Blood ponies (safer version)

by tvman1254

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Alternate Universe
Length: 11145

Original story by GVirusInfectee
Read it Here must be 18
Your favorite six ponies turn each other into vampyres

Steampunk and Samuel belong to GVirusInfectee

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-06-30 06:50:25 UTC

Chapters 1-3

Blood Ponies

by GVirusInfectee

Chapter 1

It was a beautiful day in Ponyville, and everypony was enjoying the warm weather. Everypony except Fluttershy, that is. Zecora had asked her to come by her hut in the Everfree Forest, and even though she was terrified of the dark, gloomy forest, Fluttershy didn’t like to disappoint anypony. She headed out after asking Angel Bunny, her bunny friend, to look after the house while she was gone, and was soon enjoying a rather good cup of tea with the zebra. They talked for hours, and by the time Fluttershy rose to leave for home, it was dark out.

“A visitor is rare these days; thanks for stopping by my place,” Zecora commented, rhyming as always.

“Oh, it was no problem. No problem at all,” replied Fluttershy in her soft, gentle voice. With that, she turned and left.

The gentle pegasus was almost home when she heard a rustle in the bushes. Her pulse was pounding as she crept toward the area that the sound had come from.

“Hello?” she stuttered, and screamed in pain and terror as an unfamiliar earth pony sank its fangs into her neck. ‘Wait, earth ponies don’t have fangs,’ thought Fluttershy. She struggled and kicked and finally bucked the mare to the ground. The mare hissed at her, revealing two very sharp fangs set into her gum line amongst the other normal teeth. Panicking, Fluttershy shot up through the trees and flew at a breakneck speed over to Twilight Sparkle’s house. Fluttershy was convinced that the book-smart unicorn would know what had just happened.

Twilight had been trying desperately to sleep when the knock came at her door. She was about to yell at whoever it was until she opened the door. Fluttershy stood in the doorway, eyes wide and chest heaving with fear, a trickle of blood winding down her pelt from two neat pinpricks on her neck. Twilight let the terrified pegasus into the house without a word.

“Fluttershy, what in Equestria happened to you?” asked the purple unicorn concernedly.

Fluttershy burst into tears as she recounted the day’s events, right up to the attack. “And then I flew here,” she finished. “I knew you would know what happened.”

Twilight’s eyebrows furrowed. Where had she read this before? Then it hit her: the legend of Blood Ruby, the vampyre of Everfree Forest. The descriptions matched up too. But the residents of Ponyville had destroyed her and sealed her remains away more than a century ago.

Could Fluttershy be making it up?

The thought crossed Twilight’s mind, but was brushed away. Fluttershy wasn’t the kind to lie, even as a joke.

“It must have been a prank, albeit one that went entirely too far” Twilight concluded. “You are welcome to stay the night if you are afraid to go home.”

“Thanks, but I think I’ll be fine now,” replied the yellow pegasus, although she didn’t sound very convincing.

That night, poor Fluttershy got no rest. Her body burned as if it was on fire. She whimpered most of the night. When she wasn’t in pain, she went through alternating periods of excruciating hunger and unbearable lust.

What is happening to me? She thought weakly before another fit of desire gripped her and crowded out all other thought, her hips jerking and gyrating of their own volition. Her wings were standing upright, and were so stiff they ached. Panting and moaning in frustration, she dragged herself onto the floor. Then, the fit passed, and she was again thinking clearly.

She realized something was indeed very wrong. Estrus season had been a few months before, and even then, she wasn’t like this. So then what is wrong with me? She wondered. It was almost three in the morning before she got any sleep.

The bell to the Sugarcube Corner swung open, and Pinkie Pie leapt over the counter to greet Fluttershy.

“You look tired, you silly filly,” the pink earth pony remarked, noting Fluttershy’s disheveled mane, bloodshot eyes, and eyelid bags.

“I didn’t sleep very well last night,” replied the yellow pegasus sleepily. “I think I’m coming down with something. I was burning up all last night, and now the light is hurting my eyes. My teeth hurt and I have the worst headache.”

Pinkie’s gaze turned thoughtful as she pondered over how to help her friend. Her face lit up and she literally bounced off the walls as she got an idea.

“I know!” she practically screamed, not noticing her friend grimacing or covering her ears. “You should go see Twilight! She’ll know what’s wrong for sure!” Then Pinkie realized how loud she was. “Sorry Fluttershy,” she whispered, hugging her friend gently.

“That’s okay, Pinkie. You didn’t mean to shout,” Fluttershy mumbled. She decided that she would go see Twilight and tell her about what had happened after she had left. Thanking Pinkie for the idea, Fluttershy headed to Twilight’s house.

Fluttershy silently entered the quiet library, and called out for Twilight when she didn’t see her. When nopony answered, she was struck by a sudden wave of intense sleepiness. She drew all the curtains closed, found the darkest place to lie in, and dozed off.

Fluttershy didn’t know how long she was out; she was awakened by Twilight’s startled gasp.

“Fluttershy, what are you doing here?” demanded the startled unicorn.

“I came here looking for you, and when you weren’t here…I was just so sleepy…” Fluttershy was embarrassed; she normally didn’t just waltz into somepony else’s house and make herself comfortable. “I’m so sorry; I don’t know what came over me.”

Twilight noticed how her friend was looking. “What’s wrong, Fluttershy? Did something happen last night after you left?” She was very concerned for her friend.

“Oh yes, and none of it good,” replied the pegasus sourly. “I was burning up most of the night, and then I went between extreme hunger and desire worse than anything felt during estrus season. I didn’t fall asleep until very early this morning.”

Twilight immediately pulled her book on Blood Ruby and examined the symptoms of her bite victims. Fluttershy had just listed three.

“Oh, did I mention my headache, my teeth hurt, and sunlight stings my eyes?” the tired pegasus added offhandedly.

‘Make that six,’ thought the unicorn. ‘Throw in her fatigue and it’s looking more and more like she’s becoming a vampyre herself.’ “Fluttershy?” the unicorn started, but her friend was again asleep. Frowning with worry, Twilight plowed through every book on vampyre lore that she owned, all the while having her faithful dragon companion Spike send out letters to Princess Celestia asking for more books on the subject.

By the time Fluttershy woke up, it was dusk. She looked around, and noticed that two of her teeth felt weird. Looking in the mirror, she realized that she had grown fangs like those the mare who attacked her had. She wandered into the main room of Twilight’s house, and found Twilight pouring over a heap of books. Spike was groaning, and had turned an odd shade of green, all the while belching out new books in bright flashes of flame. The pegasus got an idea, and smiled to herself.

“What are you reading Twilight?” she asked, making the unicorn jump.

“You scared me,” Twilight scolded. “I’ve been reading up on vampyres, trying to disprove that you are becoming…” her voice trailed off as Fluttershy grinned, revealing her new fangs.

“It’s not so bad. I mean at first it was, but now it really isn’t as bad as one would think,” she said, advancing on her suddenly scared friend. “You’ll get used to it too, Twilight. You’ll see.”

This last statement didn’t sink in until Fluttershy was upon Twilight, and by then, the pegasus’s teeth were already sinking into the tender meat of her friend’s neck.

‘Oh, sweet Celestia, blood tastes amazing!’ Fluttershy thought, but she forced herself to stop. Feeding was not the objective here. She pulled away, seeing the same raw fear in her friend’s eyes that she herself had felt just a day earlier. She smiled, nuzzling her friend.

“It gets better, Twilight,” she said. “Besides, I couldn’t have you blabbing my secret to everyone, now could I? You have as much to lose as I do.”

Suddenly Twilight felt as if she was on fire. She twisted and squirmed in pain.

