The Twelve Nights of Nightmare Night

After a good hour of trotting (and flying), the Dead Six and their dragon companion eventually arrived in the shadow of the Temple of the Doors, a massive black obelisk that towered over the already towering trees of Everdead. However, something immediately seemed amiss. The temple seemed to have no indication anyghoul had been home for quite a while: no melted candles by the door, and of course, a lack of cob-web.

"Huh - did Darksong take a vacation?" Rainbow Death pondered.

"Does Darky even take vacations?" Pinkie giggled. "He's one heck of a shut-in, you know." Her ears then sagged slightly. "I was in his dreams once... he seemed pretty lonely - so I gave him a wicked nightmare and that cheered him up!"

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm - how long ago was this, Pinkie?"

"Beats the non-existent pants off me!" she shrugged. "Maybe a few months ago?"

"Huh," Twilight pondered.

Applemoon gazed at her curiously. "Any idea whether or not he'll be able to help us?"

"I don't know," Twilight said. "I hope..." She then shook her head. "Let's just see if he's home or not."

With that, the group nodded and made their way up to the door. Twilight quickly pushed the door-bell, and out of nowhere came a most horrible sound:

"CRAWWWWLING IN MY SKINNNNN!

THESE WOUNDS! THEY WILL! NOT HEAAAAAL!

FEAR IS WHAT I LOVE...

CONFUSING WHAT IS REALLLL OOOOOO...."

"Oh god!" Spike shrieked, covering his ears. "That's definitely a recording of Darksong singing!"

"I know, and It's horrible!" Pinkie beamed, bouncing and singing along with it.

"Bleh - Linkin' Park," Scarity mumbled. "How uncoof - he must be in a depressive mood or something."

"Pffff - Darksong?" Rainbow giggled. "In a depressive mode? Next you'll tell me he isn't an overpowered red and black alicorn who looks like he crawled out of some novice author's ass. Seriously - the guy has nothing to be sad about - nothing at all..."

"Save for maybe a broken heart," Twilight whispered.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

They group waited another few minutes, but Darksong did not come to the door.

"Huh... he's usually very punctual," Twilight said.

"Cus he's eager to brag about how much flank he's 'kicked' over the years, probably," Spike mumbled.

"Spike!" Twilight snapped. "Give him a break - he's a Royal Sentry - he doesn't get to see people very often and I doubt he has anything going for him besides the whole 'horrific deeds' business."

"Ugh - you and your empathy," Spike grunted. "That's soooo two hundred years ago."

"Shush, you horrible little sociopath," Twilight said.

"Compliments will get you nussing," he winked.

"Alright, alright," Applemoon moaned. "We didn't come all this way for nothing - I say we let ourselves in."

"Bit unpolite, don't you think?" Scarity said. "This is where he lives."

"Pfffft- come on, Scarity the scaredy ghost," Rainbow grinned.

"I fear nothing," she stated, narrowing her eyes. "Not even Death."

"That's what all ghosts say, but it's usually the opposite," Rainbow smirked.

Scarity flushed red. "Why - how dare you! I became a ghost to-"

"STOP!" Twilight roared, before grinning sheepishly. "Sorry - just wanted to put out that fire before it spread."

"Hmph."

"Applemoon's right, though - it'd be stupid to come all this way for nothing," Twilight stated. "Besides - Darksong is a nice guy - he won't mind."

"Fine... very well," Scarity sighed.

And so the group entered.

The temple was pitch-black, comforting to the group, who could all easily see within it. Still, a little light was usually a standard feature of most Nightmare Realm building - yet none could be seen.

But something could be heard.

"I sense there's something in... the wind...

It's like the words would be a sin...

And so it's done before the start...

There's no room in her astral heart...

The worst should go yet it still stays...

And does she notice my feelings for her?

And will she see... how much she means to me?

I think it's not... to be...

What will we be while darkness reigns?

When time forever slits our veins?

And though I'd like to stand by her...

And be the one she could refer...

Try as I might it will not last...

And will we ever end up together?

No, I think not, it's never to become...

For I am not the one..."

The group paused, stunned.

"By the night... that was so beautifully horrible..." Scarity proclaimed.

"Darksong really can sing when he wants to!" Pinkie bounced.

Spike smirked. "Not too shabby, I guess..."

"I want to rip out his vocal chords and make love to them," Rainbow whispered.

Twilight shot her a look.

She did a double take. "What!? Your voice is cool, too, but damn- his is just... sexy."

