Fear the Four

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Sneak Peek

Chapter 1

My name is Cale McManus.

I am 21 years old, I have light brown eyes, brown hair, fair skin, I wear a black shirt, a red leather jacket, dark pants, white socks, and dark running shoes.

I was sitting on a rooftop, making myself comfortable under Princess Celestia's sun. I had recently left the castle to go on a little walk. Said walk led me to this. Feeling a little bored, so deciding to kill time by sitting on a random rooftop seemed like a good idea. I watched as the citizens of Canterlot walked along the streets, go to their jobs, etc. I got up and scaled down the house, back onto the street. In addition to the comfortable sun, occasional chilly winds blew through the area. A slight combination of hot and cold. My type of weather. "Hey Cale!" A voice called. I turned my head and saw Jack running towards me. He is a 19-year-old young man with a white long-sleeved shirt, a black vest, black pants, a black leather belt with a gold buckle, white socks, and black shoes. He has dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and fair skin.

"Hey Jack" I greeted.

"Come on, Octavia's orchestra is about to start!" I almost forgot about that thing. I followed him to the Canterlot theater where seats were filled with ponies.

"Isn't Remy and Chase coming?" I asked as we took our seats in the middle row.

"Sadly no" Jack answered. "I was going to, but they had plans. Have you heard Octavia's music?"

"Not really" I answered.

"Oh you'll love it. It's so soothing." I know how good she is, but I haven't heard her music with my own ears. Just then, the lights dimmed and the curtains opened. "I'm so nervous" Jack said over the sound of applause.

"Shh" I whispered. The stage lights turned on and Octavia stood with her cello in her hooves. When applause died down, Octavia closed her eyes and begun playing her cello. The sounds of the slow classical melody rang through my ears and I was immediately engrossed into her music. I turned my head slightly and saw that Jack was as mesmerized as I was. The Earth pony continued to play her tune. I always did have a thing for stringed instruments. Just then, her first number was finished. The entire theater applauded as did Jack and I. The applause died down and Octavia began to play another soothing classical song on the cello.

3 Hours Later

The concert may be long but it was so fucking worth the time! The music was absolutely terrific. The two of us walked down the dark streets of Canterlot. On our way back to the castle, I couldn't help but replay the songs in my head. They were that good. "When is the next time Octavia will be playing?" I asked.

"Tomorrow night" he answered. "And I'm hoping Remy and Chase can come along this time."

"I'll see if I can persuade them" I told him. We reached the castle and walked separate ways. I reached my room and collapsed on my bed with exhaustion. Oh what a day this has been. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

A Few Hours Later

I woke up in the middle of the night feeling thirsty. I hopped out of bed and walked over to my bathroom. I turned on the faucet, grabbed a plastic cup and filled it with cold water. I gulped down the fresh beverage and put the cup down. As I turned around to head back to bed, I ended up coming face-to-face with Nightmare Moon in her alicorn form, and without her armor. "Jesus!" I cried out, hopping onto the sink. "You know, I really hate it when you do that" I said as Nightmare Moon laughed. "Goddamn it, you really know how to catch me off guard."

"You're too easy, Cale" she said. I laughed sarcastically.

"One of these nights, I'm going to scare you back" I said.

"I doubt it" she said with a smirk. "You can't scare me."

"Oh no?" I asked challengingly. "Watch me. One night, when you try to scare me, I'm going to turn the tables around." Nightmare Moon smiled and accepted my challenge.

"Fine then. You have one week to make me jump out of my skin."

"Deal" I said as I shook her hoof. I jumped off the sink, turned off the bathroom lights and climbed into bed. I closed my eyes and drifted back to sleep again. I opened my eyes to see if she was trying to scare me, but I opened them at a bad time. Because when I did, she was leaning VERY close to me. So close, that I could see my own reflection in her mesmerizing bluish green cat-like eyes. I cried out and shut my eyes tightly. "You gotta be kid... Come on!" I whined. Nightmare Moon laughed and used her magic to bring me close to her. She then wrapped her wings around me.

"I told you, you can't scare me."

"Don't count on it" I said, returning the hug. I still got the end of this week to get you back."

"And I'll be waiting for that time to come." She released me from her hug, and laid down next to me. She wrapped a wing around me and brought me close to her. Having the rest of the week to scare her? That should be easy. What could possibly stand in my way of trying to achieve my goal?

Somewhere in the darkest part of Equestria, a hooded and cloaked man walked up a flight of stairs of a dark castle. He opened a set of double doors and approached a man sitting on a throne. Said man was shrouded in black aura. He held a walking stick with a gold knob on the top. His eyes were yellow. In fact they were the only features the hooded man could see. "You summoned me?" He asked.

"Yes" the shadowy man answered. "I want you to do me a small favor."

"What will that be?" The hooded and cloaked man asked.

"On the light side of Equestria are four humans. Each are gifted like myself. I want you to tail them, get into their heads, find out if they love anypony, and above all, I want you to find out their fears."

"As you wish, but why find out their fears?"

"Come back to me once you finished your task. Then we'll talk." The hooded and cloaked man nodded and teleported. The shadowy man shifted comfortably in his throne. He closed his eyes and smiled. Whatever he has planned out in that fiendish mind of his, isn't good.

Chapter 2

The rays of the sun shone through the window, immediately pulling me out of my sleep. I sat up and yawned. I looked around and saw that Nightmare Moon was no longer around. "Shit" I groaned. "Tonight when she wakes, I just know she'll scare the fucking hell out of me." I slipped out of bed and walked over to the bathroom to take a leak.

When I was finished, I washed my hands and face with soap and turned the faucet off. I grabbed a towel, dried my hands and face, and left the bathroom. I left my room, and walked down the hall, down a flight if stairs and made my way to the dining room. Jack and Remy have beaten me to the table. "Where's Chase?" I asked.

"Still sleeping" Remy answered as he applied jam on his toast. As usual, everything but meat and dairy are found on the table. I picked up a sliced peach and took a bite out of it.

"So what's the plan today?" I asked.

"Tonight, we're seeing Octavia again" Jack said. "And Remy is coming along too."

"One one condition" the Cajun gunslinger said. "He doesn't go flirting with her."

"Because if I did, then he wouldn't be joining us" Jack added. I didn't realize I was still standing, so I pulled up a chair, sat down and gathered some toast and fruit for my breakfast.

"And that's not all" Remy added.

"Oh?" I asked as I picked up a cup of cider and brought it to my lips.

"Vinyl Scratch will be performing tonight as well" he said. I did a spit take and pounded on my chest.

"The Vinyl Scratch? As in Dj Pon-3?!" I asked.

"You've heard of her?" Remy asked.

"Dude, she's like the best dj out there!" Jack added. He looked at his watch. "But, like I said, we won't be seeing them until tonight."

"Well, I know how we could get our mind of it for the time being" I said as I quickly gulped down my cider.

"Canterlot walk?" Jack asked.

"The Canterlot Walk" I repeated. I left the table, but came back for the toast and the peach. "Mine" I said quietly.

As the three of us left the castle and over to the kingdom square, the hooded and cloaked man eyed us from behind an alleyway. As he saw us approaching his direction, he went deeper into the dark alley and waited for us to walk by before watching us again. When we were out of sight, he slunk back into the dark and teleported while hiding in the shadows.

A mile or two away from the alleyway the hooded and cloaked figure, the three of us got caught by three fillies and asked us if we wanted to skip rope with them. There was no way we could say 'no' to these faces. "So who wants to go first?" I asked.

"I will" Jack volunteered. As he skipped rope, I couldn't help but sing a song.

'I lost my partner what'll I do?
I lost my partner, what'll I do?
I lost my partner what'll I do?
Skip to my Lou my darling'

While we played with the fillies, and I continued my sing, the hooded and cloaked figure peeked around from behind another alleyway. He looked around and eyed a building. From under the hood, he grinned evilly. "One..." He counted. He shot a fireball at the building, setting it ablaze. The ponies begun to panic.

"What the--" Jack cried out as he tripped over the jump rope, landing face down on the pavement.

"Two..." The figure counted. He fired a blast if black aura on the ground. Rising up was a hooded and cloaked man. He ran to a nearby cart and swiped a pouch of coins... Or bits as we like to call it.

"Thief!" A stallion called.

"Three..." The figure said. He whipped out a dagger and threw it, getting me in the leg. I cried out in pain and fell on the ground.

"Cale!" Remy shouted.

"Don't mind me!" I shouted over the panic cries. "Get that fucking thief!" Remy turned his head and saw the thief running across the rooftops. Remy scowled and decided to chase after him. "Come on Jack!" I yelled as I pulled the dagger out of my leg. "We got a fire to put out!" I staggered to my feet and limped over to the burning building.

The hooded and cloaked man that caused it all snickered to himself, slunk back into the darkness of the alleyway, and teleported.

Jack steadily got to his feet and groaned. "Oh that hurt..."

"Jack!" I called. Jack turned his head and saw several ponies run to the building while I continued limping. Jack followed the crowd and eventually caught up with me.

"No, fuck that Cale, you're not going in there, not with that wound on your leg!"

"There could be somepony in there!" I yelled over the roar of the flame. I turned around and limped to the entrance.

"Cale, Cale, Cale! Wait! Wait!" Jack called, but I was already limping towards the entrance.

"Come on, you slowpoke! Help me get the ponies out!" I called out before limping inside.

"I'll never never understand this guy" Jack said quietly to himself. He ran over to the building. "Cale!" He called. "Wait!" He went inside the building, leaving several shocked ponies behind.

Chapter 3

Remy continued to run after the hooded and cloaked figure with the stolen pouch of bits. "That son of a bitch" he muttered under his breath. Remy had to jump from one rooftop to the next if he wants to catch up with the thief. He jumped to the next rooftop but lost his footing and fell face down on the tiles. He glanced up and saw the their running away. "That's it.." He said angrily. He got to his feet and flicked his wrist. A contraption with a pistol attached to it whipped out from beneath his sleeve. He pulled the hammer back and took aim. "Run all you want, asshole" he said quietly was he wrapped a finger around the trigger. "Run all you fucking want. You can't outrun this bullet." He pulled the trigger. From far away, he heard a faint grunt of pain. Remy smiled and began jumping from one rooftop to the next until he approached the wounded thief. "Ah, ah, ah..." He said, stepping on the pouch. "Not yours" he pulled the trigger again, shooting him in the back. The thief groaned in pain. Remy rolled him over and saw that the hood may be up, but it's like he has no face underneath. (Imagine The Organization from the Kingdom Hearts series when they have their hoods up). Remy, thinking that this is some sort of phantom buried the barrel of his pistol into the face if the hood. "Since you don't have a face, I might as well--" he stopped talking when he pulled the trigger because a small fountain of blood splashed on his face. He spat his oppnent's blood out and coughed. "Fuck."