Twilight now realized what Fluttershy had meant when she said that the desire was much worse than anything. She had been burning up one minute, then the next, she had tackled her friend, panting as a different heat filled her body. She was suddenly aware of everything; the rough grain of the wood floor,  and her own quickening pulse. The unicorn was in rapture,

“You ok Twilight?” she asked

Twilight nodded, still unable to speak.  Smiling, Twilight let out a giggle.

“You should go to bed,” Fluttershy said to Twilight. “You’ll need the rest, believe me.”

“What about the others?” asked the unicorn. “They will find out what we are sooner or later.”

Fluttershy grinned. “I have a plan all cooked up, Twilight. They won’t say anything; trust me. Now go to sleep.” With that, she tucked the unicorn in, closed off all light sources, and walked home, a satisfied smile crossing her lips. It would be dawn soon, and she would need to sleep in darkness through the day.

Rainbow Dash was flying through the sky slowly for a change. Another oddity was that she was looking for somepony, instead of things being the other way around.

Well, make that two ponies.

Fluttershy and Twilight hadn’t been around yet, and those two almost always woke her up for breakfast together. So when she woke up at noon and neither of them had come around, the blue pegasus naturally went to look for her friends.

Nopony could remember seeing either of the two. Pinkie had said that Fluttershy had been in the other day, but wasn’t feeling well. She had left soon after arriving, headed for Twilight Sparkle’s house. Figuring that it was worth a shot, Rainbow streaked over to the unicorn’s house.

When she arrived at Twilight’s home, a very sleepy unicorn greeted her, squinting into the daylight.

“Hey, Twilight, where ya been?” asked Rainbow, grinning from ear to ear. “You and Fluttershy didn’t wake me up for our breakfast.”

Twilight grunted in response, easing the door open and letting her friend inside.

Dash was surprised at how dark the normally well-lit library was. “What’s up with the gloomy darkness?” She was a little worried.

“Sorry,” the tired unicorn sighed. “I have the worst migraine, and too much light is hurting my eyes.” She went around, lighting several candles to improve visibility. “Fluttershy’s still at her place,” Twilight continued, facing away from her friend to hide the smirk on her lips. Her teeth were already growing into tiny points. “If you want to find her, look there. But whatever I have, I think I got it from her. She wasn’t in the best shape these past two nights.” ‘And so it begins,’ thought the unicorn, trying her hardest not to laugh. “Sorry about missing breakfast, but I’m really tired. I pulled an all-nighter reading old ponytales.” Twilight forced a sheepish smile.

“No problem, old pal,” said the pegasus cheerfully. “I’ll let you get back to sleep. Try not to stay up all night too often, okay?”

Twilight grunted a response as Rainbow walked out the door. As she flew away, Twilight thought to herself. ‘Fluttershy, you’d better hope to Celestia that your plan works.’ In response, she heard Fluttershy’s voice, as if through a mental link.

“It will work; trust me,” she said. Twilight found that she did.

Yawning, the unicorn snuggled back into her covers and was soon sleeping peacefully.

On her way over to Fluttershy’s house, Rainbow Dash became sidetracked. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had asked her to show off some of her moves for their class to see. Being a natural showoff, Dash was more than happy to oblige. She streaked here, zoomed there, and even pulled off her signature Sonic Rainboom. This last maneuver brought tears of admiration to young Scootaloo’s eyes.

“So cool,” she sniffled. “I wanna be just like her.”

Dash heard this and grinned widely, but Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle only rolled their eyes at their friend’s statement. Rainbow Dash was the only thing besides earning her cutie mark that the filly talked about.

Dash looked at the sky and saw it was almost dark. With a salute, she sped off towards Fluttershy’s house, the class’s cheers fading behind her.

Fluttershy smiled to herself, seeing Rainbow in the distance, a growing speck of blue on the dusky horizon.

“Right on time,” she chuckled. “I told you this would work.”

“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” said Twilight, stepping out of the shadows and sitting down next to her friend. “Nothing is for certain yet. She isn’t bitten.”

“But she will be,” countered Fluttershy. “That’s what matters, right?”

“I guess so,” mumbled Twilight, eyes locked on the growing speck of her friend on the horizon. Her friend had looked quite tasty earlier. It was going to take a lot to just bite.

“Buck yes, you guess so. Now hide before she gets here. You’re supposed to be at home sick, remember?”

Twilight grinned, revealing her new fangs. “I only told her I had a headache and that I was sleepy. So I’m better now. I’m not lying, am I?”

“No, I suppose not. I see your fangs have grown in.”

“Yes, they have,” Twilight giggled. “Pretty aren’t they?”

“Very. Now act natural. We don’t want her knowing something’s up until that door is locked behind her.”

“This is going to be fun,” Twilight said. Fluttershy nudged her, the signal to shut up. Dash was at the door.

“Come in.” Fluttershy managed her sweetest voice. Twilight snickered.

“Hey, Fluttershy, where were you this morning?” Rainbow was about to ask more when she noticed Twilight. “I thought you weren’t feeling good.” She eyed the unicorn.

“I’m feeling much better now,” replied Twilight coolly. “I went to the doctor, and he gave me some medicine.”

Dash heard the door lock click behind her. Turning around, she saw Fluttershy, an odd smile on her face. The chair Twilight had been in scraped, and Rainbow turned to see her walking toward her.

“What’s up with you two?” the blue pegasus asked nervously. “You guys are acting weird.”

The two mares only smiled their odd smiles, circling her like sharks circle their prey.

Twilight grinned, revealing her fangs. “Should we tell her, Fluttershy?” she asked. “She deserves to know.”

“Tell me what?” Dash’s voice squeaked, and Fluttershy giggled at the sound.

“No, we shouldn’t tell her,” replied the yellow pegasus, grinning to reveal her own fangs. “We should show her instead!”

“Show me what?” Dash’s voice was more desperate now.

“Good idea,” giggled Twilight.

Dash suddenly noticed her friends’ teeth, and chuckled nervously, a bead of sweat running down her forehead.

“Okay guys,” she said. “Joke’s over. Man, you really had me going there for a minute. …Guys?”

“No joke,” replied the two mares, still grinning as they tightened the circle. They were now brushing against her.

“Guys, stop really, you’re freaking me-” Her voice turned into a shriek as both ponies bit into a side of her neck. She could feel her blood being drained away, sucked into her friends’ hungry mouths.

‘They’ve gone crazy,’ she thought desperately. ‘They have, or it’s me that’s lost it.’ But deep down, she knew that wasn’t true. This was real; this was happening.

The two suddenly pulled away, and tears welled in Dash’s eyes.

Dash shook, her tears spilling down her face; her two friends came close to her, and she jerked back.

“Don’t be like that, Dash,” said Fluttershy. “You’re going to thank us later. Honest to goodness.” She tittered as she used that line so often heard from her mouth.

Dash barely heard  Fluttershy through the haze that had suddenly enveloped her conscious mind. She was out cold before she hit the floor.

“Well crap,” muttered Twilight. “Do you think we overdid it?”

“Nope,” responded Fluttershy. “Rainbow always was a bit of a scaredy cat with these kinds of things.”

“So what do we do now?” Twilight asked.

“I know,” smiled the yellow pegasus. “Let’s go find us a handsome young stallion. I could use some ‘sport’.” She winked at the last part, and Twilight grinned.

“Good idea,” she answered. “But we’ll need to be back before she wakes up.”

Fluttershy nodded, and they both went off in search of a suitable male to turn.

Rainbow woke up to her captors standing above her. The two were talking about an unsuccessful hunt.

“So we didn’t find a male,” Twilight was saying. “No big deal, we still got Dash.”

