued, "Open your mouth! Show them!" she demanded, her eyes narrowing.

Red arched a brow, and she smiled, a full, genuine smile, showing all of her perfectly normal teeth. Double Diamond was beginning to wonder if Starlight had lost her mind, because the pink unicorn let out a frustrated sound, and she stepped away from Red.

"She was so out of it, that in her delusions, she fired a paralysis spell at me." Red continued, "I eventually calmed her down, rested her up, and sent her on her way.." she said, sighing softly. "Such is the delusional mind of the oppressed. They believe anything once their minds are made up.." she said, shrugging. "It's not the first time I have been accused of such. Even I admit my...mannerisms are shared with these...vampires she has assorted me with.." Red murmured, looking a bit hurt. "but what is it they say about assuming? It makes an ass out of u and me...but let's keep our language here clean shall we? It is such a lovely town..I would hate for it to be spoiled.."

"You sure do like to hear yourself talk.." Starlight snarled, giving Red a hostile look. "And stop lying about me!" she demanded.

"Oh yeah, she does that enough for herself.." Night Glider chimed in, "Starlight, you are the wrong pony to be accusing anyone of lying..."

"Yeah..Red hasn't done anything wrong, and from what she says, she was simply trying to help you..." Sugar Belle added, her face one of concern, "Are you sure you are ok?"

"I am fine! I know where my mental health is at! Look at you! she is already brainwashing you all!" She said, snorting angrily.

"Well, not that long ago, you brainwashed us...so you think we would know if we were being brainwashed..." Party Favor added, sharing a worried look with Sugar Belle.

Starlight opened her mouth to argue further, but she was silenced by a look from Double Diamond, who was glaring at her in anger, "Starlight that is enough. You obviously weren't in the best of states last night, so until your claims are presented with physical evidence, we cannot and will not take any actions against Red." he said, before adding, upon seeing Starlight ready an answer, "No arguments. Starlight. Red is too new here to be of any sort of trouble...she just came here last night..but you on the other hoof, have proven to be a liar and a deceiver....and I am sorry but we can't trust you on this.."

Starlight's ears folded back, tears welling up in her eyes, but then she stamped her hooved, snarling, "Fine then! You want evidence, I will bring you your evidence!" and she whipped around, sneering at Red, "I'm onto you..." and with that, Starlight stormed off, her hooves making deep prints in the dirt as she walked.

"By the way she acts, you would think she has a hornet's nest residing in that mane of hers.." Red mused, pursing her lips as she gazed after Starlight.

"She can't handle failure." Night Glider growled, "She can't handle not being perfect, or things not going her way..."

"I just hope she doesn't do anything drastic..I would hate a repeat of her recent...you know..." Sugar Belle squeaked, kicking the dirt with her hoof. "Anyway... I have to get back to baking. I am behind schedule now..." and the pink unicorn trotted off, giving a friendly nod to Red as she went.

"I still have a party to plan for our guest!" Party Favor said excitedly, "Nighty you coming? I could use the help blowing up balloons!" he said, bouncing some.

"Sure! Though it may not be the only thing I am blow up, if you catch my drift." she said, winking flirtatiously at the unicorn. Party Favor blushed heavily, and the two trotted off together, leaving Red and Double Diamond alone.

"Well...seems they are pretty straightforward about their antics..." Red mused, chuckling some as she gazed after Party Favor and Night Glider. "Ah...I used to wish for love like that..the kind that just...fits...feels right...have you ever wished or...wondered what it would be like?" she asked, turning her gaze to Double Diamond.

Diamond was taken aback by such a question, and as he gazed at Red, he couldn't help but think. At one point, he had wanted love. He had wanted somepony he could be with and it felt..right... He had thought Starlight would have been the one...he had really liked her, maybe even loved her, but now thinking on it, he couldnt actually remember if he felt..right with her. Especially after he found out how he betrayed them all...

"I used to..." he admitted, looking down as if in shame. "I used to really like somepony here in town...but she turned out to be the wrong kind of pony...and so I moved on..." He looked up to see Red staring at him, and he blinked. "Um...so...what are you going to do today?" He asked, wanting to change the subject.

Red pursed her lips, looking about in amusement. "Perhaps getting to know some ponies? maybe even get a trim for my mane and tail...spruce myself up for this..party you and your friends are going to throw for me...I mean, I would hate to look simply awful when I am the guest of honor.." she giggled, "Show me around again?" she asked.

Double Diamond couldn't hold back the smile on his face, and he nodded, trotting beside her, "Sure! I could use a trim myself!" he laughed, though as he gazed at her, he began to wonder...what if Starlight was right? What if Red was more than she was really letting onto? Either way, Starlight had made some serious claims against the new mare, and Red wasn't ready to give up answers about herself it seemed...

Going to have to do this the hard way.. He thought to himself. Only way to find out the truth...