"It's almost like it isn't his voice at all," Pinkie whispered in awe. "It's almost as if the sexiest voice of all - our god's, perhaps - maybe even our controller - has suddenly leaped into his body to give this gift to our ears... what we've just heard was something that nobody should have heard. I don't know how this has effected me yet, but I know it will... far into the future."

"Alright, enough about his voice already!" Twilight growled. "Did you hear what he was singing?! Have you ever seen him that depressed?"

The group sagged their heads.

"Twilight's right. We should go talk with em' - try to cheer him up. Our trip can wait," Applemoon nodded.

"Oh night damnit," Spike moaned. "And I guess my pre-Nightmare Night nap can wait, too, huh?"

"Spike..."

"Alright, alright!" he cried defensively. "I'm just not good at the whole... comforting thing."

"Welcome to my world," Death muttered.

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Who rejected Darksong, anyway?" He raised the other. "For that matter, ... who would even give Darksong a chance?"

"SPIKE!" Twilight yelped. "That's mean! Come on, ghouls, we can do this with or without him!"

"TO THE ANTI-FRIENDZONED MOBILE!" Pinkie roared.

At that, they galloped forward to the rescue.

... And Spike face-clawed. "Ugh - why do I have to be such a dick?" He tilted his head to the side, before giggling. "Oh yeah - because it's fun! WOOT WOOT!"

Darksong's bedroom was more of a trophy room than anything. In it were a collection of valuables taken from his exploits - the skull of a creature referred to only as a 'Hug Monster', the helmet of Artharius of Winter, the Lich King of Ice Crown who once tried to take the Nightmare Realm for his own long ago, a bit of fur from the Grinch, a dreaded beast in the Hearth's Warming Eve Realm, which he swore he tore off with his teeth, and finally - the eye-stalks of two Daleks - cyborg-like creatures that lived in the Nightmare Realm that occasionally couldn't resist a murder spree...

The door to it creaked open, and one by one the Dead Six poked their heads within (somehow). Darksong lay his bed, gazing at a small picture... of none other than him and Nightmare Moon dancing at the grand party in Ponyville after last Nightmare Night.

"Ugh... how could Darksong just freeze up like that," Darksong wept. "One thousand years of life, yet... how has Darksong gone on a date before... or kissed a lady? He's like... the most powerful loser ever..."

"You're not a loser, Darky!" Pinkie called.

"Yeah, dude! What's wrong?!" Rainbow called.

Darksong barely turned his head. "Visitors? Go away... Darksong wishes to be alone."

"We heard you singing, though!" Applemoon called. "It was pretty wicked, darlin'."

Spike stuck his head through the door as well. "Even I thought it was alright... still wasn't great - pitch was of once and a while but-"

CRACK!

He was quickly elbowed by Twilight.

"OUCH!" he cried. "And seriously - friggin' night(!) - I'm made of bones - why do they have pain receptors?!"

"Darksong doesn't wish to talk about it..." Darksong mumbled. "Just state your business and leave, please..."

"Well, we came to use the portal," Spike grunted.

"B-But then we heard you singing!" Flutterfright called. "It was mystical - the song of a vampire luring in prey..."

The group glanced at her strangely.

"To um... hug?"

They shrugged.

He sighed. "Darksong seeks no prey... for this day forth he's retired from all forms of public service..."

"But you're immortal, dude!" Rainbow called. "You're gonna get bored! I dunno what I'd do without my friends and Twilight around..."

"Darksong doesn't care," he muttered. "Please just use the portal and get out of Darksong's overpowered mane."

"This is about Nightmare Moon, isn't it?" Twilight said sympathetically, trotting over to him.

...

Darksong remained silent.

"What happened, Darky - we want to help!"

...

There was a moment, before he eventually sighed and turned his head, his eyes looking as if they were filled with tears (that happened to be made of blood).

"Darksong..." Darksong coughed. "Ever since last Nightmare Night - with the party in Ponyville... Darksong - I mean, I... couldn't take my mind off of Nightmare. It had been such a long time since I've had fun like that... and I think it was half because of her."

FLASH

One year ago, Darksong and Nightmare Moon gleefully bobbed for apples. Eventually, the two accidentally grabbed the same one, their lips making contact.

They immediately blushed, repelling from the bobbing station.

"Ehehehehe!" Nightmare giggled. "Darksong - there's plenty of apples for the both of us, you know..."

"S-Sorry," Darksong gulped.

She then gave him a sultry wink. "But I suppose I could always share."

With an apple in her mouth, she flung herself over to a very awkward Darksong, placing the other half in his mouth while beginning to nibble.

"Heat Hup!" she managed to say.

FLASH!