Inside the burning building, Jack and I heard screams but we do not know where they are coming from. "Anyoony in here?!" Jack called out over the roar of the flames. The cries were coming from the floor above us. "Cale, give me a boost" he said. I glanced up at the ceiling and heard the muffled cries coming from above. I nodded. I put one hand over the other and held them palms up. I limped a few inches back and lowered my hands.

"Ready?" I asked, straining from the stab wound on my leg. Jack nodded and moved a few inches back himself. If I did this right, Jack can burst through the ceiling without injuring himself. Jack ran and jumped on my hand. I hauled him upwards and saw him burst through the ceiling. I groaned in pain as the wound took its toll. I leaned against the wall and slid to a sitting position.

Jack glanced around. "Where you?!" He called, his hands cupped around his mouth. He heard crying a foot away from him. He eyed a closet and hurried over to it. Several pieces of burning dropped and got into his way. "Goddamn" he said, staggering back. The cries were clear through his ears. "I'm coming!" He called. He made his way around the wood and opened the closet. Inside were three fillies but they weren't the ones he, Remy, and I played with. "Come on" he said. He picked one up and the other two clung onto him. He made his away back around the wood and glanced down. "Cale!" He called.

I struggled to my feet and looked up.

"How many can you carry?" He asked me.

"One!" I called over the fire and stretched out my hands. Jack dropped a filly which I caught. I held her close to me and limped as quickly as I could to the exit. "Come on Jack!" I called as I neared the exit.

"Fuck" he whispered as he looked around. "I didn't think this through." Remy then jumped through the rooftop and landed in front of Jack.

"Remy!" Jack exclaimed with delight.

"This place wasn't so difficult to find" he said as he took one of the fillies from his friend. "Now lets get the hell out of here." He walked over to the hole on the floor and jumped through it.

"Hell yeah to that" Jack agreed as he followed through. The two friends along with their fillies hurried over to the exit as the building crumpled down. Remy turned his head and saw me lying in the pavement groaning. Aside from the stab wound on my leg, I also had burn marks on the same leg. He hurried over to me and examined my condition.

"Can you walk?" He asked.

"Yeah but it'll hurt like fuck" I strained.

"We got to get him to a hospital." He then grasped me by my shirt. "Ready? This is going to hurt." Even thought he carefully hauled me up, my leg stung and the burning sensation kicked in at the same time, causing me to cry out in pain. He then carried me the same way a soldier does and hurried over to the hospital.

"When I find out who did this, I'm so sending them straight to HELL!" I yelled in both anger and pain.

"Amen to that" Remy agreed.

Chase heard the news and he hurried over to the hospital wing of the castle where Remy, Jack and a few ponies gathered around me. "Well the good news is that the healing spell used on me will heal this leg in no time."

"And what's the bad news?" Chase asked.

"Nothing, there's only good news" I said. I leaned against the headrest of the bed and sighed.

"Ok, the guy needs rest, lets let him be" Remy said as he begun ushering everypony, Jack, and Chase out of the room. Chase closed the door, as I closed my eyes and drifted off into a nap.

Chapter 4

That night, it was clear that I won't be able to go to the concert but I didn't care. What mattered to me more was a certain alicorn mare. And I could feel her presence looking down at my peaceful, wounded form. I stirred a little and sat up. A black hoof was gently placed on my chest and gently pushed me back down on the bed. "Rest" Nightmare Moon said softly. I closed my eyes and did what she told me to do. I could feel her hoof stroke my chest. I grasped her hoof and held it a little tight. Nightmare Moon smiled and placed her other forehoof on top of my hand and stroke it lovingly. "Good night Cale" she whispered.

"Good night" I said tiredly. She used her magic to turn off my lights and teleported out if my room. Yep, I'd rather share a moment with Nightmare Moon to stay in 3-4 hour concert any day... Night of the week.

Back in the dark castle, the hooded and cloaked man that tailed us bowed before the shadowy man on the throne. "So let me get this straight" he said. "You caused three distractions, am I right?"

"Yes, my lord" the hooded said.

"You caused a building to catch on fire, you made a shadow thief run off with a small bundle of bits, and you stabbed one of the humans in the leg."

"That's right sir."

"Now see... This is what I don't understand..." His calm demeanor suddenly vanished. "WHY DIDN'T YOU GET INTO THEIR HEADS?!" The hooded and cloaked man staggered back. The shadow man stood up and approached him. "I ORDERED YOU TO GET INTO THEIR HEADS, GET NTO THEIR LIVES, FIND OUT IF THEY LOVE ANYPONY!" He was so mad then when he was yelling, the hooded and cloaked man could see sharp teeth and a triangular snake-like tongue along with with his yellow cat-like eyes. "AND I EVEN TOLD YOU TO FIND OUT THEIR WORST FEAR!" The hooded and cloaked man decided to stand up for himself.

"With all due respect sir..." The shadowy man clicked his fingers and three large spikes burst from the ground and impaled the hooded and cloaked man. Blood gushed out and spilled all over the floor. The hooded and cloaked man gasped and choked.

"I hate those four words" the shadow man said. He walked back over to his throne and stared at his impaled (and now dead) servant for a few seconds. He tapped the floor with his walking stick rhythmically and waited for a few seconds. Rising from the floor was his shadow.

"What can I do for you, Pitch Black, King of the Nightmares?" It asked.

"You know well that I'm bound to stay in this hellhole and can't leave at all, right?"

"Yes sire" the shadow said. "But I can."

"Indeed. Which is why I ask you to run the simplest task that my pathetic excuse of a servant couldn't do."

"Tail the four humans, get into their minds, find out their weaknesses, and even find out their fears?" It asked.

"You're catching on" Pitch Black said.

"It shall be done." The shadow slipped into the floor, and slithered across it swiftly and quickly. Pitch Black closed his eyes and smiled villainously at his own plan.

Canterlot

Chase was sprawled on an armchair with the pamphlet of the concert he came back from. He was snoring very lightly and occasionally hummed some musical notes from the song Octavia played. Pitch Black's shadow phased up from the carpet and approached the back of the chair. He wrapped his hands around from the back and placed them over either side of the young man's head. Chase began to moan and stir.

Castle Nightmare

"Don't worry Chase" Pitch Black said. "This is only a harmless nightmare. One you won't be able to wake from while it happens." He closed his eyes and focused. "So you like courting women. Using words to charm them and turn them down when they ask for sex. But what's this? Princess Twilight Sparkle? Oh... You love her and she loves you back. How touching. Oh, and you plan to propose? That's sweet. But what I really want to know us what creature scares you... Ah, there it is. There's the thing that frightens you." He chuckled evilly.

Canterlot

Pitch Black's shadow released its hold on Chase and slithered away, leaving the young man to jolt up from his sleep, panting. "Just a nightmare" he said quietly to himself. "Thank God." He was able to back to sleep and dream of something else.

Jack was sprawled shirtless on his bed, mouth slinging slightly open. Pitch Black's shadow clung into the ceiling, staring down at him. It stretched out its hand and lowered it near Jack's face. The second the hand touched his forehead, Jack winced.

Castle Nightmare

"Your past is boring, Jack. Pulling off a Robin Hood, steal from the cocky assholes to give to the ones who truly need them. No love interest, but you are the adoptive son of the rulers of the Crystal Empire. Very nice. Now... Lets see what scares... Aha! There it is! The creature you're scared of. Not bad, not bad. I know you're not the only one scared of this thing. Thanks for letting me see it."

Canterlot

The shadow quickly slipped away as Jack bolted upright with a gasp. He grasped his heart while taking steady breaths. "Fuck" he panted.

Remy was lying on his bed, sleeping like the rest. The shadow emerged from the dark corners of his room and approached him. He then placed its hand on his forehead. Remy cringed and let out a groan.

Castle Nightmare

"Handy with the guns I see" Pitch Black said. "Now I don't care about your... Oh! There it is! The being that scares you to your core. Hmm... I love it when these things scares people. But I won't complain if there are people who like them."

Canterlot

The shadow slipped away, but Remy didn't bolt upright. Instead, he remained lying on his bed, shuddering.

My leg was feeling much better after hours of rest and not moving it. I stirred on the bed and continued to sleep. Pitch Black's shadow phased out of the velvet carpet and turned to its humanoid shape and form. It stared at my sleeping body for several seconds. It then placed hand on my forehead and focused. I begun stirring and moaning.

Castle Nightmare

Pitch opened his eyes and smiled. "Ahh, Cale... I see you're a skilled assassin. You have a tragic past. A shame you had to save your family board a train away from where you currently lived. And what's this? The train crashed one hour it left the station? How unfortunate. Ah, Nightmare Moon seems to have a liking for you. How... Fucking boring. Now lets see what entity truly scares you." He grinned fiendishly. "Oh... This is going to be very interesting. Very interesting indeed."

The shadow unexpectedly appeared before him, but he didn't get startled. "My lord, with these four stalking these humans..."

"Relax, my dear shadow. There is a way to beat them, but they won't like it."

"Ah, they have to work together, but they can't because they're too scared?"

"Better. They'll have to go face-to-face with their own worse fear alone... In the dark."

"When can we summon them?"

"Midnight tomorrow."

Chapter 5

This was an odd feeling. Last night I had a nightmare but now, I forgot about it completely. It was like it was wiped clean from my head. I remember having a nightmare but I don't remember anything that happened in it at all. I climbed out if bed and walked to the window and looked out. My leg may be cleaned from its wound and burn, but a numbing sensation still shakes through. It's funny how for a brief moment I thought I was in my room, but I w actually in the hospital sing. The rising sun was a magnificent sight to behold. I left the hospital wing and out into the hall. It was normal that I'm usually the first one to wake up before anyone or anypony else. And since this happened almost the time, there is always a spot I go... Just to kill time and wait.... The castle rooftops.

I sat on said rooftop, surveying the area of Canterlot. "Meet me in the library with the other Horsemen once they wake... And after breakfast of course" the unmistakable voice of Princess Celestia said in my ear. But she has vanished the same time I turned around. Although it was definitely clear that she was behind me, I felt like she communicated with me telepathically. I couldn't help figure out what happened last night. What was the not are I had?

Hours went by and I got nothing. Not only that, when the other three woke, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Are you serious?" I asked.

"Yeah. I recall having a nightmare, but I don't remember anything" Jack said.

"Same here, I couldn't even remember a single pony or person in it" Remy added. So I'm not the only one who has amnesia with the nightmare.

"This is seriously strange" Chase said. I then remembered something.

"Princess Celestia requested that we see her in the library."

"Good idea, maybe she knows what's going on" Jack said as he ran down the hall.

"Wait what about breakfast?" Chase asked.

"I'm too disturbed about this to eat!" Jack called from around the corner. We followed him to the library. Sure enough, Princess Celestia was there, waiting for us.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" She asked.