“I don’t care,” replied Fluttershy in frustration. “I’d like a man now and then.  Fluttershy looked down and saw that Dash’s eyes were open. “Ah, sleeping beauty is awake I see,” she said. Twilight snickered.

Dash suddenly felt as if her entire being was on fire. Tears squirted from her clenched eyelids, and she managed to utter a single question.

“What did you two do to me?” she screamed, though she was afraid she already knew the answer.

Fluttershy proved Dash’s suspicions correct. “Why, we’ve made you one of us; a vampyre, you silly filly. It hurts now, but you’ll feel much better by tomorrow night. And then you’ll help us convert our other friends as well.” The two lay down next to their friend.

“You’ll thank us later,” repeated Twilight.

Rainbow found that she was beginning to believe her friends.

The sky-blue pegasus was panting like she had run the world’s longest race, her pupils so dilated that almost nothing of her violet irises was visible.

“You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?” Fluttershy teased. Dash couldn’t even nod. Her body was assaulted by wave after wave of unbearable pain shots

Twilight and Fluttershy grinned and laughed as their friend jerked on the floor

“Oh, wow,” giggled Twilight. “Dash, you’re really handling this well,"

Dash could not here a thing she passed out in a curled up position.

“Twilight, it’s almost dawn,” Fluttershy reminded. The unicorn shook her head in response.

“I’m not leaving till tonight,” she reminded. “Besides, I think we should have a sleepover. We have enough of us to turn Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie in one night. What do you think?”

“I think you have something there,” replied Fluttershy. “But how will we get the invites out?”

Twilight gestured a peacefully sleeping Rainbow Dash. “She can still go out,” she suggested. “It’ll have to be early, though, or the sun will sting her eyes like nothing else.”

“Good idea,” Fluttershy mused, reaching for a pencil and paper. She wrote a quick note to the sleeping pegasus, and then yawned. “We’d best get going to bed,” she urged, placing the note on the table, then setting an alarm clock set to go off in two hours next to Dash’s head. They headed into the basement, where it was cool and dark, climbed into the beds Fluttershy had made, and dozed off in a matter of seconds.

A deafening ring in her ears awakened rainbow Dash; she rose reluctantly from the floor and shut off the alarm clock that was next to her. Stretching, she noticed a note on the table. Walking over, she read the note slowly, the last of her sleepiness going away.

Dear R.D.,

Congratulations! You’re one of us now. Come tonight, the change will be complete.  But now we have a small task for you before you disappear for the day. We’re having a “sleepover” at Twilight’s house tonight, and we need you to make sure the others come. It is advised you do it ASAP: too much sunlight will hurt your eyes. A lot. After you finish this, you’re free to come here for sleep, or you can go home.

Thanks a Bunch In Advance,

Fluttershy and Twilight

P.S.: We’re asleep in the basement. If you absolutely have to, wake us up, otherwise, please don’t. We have a bed down here for you in case you come back.

Dash sighed as she read the note. She was being forced to be the errand pony for her two friends, but she headed out the door anyway. The sun wasn’t yet bright enough to hurt her eyes, but it would be in about an hour. She would have to hurry.

“A sleepover?” shrieked Pinkie Pie happily. Dash winced; her headache was starting to gain intensity.

“Yeah, that’s right, at Twilight’s house tonight.” Dash forced a smile, taking care not to reveal her sharpening teeth to the cotton-candy-maned pony. “Be there around dusk. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to tell the others, then I’m going to bed. I was up all night with Twilight and Fluttershy making plans.”

“Of course,” laughed Pinkie. “I’ll see you there, Dashie!”

“So they just had one of them twenty-four-hour bugs then?” Applejack was busy applebucking as she spoke with the blue pegasus.

“Right,” said Dash a little impatiently. “And they’re better now. So will you come or not?”

“Hmmm,” thought Applejack. “Well, it’s the height of applebucking season, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Great,” replied Dash. “I’ll see you then!” With that, she sped away toward Rarity’s boutique.

“Maybe!” called the earth pony after her, shaking her head.

When Rainbow arrived at Rarity’s place, she found the unicorn still asleep. Sighing in relief, she left a note on the window telling Rarity about the party. She then bolted back to Fluttershy’s for a little shuteye. The sun was getting a little too bright for her.

Chapter 2

Steampunk finished repairing that day’s final plow. She blew a lock of electric blue hair out of her face and glanced outside. Something was about to happen; she could feel it. Her shoulder-mounted chain gun clicked and whirred, spinning to look for hostiles in response to her nervousness.

“Something the matter, sister?” Samuel Colt asked as he stepped into the work area. Steampunk’s gray eyes gazed at her brother.

“Something’s about to happen,” she said. “I don’t know what or when, but it will be here in Ponyville. I’m just nervous is all.” She returned to looking out the window.

Samuel always trusted his sister’s intuition. It had saved them numerous times before their escape from their war-torn homeland. “Should we leave?” He waited for his sister to answer.

“No,” she finally replied. “Rather, we should wait and see what ‘it’ is. Best not to make a fuss until we’re sure it is something worth fussing over.”

“Good idea,” agreed Samuel. He knew the truth behind her words. She was as tired of running as he was, and she wasn’t about to leave her new home unless she had to, especially now that she was accepted. “Why don’t you go see what those friends of yours are up to? I have to help the Apples out with tomorrow’s applebucking, so you can do whatever for tonight.”

Steampunk nodded and walked out the door, lost in thought.

“Hey there, Steampunk!” shouted Pinkie Pie happily. “Where ya headed?”

Steampunk ran over to her friend, her mane of crimson, electric blue, and platinum blond tied into her usual pigtails. “Wherever there’s something happening, of course,” she said, grinning to the earth pony.

“Well then, why not come with me to Twilight Sparkle’s house?” Pinkie asked. “We’re having a sleepover!”

Steampunk frowned. She’d heard of the unicorn, but had never officially met her because she was always at the shop during days.

“Gee, Pinkie, I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t really know her. She wouldn’t mind me showing up unannounced?”

“Not at all,” Pinkie chirped. “You can come with me! Rainbow Dash and Applejack will be there too.”

Steampunk smiled, unable to resist the pony’s infectious good spirits. “All right then, let’s go!” The two raced off toward Twilight’s house.

Samuel arrived at Sweet Apple Acres as the Apple family was finishing dinner, and Applejack answered the door.

“Well, hello there Mr. Colt,” she greeted.

“Hello Applejack,” Samuel said politely. “And please, call me Samuel. Is your brother home?”

Applejack chuckled to herself. “Come on in. He’s in the kitchen.” Then she yelled in at Big Macintosh. “Samuel’s here to help with tomorrow’s applebucking! Can I head to Twilight’s, then?”

Big Mac’s voice floated out to her. “Eeyup.”

Applejack whooped, then looked at Samuel. “Where’s that interesting sister of yours?” she asked. “She coming to Twilight’s too?”

Samuel laughed. “If Pinkie Pie has found her, Steampunk is almost certainly going.”

Cheering, Applejack galloped into town.

“Here comes Pinkie,” announced Rainbow Dash to the other two.

“Who’s that with her?” demanded Twilight. “We didn’t invite any strangers.”

“Oh, that’s just Steampunk,” replied Dash. “She owns the repair shop in town; she runs it with her brother, Samuel Colt. Don’t worry she’s really cool. Never goes out during the day though.”

“Our plan only allotted three guests,” Fluttershy reminded. “Why did you invite four?”

“I didn’t,” insisted Rainbow. “Pinkie must have roped her into coming. Besides, Rarity ran home screaming after she showed up early and we bit her. I don’t see the problem; we’ll just turn her too.”

“The point is, what if that hadn’t happened?”