"She was the first who ever seemed to enjoy Darksong's company... most of the time Darksong can't seem to keep people around him when he gets into his stories... yet she... she was different. She was... patient with Darksong and his MIGHTY, OVERPOWERED social awkwardness -  for despite his skills with all manner of combat, the dance floor proved to be a worthy opponent."

Darksong awkwardly, and stiffly shuffled his legs on the dance floor, as the Baha Ghouls nearby sang:

"Who let the dogs out?!

WOLF! WOLF-WOLF-WOLF!"

Nearby, Slendermane was already dancing like a champ.

"GO SLENDERMANE! GO SLENDERMANE! IT'S YO BIRTHDAY!"

"The Slendermane doesn't even have a date of birth," Darksong muttered enviously.

"Darksong, get over here!" Nightmare Moon giggled. "And quit stressin' over dancing - seriously. You gotta relax. LOOSY, GOOSY, BABY! Don't think too much about it and you might be able to do THIS!"

At that, Nightmare Moon did a triple backlip (without wings), spun about on the dance floor, and landed in a sexy pose.

Darksong's jaw hit the ground.

"Ehehe - alright, I might have taken a few dancing classes from Moonwalker, but still! Come over here with me... please."

He did a double take, before quickly nodding. "Er- yes! Darksong approves of this debauchery!"

"Beautiful, baby!"

FLASH!

"However, when Darksong began visiting Nightmare Moon in her castle, still too nervous to... court her, she made the first move... and Darksong failed to respond."

"Say, Darksong..." Nightmare said, circling a hoof into the floor as the duo reviewed plans for the next Nightmare Night to come. "Listen - we've been hanging out a lot lately, and well... I'm starting to really like you. Heh - it's funny really - we've been around for like a thousand years and we've barely ever spoken."

To Darksong's surprise, she suddenly scooted near him.

"So um... what would you say if we became more than friends?" she asked hopefully. "I'm new to the whole dating thing - the mare asks the stallion, right? Or is it the other way around?"

She then shrugged. "Ah, screw it - let's make out!"

Suddenly, to Darksong's horror (and beating, undead heart), her muzzle launched towards him...

Yet by the time it reached him, he was already gone.

"Darksong?!" Nightmare cried, eyeing him galloping out of the room.

He shook his head. "D-Darksong needs to go! He is... not sure about this!"

Nightmare Moon gazed at him, utterly confused, before shaking her head. "F-Fine... sorry I asked..."

FLASH!

"And thus - Darksong committed the ultimate act of self-destruction, more than when he suicide-bombed Princess Trollestia's zeppelin... even if he regenerated by leeching from her soul... but you get Darksong's point." He plopped down on the bed, tears forming in his eyes once again. "Darksong is not the most fearsome creature, he is the biggest failure in all of Edeathstria!"

"Yeah, kind of," Spike nodded. "I mean - dude, what the hell were you-"

CRACK!.!.!

"AAAACK!"

Twilight elbowed him hard enough he almost shattered.

"Alright..." he wheezed. "No more talky..."

"Darksong..." Twilight whispered. "What happened? I thought you... really really liked her?"

"Darksong - I... felt fear for the first time, then," he whispered, wiping away a few tears. "I was afraid I was not good enough for her - a being as energetic as the stars above dating plane, old me..."

"Don't say that!" Pinkie cried. "You have a kinky personality! And you're adorable!"

"Y-You mean I'm not fearsome?!" Darksong cried, tears regenerating in his eyes.

"Adorable to mares, darling," Scarity said. "Though I'm sure all manner of brainless undead will fear the sight of you, some mares like dating... um... extreme introverts like yourself - it makes them feel good that they're making a horribly positive impact in someghoul's life."

"Y-You really mean it?" Darksong whispered.

"Duh, dude!" Death called. "We were all betting on you hooking up with her after Nightmare Night!"

"You all owe me twenty bits, by the way," Spike grinned.

"Y-You should ask her out again - e-explain what happened," Flutterfright smiled. "She would understand."

...

Darksong hung his head. "T-That is impossible now..."

"Huh, why?!"

"She has found another."

Twilight's eyes widened. "What?! Seriously?! How did I not find out my mentor's been dating someghoul?!" Suddenly, she cried into the heaven: "MOONY! YOU GOT SOME SPLAININ' TO DO!"

"Who's she dating, though?" Applemoon asked.

...

Darksong took a deep breath. "Naturally, it's Darksong's rival."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Horsey Douchebag Dark Link."

The group gasped, though Spike merely grinned.

"THIS TWIST! THIS TWIST IS SO AWESOMELY CLICHE THAT I APPROVE!"