"We're too disturbed about what happened last night to eat." She glanced down with a or row look on her face.

"What is it Your Highness?" Remy asked.

"I know what's going on." She used her magic to pull out a black book from one of the dark corns if the library. The cover had two yellow snake-like eyes on it. Still using her magic, she flipped through the pages and stopped. She showed us a page of a large black and scary looking castle.

"What the fuck?" Jack asked.

"Castle Nightmare" she said. "Located on the darkest part of Equestria." I read an inscription under the picture.

" 'This castle is so full of dark and evil, the creatures of the Everfree Forest and Nightmare Moon refuses to go near it.' Scary shit."

"And that's not all" she continued. She used her magic to flip through the pages once again and stopped at a page. The picture was a human shaped figure with only two yellow eyes visible as well as a toothy smile. "Pitch Black, King of the Nightmares."

"Oh shit" I gasped. "He's not from Equestria."

"He once was a human like us, but born with dark magic. It doesn't even mention his past" Chase said.

"It does say he can make characters from anyone's nightmares alive and real and lead them as his own private army" I continued.

"Because of a curse, he can't leave his own castle at all, but he can make his shadow do his bidding. Oh fuck, we're screwed" Jack said.

"His shadow can look into the memories, lives, and nightmares of anyone or anypony it pleases" Remy continued. "And whatever information the shadow gathers, Pitch Black knows."

"It gets worse" I said. "Any being or entity found from the shadow, Pitch Black can make out of fresh and blood. And depending on whose memory it came from, only they can see."

"So if he made my strict grandmother come to life..." Chase said shakily.

"You can see her... But we won't" I answered. We all didn't like the sound of this.

"What do you think he's gathering?" Remy asked.

"I don't know... But I have feeling neither of us will like it."

Castle Nightmare

Pitch Black stared at floating black aura in front of him. Hovering above his right hand are four floating violet auras. His shadow was hovering next to him.

"Can we see them again, please?" It begged.

"Of course. But like I said... We won't be able to summon them flesh, blood, and bone until midnight."

"I want to see them all!" The shadow exclaimed. Pitch Black threw one of the violet auras into the black one. An image of a giant spider formed. After awhile, it disappeared.

"So Remy is scared of spiders huh?" Pitch Black asked. "Let's see what scares Jack..." He threw another violet aura into the black one in front of him. An image of a killer clown appeared. Just like the spider, the image disappeared.

"What's chase scared of?" The shadow asked. Pitch Black threw the third aura and an image of a stringless marionette appeared.

"You'll be excited when you see Cale's" Pitch Black said as the image if the puppet disappeared. He threw the last aura in. The shadow gasped as Pitch Black grinned. "I'm glad you looked carefully into his memory."

"So? He killed him before, he could kill him again."

"Yes. But how can he without the proper weapons he used to take him out with the first time?" The two stared at the image of Slender until it vanished.

Chapter 6

I was lying in bed with my eyes open, thinking of nothing in particular. I looked out the window and saw the sun setting. I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep.

Castle Nightmare

Pitch Black was sitting on his throne like he normally does. "Come on, my lord" Pitch's shadow complained.

"Patience my shadow friend" Pitch Black said. "When the clock tolls midnight, we'll send in the four fears. But first, I want to play a game with Cale."

"What's the name of the game?" Pitch's shadow asked.

"It's called, Nightmare or Not?"

"How does the game work?" The shadow asked.

"I send in a certain creature to attack Cale and we shall see if he can figure out if it's a nightmare or not."

"How does he win?" The shadow asked.

"He doesn't" Pitch Black answered as he tapped the floor with his walking stick. "Princess Luna/Nightmare Moon claim that they love him right?" He asked.

"Yeah" the shadow asked as a soft hissing sound nearby was heard.

"If they do love him, then they'll eliminate the entity with ease. But if not, then... The whole love thing is all bullshit."

"But sire, they will get rid of whatever you're sending with ease."

"Not when I put a barrier that prevents them from using magic. Either way, Cale will believe he's been abandoned by the one who claims they love him and he's gonna end up stuck figuring out if he's in a never-ending nightmare or if he's life really is on the line."

"I like the game boss! Who are you sending?"

"A friend of his" he pointed with his stick and the two stared at a set of glowing eyes. "Since I'm the Nightmare King, I get to make some modifications to whatever creature I make." The shadow started laughing giddily. "Tell me, my faithful shadow, what happens when I fuse together a shy mother-nature loving pony and a fruit bat?"

"A Flutterbat?" The shadow asked.

"And... Instead of it craving apples and fruit, I make it crave for human flesh and blood. In this case... Cale's. What do you get?"

"A vampire Flutterbat!"

"You're catching on" Pitch Black said with a smile. The Vampire Flutterbat emerged from the dark and screeched loudly.

"Let the game begin!" Pitch Black banged on the floor with his walking stick. A black portal appeared to which the Vampire Flutterbat leaped through. "If the game continues until midnight, Cale will have to deal with his own personal Hell." He chuckled darkly.

Canterlot

As I slept peacefully, a noise jolted me awake. Was it coming from outside, or in the castle. Guess I'm going to have to investigate. Do I care if I'm doing this all by myself? Hell no! There's a reason why it's called stealth kill, you know. I love it when I kill at night. Proves how skillful I am. I got out of bed, exited my room, and stepped out into the hall. I glanced around the dark hallway. Nothing. Just then, a saw a silhouette fly by the window. I went back to my room and opened a drawer. I picked up the handgun, clipped on the silencer, and inserted the only mag. I cocked it and stuffed it in my pants pocket. Because of the weather, my jacket won't be necessary. I went back out into the hall, made my way to the exit, and out of the castle. The silhouette flew by me from behind. I spun around fast and gasped. I remained silent and still. Nothing but silence. I heard a soft hissing sound not too far away. I pulled out my gun and hurried up a hill where me, Jack, Chase, Remy, and several other residents of Canterlot like to nap. When I reached the top, I aimed my gun around. "Ok, who's there?" I asked. I got no response. I walked around the hill, searching for the silhouette. I heard a soft thud and quickly spun around. A couple feet away was a silhouette of something. I approached it cautiously. When I got closer, my eyes widened.

"Fluttershy? What are you doing in Canterlot?" I asked. The silhouette of Fluttershy stirred a little. It then made a noise that sounded like a sigh. I turned the safety of the gun back on and pocketed it. "Fluttershy?" I asked once more. "What brings you to Canterlot this time of night? It's not safe out here right now because there's a flying..." I stopped short when Fluttershy slowly turned her head towards my direction. The it did made me think she was scared to see what was behind her. I squinted my eyes and saw that her eyes were closed. Not wanting her to get anymore frightened, I slowly made my way over to her, taking very cautious steps. As I neared her, I could see she was shaking. "Hey, it's ok" I said quietly as I neared her. When I got even closer, I could hear her whimpering and crying. I bent down in front of her and placed my hand under her chin. I lifted her head up slightly and saw that she still kept her eyes closed. "Hey Flutters... Look at me" I said gently. Fluttershy shut her eyes tightly and turned her head. She whimpered a little loudly and continued to cry, shaking still. Could it be the creature I'm going after be the one that's frightening her? Yeah that could be it. Before I go on my hunt, I figured that she needs comforting first. I wrapped my arms around her. "It's ok" I whispered as she gently rested her chin on my shoulder. "I'll take you to a safe place and you can tell me what it was you saw so I can take care of it, ok?" I asked. I felt her nod and made a mm-hmm sound. "Let me carry you to safety" I said softly. Fluttershy, still shaking with fear and whimpering also, wrapped her hooves around me. Then she wrapped her wings around me next.

But something was odd and didn't seem right. When she wrapped her wings around me, I didn't feel soft feathers, I felt something rough and odd feeling. It was like being hugged by a bat. "Fluttershy?" I asked again. Suddenly, her shaking stopped and I felt her hooves and wings tighten on me. She removed her head from my shoulder and aligned it so we were face to face. "Fluttershy?" I asked once again. "Are you ok?" For several seconds, there was silence and the howling of the wind. I made a slight movement to get comfortable under her "hug". But as I did, her eyes shot open without warning, which was colored red. Not only that, but when her mouth opened, I saw that she had fangs. Sharp and bared. In addition, she was screeching, very loudly. All this happened so suddenly, I felt like my heart stopped.

Chapter 7

I gasped and struggled out of the Flutterbat's hold. She hissed and struck me across the face with her wing. I grunted in pain and staggered back. The claw on the tip of her wing had left a scratch on me. Flutterbat's eyes widened when she saw blood drip from the cut she gave me. She smiled wickedly and licked her mouth. I got into a fighting position and waited. Flutterbat hissed and bared her fangs as she flew straight towards me. "Whoa, shit!" I cried out, jumping to the side. Flutterbat turned around and hissed angrily. She lunged at me again. As I dove to the side, the claw scratched me once again. Same side of the face, but this cut was more diagonal. Flutterbat stopped and hovered in the air. She then licked the blood off of her claw. The way she stared at me gave me a hint that she wanted more.

"This has got to be a nightmare" I whispered to myself as Fluttershy hovered back on land and crouched down. "Yeah, this is a nightmare" I told myself. "Pretty soon, Princess Luna will stop all of this." Flutterbat lunged forward, flying full speed. Fangs bared, and hissing loudly. I quickly moved to the side and watched her bump into a tree. She landed with a thud and a soft grunt. She got on all fours, shook the slight pain out of her head and stared at me angrily. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my gun. 'I'm not going to kill you' I thought to myself as I cocked it. Flutterbat eyed the gun suspiciously, then back at me. 'But I won't hesitate to give you a flesh wound.'

Castle Nightmare

"This is exciting" the shadow said.

"I'm just doing this to ease your fucking complaints and fucking boredom" Pitch Black replied as they watched their game happen through some kind of mirror shrouded in black aura. They watched as Flutterbat flew straight at me. Pitch Black was impressed when Flutterbat smacked the gun out of my hand with her wing and shoved me hard with her forehooves, causing me to tumble and roll through the grass. Pitch Black and his shadow both chuckled with amusement.

"And you said you prevented Princess Luna/Nightmare Moon from saving him?" The shadow asked.

"Sure did. And now he'll think that he's abandoned, unwanted, and unloved. I want to see all of this unfold."

Canterlot

I staggered to my feet and leaned against a nearby tree. "Come on, Princess Luna" I whispered as I saw Flutterbat hover towards me. "Come on..." I said softly. "Get me out of this nightmare... I don't wish to harm Fluttershy." While I was talking quietly to myself, Flutterbat flew at me, fangs bared and was aiming for my neck. Thinking quickly, I backhanded the bat pony, stunning her for a second or two. I picked my gun back up, pocketed it, and ran to the nearest tree.

