Sunset Shimmer sunk her teeth into an apple, tearing out off a chunk of it. A bit of juice dripped off the fruit onto her skirt. Sighing, she reached out to grab some napkins from the dispenser, but found a yellow hand pushing some over to her.
“Thanks.”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Fluttershy replied as Sunset wiped off the juice, leaving only a small stain. “I’m just glad it wasn’t marinara sauce or something like that.”
“Don’t even talk about that!” Rarity shrieked, raising a hand up to her face.
Glances from both her table and from around the cafeteria made her blush and lower her head. Pinkie giggled at Rarity’s expense before consuming a whole cupcake in one bite. Applejack and Rainbow Dash silently smiled at the little show while they dug into their lunches, much like a good majority of the other students.
“Excuse me for worrying about stains,” Rarity pouted before turning back to Sunset. “Although, getting your clothes a little dirty seems to be the least of your issues.”
Sunset rubbed her left eye. “It’s getting to that point now, eh? Can’t imagine what you would’ve thought of me when I was taking my entrance exams.”
“Aw, those weren’t that bad,” Pinkie chirped.
“My unicorn entrance exams,” Sunset corrected.
Setting her fork down, Applejack leaned closer to Sunset. “That aside, we could ask Principal Celestia to let ya leave a little earlier. Ya’ve been at it for nearly two months now and I can’t imagine those cold walks home are helping ya rest.”
“It’s fine,” Sunset muttered, taking another chunk out of her apple. “I’ve just been a little tired lately because… oh, this is gonna be stupid.”
She swooped her arms through her air, drawing her friends close to the table’s center. Pinkie grinned, eyeing everyone else with a gleam in her eyes. Sunset sighed and hefted her shoulders.
“I think there’s an animal in the school,” Sunset explained. “The past few nights, I’ve been hearing all sorts of noises coming from the theater department: scratching, fabric tearing, and other weird sounds. Last night, I poked my head in and I swear I saw something move.”
Dash blew her breath upwards, puffing a few strands of her hair. “Rarity tells scarier stories than that.”
“Well, that Scootaloo friend of yours seemed awfully scared of them.” Rarity paused for a moment and shivered. “Bell-bottoms coming back, can you imagine?”
“Pretty sure she was more spooked on my great retelling of Plumber Pete. Man, that guy still creeps me out.” Turning back to Sunset, Dash chuckled. “Speaking of which, it’s probably just the janitor playing a prank on you again. Remember the time with the horns?”
Sunset grimaced, shadows deepening around her eyes. “Yes, and while I wouldn’t put it past him, he’s much more direct than this.”
“B-but how could an animal g-get in?” Fluttershy quivered.
“Well, there is still a hole in the wall,” Sunset sighed, clasping her hands together. “The thing that’s really keeping me up is that it might be something from my side.”
Applejack shifted her hat back and stared at Sunset. “That’s a bit of a stretch to presume. Besides, if that portal could turn a dragon into a cute little dog, I don’t think anything really dangerous could get through.”
“A talking dog,” Sunset countered before clasping her chin. “There’s no way to know what happens to creatures that come through; just because it’s not magical anymore doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous. Er, if the portal was just open a little longer, I could study how its spatial matrix transmogrifies Equestrian biology.”
The other five girls at the table gave her blanks stares. She sighed and scooted back, her friends following suit. Pinkie produced another cupcake and devoured it like the previous one, Rarity trying not to say anything and instead dabbing her lips with a napkin. She tried not to pay too much attention to Dash and Applejack’s side of the table, where a few bits a food fell off of the two girls’ trays. Swabbing a napkin across her mouth, Applejack crumpled it up and put it on top of what was left of her lunch.
“Well, I didn’t quite get the last part of what ya said,” she explained. “But if this is really bothering ya, I’m sure Principal Celestia wouldn’t mind us helping ya just for tonight… the part about creeping around the school we don’t need to tell her.”
A spray of confetti fell over the table, accompanied by a slew of streamers. Pinkie darted around her friends, adhering party caps to all of them. Grinning, she flew back into her seat, unleashing another spray of party favors.
“Oh, this’ll be super fun!” she gushed. “It’ll be like a slumber party, only too early to sleep and at school!”