“Aw, come off it, Twilight,” retorted Dash. “It did, and that’s what matters.”

“Point taken,” conceded Fluttershy.

At that moment, Pinkie burst through the door, Steampunk right behind her.

“Who’s ready to party?” Pinkie shouted.

“And you are…?” Twilight gestured to Steampunk.

“Steampunk,” She said, smiling nervously. Twilight noticed that she was taking great care not to show her teeth, and she was getting oddly familiar vibes from this newcomer.

“I’ve never met you before,” Fluttershy said, a comfortable smile on her face. “How long have you been in Ponyville?”

“About two months,” answered Dash, brohoofing Steampunk. She was grinning. Fluttershy noticed that Steampunk’s eyes briefly flickered. She cleared her throat, and Dash’s lips snapped shut. Steampunk’s gun swiveled back and forth, scanning the group.

“What is that thing?” Twilight found herself curious as to what the contraption on Steampunk’s shoulder was.

“It’s a chain gun,” she said, smiling proudly. Twilight caught a glimpse of what looked to be fangs, and smiled to herself. “Shoulder-mounted, auto-targeting, and hardwired into my central nervous system. It reacts only to my emotions and thought processes. It was the height of technology in my homeland before civil war tore it apart.”

Twilight nodded. “It’s the one sharing our Western border isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” responded Steampunk. “Hey, does anyone have a sucker?”

Pinkie handed her one, sitting down beside her. Steampunk unwrapped the treat. The stick looked oddly at home poking out of the corner of her mouth.

“Is that hair dyed?” asked Fluttershy.

Steampunk looked at the floor, prepared for the insults she had received back in her homeland. “No, it’s all natural,” she muttered. “Same with my eyes.”

“Well I think they’re nice,” responded Twilight, and Steampunk jerked her head up, her face the picture of surprise.

“You…you do?” she asked, a smile spreading wide across her face. Twilight saw one fang briefly slip into view. “Back home, everyone called me a freak. Ponyville is the first place to accept me.”

“What brought you to Equestria anyway?” asked Rainbow.

“It’s a long story,” said Steampunk, suddenly defensive. “I’ll tell you some other time.”

“Aw, you always say that,” pouted the blue pegasus. “When am I really going to get to hear it?”

“Dash,” Twilight warned. “She doesn’t want to talk about it. Leave it alone.” Steampunk looked at her with a mixture of thanks and relief.

“Anypony home?” called Applejack as she walked through the door. All five poked their heads in from the kitchen, Steampunk eating another sucker. Applejack ran up to her. “That brother of yours,” she laughed. “Hoowee, is he something!”

“I’ll say!” replied Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. “Real eye candy, that one!” Steampunk did a facehoof, blushing heavily.

“Yeah, well, Big Macintosh isn’t so bad himself,” she finally said, adjusting her goggles so that her bangs spilled over them.

That remark shut Applejack up. “Touché,” was all she could think to respond with.

It was later that night when the plan was enacted. Steampunk had been in the bathroom washing her hooves when she heard Applejack and Pinkie Pie scream. She burst into the room, fearful that another death squad had found her.

Applejack was lying unconscious next to Pinkie, who was sitting in a daze, her face blank. Steampunk saw the blood coming from the bite marks on their necks, and shuddered.

The other three turned to face her. Blood smeared their mouths, and fangs poked out of their open lips.

“And the last pony crosses the finish line,” said Fluttershy.

Steampunk’s gun whirred viciously, going over each target. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash advanced on the pony.

“Stop,” interrupted Twilight. “You won’t be able to turn her.”

“And why the buck not?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“She is already a vampyre,” Twilight replied simply. “She has fangs.” Turning to Steampunk, she said, “Show them.”

Steampunk looked at the ground. “I’m never supposed to show anypony,” she muttered. “How did you know?”

“I saw them when you smiled at my comment. It was also obvious that you were trying to conceal them.”

“Wow,” muttered Steampunk. “I never thought I was being obvious about it.”

“You were never around one of your own.”

“I was the only one of my kind,” she replied.

“Does Samuel know?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Of course he does,” scoffed Steampunk, flashing her fangs. “I was born this way. No way could I hide it from him my whole life. Besides, it’s my fault we had to leave our homeland.” She pulled another sucker from the pocket on her bomber jacket. “I was considered a monster.”

“That’s why you stay in your shop all the time,” Fluttershy guessed.

Steampunk nodded, then shook her head. “Yes and no. The sun hurts my eyes, as you all know. But yeah, I guess it’s because I’m afraid of how people would react to me.”

“Understandable,” replied Twilight.

At that moment, Pinkie started to tremble violently. She blasted off like a rocket, bouncing off the walls. She blasted over Twilight’s head, and the four ducked for cover.

“What the hay’s going on?” shouted Rainbow Dash.

“It must be Pinkie’s way of dealing with the desire,” answered Twilight. “She’s somehow converting it into energy.”

Pinkie froze in midair. “Well, duh!” the little pink pony replied. She dropped to the ground, jittering as if there was an earthquake.

“Oh pinkie,” said Rainbow Dash. “You are so random!”

“Hey guys, I have an idea!” Everyone save Applejack, who was still unconscious, leaned in to hear Dash’s plan. “We should call Gilda back to Ponyville!”

“And turn her? No thanks,” Twilight answered. “That last thing she needs is another reason to think she’s better than us.”

“But that’s the thing,” replied Dash, a smile breaking across her face. “We won’t turn her.”

“Then why-” Steampunk began, but she stopped, realization dawning on her face. “No. No, I can’t. Absolutely not.”

“Aw, come on. Haven’t you ever fed before?”

“No,” answered Steampunk. “I disciplined myself to resist my thirst. I couldn’t run the risk of someone having a valid reason to kill me.”

“No one will know,” winked Fluttershy. “Come on.”

“Yeah,” replied Twilight. “If she doesn’t live, she can’t tell.”

“What about the body?” asked Steampunk, biting her lip in frustration. She produced another ruby-red sucker from her jacket and popped it into her mouth.

“I have magic,” replied Twilight, her horn glowing. “I’d just warp it to an Ursa Major’s cave. Problem solved. What do you say?”

“Well…” said Steampunk, her gray eyes showing an internal conflict. “Okay.” She finally answered.

At that moment, the phone rang. Everypony looked at each other.

“Be right back,” said Twilight, kicking the door shut as she answered the phone. Several minutes later, she reappeared, a huge smile on her face.

“No way!” shouted Rainbow and Pinkie together. “The Vinyl Scratch is coming?”

“Yeah,” smiled Twilight. “We were friends when we went to gifted magic school together. That was before her talents took her in the musical direction. She was coming through the area for a tour. It got cancelled, so she called me to see if she could hang out.”

“Who’s Vinyl Scratch?” asked Steampunk curiously.

“Only, like, the best DJ in all of Equestria!” answered Pinkie Pie. “She plays all over the country, and every show is an almost instant sellout.”

“Wow,” said Steampunk, reaching for another sucker.

“Why do you eat those all the time?” asked Twilight.

Steampunk looked at her. “They take the edge off my thirst, distract me so I’m not chomping the necks out of everypony I meet.” Everypony agreed that it was probably a good idea to not take away her suckers.

“So are we turning Vinyl?” asked Dash eagerly.

“Only if she wants us to,” replied Twilight with a shrug.

Some time later, there was a knock at the door. Applejack, who had woken up with a massive headache, answered the door. Her jaw dropped when she saw the famous unicorn that stood in front of her.

“I’m sorry,” apologized the unicorn in her silky voice. “I’m looking for Twilight Sparkle’s house. I must have the wrong address.”

“No, Miss Scratch,” answered Applejack. “You’re at the right place. Come on in, she’s right in here.”