'I have to stall her long enough to ask for help Princess Luna' I thought to myself. But a thought hit me. 'Is this really a nightmare? Or is this real?' I started putting the pieces together and realized something. 'If this was a nightmare, Flutterbat would be gone by now.' I peeked from behind the tree and saw Flutterbat looking for me. 'Unless...' My thought was interrupted when Flutterbat suddenly flew down in front of me, eyes filled with anger and hissing loudly with her fangs bared.

"Oh, shut it" I said as I quickly grabbed an apple from the tree and stuffed it in her mouth. Flutterbat's eyes widened with surprise. Muffled hisses and screeches could be heard from behind the apple. I watched as the bat pony thrashed on the ground, struggling to get the apple out with her hooves. "Ha!" I laughed as I went down another direction. I continued deducing the now, ignoring the muffled hisses and screeches a couple feet away from me.

'This could be a nightmare, unless something is happening that's preventing Princess Luna to work her magic. In addition, she could stop a fear in the real world if a colt or filly is really afraid to face their fear. But of course she suggests that they will have to face their fear some time.' The muffled sounds soon became frantic. I peeked from behind the tree and watched the bat pony thrash on the ground. I then remembered staying in the library reading more about Pitch Black. He could perform magic that surpasses an alicorn's! That's it! The fucking king of fucking nightmares must be the one behind this! Damn I'm good! I rushed over to the thrashing bat pony struggling with the apple in her mouth. If I squinted, I could see tears coming from her eyes. I bent down next to her and tried to calm her down, to no avail. I know I'm going to regret this. I quickly grasped the apple and popped it out of her mouth. I yanked it with such force, I staggered back, lost my balance, and fell on my ass. Flutterbat began to breathe heavily due to being nearly suffocated by the fruit. She turned her head towards me and saw me eating the apple. "It's funny how I'm going to get bitten by you in a matter of seconds so..." I trailed off and took another bite of the apple. Flutterbat looked like she was in a trance. She slowly approached me, eyes wide, and drooling.

Castle Nightmare

"That's it" Pitch Black said with glee. "Go for the kill while he's eating that fucking fruit!" The two watched Flutterbat approach me with her fangs bared and what excited them more was that I wasn't paying attention. But their excitement went away quickly when she bit into the apple I was eating. "No" Pitch Black gasped. "No, no, no! This isn't suppose to happen!" He yelled. They watched me share the apple with the creature he sent to kill me. "No! Kill him! Kill him! Don't fucking have a picnic with him!!!" The scene before them made Pitch sick to his stomach. "I want blood! I want screams of pain! I want Cale to think he's unwanted! Where did this brilliant plan go wrong?! He's just a human!"

"Clearly you're underestimating him" the shadow said, clearly upset as he was but isn't showing it. Pitch Black reached into his pocket and pulled out a black pocket watch. And his rage soon turned into insane giggles.

"5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Midnight." He rose from his throne and laughed. "Hell shall rain down on the four humans!" He grabbed his walking stick and tapped it rhythmically on the floor. A black portal appeared in front of him. "Come forth my nightmarish soldiers! I have a task for you..."

Emerging first was a brown hairy spider that's the size of Princess Celestia. It had eight large black beady eyes. Next was a wooden, stringless marionette. It's wooden mouth clattered together and it's beady eyes glanced all around the room while holding a kitchen knife with the blade facing down. Next one out was a clown. It wore a smile that looked like its been stuck on his face for nearly his entire life. He was even humming the tune of 'Pop Goes the Weasel'. But his hums sounded more like giggles. The last one was Slender. The entity I once faced. Now I'm about to face him again.

"Fun fact..." Pitch Black said to his shadow as they admired the four in front if them. "To beat these nightmares, the four humans has to brave them. But I highly doubt they will due to how truly afraid they are. Also, a nightmare can kill other nightmares."

"But the Flutterbat..." The shadow began.

"Nonsense... She's no longer a nightmare. How can she be one when she eats fruit and no meat?"

"Good point" the shadow said. Pitch Black opened a portal. "Go to Canterlot... Hunt the human that truly fears you and kill them." They watched as their four soldiers marched into the portal. "The time has come... The moment I've been waiting for. My time to rule Equestria is coming close. I can feel it."

"I'm so happy for you, sire" the shadow said as he reattached himself to Pitch's body.

"Soon Shadow, we will rule Equestria together. And as of now, Equestria is doomed, not while the humans are fearing the Four."

"But what about Flutterbat? You said you were changing her."

"I was... But now since she likes fruit instead of meat, it is likely that she'll never use the power I gave her. She's not a fucking nightmare anymore."

He was wrong. Because in Canterlot, while we were enjoying that one apple together, a large snake had popped out a bush and startled me. Now I'm not scared of snakes, but this just surprised the hell out of me. Flutterbat then did something I did not expect. Compared to the snake now, she was nothing. She then transformed into an anthro. She was bigger, and more feral than she was before. Like a cat stalking a mouse, she got down on all fours, pounced on the snake and bit its neck. I watched her suck the snake's blood while piercing her claws into the reptile's body, drawing more blood. I watched with shock as Flutterbat drank every ounce of the snake's blood and tossed the deformed body aside like it was trash. Also like cat, she licked the blood off her clawed hands and mouth. She then reverted back into the bat pony that attacked me tonight. She then gave me a toothy smile like nothing happened.

"Holy shit" I gasped. That was all I could think of... And say that night.

Chapter 8

I don't know what it was, but it's definitely too early for Princess Celestia to raise the sun. In my closet was Flutterbat in her bat pony form. She was hanging by her tail and wrapped herself up in her wings. Was it an odd sight to see her sleep at night? Kind of. Given that she's a bat. Why isn't she awake like the other bats? I decided to roll with it. Just then, there was a knock on my door and Chase entered my room. He eyed the blanket draped over me.

"Cale, Cale wake up" he said, quietly. I was snoring softly, ignoring him. "Cale, wake up" he whispered again.

I moaned tiredly and stirred. "Give me 30 minutes" I moaned. Chase sighed and looked around the room. He then eyed something on the floor.

"Hmm." He picked up an alarm clock and turned the dial. He then threw it at me, which then rang. He watched as I struggled to get the alarm clock off me, but fell off the bed in the process.

"What the hell?!" I asked, surprised. "Chase, it's..." I looked at the time. "3:00 in the morning, and Princess Celestia doesn't raise until 5:00, what's the rush? And there better be a good reason, too."

"I need help. Got any proposal advice?"

"Get out" I said, pointing to the door.

"Ok, ok" he said, leaving the room. As soon as my door closed, I put my head back on the pillow and went back to sleep. 30 minutes later, there was a knock on the door. "Cale, wanna build a snowman?" Chase's voice asked.

"What? It's freaking summer right now."

"I know, it's just cold here in the hall."

"Oh my God, it's too early for jokes, Chase. Why can't you go back to sleep?"

"Because I can't stop thinking about Princess Twilight" he complained. "I really want to propose to her but I know deep down I'm not ready. Please... Help me with this thing." I started to feel pity for him.

"Fine... But promise me one thing" I said.

"Name it."

"Don't ever fucking do this again."

"Deal." I heard his footsteps depart down the hall. Finally I can go back to sleep.

When I awoke, I was just in time to Princess Celestia raise the sun. It was a mesmerizing sight to behold. When was done, I shut all the curtains for Flutterbat's sake. I opened the closet quietly and saw my firmer killer, now friend sleeping. Hanging by her tail. I smiled and quietly closed the door. I also had to be quiet when leaving the room too.

When I closed he door after stepping out into the hall, an envelope was lying on the doorstep. I picked it up and tore it open. I pulled out the letter and read it.

'The train to Ponyville leaves in 20 minutes. Get your ass down here.

-Chase'

I put the letter back into the envelope and walked out of the castle. I tossed the envelope in a nearby trash bin and hurriedly made my over to the Canterlot Train Station. Waiting for me, were the other three humans. "Good, now we could board" Remy said with satisfaction.

"What's the rush?" I asked.

"We're told to go to Ponyville" Jack said. "Chase knows, but he wouldn't tell us." Chase was seated on one if the seats, fidgeting. I have a feeling that I know what's going on. But for his sake... I'm keeping my mouth shut about it.

The second we arrived in Canterlot, Chase quickly hopped out of his seat and bolted onto the station platform. "Hold it, Eager McBeaver" Remy said, grabbing Chase by the back of his shirt. "You seem awfully panicked... Or excited."

"Yeah" Jack agreed. "Now come on, what's going on?" He asked. Chase started mumbling incoherently. "Yeah, you need to talk louder" Jack said.

"I need to see Princess Twilight Sparkle!" He grasped Remy's hand, elbowed him in the chest, and hip threw him to the ground, causing the gunslinger to land on his back. Chase bolted down the station and onto the street.

"Chase, get back here!" I called as I ran after him, leaving a stunned Jack and Remy behind.

Chase made his way over to the Ponyville library, out of breath. Before he could knock, I caught up to him. "Chase, I want you to breathe and calm down" I said. "You look like you feel that something bad is going to happen. Now tell me, what's going on?" He whispered it in my ear. "Oh my God... Is this what this whole panicked state is about? Chase I think you should reconsider."

"I told you already Cale... It has to be done." I nodded with approval.

"Just..." I put a hand on his shoulder. "Just be prepared for the words you didn't plan on hearing" I assured.

"Ok..." Chase said.

"Want me to wait out here?"

"That would be best." I nodded as I watched him enter he library. Inside, Chase looked around and sighed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet box. He stuffed the box back into his pocket and looked around. "Princess Twilight?" He called.
The sound of hoofsteps were heard. Chase glanced up and saw Princess Twilight Sparkle on the top of the steps.

"Chase!" She gasped. "You look terrible. Is something wrong?" She descended down the stairs and approached the young human.

"No, no... Nothing is wrong at all" he said assuringly. "It's just that..." He stopped once more. "I just don't know how to put this." Princess Twilight placed a hoof on the side of his face.

"Chase, you ask tell me anything. But I want you to stay calm" she said as he started breathing heavily.

'Oh Jesus, this is it' he thought to himself. "Ok.." He said after he pulled himself together. "We've been dating and going out for a few months now, right?"

"That's correct."

"And all those months that go by, I felt that this bond we are having got stronger and stronger. And it came to a point where I was put in a really difficult situation. One that scares me to my core. And so... I guess that I should um..." He got down on one knee, causing her to gasp.

"Chase?" She asked. The young man reached into his pocket and pulled out the black velvet box.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle, will you marry me?" He asked as he opened the box.

Outside, I was pacing around the treehouse, waiting for the news. I was hoping he wouldn't make a fool of himself. Just then, Jack and Remy arrived. "Cale, where's Chase?" Remy asked.

