Cupcakes

You think Luna and Celestia are old? You don't even know the half of it. My name is Rose Pie, but feel free to call me Cupcakes, my victims do. My first memory is of the sun. The sun, love, and warmth. My mother was a lovely mare named Shimmer, but. . . She wasn't my mother, not really. Nor was my father my real father. No, I was literally born of shadows. My so-called father was a horrible pony named Nightrunner. I lost track of how many times he had beaten me, he is what ultimately turned me to darkness.He wasn't always bad though, he called me 'Cupcakes' whenever we were having a good time together. Everything good in our little clan, that was, until I became a full grown mare. He was a stranger, and treated as such. The warriors of the clan attacked, my father -the clan's chief- in the lead.The stranger gave a dangerous smile, and darted up into the air, his wings spreading out like fans. He was beautiful. Being a pegasus myself, I shot up into the air before anypony could stop me. I remember the whole conversation perfectly, but all that you need to know is that he said that he had come for me. This took me by surprise. When I was a filly, there was extremely minimal communication between pony tribes, meaning that only the ponies who should have heard of me were the ones in my tribe. I was afraid at first, but as we got further an further into the conversation, my fear subsided, and became curiosity. I realized that this was a chance to start fresh away from my father's harsh punishments, with somepony who may actually understand me. I gave my mother an apologetic glance, and flew off with the mysterious pony who stole my heart. What was his name you ask? His name, was, and is to this day, Lucifer.

***

I've had many sets of friends throughout the ages, but I think my current set is my favorite. Lucifer, or Luke as I call him, turned me into a vampire alicorn when he realized that he had an. . . attachment to me. So yes, I am older than Celestia, Luna, and even Equestria itself. My current circle of friends consists of an nonflying pegasus by the name of Penguin, a unicorn by the name of Dixie, an earth pony named Livvy, a second unicorn named Dally, and of course my dear alicorn, Luke.  Now that you know my story, we can start.

***

"Give me a break Rose, why Ponyville? We could go anywhere in Equestria, and you choose a tiny town in the middle of nowhere." Dixie scoffed, Dally and Livvy nodded their heads in agreement. "Why are you all being so difficult? Ponyville is our best shot at getting to the princesses. Ponyville is home Princess Twilight Sparkle. We get to her, we get to Celestia." I objected. "I'm in." Penguin said quietly. "Yeah, but you always agree with her. You don't get a vote" Livvy snarled. Penguin let out a small growl, and took a threatening step towards Livvy, but Luke intercepted. "Ponies! Calm yourselves. Rose is your leader, and as such, you can either come with us, or leave our protection. It's up to you." He said calmly. "In that case, I'm in." Dally said smoothly, resting his head on top of Penguin's lovingly. Livvy and Penguin nodded in agreement, Dixie doing the same after a moments hesitation. "For my sister." She said confidently. "Excellent." I said. "We leave at dusk."

                 ***

The citizens of Ponyville were surprised to see us, especially Twilight Sparkle. Although, I don't think it was the whole group that threw them off, just Luke and I. Not surprising considering that we were alicorns that no one had ever heard of. "Hello. I'm Mayor Mare. Who are you?" The mayor said hesitantly. I smiled sweetly, and introduced my inner circle. "My name is Rose Pie, the black and white mare is Penguin Featherbeak, the purple mare is Dixie, the earth pony's name is Livvy, the white filly underneath Dixie is named Penny, the grey unicorn is Dally, and this handsome red alicorn is Luke." The ponies in town square shifted nervously, all the ponies except one. "Hey guys! It's TIME. TO. PARTY!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "That's quite alright Pinkamena. No need to fuss." I said cautiously. There was a collective gasp from the crowd. "How do you know my name?" She gasped. "I get around Miss Pie. You could even say that we are related to an extent." I relied, earning another gasp from the crowd. "I wouldn't have thought that it would be such a surprise, just considering the only difference in our appearance is our colouring and our cutie marks. Never the less, we'll talk later Pinkie." Pinkie nodded a little. To the ordinary person, it would look like Pinkie wasn't moving at all, but I could see her shaking ever so slightly. "And, I'm just wondering, does somepony have a few rooms to spare. We don't have anywhere to stay." Luke chimed in. "You could stay with us!" A small pony named Pipsqueak said excitedly. His mother gave him a scolding look, but realized that she couldn't turn us away. "I suppose we could house three or four of you." She said stiffly. "I can take the rest of you. Derpy has lots of room at her house." The pegasus named Derpy said. "Thank you. Livvy, Dixie, and Penny can stay with Derpy. The rest of us will stay with you little one." I said to Pip. "I'll show to our house!" Pip said eagerly. Soon enough, we were inside the cottage where Pipsqueak and his mother lived. "Off to bed now Pip." His mother said condescendingly. "But mum, I want to stay and talk to Miss Rose." Pip whined. "Tomorrow honey. You can talk tomorrow." She replied firmly. Pip sighed, and trotted up the stairs. "I'm sorry about him. He gets a little over excited sometimes, and Trixie being back isn't really helping." Pip's mother apologized. "No problem, but did you happen to say that Trixie is in town?" I asked. "Yes, why do you know her?" She replied. "Sort of. I met her once, a while back." I said, not lying, but not telling the entire truth either. My crew and I ran into  a slight problem with Trixie a few years ago. We were staying in her hometown for a few weeks, just to stir up trouble, and her parents were a set of our victims. Unfortunately, she walked in on us just as we finish. We tried to stop her, but she managed to get away from us in time. We'd been hoping to find her so that we could tie up a loose end. This was our chance.