“Thanks,” answered Vinyl, smiling brightly. She removed her goggles as she walked in, revealing a pair of beautiful red eyes. “And please, call me Vinyl.” The DJ ran up to Twilight, hugging her.

“How have you been?” asked Twilight.

“Oh, so busy that this is the first rest I’ve had in a week.” The white unicorn sighed. “But where are my manners? Please, introduce me.”

“Of course,” replied Twilight. “Scratch, these are my friends Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Steampunk. Rarity is at home doing something with a dress. And of course you all know Scratch, with the exception of Steampunk.” Steampunk smiled awkwardly.

“Sorry,” she said. “I just moved here a couple months ago.”

“Nothing to worry about,” replied Scratch. “It’s actually a bit of a relief to have somepony not know who I am.” Everypony laughed at this. She turned to Twilight. “So I hear the princess took you in as her protégé,” continued Scratch.

Twilight blushed. “Yeah, well,” she mumbled. “You have your talents, I have mine.”

“Hey, does anyone know how to fix electronics?” asked Scratch. “My turntables quit working after the last show.”

Steampunk’s eyes lit up. “I could probably do it!” she exclaimed. “What model?”

“Spinmaster 5000 XL,” replied Vinyl with a smile. “Can you fix it?”

“If it’s here,” answered Steampunk. “I’d need to run home and get my tools, though.” With that, she took off as the other six lugged in the turntables.

“Here we go,” yelled Steampunk some time later. “Fixed ‘em up good as new.” She giggled. “Well, better actually. I was able to smooth out the disc rpm’s so they can go faster without wrecking the discs themselves. Your sound system has been improved, too. I replaced your 500-watt amp with a 1000-watt amp.”

Scratch’s jaw dropped in amazement. “Those aren’t even available in Equestria yet!” she responded.

“I’m not from Equestria,” winked Steampunk. “I’m from another country. This is old news to us.”

“Dang,” replied Scratch in amazement. “Hey, wait a minute, I recognize you.” Steampunk’s face blanched.

“What do you mean?” she stuttered. If this pony were another sleeper agent, it would all be over.

“You ran the Colt’s Repair Shop over in Canterlot,” answered Scratch. “You were a huge success over there! A guy there used to fix my tables all the time. Handsome young fellow with crossed hammers as a cutie mark.”

“My brother Samuel,” smiled Steampunk, relaxing.

“Yes?” asked her brother, walking through the door. “Why, hello Miss Scratch.”

“Hello again,” replied Vinyl with a grin.

“What are you doing here?” asked Steampunk. “I thought you were with Big Macintosh.”

“Eeyup,” replied B-M as he walked in. Scratch smiled seductively at the sight of such handsome stallions. “He still is. We were at home when we saw Miss Scratch headin’ into town, an’ ah didn’t rightly b’lieve Samuel here sayin’ he knew her from his ol’ repair shop. So we trotted over here fer a spell to see if’n he wasn’t lyin’. Guess ah was wrong.”

Scratch was gazing at the two.

“Still using the Spinmaster?” asked Samuel, gazing at the turntables.

“Yeah,” answered the white unicorn, her goggles hanging from her neck. “Your sister just fixed it up. Did a few modifications, too.”

“Did she now?” replied Samuel, smiling at his sister. “Well she always was the talented mechanic out of us both.”

“Hey, where did Twilight go?” asked Applejack suddenly.

“Right here,” answered Twilight, coming out of the kitchen. “Who wants some Applejack Daniels? It’s an Apple family recipe.”

It was two in the morning, and everypony was drunk. The turntables had long since gone silent, their records never replaced. Scratch was giggling uncontrollably from one of Pinkie’s jokes. Big Mac and Samuel were sitting near a huge bucket in case they should puke again. Steampunk had let down her pigtails and was presently engaged in a drunken kiss with Fluttershy.

“Hey, Steampunk,” slurred Pinkie. Steampunk turned, her gray eyes out of focus. “Nev’mind, I f’rgit.” Pinkie and Steampunk collapsed in a heap of laughter.

“Cool dental work,” commented Scratch, gazing at the foreigner.

“I was born like this,” Steampunk replied.

“Y’all was born DRUNK?” blurted Big Mac, unable to hide how drunk he really was. Steampunk giggled.

“No,” she said. She turned to Scratch. “I’m a vampyre,” she whispered.

Scratch smiled and kissed Steampunk’s neck. “Then turn me,” she whispered back, kissing along the gray-eyed mare’s collarbone. Steampunk shivered and nodded.

“Okay,” she answered. “I’ll do it.” Scratch stood calmly as Steampunk bit into her neck, her eyes fluttering closed.

 Samuel stood silently, his drunkenness temporarily dispelled. He was ready to pull his sister off the celebrity if he had to. He relaxed when she pulled away.

“Man,” Steampunk breathed. “That was… You tasted amazing.”

“Really?” giggled Vinyl. “Can’t say I’ve heard that one before. Thanks, I think.”

“You’re going to want to come with me,” said Twilight, who had been watching silently. She motioned towards the bathroom, and Scratch followed her in. They walked out seconds later. Steampunk grinned up at the two.

“Back so soon?” she asked. Twilight nodded and held up a bottle of painkillers so that only Steampunk could see what it was. Steampunk nodded, knowing why they had been administered. Twilight had told her what it was like to be turned.

“Please,” begged the unicorn once more. “I really need you to do this for me.” She winked up at him, and he shivered. Meanwhile, Steampunk, Twilight, and Fluttershy were ganging up on Big Mac.

“Mmm, I can see why he’s called Big Mac,” said Steampunk. Scratch’s attempts at seducing Samuel had aroused the poor stallion. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash joined Scratch in trying to seduce Samuel.

“Look,” started Big Mac, scanning the three advancing mares. “Ah know we’re all right drunk an’ whatnot, but ah really don’t feel comf’terble with this.” He would have said more in his defense had Steampunk not chosen that moment to kiss him. That was all it took for the big stallion to give in.

He pushed Steampunk to the ground, positioning himself just so. Steampunk licked her lips in anticipation. For once, her gun was still and silent. Then, Big Mac thrust his hips, and he was in. Steampunk gasped, marveling at the feeling. ‘And I thought blood was good,’ she thought. This was, hooves down, much better.

“Are ya okay miss?” asked Big Mac, gazing at her tentatively.

Steampunk nodded up at him. “Yeah, I’m better than okay. This is…wow…” Her hips jerked, and she let out a sound that was half gasp and half moan. “Just please,” she continued when she could speak again. “Keep going.”

“Yes, ma’am,” replied the apple-red stallion with a grin. Behind him, Scratch let out a sigh as Samuel, too, gave in. Big Mac began pumping his hips against Steampunk’s slender frame, much to her delight. Sensation blazed through her with every small movement, and soon was making noises far too guttural to be moans yet not quite shrill enough to be screams. Her hips bucked side-to-side, up and down, and undulated much like the waves in the ocean.

Big Mac was himself rightly enjoying his bedding with this fine young filly, as he had had his eyes set on Steampunk for quite some time. And now he was mating with her! The adrenaline rush was so great that he lost rhythm and began thrusting faster, harder. Steampunk was whimpering by now, and wailed at him when he stopped to see if she was okay. In response, Big Mac resumed his thrusting. They both came together, and fell into a shuddering, gasping heap.

Meanwhile, Vinyl was completely enraptured by the big stallion that was now entering her. She moaned in appreciation when Samuel entered her, marveling at how he filled her up. She had wanted this moment to happen since she had laid eyes on him that first time in his Canterlot shop. The sense of conquest was great, and she flipped Samuel onto his back, her hips grinding hard against his equine pelvis. She gasped when he grabbed her hips and began thrusting, first hard and fast, then slow and gentle, then hard and fast once more. She took everything he had to give and so much more, and by the time he finished inside of her, Vinyl was delirious from orgasm after orgasm.