"Visiting Twilight" I answered. "He should be out in a few moments." Just then, the door opened and Chase stepped out. I saw tears in his eyes. "Oh shit... I'm so sorry man" I said. Chase nodded and looked down. He was so sad, he couldn't say anything, I approached him and gave him a hug. Chase returned the hug and cried into my chest. "It's ok" I whispered as he continued to cry. I turned back to the surprised and shocked Jack and Remy. "We'll be needing a moment right now" I said.

"And can we cheer him up at Sugar Cube Corner?" Jack asked.

"Do you want that?" I asked Chase. "When you're better, we'll visit everypony?" I felt him nod.

"Yes" he whimpered.

"He said yes" I answered. I watched Jack and Remy walk down the street, leaving me to comfort Chase. I turned back to the youngest member of the group, crying a little myself. I leaned close to his ear. "Hey" I said quietly. "She said 'yes' didn't she?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah."

Chapter 9

Sugar Cube Corner

Jack and Remy both were sitting by the counter awfully quiet. "Man, I feel bad for Chase" Jack said.

"Yeah... Poor guy" Remy agreed. "Let's do him a favor and keep it to ourselves. Nopony should know about it."

"Agreed." Just then, the doors opened and Mr. Cake entered.

"Hey!" He exclaimed. "You guys are back! It's been awhile!"

"Sure has" Remy agreed.

"What can I do for you guys?" He asked as he approached the counter.

"We were hoping to have a word with Pinkie Pie" Jack said. "Oh and side note, we'd love to have that famous banana milkshake that's so popular here."

"You got it" Mr. Cake said with a smile. "I'll inform Pinkie Pie that you're here and Mrs. Cake and I shall get started on the milkshake." He then went back through the doors. Remy noticed Jack smiling.

"You really love that milkshake don't you?" He asked.

"Oh, hell yeah. The milkshakes here in Equestria are so much better than the ones on Earth."

"That's good to know, considering that we're already residents to Equestria."

"HI!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, popping out of nowhere. Jack cried out in surprise and fell off his chair. "OH MY GOSH, YOU'RE BACK!!! I HAVE TO THROW A WELCOME BACK PARTY FOR YOU!!! OH, ARE CALE AND CHASE HERE AS WELL?!" Remy placed his hand over her mouth, muffling further excited outbursts.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down, Pinkie Pie" he laughed. "Yes, Cale and Chase are here and you can do what you do best." Jack climbed back up on the chair, catching his breath.

'I hate it when she does that' he thought to himself. Just then, the cakes returned with a giant glass of banana milkshake. Jack laughed with glee. "Now we're talking." He placed a couple of bits on the table and grabbed a plastic straw from a dispenser.

"Enjoy" Mr. Cale said.

"Oh I will... And thank you." Jack began drinking his milkshake as Mr. Cale gathered the payment.

"Ok, Jack and I promise to keep our mouths shut about your surprise party" Remy said. "Isn't that right?" He asked. Jack, still focused on the milkshake gave a thumb's up. "So where do we meet?"

"The surprise party will be held here. But you gotta Pinkie Promise not to tell anypony about it."jack stopped drinking.

"Come on Remy, it has to be done" he said. The three recited the promise together.

"Cross my heart (they crossed their hearts)
Hope to fly (they mimicked the act of flapping by moving their wrists)
Stick a cupcake in my eye."

"Brilliant!" Jack bolted out the door, returned a few seconds later for his milkshake. "Mine" he said, before leaving again. Remy turned to Pinkie Pie.

"When do you want us here?" He asked.

"Tonight" she answered with a smile. Remy tipped the brim of his cap.

"Don't worry, we made a Pinkie Promise so you don't have to worry about a thing" he assured. If there's one thing we learned in Ponyville, is that you should never ever break a Pinkie Promise. And trust us when we say 'Don't break a Pinkie Promise.'

Somewhere in Ponyville

Chase had returned to the library to spend time with Princess Twilight and here I am, wandering aimlessly under the afternoon Ponyville sky. The summer breeze flowing through my body as well as the warmth of the afternoon sun beating down on me is a perfect combination. As I walked through the streets, I felt a hand clamped down on my shoulder. In recoil, I spun around and threw a punch. I was shocked to see who I knocked down. "Nice punch" Jack groaned as he laid sprawled on the ground. He got to his feet and brushed some dirt off him.

"Sorry about that" I said. Jack just shrugged it off. "Where are you headed off to?" I asked.

"Sweet Apple Acres. You?"

"I was just walking around minding my own business. But since I got nothing to do, I might as well tag along."

"Sweet" Jack said with a smile. "Then we get to play Apple Roulette."

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked as I followed him. I've played this game before, and quite frankly I don't like it.

"Apple Roulette. You know, the game where..."

"I know how to play the game. But my question is why do we have to play it?"

"Oh come on Cale, don't be a killjoy."

"I'm not a killjoy... I just don't like playing this game. I still remembered what happened the last time we played."

"That was a month and a half ago" Jack replied.

"Yeah well lot of people hold on to things like this. And as you can see, I'm one of them."

Sweet Apple Acres

"Just feed me a bad apple so I could die" I complained as Jack and I each sat on a barrel.

"Come on, just this once" Jack said as he handed me an apple.

"Fine, but no more after this."

"Deal." We each took several steps back and begun spinning. 30 seconds later, we stopped and begun staggering due to being dizzy. Jack threw his apple which hit me in the leg. I grunted in pain as I toppled over.

"My turn" I said I struggled to get up. Jack tried running but he was staggering to the side until he bumped into a tree. I wobbled after him and threw my apple. Unfortunately I was so dizzy, my aim was bad. I threw it at a tree, it bounced back, and it hit me. I grunted in pain and sprawled on the ground. I could've sworn I'm hearing birds flying around my head as well as seeing stars. I heard a thud and grunts. Jack's dizziness took its toll and he landed on the ground just like me.

"Apple Roulette, huh?" A voice asked.

"Hey Applejack" I groaned from the hit of my own apple and being dizzy. "Are you the only one here?"

"Sure am."

"Where's Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Applebloom?" Jack asked.

"They're all in Appleloosa running errands. They should be back this weekend." I groaned and rolled on my stomach. I staggered to my feet and leaned against a tree for balance. "Oh, I forgot to mention" she continued. "I'm suppose to bring lots of cider to Sweet Apple Acres. Do you boys wanna help?"

"Sure... We'd love to" Jack answered as he too struggled to get to his feet.

"Great. The storage is over here" Applejack said as she walked over to the barn. It took us awhile to get to the barn. Luckily, when we got there, our dizziness disappeared. Also, there wasn't a lot of apple ciders to be carried. We each carried a crate of them and left the barn. "Come on" Applejack said as she kicked the barn door closed with her hind legs. "Let's get these to Sweet Apple Acres."

Chapter 10

When we got there, Applejack led us to the back door. We all placed the crates against the wall. Jack noticed the lights inside are off. "Come on, Pinkie Pie said she needed help with something" Applejack told us. She opened the door and the three of us stepped inside. Suddenly, the door closed, and the lights turned on. Confetti shot out from apparently nowhere, party horns honked, and almost the entire population of Ponyville was here. Including Remy and Chase.

"SURPRISE!!!" Everyone shouted. Jack and I cried out with surprise and started laughing.

"You got us..." Jack said with a smile. "You got us good." He walked over to the corner of the room while all eyes focused on him. "Now..." He grabbed a plastic baseball bat. "Where is the piñata?"

"Wha...? Oh hell no" I said. I rushed over to the corner and grabbed a bat of my own. "I'm going for the piñata first!" I yelled, running by him. Jack ran after me.

"Oh no you don't! Get back here!" The guests laughed at the scene before them. The guests started mingling with each other ignoring the scuffle in the back between me and Jack over for a piñata. Remy leaned against the wall and surveyed the area. He watched Princess Twilight and Chase chatted in a corner. He felt bad for him, being turned down from the proposal.

"CALE!" A voice shouted, jolting him out of his thoughts. I ran by, holding the head of the piñata with my hands. Jack held both plastic bats. "Share the candy!" He yelled as he pointed at me with one of the bats. I turned the head over and dumped out the treats, attracting the colts and fillies. I tossed the head aside and quickly made my escape jumping out the window. Damn, that window is so clean, it looked like it was open... Unfortunately it wasn't. "This isn't over, Cale!" Jack called.

"Yes it is!" I called back, running through the empty streets of Ponyville under the night sky. While I ran nowhere in particular, Princess Twilight Sparkle used her magic to repair the window.

"Cale..." Jack said, shaking his head. "Always finds a way to make an escape." He returned to the party, putting this event behind him.

I leaned against the mouth of an alleyway not too far from Sugar Cube Corner. "A warm welcome to you, Cale" I heard a voice say. I glanced up and saw Princess Luna flying down towards me. I struggled to get up and bow, but she knew it was coming and placed a hoof on my chest to stop me. "Bowing wont be necessary" she said with a smile. I leaned back against the wall.

"So..." I began. "What brings you to Ponyville?" I asked.

"We witnessed something last night." I'm assuming the 'we' is her and Nightmare Moon. I felt my body shake. "We wanted to help, but strong magic has prevented us from doing so. To our surprise, you have won the fight, but in a... Unusual way." She stepped aside and revealed Flutterbat in her bat pony form. She was sitting on her haunches and looked at me in a pleading manner. "She wants to be with you" Princess Luna said.

"Of course she could be with me" I said with a smile. "But of course she has to know what privacy is when you and I..." The blush appearing on Princess Luna's face made me stop.

"That's the thing Cale" she said seriously. "We visited her dreams and saw that they were all about you."

"What?" I asked. "All I remember is her trying to kill me, I stopped her by lodging an apple into her mouth, and pulled it out to prevent her from suffocating. Next thing I knew, we were sharing the apple like there was no tomorrow."

"You have no idea how that made her feel. She has the... Feelings for you."

"No, no, no." I said as I got up. "There's a very big difference a crush, love at first sight and true love. She could be experiencing a crush or love at first sight."

"Is she?" She asked.

"Well yeah, I mean it's normal that--" Flutterbat flew up and planted her lips on mine. I was taken back by this sudden action. I could taste her breath... Apples. After awhile, she parted from my face. "But..." I began. Princess Luna placed a hoof on my shoulder.

"We know your heart belongs to us... But it wasn't meant to be. Your destiny is already written. And us being your special pony is not how it was suppose to go." I lowered my head and sighed. Princess Luna pulled me into a hug and I felt Flutterbat rub my back comfortingly. "Don't be sad, Cale" she whispered. "We will still be your friends." She felt me nod my head. "I'm sorry it had to be this way."

"It's ok" I said. After awhile, Princess Luna kissed my forehead and stepped back. She then flew up, never leaving her smiling face from my sight and did what she did best... Rule the night. Flutterbat was still next to me, hovering.