***

The next night, I met up with my friends to discuss our next. . . project. "Are we clear on the plan everypony?" I asked. They all nodded in unison. "Alright then. Why doesn't one of you recap what we have to do?" Penguin's hoof shot straight up into the air. "Alright Penguin." I said reluctantly. "Dixie has to lure Trixie into the Everfree forest, where Dally will slit her throat, so that I can collect her blood, after which Livvy will burn the body, and Luke will drag her soul down to hell." She said smiling. I let out a small grin. Celestia had a star pupil, why couldn't I? "Alright then, places everypony. The show's about to begin."

***

Dixie Knocked on Trixie's door only ten minuets later, her objective in mind. "Trixie, are you home. Trixie open up!" She called. "What are you doing? Do you know what time it-" Trixie gasped, realizing who was at her door. "You!" "What?" Dixie asked quietly. "I just wanted you to show me some magic. Pretty please? No one has to know, you could show me in the forest." "Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt. Just a few tricks." Trixie said nervously, following Dixie into the forest. "So, what trick do you want to see first?" Trixie asked, a little too full of herself. "How about this one!" Dally said, slashing his blade across her throat. She tried to scream, but that is not within the capability of the dead. "Penguin, get the blood. Now." I barked. Penguin rushed to do as I asked. "You killed her." Said a small voice from behind the bushes. "You killed Trixie." "Oh Pip, this isn't what it looks like." Penguin gasped. "You killed her, you're murderers. I want mummy." He sobbed, and tried to run, but I stopped him. "Not so fast, little one. If we let you go, you'll just run off and tell you're mummy. Now here's the thing Pipsqueak, I don't kill children, but they do." I said gesturing to the group of ponies behind me. "Please Miss Rose, I don't want to die." He said, shaking harder than I'd ever seen somepony shake. "Rose, he's just a foal. Give him a chance, a second option." Penguin begged. I thought a moment, then nodded. "Alright Penguin, we'll try it you way, but you're responsible for him until he can take care of himself." Pip ran over to Penguin, who had just finished collecting the last of Trixie's blood. "Thank you Miss Penguin!" He said, nuzzling up to her leg. Penguin patted his head. "No problem little one. You're one of us now, and we don't hurt our own." "Well not too bad anyways." Livvy laughed. "And don't forget the mark of alliance." Luke said, reappearing with a few ashes in his mane and tail. "Did she scream?" I asked, trotting up to him and brushing the ashes off. "She wailed like a baby." He said, nodding in thanks. I turned back to Pip, baring my fangs. "Come here Pipsqueak." I ordered. He walked towards me slowly, with a nervous glow in his eyes. Understandable considering the situation. When he was finally next to me, I knelled down and bit his throat, then quickly stopped and observed my work. "It is done." I said proudly. "Twin scars to mark his loyalty. If he ever turns against us, they will disappear. They are visible to us and only us. Now let's go home. I've got baking to do."

***

"These are amazing." Pip mumbled, his mouth full of cupcakes. "Can I have one?" Penguin said excitedly. "Of course. You can all have one."  I said cheerfully. Everypony took one in turn and took a bite, everypony except Dixie. "Don't you want a cupcake Dixie?" Luke asked. "Pony blood? No thanks." She snorted. "Suit yourself." He said and took a bite. Just then, the doorbell of Sugarcube Corners sounded, and in walked Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle. "And then I said- Hey! What are you guys doing here?" Pinkie gasped when she saw us. "We made Cupcakes." I said, using my magic to hover the platter holding the cupcakes in front of them. " Would you like one?" I asked. "Ooh Cupcakes!" She said, taking one and biting down on it. "They're delicious!" She exclaimed. "You're right, they're amazing. You made these?" Twilight said after trying one for herself. "Call it a hobby." I said and turned to Pinkie Pie. "I'd like to have that talk now Pinkie. If you don't mind." "O-okay." She said, and followed me up the stairs. I shut Pinkie's bedroom door behind us, then started talking. "So Pinkie. How much do you you know about our ancestry?" I asked calmly, pacing over to the window where the intense sunlight was streaming through. My bracelet, a special gift from Luke after he made me a vampire, glittered in the sunlight and prevented the sun from turning me to ash. "What do you mean, our ancestry?" She asked suspiciously. "Technically, they are my descendants and your ancestors." I replied. Pinkie gasped, and backed up a few steps. "You mean. . . you're the first Pie?" She asked nervously. "Yes." I replied. "But you should have died centuries ago." She observed. "Well, obviously that didn't happen now did it?" I said dryly, rolling my eyes. "And how are you an alicorn? Everyone in my family is an earth pony." She added.    "The Pie family was originally pegasi, like I was before my change. My descendants bred with earth ponies, and now it's mostly a family bound to the earth." I replied.