About a half an hour later Both stallions passed out and Twilight and A.J. Attempted to bite each one on the neck,

 “Please, sis,” said Big Mac coming slightly out  of slumber “Me an’ Samuel got to get back ta th’ farm. There’s Applebuckin’ to be done tomorrow.”

Apparently he had no idea what they were doing.

Samuel woke up to find that he had a massive hangover. He couldn’t remember what had happened after the whiskey had been brought out, but for some reason, his neck and groin ached. He noticed that the girls were nowhere to be found, and when he realized what time it was, he shook Big Mac awake.

“Come on,” he urged the big red stallion. “We have to get to your farm, and quick! We’re late!” At this last word, Big Mac’s eyes shot open.

“CRAP,” he yelled. “I never been late ta start before! Luna damn it! Come on what are you standing there for?”

Samuel shook his head to clear it. “What the buck happened last night?” he asked.

“F’rgit that!” shouted B.M. “We have to bucking move, and now!” They both bolted out the door and ran towards the edge of town. After they left, Pinkie Pie stepped out of the shadows.

“They left the door open and curtains up!” she pouted. Her hair fell in a silky pink waterfall down the right side of her head. “How rude!” She went to the door and shut it tight, then closed the drapes.

“Hey, I have to get back to my shop,” said Steampunk, unlocking the door. Thanks for bringing me along. I had fun.”

“You’re going out now?” cried Pinkie in surprise. She had gone through the Change remarkably fast, and was now a full vampyre. “Won’t that hurt your eyes?”

Steampunk shrugged. “Eh, you get used to it. Say,” she said eyeing Pinkie. “Wanna come with me to my shop? I could use somepony to keep me company.”

“Well,” replied Pinkie, swinging her mane back and forth. “I don’t know. Will the sun reach us?” Steampunk simply stared at her, answering the question without speaking. “Right,” said Pinkie. “Let’s go then!”

“Okie dokie Loki,” answered Steampunk with a wink.

“Hey that’s my line!” laughed the pink earth pony. With that, both ran out the door to the Colt’s Repair Shop.

“Hey, I have an idea!” shouted Pinkie merrily, making Steampunk jolt and chip the wheel axle she was fixing.

“Luna damn it, Pinkie,” said the gray-eyed mare. “Now I need a new axle.” Sighing, she looked at her best friend. “Well, let’s hear your idea then.”

Pinkie chuckled, her long straight hair rippling with each movement. “How about we call Gilda for Dashie?” she hinted.

Steampunk had asked Pinkie about that story a few hours earlier, when they had first arrived at the shop. “No way,” she said. “She hates you remember? No way will she come if you ask.”

“Don’t worry, I do a dead-on impersonation of Rainbow,” said Pinkie, doing a dead-on impersonation of Rainbow.

“Wow,” breathed Steampunk. “You’re good.” After a moment’s thought, she said, “Well, go and call her then.”

“Hello?” answered Gilda sleepily. Her phone had woken her up early, even though it was almost noon. “Who is it and what do you want?” To her surprise, Rainbow Dash answered her.

“Hey pal!” shouted the voice on the other end. “I gave some thought to what you said, and you’re right. Everypony here is lame. I was going to come see you, but I can’t really remember where you live.”

“Well then, I’ll come get you,” answered the griffon smugly. “I knew you’d come around eventually. Want me to come now?”

“No!” shouted the voice. “I mean, tonight is better. I’d rather disappear quietly, y’know?”

“Hmph,” huffed Gilda. “Cutting into my sleep again, eh? All right, fine. Meet me on the edge of the Everfree Forest at midnight.”

“Sounds perfect,” laughed the voice on the other end. Then, the line went dead. Sighing, Gilda dropped back into bed and was soon asleep once more.

“She fell for it!” screamed Pinkie triumphantly, and this time, the wheel axle snapped when Steampunk jumped.

“Pinkie!” shouted Steampunk angrily. “Take it down a notch will ya?”

“Sorry,” answered Pinkie, handing her friend another axle. “Forgot you were there.” She giggled nervously.

“For the love of Celestia,” muttered Steampunk as she resumed working. “Can you hand me the 2-inch socket wrench?”

“Sure,” replied Pinkie, happily handing it over. “So, anyway, I told Gilda to meet me on the edge of the Everfree Forest at midnight. Will you be there?”

Steampunk stopped and involuntarily licked her lips at the memory of the previous night. “Sure,” she finally replied, working again, a sucker in her mouth. “Hacksaw, please.”

Midnight rolled around, and six of the seven vampyres sat in the forest, just out of sight. Rainbow Dash sat in a clearing just inside the forest, know her friends lie in a circle, waiting for their prey. It was the perfect spot for an ambush.

“I sure hope that dumpy griffon shows up soon,” muttered the blue pegasus. As if on cue, the sound of giant wings beating filled the clearing.

“Who are you calling dumpy, you lamebrain?” Gilda replied. She stood tall, and everypony present couldn’t help but marvel at how good her blood would taste. “So you want to get out of this town? I knew you’d see the light, Dash.”

“Oh, I’ve seen it all right,” grinned Dash. “And you were right all along.” This last sentence was directed at Fluttershy, and was the signal to attack. Out of nowhere, the yellow Pegasus slammed into the massive griffon’s side, knocking the wind from Gilda’s lungs before she could make a sound.

As soon as she hit the ground, a pepper of bullets hit her legs, disabling them. It was over then, and everypony jumped on top of her, ripping her apart and savoring every last drop of blood that was drawn from the hulking creature.

Spike walked through the forest, following the hoofprints and calling Twilight’s name. Suddenly he stumbled upon the group.

“Twilight, oh thank goodness,” said Spike. “I have a letter from the princess.” His voice died in his throat. He suddenly noticed the corpse of gilda, the blood everywhere, and how it coated Twilight and her friends.

“Sorry, Spike,” replied Twilight. “You’ve seen too much.” With that, Das slammed a hoof into the back of his head, and he passed out.

He swore he felt something bit his neck before he went under.

Chapter 3

Derpy Hooves flew haphazardly through her delivery route. Everywhere she went, ponies ducked for cover as the clumsy pegasus weaved by. Packages rained down on those unfortunate few who received deliveries from her. When she finally went on her lunch break, she chose the Sugarcube Corner as her pit stop site.

The bells on the door rang as Derpy stumbled into the shop, kicking a stray bucket off of her hoof as she did so. Pinkie Pie watched her carefully, smiling so that her teeth wouldn’t show.

“Well, hi there, Derpy,” said the pink pony cheerily. She was already getting used to sunlight again, and she felt good enough that the cheeriness was real. “How are you today?”

“Not too good,” answered the pegasus. Pinkie had to giggle at her voice; it was just so adorable. “I’ve been dropping everypony’s deliveries all over the place. Sometimes, I even drop the deliveries onto the ponies themselves!”

“Well come over here, and I’ll give you the usual,” smiled Pinkie, bringing a steaming plate of muffins to the counter. Derpy licked her lips and started towards the counter to pay, but slipped on a cupcake wrapper and whacked her flank off of a table.

The sight of it almost made Pinkie laugh, but Derpy’s tears were enough to dispel the humor; she was hurt. Pinkie rushed over to help her to the stool by the muffins.

“Are you okay?” Pinkie asked, but the sudden smell of blood made her thoughts go fuzzy.

“I think I cut my flank,” answered Derpy, sniffling as she talked.