"Hey Cale" Jack said, startling me. I turned my head and saw him approaching me. "What's--?" He stopped and jumped back. "Whoa, what the fuck happened to Fluttershy?!"

"Correction: Flutterbat" I said. Jack turned around.

"But Fluttershy is in there... And now..." He faced us and a smile spread on his face. "I see what's going on. Tough man Cale got himself a bat mare friend."

"And who do you have?" I asked as I crossed my arms.

"Doesn't matter. First you liked Princess Celestia, but that wasn't meant to be... Then Princess Luna/Nightmare Moon took a liking into you later. Now seeing that Flutterbat is next to you, I'm assuming that the relationship between you and the Princess of the Night isn't written in the stars. So... Who likes who?" He asked.

"Jack, don't do this to me" I said. Flutterbat had a worried look on her face as if something was about to happen, but she is also confused with the argument happening before her.

"Do what to you? It's just a crush... Or love at first sight." He gasped. "Or maybe more?"

"Ok stop."

"Sorry Cale, but the situation you're in right now? Kind of reminds me of a song."

"No, don't you dare" I said.

"I'm not going to sing it" he promised. "It's simple though. You've just seen a face and you can't forget the time or place where you've just met, she's just the mare for you. And I bet you want all of Eauestria to see you've met. Hmm?"

"Ok, that's not how..."

"Had it been been another day, you probably looked the other way, and you've never been aware, but as of now, you'll probably dream of her tonight."

"Jack..." I said, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Falling, yes you are falling, Cale." He walked away humming the tune to the song.

"I'm going to kill him" I said under my breath. I followed him with Flutterbat following close behind.

Up on a nearby rooftop was Slender. He had been watching the whole thing from where he stood. Next to him licking the blades of knives was a killer clown. "Can I kill him now?" The clown asked, giggling with excitement. Slender nodded. The clown let out an insane laugh, but not loud enough for the whole place to hear.

"Guess what, Jack?" The clown asked as he ran across he rooftop, leaving Slender behind. "The killer clown's back!!!" He let out another crazed laugh.

Coming out from behind the alleyway is a stringless marionette, holding a large kitchen knife. And crawling down the building the alley was next to, was a really large hairy spider that was the same size as Princess Celestia. The four fears scouted Ponyville searching for the humans that fears them.

Chapter 11

The party soon ended and everypony was going home. Pinkie Pie was left to clean the place up. But... Since she's Pinkie Pie, she cleaned the place up faster than you can say the names of the Mane Six. Remy stayed behind to finish a cupcake. "Ready to head back?" A voice asked. Remy turned his head and saw Spitfire approaching him. "I know you've been gone to Canterlot for months and I figured that you should come back to Cloudsdale. The Pegasus ponies do love your company there."

"I was actually considering on going" he said. "Matter of fact... Yeah, I'll go" he said. Spitfire nodded and stroke his face with her hoof. "You never did let me leave your sight ever since I was your partner for training the pegasi to be better flyers" he joked.

"When do you plan on coming back?" She asked.

"Tomorrow or maybe the day after." He did the movements to the Pinkie Promise. Spitfire tilted her head and stared at him, confusingly. "Don't worry about it" Remy said.

"Ok..." She said, still confused by the actions. She cleared her throat. "So it's official then?" She asked.

"Yeah" Remy said. "Either tomorrow or the day after. Count on that" he said. Spitfire left the building and took flight. Remy finished his cupcake and tossed the wrapper in the trash. He went outside and walked down the street with Spitfire in his mind, and the fact that he was going back to Cloudsdale." But the thought was interrupted when the ground in front of him popped open like a trapdoor.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" He gasped. The head of the giant spider popped out of the dark pit and clicked its pincers together. "Oh shit!" Remy screamed. Before he could run, the spider grasped him with its forelegs, pinning him to the ground. It then started dragging him into the trapdoor. "No, no, no, no!" Remy screamed as he neared the pit. He screamed in fear as he was yanked into the hole the spider dug, the trapdoor snapping shut afterwards.

Jack was walking down another part of Ponyville whistling to himself. He thought he heard something, stopped, and turned around. He shrugged and continued whistling. Suddenly, someone whistled back. Jack stopped and looked around. The unknown figure whistled the tune of 'Pop Goes the Weasel'. Jack begun running as fast as he could but he couldn't escape the whistled tune of the children's song coming after him. He ended up in a deserted area of Ponyville, the whistling drawing closer. In front of him was a large funhouse. The carnival-like music inside was also playing the same song as the whistling noise. With nowhere to run or hide, Jack hurried over to the fun house and went inside. The whistling got closer and closer and the clown stepped out if a dark corner, grinning eerily. "Pop" he sang as he whipped out a large dagger from his sleeve. "Goes the weasel" he sang. He continued to whistle the song as he approached the fun house, dagger in his hand. With a white gloved hand, he opened the door, stepped inside the dark building, and closed the door.

Chase and Princess Twilight were sharing a moment under the moonlit sky of Ponyville. Unaware to them, somewhere in the same area as them, Flutterbat and I were sharing a moment together in one of the trees. Just like them, we didn't know that Chase and Princess Twilight were in the same area as us.

"I'm tired hiding the fact that you accepted my proposal" Chase said.

"Me too" she agreed.

"Tomorrow, can I propose to you in front of everypony, knowing deep down we are already engaged?"

"Yes" she answered with a smile. Chase caressed her face as Princess Twilight pressed her hoof against his hand. The two leaned forward and shared a kiss. Suddenly, a noise startled them. "What was that?" She asked.

"I don't know" Chase whispered. The noise came again and it was coming from the woods. The two approached the woods and entered it. Princess Twilight lit her horn with her magic like a lantern. The noise was a strange clicking sound. Like two blocks of wood being knocked together. Chase felt Princess Twilight move closer to him. The two of them begun to shiver with fear. "Stay close" he whispered. There was no reply. "Twilight?" He asked. Again, he got no reply. "Twilight?"

"No" a high pitched voice said. Chase spun around but didn't see anyone or anything. "Down here" the voice said. Chase looked down and saw the stringless marionette. "Hi" it chirped. It tripped Chase to the ground, jumped up on his chest, and knocked him out by punching him the face with its wooden hand.

Flutterbat and I were walking through the streets of Ponyville now. "I um..." I said nervously. "Had a nice time." Flutterbat hissed softly as she hovered next to me. "With the apples and all.." I laughed just as nervous as the way I talked to her. 'God you're such a stupid ass' I thought to myself. I felt a hoof lightly touch my hand. I glanced down and then back up. Flutterbat stared at me in a caring-like manner. Her vampiric red eyes mesmerized me so much. I couldn't take it anymore. We both leaned forward to kiss. Suddenly, two black tendrils lashed out. One wrapped itself around Flutterbat's chest and the other, around neck. Both tendrils yanked her back. "Hey!" I cried out. I gasped when the tendrils yanked her into the arms of Slender. "No..." I said with horror. Quick as a flash, Slender charged at me and backhanded me so hard, I fell unconscious. The last thing I heard was the shriek of Flutterbat.

Chapter 12

Remy groaned and stirred on the dirt ground. He got to his feet and looked around his new surroundings. He was underground of Ponyville. He looked around and saw that there was no way to get back to the surface. Webs were on the floor, walls, and ceiling. "Fuck" he whispered. He went down one direction which led him to a clearing with multiple tunnels all over the place. Each tunnel got darker and darker if he were to pick one. Not to mention the insane amount of webs. He wanted to turn back to the spot he came from, but he felt like he'll be running down a never ending tunnel. "Fucking shit" he breathed heavily. He ran to the tunnel directly in front of him but stopped. 'Do I really wanna go down that fucking trail?' He thought to himself. He looked at the 5 other different tunnels. Behind him, he heard a really sift growl and clicking noises. "Fuck this" he panted and ran down the tunnel on his 3 o'clock.

Funhouse

Jack was hiding in the dark, breathing heavily. He was leaning against the wall. "You can't hide" a singsong voice said. The whole house turned on. It was not a funhouse he was in. He was in a dimly lit mirror maze. Jack gasped as he spun around. He saw multiple reflections of himself looking around, frightened as hell. "You can't run Jack" the clown's singsong voice said. He saw the reflection of the clown running by on one of the mirrors. Jack ran forward but bumped into a mirror. He staggered back and bumped into another. He looked around, gasping. "Where am I Jack?" The clown asked as his reflection ran by again. "You and I could be anywhere" the clown taunted. Jack turned around started backing away. He gasped when he felt space. 'Ok, this is the path' he thought to himself, knowing that he'll bump into a mirror sooner or later. "You're on one end of the maze, and I'm on the other" the clown taunted as Jack continued backing away. "Or am I?" The clown whispered. Mack's blood went cold. That sounded like the clown was... "That's right... I'm behind you." The clown slashed him in the back. Jack cried out and fell to his knees. The clown laughed and deeper into the maze, now blood on his dagger.

Somewhere

Chase groaned and opened his eyes. He was tied to chair with thick rope. His hands were bound behind him. "What the hell?" He asked.

"Hello Chase" the high-pitched voice greeted. "I want to play a game." Chase looked around his surroundings. He was in Princess Twilight's library.

"How did I get here? What the fuck do you want? And where's Twilight?" He bombarded. The puppet was sitting on a she,f, cradling the knife like it was his kid.

"You ask too many questions" the puppet chirped. "But I guess I'll answer them." "How you got here is not important, what I want, is also not important. And as for the magical purple unicorn with wings... Well she's here with us."

"Show her to me" Chase said with venom in his voice. The puppet smiled and climbed down the shelf. He walked over to the bed that was draped with a large white blanket.

"Here she is" the puppet said as he removed the blanket. Princess Twilight was tied eagle spread with jump rope and a sock was lodged into her mouth. "Funny how she wasn't meant to see me" the doll said as he shoved the sock a little deeper into her mouth. "But..." He then tied a cloth, keeping the gag in. "Pitch Black had other plans."

"Pitch... Wait a minute, is that all this is about?"

"In a way... Yes." Chase struggled against the rope. "Your three friends each has a fear of their own. And I bet that they're running around like little bitches crying for their mommy."

Elsewhere

I was thrown against the wall, bloodied and bruised. "Where is she you son of a bitch?" I asked as I spat blood. Slender approached me with his clawed hands and wriggling tendrils. "I killed you once... I can do it again!" I charged at him and threw a punch. Slender grabbed my fist, punched me in the stomach, and tossed me aside. I staggered back, groaning in pain. Slender stepped forward and kicked me against the wall.

The Underground

The spider had caught up with Remy and knocked him to the ground. The gunslinger groaned and struggled to get up but the spider pinned him down with its legs.

Mirror Maze

Jack and the clown had made it to the end if the maze and were now engaged in a hand-to -hand combat. "I may be afraid of you, you piece of shit, but I'll so damn fucking happy to see you die." The clown punched him hard in the chest. He cried out and doubled over.