"What do you mean by 'your change'?"

"How did Twilight get her wings?"

"Princess Celestia made you an alicorn?"

"No. She made Twilight in the light, surrounded by goodness. Twilight will age, slower than she should, but age never the less. I will never age, having been changed in darkness."

"So you're a vampire alicorn?" Pinkie quivered.

"Yes, but don't fret. I won't harm you Pinkamena. If anything, I want you to join my group and travel across Equestria with us. Think about it." I was about to leave the room when I remembered something vital to my existence. "Oh yes, and Pinkie. Make me a Pinkie Promise that yoy won't tell anyone what you just heard." I said sweetly. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She said. I nodded and left her presence.

***

Pip moved stealthily through the bushes, careful as to not be seen by the two chatting ponies. "So Pinkie, what did Rose want?" Twilight asked inquisitively. "Just baking tips." Pinkie lied smoothly. "She wanted to ask you baking tips in private?" Twilight asked, puzzled. "She was shy to ask. She didn't want her friends to think less of her for what she asked." Pinkie replied. "Really, and you didn't notice anything off about her?" Twilight asked, a little too pushily. "I'm sure. She was really nice. She seemed like she just wanted to be friends." Pinkie said, almost getting used to lying to her friend. ""If you're sure." "Sure about what Twilight?" Rarity asked, coming up behind them. "The new ponies. Something just doesn't seem right about them." Twilight answered. "Well, I'm sure they're just nervous. They only know each other after all. Don't you remember what it was like when you first came to Ponyville Twilight?" Rarity objected. "I suppose, I'm just not sure about them. I'm going to do some research, I'll catch up with you girls later. Bye!" Twilight said, and ran off. At the same time, little Pip ran off back towards his house, not noticing the bright flash on his flank as a pair of binoculars appeared on his flank.

***

"Miss Rose, Miss Rose, you'll never believe what I just heard!" Pip called,running into my bedroom. "Well now you have me curious. Do tell." I said, trotting out from where I had been rooting through my closet. "Twilight thinks you're up to something. She's going to research on you." Pip said, gasping for breath. "She will only learn what I want her to learn. A certain draconequus friend of mine can take care of that, and Pip?" I said, beginning to write a letter to Discord. "Yes Rose?" He asked. "Look in a mirror. You have something on your flank." I said, and Pip shot out of the room to see his new cutie mark.

***

"Remind me why I'm here again, Rose." Discord said, making a glass of chocolate milk appear out of thin air. "I need you to convince Twilight that we're not a threat. She seems to consider you a friend, she should listen to you." I said, taking a sip of the chocolate milk he had poofed up for me. "And what's in it for me?" He asked, appearing next to me. "I've known you since you were just a child Discord, and I was friends with you're parents before you. I helped you in your first reign of chaos, it's only fair you help me. Also, years ago I remember you wanting a spot on my team. Do this and it's yours." I bargained. "Alright. I'll help you on one condition." He said. I nodded for him to speak. "You will not harm Fluttershy." He said. "Alright, I swear on my honor as an alicorn. Now go do what you're best at. Stir up some trouble." Discord poofed out of the room and into Twilight's cottage. "Discord?! What the hay are you doing in my library?" Twilight gasped, looking up from the book she was reading. "I came to talk abut my old friend." He said, making the book in front of her fly away. "You interrupted my studies to talk about Fluttershy?" She asked, obviously irritated. "No, I came to talk about my other friends. Rose and Luci- I mean, Luke." He corrected. "They're your friends?" Twilight asked suspiciously. "Yes, and as your friend, I'm asking you to realize that they're perfectly normal ponies. And if you're really my friend, you'll realize that I'm telling the truth and respect the new ponies like I've asked you to." He said firmly. "Alright. I'll leave them alone, for now anyways." She agreed. "Goodie. Goodbye Twilight Sparkle, see you soon."

***

"Did she buy it?" I asked when he came to where I was waiting in a dark alley. "I believe so, now for my method of payment. . ." He trailed off. "You may have it after the next kill. The killing of the mare who posses the most threat to our secret." I said deviously. "Who?" Discord asked. "The Princess Twilight Sparkle." I replied, and disappeared into the night.