“I – I can see that,” remarked Pinkie, gazing at the wound hungrily.

Suddenly, Pinkie turned and buried her fangs into her guest’s neck. The only thing that stopped her from feeding was Derpy’s shouts of pain.

“Ow!” squealed the pegasus. “Pinkie, that hurts! Get off!”

“Sorry,” apologized the pony. “I slipped too. I really need to clean in here.” She laughed nervously, looking at Derpy’s pained face. “Well, here, take your muffins. No charge this time.”

“Why are they free this time?” asked the teary-eyed pegasus.

“For the injury,” answered Pinkie.

“But I always get hurt,” replied Derpy. “Nobody ever gives me free stuff any other time.”

“Well, I just feel like it’s my fault is all.”

“But it isn’t,” started Derpy. “It’s-”

“Don’t you have a schedule to stick to?” smiled Pinkie, pointing to the wall clock. Derpy looked at it and sped out the door; her break was over.

Some time later, Steampunk walked in. She pushed up her tinted goggles as she entered, letting them rest in their customary place just under her hairline. She was muttering grumpily to herself.

“I knew those goggles weren’t just for show,” remarked Pinkie, surprised to see her friend out during the day. “Say, what’s wrong?”

Steampunk grunted. “Some ditzy pegasus with yellow eyes delivered a package to the shop,” she grumbled unhappily.

“Oh, you mean Derpy,” chirped Pinkie. “Why is it bad that she visited?”

“Have you seen her?” shouted Steampunk. “She tripped over a board and fell, breaking several plows in the process!”

“Oh, that’s okay,” comforted Pinkie. “Everypony knows you’re the best mechanic in Equestria. You can fix those plows right up, good as new!”

“That’s not the point,” whined Steampunk. “It’ll take me forever to get back on schedule now!” She stepped in the very same bucket that Derpy had kicked off her own hoof, and fell flat on her face. Pinkie couldn’t help herself; she burst into gales of laughter. At that point, Spike wandered in, looking slightly confused.

“Well, hello Spikey-wikey,” greeted Pinkie. “How are you?”

“I had the weirdest dream last night,” he answered. “I dreamed you all were eating something huge out in the Everfree Forest. It almost looked like a griffon.”

“That is pretty weird,” Pinkie said, winking at Steampunk.

“Tell me about it,” answered the mechanic.

Over in Canterlot, Luna and Celestia strolled through the streets, greeting everypony who passed by.

“Oh, Tia, I’m so glad to be back,” said Luna happily. “I felt so horrible those thousand years I was locked away.”

“Believe me, dear sister,” smiled Celestia. “I felt a hundred times worse. One should never have to lock up one's own family.” They walked on in silence for a while longer, until they reached the castle.

“Well,” started Luna. “I have to go bring up the moon. Goodnight, Tia.” With that, the black alicorn turned and flew up to her balcony. Smiling, Celestia walked up to her own room and snuggled under her covers. It was good to have her sister back.

Luna landed on her balcony and was startled by a sudden voice.

“Greetings, princess,” said Twilight, stepping out of the shadows and kneeling. “It is good to see you again.”

“Twilight Sparkle,” answered a surprised Luna. “How in Equestria did you get in here?” There was a different feel to this subject, one that seemed familiar.

“I teleported in,” replied Twilight with a grin. Luna saw her teeth and gasped. She suddenly knew where she knew this aura.

“Child,” gasped Luna. “You are a vampyre?” There was a touch of glee to her voice. It had been ages since any Equestrian citizen had been a child of the night, those who are favored by Luna herself.

“Yes, as are the rest of my friends,” replied Twilight. “I must ask a favor. Please don’t let Celestia know about this. I still wish to be her pupil.”

“But of course, child!” exclaimed Luna happily. “Oh, it has been so long since I have seen a vampire! It really is too bad that Blood Ruby turned evil. You know, vampyres used to exist alongside ponykind in peace, but a few bad eggs spoil the basket, I guess.”

“You knew Blood Ruby?” asked Twilight as she sat down.

“Goodness, yes, child!” exclaimed Luna as she brought the moon up and the sun down. “She was the first to receive the gift, and it came directly from me. From what I’ve read, she turned evil shortly after my…imprisonment. As such, the residents of Ponyville, then but a small village, had to destroy her. Quite a sad end, really.”

Twilight smiled thinly. “I think she’s the one who bit Fluttershy and started all this,” she said. “Fluttershy described her perfectly, and she had never even heard of the legend before.”

“Well,” thought Luna. “I do suppose her ghost could still be haunting the Everfree Forest.” She paused, looking at her subject. “Has anyone else seen her?”

“Not to my knowledge, no.” Twilight could remember no strange sightings in recent Ponyville history.

“Well then, I am afraid I know not what is going on,” Luna frowned.

“Just please don’t let Princess Celestia find out about this,” begged Twilight.

“Don’t let me find out about what?” came Celestia’s angry voice as she entered the bedroom.

Two winged ponies flew through the air above Equestria, each beat of their dragon-like wings propelling them through the darkening sky. The two landed upon a small cliff in the Everfree Forest.

“Apollyon,” said the mare. “What do you think will happen now?”

“Well, Lillith,” replied the stallion. “Now that we have resurrected Blood Ruby, we can sit and watch the carnage unfold.” The stallion was tall, dark gray with a dusting of black around his muzzle. His piercing eyes were bright red, with snakelike pupils. His hooves were black as midnight, and a pair of twisting horns rose from his mane of black and crimson.

“Ah, that’s always a great plan,” chuckled the mare in response. She was shorter than her counterpart, with sharp, gray eyes. Her pelt was orange as the pits of pony hell, the blood splatters that covered her having long since become a natural design on her pelt. A single, sharp unicorn horn rose from a mane of blonde and bright red. Her tail, by contrast, was blonde with a streak of blue through the middle.

The two had no cutie marks, their special talents far too horrible to deserve such a thing.

“Well, sister,” said Apollyon to the mare. “We should get some sleep.”

“Agreed,” nodded Lillith. “We will need to rest for the coming storm.”

“Princess!” exclaimed Twilight, panicking and backing up. “I, uh…what are you doing here?” Her flank hit the far wall as Celestia continued her advance.

“I got the feeling that something wasn’t right up here,” glared the princess. “Would you care to explain why you are trespassing in my sister’s bedroom?”

“I let her in,” Luna lied. “I sent for her privately.”

“Fair enough,” replied Celestia, relaxing a little. “But why do you wish to keep secrets from me, Twilight Sparkle?” She turned her piercing gaze back upon the unicorn, who was writhing in nervousness.

“You might as well tell her,” sighed Luna resignedly.

“Tell me what?” asked Celestia. She caught a glimpse of Twilight’s mouth as she licked her lips nervously. “Twilight,” Celestia said softly. “Open your mouth, please.” Twilight was trembling now, but did as she was told. Celestia nodded her head. “I thought so,” she mumbled.

“Princess, please let me remain your student,” begged Twilight. “Don’t throw me out because of this.”

“Dear child,” scolded Celestia. “Don’t you remember my first lesson? Do not judge something because of what it is. I know that this was not your doing, and if you wish, I can cure you right now. Either way, you will still be my faithful student.”

Twilight nodded, tears rimming her eyes. “I want to stay like this,” she said.

“Very well,” replied Celestia with a smile. “And tell your friends they have no need to worry, so long as they don’t cause too much trouble. Now get going.” Twilight smiled and teleported out of the castle, back to Ponyville.

Her friends were waiting for her, and they would be hungry.