"You sound serious. But do you actually mean it?" He asked as he threw him aside.

Twilight's Library

The doll hopped off Twilight as the mare continued to muffle a moan.

"Twilight can use her magic to get me out if here" Chase said.

"Yes... And if she does use magic, the ropes binding you will just constrict. So... How about that game I want?"

"What kind if sick fuck game do you want to play?"

"It's called... 'How Much Blood Does It Take a Human To Loose Before He Dies?' And obviously... I go first." The doll approached Chase while Twilight struggled and yelled behind her gag.

Unknown Location

I was getting weak with every passing second from the severe beatings. Just then, a thought ran through my head. I closed my eyes and took steady breaths.

'We are the Four Horsemen of Equestria... We have powers of our own... Fear has fogged our minds to realize this. Focus, focus, focus.. Use it.' I kept my eyes closed and focused as Slender approached me. A flash of red light appeared in my hand. When I opened, I smiled at the red ring. "Bring it" I challenged as I put it on, engulfing myself in red aura. When the aura died down, I was wearing red armor and wielded a red sword. Slender got into a fighting position as did I. "I'm going to ask again" I said menacingly. "Where's Flutterbat?"

Underground

'Fuck!' Remy thought. 'I knew I was going to die, but I didn't expect to die like this!' He closed his eyes and waited for death to fall on him.

'Focus' my voice rang through his head. 'You are one of the Four Horsemen of Equestria. Focus, and use it.'

'Weird, but ok' Remy thought. He relax and focused as the spider leaned forward to deliver a bite. Suddenly, a pale color of light flashed, startling the spider. Remy glanced down and opened his hand, revealing a pale ring. He got to his feet and laughed triumphantly. He slipped it on his finger and was engulfed in pale aura. The spider clicked its pincers menacingly. When the aura died down, Remy was not only wearing pale armor, but he lack flesh and blood. He was only bone. He was also wielding a pale scythe. The spider charged at him and vice versa. The two clashed.

Mirror Maze

Jack was backed against the corner, breathing heavily. He had several scratches and bruises all over him. The clown laughed as he licked the blood off of the dagger. "What a shame... Looks like you're going to die very early." Jack grained in pain and slid down to a sitting position against the wall.

'You are one of the Four Horsemen of Equestria' Remy's voice said through his mind. 'As long as you focus, you can beat this thing.' Jack was in so much pain to figure out what's happening. 'Focus... Focus...' Jack closed his eyes and breathed shallowly. A flash of black light appeared in his hand. Jack glanced up and saw the clown taunting him while still paying attention to his bloodied dagger. Jack glanced down and looked at the black ring. 'Use it' Remy's voice echoed. Jack, with a weak but shaky hand, put on the ring, engulfing himself in black aura. The clown turned around, but his evil, creepy grin soon turned into a frown when he saw Jack. He now wore black armor and held a pair of black weighing scales. "What was that about me dying early?" He asked.

Twilight's Library

The doll was now on Chase's lap. "Any last words, Chase?" It asked. Chase looked at Princess Twilight tearfully. The alicorn looked at him back. The young man glanced down and sighed. "Oh... No last words?" It asked.

'You are one of the Four Horsemen of Equestria' Jack's voice rang through Chase's head. 'Focus and you'll beat this thing.' Chase closed his eyes and relaxed.

"So you're ready to die, are you?" The doll asked. "Well then..." It raised the dagger up. Princess Twilight screamed a warning behind her gag. As she did, a small flash of white appeared inside Chase's bound hands. He felt a ring in his grasp. With a smirk, he put on the ring, engulfing himself in white aura. The doll squinted its eyes and lost its balance. It fell on the floor with a clatter. "What the hell?" It asked. When the aura cleared, Chase was no longer bound to the chair. He now wore white armor, similar to a knight's and held a white bow. Princess Twilight's eyes widened with surprise.

"Now I have a game for you, dolly" he said. "It's called 'See You In Hell'. And you're going first."

Chapter 13

The Underground

The spider raised one of its forelegs up, but Remy sliced it off with his scythe. The spider screeched in pain. "Ha!" Remy laughed. He then sliced another leg off. He raised his scythe up and stabbed one of the spider's eight eyes and pulled his scythe out. He watched as blood oozed from the socket he punctured. The spider screeched and raised. "Still alive, huh?" Remy asked as he punctured another eye and then sliced off another leg. The spider flopped down on its stomach, struggling to get back up and also trying to rub the irritating pain on its eyes. Using the base of his scythe, Remy flipped the spider on its back and buried the blade of the scythe into its abdomen. "How do you like it, huh?" He asked as he pulled the scythe out and stabbed him again. The spider screeched. Remy continuously stabbed the spider and watched as black liquid began to ooze out. After a final stab, he pulled the scythe out and used the base of his weapon to roll the arachnid back on its stomach. The spider struggled to crawl away. "Oh no, I'm not done with you!" He shouted. He punctured the remaining eyes of the spider and now started to stab the beast In the back, black blood squirting and gushing out. He pulled the scythe out one last time and watched the spider writhe and made weak clicking sounds. Remy removed the ring and not only did his skin, flesh, and blood come back, but the armor, the scythe, and the ring vanished also. He reached into his inner jacket pocket, pulled out a handgun, and cocked it. He aimed it at the spider and planted a few bullets into it. The spider then stopped moving. Remy fired at the ceiling and watched the dirt and rocks cave in and crushed the dead beast. Remy smiled to himself when he saw the moonlight. He then climbed up and hauled himself back to the surface of Ponyville. He tucked the gun away and walked down the street. A magic aura surrounded the hole he had made and repaired it, making it look like it was never there to begin with.

The Mirror Maze

The clown lunged at Jack with its dagger, but the young man blocked it with his weapon. "Come on Smiles... I know you can do better than that. He knocked the clown on the head with the weighing scales. The clown yelped and staggered back. Jack knocked the dagger out if the clown's hand with the scales and knocked him on the head again. The clown turned and ran. Jack chuckled darkly to himself and picked up the dropped dagger. "Ok fuck stick" he said with a smile. You were so desperate to kill from the start... Why don't you take this dagger and finish the job?" He asked as he pursued his killer. Scales in one hand, dagger in the other.

Twilight's Library

"Stay away from me!" The doll screeched as it made its way out of the room. Chase hurried over to Princess Twilight and lowered the cloth. She spat out the sock and started coughing. "Chase! The doll!" She gasped. "He's getting away!" Chase smiled as he made an arrow appear out of thin air. He walked over to a window and opened it. He smiled when he saw the doll running away.

"No he's not, Twilight" he said as nocked the arrow. He took aim. No he's not. He fired the arrow and watched it impale through the doll's back. The marionette fell to his knees, gasping. He tried prying the arrow out, but it was lodged into him pretty good. He started staggering away. Chase made another arrow appear, knocked it, and fired it. He watched it impale the marionette in the back, parallel to the first one. He continued to watch the doll stagger.

"Is he dead?" Princess Twilight asked as she used her magic to undo her bonds.

"No" Chase said as he made another arrow and fired it, impaling the marionette. Now it has three arrows sticking out of his chest. He then made four arrows appear and placed them on Twilight's bed. As the doll continued staggering, Chase picked up the first arrow and fired it. It impaled the doll at the back of his head, and out the left eye. He picked up the second arrow, and fired it. Again, he got him in the back of his head. This time, the tip stick out of the right eye. The marionette screamed in pain. Chase quickly picked up the third arrow, nocked it, and fired it. The tip of the arrow that was fired burst out of his mouth. The screams were now muffled and sounded like groans. "Last one" Chase said quietly as he nocked the fourth and last arrow. He fired it and the arrow stuck out of the Dolly's head, between its impaled eyes, silencing him for good. The doll fell to the ground and remained motionless. "Now... He's dead" Chase answered. He removed his ring and the armor, weapon, and ring itself vanished. He closed the window and focused his attention on Princess Twilight. He helped her with her bonds until she was fully untied.

"Thank you" she said with a smile as he laid down next to her.

"I'm not considered your knight in shining armor, am I?" He asked. Princess Twilight laughed as she wrapped a wing around him, pulling him close to her. She then caressed his face with a hoof.

"Yes you are" she cooed. Chase was taken aback.

"Really? Because most knights are--" he was cut off mid sentence as Princess Twilight pulled him closer with her magic. So close, that their lips met. They both closed their eyes and enjoyed each other's company on the bed.

Unknown Location

Slender's tendrils kept lashing out at me. And with every slash I make, a piece I cut off would grow back. Slender charged at me and raised one of its clawed hands at me. I quickly sidestepped and sliced off his hand. Slender screeched and grasped the stump where his hand once hand. I watched as blood poured out if the stump and pored all over his remaining hand and onto the floor. Slender was breathing heavily and retreated into the shadows, leaving a trail of blood behind. "Hey!" I called. "Where's Flutterbat you fuck mook?!" Before I could run after him, I heard a slight noise. I spun around fast and remained still. The noise was ahead of me. I kept walking straight until I reached door. I pressed my ear against it and heard sounds coming from the inside. I opened the door and stepped inside. I gasped at what I saw. "Flutterbat" I whispered.

Mirror Maze

The clown was walking around the mirror maze. "Come on, Clown Face" Jack said. "You wanted to kill me from the start right?" He asked. "So why don't you get over here, retrieve your dagger, and kill me? But of course I can just evade your attacks and kill you first." The clown started fleeing, trying to find the entrance.

"I'm not running away from you because I'm scared, Jack!" The clown yelled.

"Oh? Then why are you running?"

"Because I fucking can!"

"You still haven't answered my question still. If you're not scared, why not kill me? I recall that you were eager to see my blood on your dagger."

"How about you the one that comes out?" The clown asked challengingly.

"Um no. I prefer this Cat and Mouse game we are playing."

"Cat and Mouse? No, this is more... Cloak and Dagger" the clown said as he pulled out a dagger from his pocket. On the other side of the maze, Jack removed his ring. He was back in his clothing, and he no longer had the weapon. the armor, and the ring, just like what happened to Chase and Remy.

"Cloak and Dagger?... I was thinking more along the lines of... Spider and Fly."

"Let's make this interesting, Jack the clown said as he licked the blade of his dagger. Lets play Search and Destroy. First one to find their opponent, kills them anyway he likes. And no one leaves the maze." He went down the opposite direction, walking back deeper into the maze.

"You're on" Jack said as he zigzagged his way past a few mirrors.

Unknown Location

Flutterbat was tethered to a corner by a black tendril. Her forehooves were bound together, the same as her hind hooves. Another tendril was coiled around her muzzle to prevent her from opening them. Her red vampiric eyes pleaded with me as she made muffled hissing noises. I rushed over to her and sliced through the tendrils. I removed my ring and reverted back to my original clothes. Again, the armor, the ring, and the weapon vanished. Flutterbat rushed over to me and wrapped her forehooves and wings around me. She buried her face into my chest and cried softly as she tightened her grip on me. "It's ok" I whispered over her whimpers. "It's ok..." Suddenly, a black tendril lashed out if the dark and coiled itself around my neck. I choked as I was yanked back and lifted into the air. Flutterbat watched wide eyed as tendrils coiled my hands together and bound my feet together. I felt the tendril tightened its grip around my neck. Slender stepped out of the dark, blood still spilling from the stump. A tendril sprouted from his back and turned into a spike. Flutterbat gasped when she saw Slender stab me with the spike. I let out a strangled scream as the spike plunged deeper into my back, and out of my chest, blood spilling. Slender retracted the spike and loosened the coils around my body, letting it fall lifeless on the wooden floor.

Flutterbat's eyes angered and stared at Slender with rage. Her body began to change from the form of the vampiric bat pony into a feral anthro one. She got down on all fours and hissed loudly. She lunged at Slender and tackled him to the ground. She sunk her clawed hands into his shoulders and her clawed feet sunk into his chest, clinging onto him. She bared her sharp vampiric fangs and bit him in the neck. Instead of sucking his blood dry like a vampire, she did something much more brutal to show what kind of mistake he did when he stabbed me. She bit into his neck and started biting into it like a dog chewing on a bone. Skin, flesh, blood, bone, Flutterbat felt it all with each bite. She continued attacking her catch, blood pooling around her and the body as she snacked on her victim. After awhile, she moved away from my killer and pounced over to my body. She knelt down and hauled my body onto her lap. She began stifling a whimper as she carefully caressed my face with her clawed hand. Tears formed in her eyes as she stared at my pale face. She shut her eyes tight and let out a loud screech of despair as the dead body of Slender and the mysterious house vanished around us. When the body and location fully disappeared, Flutterbat was left cradling my body, in front of the Everfree Forest.

Mirror Maze

"Come on Jack... You know you can't hide forever" the clown said as he walked by a mirror.

"Neither can you" Jack's voice said from one of the sides of the maze. The clown turned around and grinned.

"This is fun, right Jack? Two souls looking for each other in a maze?"

"Feeling claustrophobic from the mirrors? Yeah I say it's fun..." Jack answered sarcastically. He climbed up one of the mirrors and eyed the area from above.

"Tell me Jack" the clown said. Jack grinned when he spotted his opponent moving. "What do you plan to do to me when you find me?" He asked as Jack moved swiftly through the tops of the mirrors.

"Do you really want to know?" Jack asked as tightened his grip on the dagger.

"Yes, I really want to know" the clown giggled.

"Well, I'm planning to put a smile on your face when I'm finished with you."

"That's it?" The clown asked, disappointed. "You're no fun" he pouted.

"Actually..." Jack said. "I am." The young man dropped down behind the clown and clamped a hand over his mouth. "Why so serious, Clowny?" He asked as he stabbed his opponent on the side of his neck. The clown thrashed and screamed as he tried to fight off Jack, but the human continued stabbing the clown's neck, keeping his hand firmly over his mouth. Tremor shook his arm with each stab and he ignored the feeling of the blood cascading down on his hand. He plunged the dagger into his neck one last time and slit it across his throat. There was a gurgling sound and Jack felt the clown spit blood onto his hand. Jack released his hold and let the clown drop on the floor. Jack bent down and looted a handkerchief from one of the clown's pockets and wiped the blood off his hand. "Now..." He said as he stuck the knife into the clown's mouth. "Let's put a fucking smile... On this fucking face." With a quick motion, he slid the blade of the dagger from one end if the clown's mouth to the other so the nasty wound made a smile. Jack tossed the dagger to the side and watched as his surroundings and the clown began to disappear. Soon he found himself standing alone in the middle of the park in Ponyville. "That was fun" he said to himself with a smile.

Chapter 14

The anthro form of Flutterbat still cradled my body. She held it close to her and continued to cry. Just then, she glanced up and saw Princess Luna flying down towards her. Flutterbat held my body protectively and hissed at Princess Luna. "I know you are upset, dear Flutterbat... But show me Cale, and I promise that you will no longer fret." Flutterbat hesitantly showed my body to the ruler of the night. Princess Luna stood over my body but didn't put on a sad face which confused Flutterbat. "Before I heal your special human, you must promise something my dear Flutterbat... Protect him. Even though he insists on protecting, you have to protect him as well. The spell I'm about to use on him will fully heal and resurrect him but there is a catch. If he dies again, I can't bring him back..." Flutterbat looked at my body. "Are you sure you want him brought back as the human you love?" She nodded her head. "Very well."

She lowered her head and her horn lit up. Flutterbat watched wide eyed as the stab wound on my chest healed completely. My eyes shot open and I sat up, breathing deeply. My anthropomorphic friends gave me a really tight hug. I hugged her back and felt her crying on my shoulder. "She cares for you" Princess Luna said.

"I figured" I said with a smile. "Thank you for bringing me back so she could be with me."

"It was my pleasure" she answered. "Well... I must continue ruling the night."

"Of course" I said with understanding.

"Farewell Cale. I hope the destiny between you and Flutterbat treats you well."

"I hope the same thing." Princess Luna smiled at took flight. When she was gone, Flutterbat looked at me deep into my light brown eyes with her red vampiric ones, but still kept kept her arms wrapped around me. She leaned forward and planted a kiss on my lips, hissing softly. I returned the kiss and the hug as well. The two of kissed under the moonlight, feeling that we were meant to be together.

Castle Nightmare

Pitch Black sat in his throne with his hands folded. "My plan... Failed" he said softly. "My destiny... Shattered. My perfect soldiers of fear... Killed. These humans... Are not what I expected them to be. They too are like me... Powerful and dangerous." His shadow rose from the floor.

"Don't lose hope sire. There's always next time."

"You're right" he said rising from his throne. "As long as me... Pitch Black... The Nightmare King remains standing, Equestria will still be in danger, and I will not rest until the world is mine. And as for the humans who are apparently... The Four Horsemen, I will have my revenge on them. And I won't rest until each of them dies by my hand."

Ponyville, Next Morning

"Seriously?" I asked. Remy nodded.

"Yeah man. Spitfire wants me back at Cloudsdale. And I figured that I should actually return since I haven't been there for quite some time."

"I understand" I said. I looked around and sighed. "Well, Chase is staying here in Ponyville with Princess Twilight, and Jack has gone off to the Crystal Empire."

"How did he get there?" Remy asked.

"He was picked up." Remy glanced over at Chase and Twilight, hugging each other.

"Do you think Chase will propose again? I hope she says 'yes' this time." I already know that those two are engaged but decided to play along.

"I don't know man." I sighed. "But if he does try again, I hope it's a yes."

"Final call for Canterlot!" A voice called.

"That's my cue" I said.

"Where's Flutterbat?" Remy asked.

"She went off to Canterlot before the sun rose."

"Doesn't this mean you won't be able to spend time with her until nightfall?"

"Not unless we are in a dark area."

"So are you guys gonna..." He winked.

"Jesus, Remy" I groaned as I boarded the train.

"Come on Cale, you're gonna have to give us the juicy details."

"Only if you do, too. Come on, you think I don't know about you and Spitfire?" I sat by a window so I could still talk to him. The train whistled. Remy stepped back and waved goodbye as did the citizens of Ponyville as the train departed.

"See ya Cale!" Chase called.

"Likewise!" I called back.

The remaining two Horsemen stayed and watched the train make its way over to Canterlot.

That Night

I entered my room and saw the anthro form of Flutterbat lying on my bed. I removed my shirt and hung it next to my jacket. I took off my shoes and pants leaving my socks and black boxers on. I walked over to the bed and climbed into it. Flutterbat smiled as she caressed my face. She glanced down at the scars and scratches on my chest I received from a fight several nights ago. She traced a finger along scars and scratches. "Don't worry about them" I said assuringly. Flutterbat climbed on top of me and straddled my chest. The bra, panties, and stockings she wore matched the color of her mane and tail. She caressed my face, leaned forward, and kissed me on the lips. I felt her snake her arms around me and slipped her tongue into my mouth. I cried out with surprise when I felt her claws gingerly scratch my back as if she knew I had an itch somewhere and I felt the material of her stockings rub against my shin. She then rested her head on my bare chest, closed her eyes, and slept peacefully. Her soft breathing eventually lulled me to sleep.

From that point on, Flutterbat never stopped loving me. And it was official, Flutterbat and I were meant to be together. Our destiny was already written among the stars.

Sneak Peek

Pitch Black vows revenge on the Horsemen but he decides to have revenge on the leader first... Cale McManus. And what does he do? Hires a team of insane workers, scientists, and soldiers to kidnap Flutterbat. What do they do? Bring her to a place on Earth that's so secret, no one knows about its existence. This mission is for Cale to do alone. He has to go to Earth and bring back Flutterbat. But happens when he is joined by a group of vacationing teens looking forward to have a fun Spring Break but end up living in a nightmare? Will Cale rescue Flutterbat and go back to their home in Equestria? Or will he fail and have no choice but to have Flutterbat remain a prisoner with her captives on Earth until she dies?

Sneak Peek

"Cale, listen to yourself, you're going back to Earth" Chase said.

"Yeah so?" I asked.

"Cale, face it, you'll probably be never seen again" Jack said.

"And the place she's being held is probably run by torturers, insane interrogators, or worse... Slavers?" Remy suggested.

"Then I'll kill them all just to get her back" I said.

"But..." They said in unison.

"Enough." I opened a drawer and grabbed a handgun. "Flutterbat chose me as her special somepony" I said as I picked up a mag. "And as her special somepony, I'm going over there and I'm bringing her home." I inserted the mag into the gun and pocketed it.

"Cale, the place she's being held..." Jack said with worry.

"You're forgetting one thing Jack. I'm a skilled assassin."

"But Cale, the place is being run by workers, scientists, corrupt security, and they have a storage of monsters. God knows what they're being used for. And Flutterbat is one of them" Jack said.

"I'm guessing that you didn't catch what I said" I said seriously. "I'm going to kill them all... Just to rescue Flutterbat."

"You do know you're basically going to Hell and back, right?" Chase asked.

"I know" I said without thinking. I didn't need to think of what I was doing. "Now you're getting a glimpse of how much I love her. What's so difficult to understand?" I asked. I was pleased with their silence. "Good. You understand. Now if you'll excuse me..." I picked up another handgun and pocketed it. "There is an Equestrian resident... A bat pony that turns into an anthro if you upset her greatly... That I need to save." I turned to Princess Celestia and nodded. My three friends stepped back and watched as I was transported to Earth... Once again.

Story 4 of The Four Horsemen of Equestria Series

Another Cabin in the Woods