Steampunk sat quietly behind her friends, who all talked amongst themselves. For the first time in a few days, Rarity was with them. Steampunk didn’t much care for the fashionista, as she had spent a full fifteen minutes degrading Steampunk’s clothing. Lucky for Rarity, the others noticed that Steampunk was gritting her teeth and that her gun was training upon Rarity’s forehead, so they stopped the unicorn’s rant. Now they were all waiting for Twilight to return.

“Where did she go?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“She said something about visiting Luna,” answered Pinkie Pie. “Steampunk also said that Twilight had been a little bothered by recent events.”

“Not so much that as how Princess Celestia would react to us all being vampyres,” corrected Steampunk. Rarity rolled her eyes.

“Oh please,” she scoffed. “That unicorn is always worried about something. She needs to learn to settle down.”

“Okay, I’ve just about enough of you,” snarled Steampunk, her eyes flaring angrily. “Do you criticize everything you see, or just those that are supposed to be your friends? I swear to Luna, you have not shut up since I met you!”

“Well,” replied Rarity, defiantly pressing her face to Steampunk’s. “I criticized you because you obviously need help dressing appropriately.”

Steampunk’s eyes widened. “Oh, that is so bucking it, you bitch,” she whispered. She tackled Rarity and punched her in the gut. Dash managed to pull her off of the outmatched unicorn.

“That is enough,” shouted Applejack. “Rar’, you know better that to act like this. Do we need to go through what happens when you act like a bitch?”

“No,” mumbled Rarity, who was still trying to catch her breath. “You don’t.”

“Good,” replied Applejack. “And Steampunk, sugar, ya can’t mind her. She’s a good pony, to be sure. Ya just gotta get to know her. Believe me; we all had problems with her at some point. You’ll get to likin’ her soon enough; trust me.”

“I don’t think that’s happening,” muttered Steampunk.

“If you would like,” said Rarity when the air returned to her lungs. “I can make you a jacket that will much better go with your hair. The current one is, well, it’s hideous. You really should burn it.”

“Take it back!” screamed Steampunk. Dash held her back before she could pummel the unicorn again. “Take it back, you stupid, self-righteous, criticizing whore! Take it back right bucking now!” Her gun had begun to whir menacingly, and an insane fire had filled Steampunk’s eyes. She meant to kill Rarity.

Rarity finally saw that she had pushed too far, and her eyes filled with fear. She stammered an apology, and Steampunk turned away, kicking dirt in her face before walking over to Pinkie. Everyone stared at her, amazed and frightened by the sudden change in the mechanic.

“What the hay was that about?” asked Dash. “I’ve never seen you get that angry before.”

“This jacket was my mother’s,” answered Steampunk, looking directly at Rarity. “She was the one person other than my own brother who loved me. She died protecting me when I was twelve. This is all I have to remember her sacrifice by.” Tears had begun to well in Steampunk’s eyes. Rarity looked at the ground.

“I’m so sorry darling, I truly had no idea,” she apologized. Steampunk knew that it was heartfelt. “Forgive me my insensitivity.”

“Just don’t ever say that again,” Steampunk replied. “We can be friends as long as you don’t ever say that or anything like it again.” Rarity nodded in response, relieved that this earth pony was on her side.

Chaos trotted through the strange town that he had gotten lost outside of, his radioactive-green eyes scanning everything curiously. His oddly shaped mohawk of vibrant red and cyan bobbed with every movement. His tail matched the colors of his mane, drawing glances from passersby. He saw a group of females in the distance, and grinned devilishly to himself, not caring that his teeth were showing.

He galloped over to the group and cleared his throat politely. He saw a familiar pony; Steampunk looked his way, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Chaos!” she shouted in surprise. “It’s been forever, man!”

Everypony else turned at the mention of the DJ’s name. He had risen to a level of small-time fame a few towns over, and even had a few fans in Ponyville, Dash being the biggest of them. The pegasus gasped and walked over to him.

“Um, hello,” the stallion replied in a slightly confused tone. “Where exactly am I, Steampunk? And who are these interesting mares?” Dash giggled at the last remark, drawing another curious glance from the newcomer.

“You’re in Ponyville, man,” laughed Steampunk. “And these are my friends. The one staring at you would be Rainbow Dash.” Chaos’s ears twitched. He had heard that name before.

“You wrote me all those letters,” he said to the pegasus. She blushed and muttered that it was no big deal. “Nonsense,” he replied. “Your notes actually helped me out a lot. It seemed you would write me one every time I was starting to give up on my music. I appreciate the gesture.” He chuckled as she blushed even harder.

“Thanks,” she muttered in response. Chaos nodded his head.

“Guys, this is D4rkh34rt, Chaos Darkheart by birth,” Steampunk said. “We met shortly before I came here, and were pretty good friends. Don’t worry, he’s cool. Show ‘em.” Chaos grinned, the corners of his mouth stretching almost impossibly wide. He did not possess a pair of fangs. Rather, all of his teeth were razor-sharp needles of bone.

“Kickass,” gasped Rainbow Dash in awe. “Wish I had teeth like that. Feeding would be so much more fun.”

“He’s a unique vampyre,” explained Steampunk. “He consumes flesh instead of just blood, so his teeth have adapted to fit their purpose.” Just then, Samuel’s voice boomed out.

“Steampunk!” he shouted. Steampunk turned pale and looked at everyone. “Would you kindly explain why Macintosh and I are now vampyres?” Samuel’s eyes reflected his confusion and anger as he advanced on his sister.

“Um, that was me an’ Twi’,” Applejack answered quietly. “The two of us also kinda…well, we had a snack. Only a few cups though, I swear!” Big Macintosh gazed at her thoughtfully.

“Yer very lucky that Granny Smith wasn’t around,” he said. “She’da durn well up’n died from fright if she had seen us.”

At that point, a small orange blur blasted into Chaos’s side, knocking him onto the ground. When he looked over, he saw a very dazed Scootaloo rubbing her head and looking at him.

“Sorry,” she muttered. “I lost control of my flight path.” Chaos nodded at her, smiling. His ears twitched again as he heard the others talking carelessly; no one had noticed the filly’s entrance.

“Don’t worry, Mac,” Rainbow was saying. “You’ll like being a vampyre. Luna knows I do.”

A small gasp startled everyone. They turned and saw a now-standing Scootaloo staring wide-eyed at Dash. “You’re…what?” she asked.

“Uh, well,” Dash stuttered. “That is to say, well, I was-”

“I want to be one too!” Scootaloo blurted. Everypony stared at the small, orange filly.

“Uh, squirt,” mumbled Rainbow Dash. “I don’t know; you’re a bit young…”

“I don’t care!” the purple-maned pegasus suddenly shouted. “I want to be like you! Just like you!’

“Calm down, sugarcube,” Applejack replied. “Dash’ll do it if it’s what y’all really want. Ain’t that right, Dash?” Dash looked at the ground and grumbled.

“So,” started the mohawked pony. “Has Steampunk finally grown a pair and fed yet?”

“Bite me,” retorted Steampunk, her ear flapping at the banter.

“Mmm, don’t tempt me, gorgeous,” grinned Chaos, clicking his needlepoint teeth playfully. Steampunk giggled, prompting Samuel to clear his throat menacingly.

After some time, the group decided to head into the forest, where it was at least shady. Along the way, Scootaloo broke away to go to school, drawing a relieved sigh from everypony.

“We finally can quit watchin’ what we say!” remarked Applejack.

“What exactly happened last night…?” asked Samuel in his usual eloquent manner, so different from Steampunk’s casual tone.

“Oh, uh…well…” the orange mare chuckled nervously. “We all got drunk…an’ we kinda…had an little more to drink than just alcohol." Samuel and Big Mac stopped in their tracks, staring at her as Chaos collapsed in a fit of laughter

She would spend all day explaining why it had happened.