Sunset waved a hand back and forth in front of her face. “That’s really not necessary. The whole ‘Equestria monster’ thing is just the sleep talking. It’s probably just a rat.”
“Either way, I don’t want a varmint slinking around my school,” said Applejack. “Got enough critters to deal with back home anyway.”
“I… I’ll stay to help Sunset,” Fluttershy squeaked, “but I’m leaving after that.”
Five pairs of eyes turned to her, making her sink into her seat. Rarity placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from going below the table.
“Dear,” said Rarity. “I thought you’d be the first person to help with an animal issue.”
“I… I would,” Fluttershy replied. “I j-just don’t want to go down the e-empty hallways, in the dark, at night.”
“Oh, Fluttershy.” Rarity rubbed her friend’s shoulder. “You make my excuse for not going on this chase seem silly.”
“And that is?” Dash asked.
“Beauty sleep.”
Applejack banged her head into table.
~~~
Dash swept a broom across the floor, collecting scraps of garbage into a dustpan. The trash pushed up against the sizable amount already in there and threatened to spill back onto the ground. Frowning, Dash set the broom against a table and emptied the pan into a nearby trash can.
“This is boring!” she complained. “I thought we’d at least be cleaning up the front entrance.”
“We carted out most of the debris in the first week,” Sunset explained while mopping up a different part of the cafeteria. “Actual construction workers are fixing it up now, that leaves me to help out cleaning the rest of the school.”
“What about your friends Snips and Snails?” asked Rarity. “I would’ve thought we’d be seeing them tonight as well.”
“I managed to convince Principal Celestia to go a little softer on them.” Sunset allowed a small smile to cross her face. “They really do move well in the Wondercolt costume.”
“They’re the Wondercolt?” Pinkie gasped. “Wow, they’re even better at cheering than me!”
The rest of the girls chuckled at the revelation before turning back to their work. As they cleaned, the sun dipped lower and lower, tinting the cafeteria yellow. By the time the floors were free of all trash, the room had turned red. The moon peaked through the eastmost windows, the first stars of the night glimmering next to it.
Rarity and Fluttershy placed their cleaning supplies next to the the cafeteria’s main doors. Slowly walking over to the door, Fluttershy clasped the handle and pulled it open, revealing the hallway— now only lit by the emergency lights. A shiver ran up her spine, but Rarity gave her a pat on the back before turning to look back at the remaining group.
“I’ll walk Fluttershy out, but I do wish you all the best of luck!” she said with a wave. “Be careful!”
The door closed behind her and Fluttershy with a thud that echoed throughout the cafeteria. Sunset walked over and grabbed Rarity’s cleaning supplies while Pinkie grabbed Fluttershy’s. Smiling, she balanced two brooms perpendicular to her forearms while keeping an empty bucket atop her head. Dash cracked a grin as she held the door open for the rest of the group, Sunset leading them down the hallway.
“Lets drop off this cleaning stuff first, then get down to business.”
Winding through the empty school, the group soon came to a halt at a door interspaced between two rows of lockers. Setting her supplies down, Sunset reached out and twisted the knob, but it only jiggled slightly. A yellow-gloved hand slid under hers and inserted a key into the knob.
“Allow me,” said the key’s owner.
Pulling the door open with a bare hand, he slid the key back into his faded brown overalls. He smiled at the group, showing off a slightly crooked set of teeth. Looking over them, he chuckled lightly.
“Something funny?” Dash grumbled as she put her supplies into the closest.
“Oh,” the janitor mused, “just odd to see such young kids at school this late and doing my job no less. Although, I recall your group being a little bigger.”
“Yeah, two of our friends already went home, but they helped clean too,” Pinkie explained.
She flipped the brooms around her arms and onto the ground. Bouncing up, she dislodged the bucket from her hair, kicked it upwards with her knees like a hackysack, and caught the handle on her wrist. The janitor took it from her with a smile and chucked it into the closet, sending it into a collection of other buckets.
Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out an old-fashioned pocket watch and glanced at the time. “Well, seems you’ve finished early too. I’m sure Tia will be happy to hear that.”
“Ooh,” Pinkie exclaimed, “I didn’t know you knew the principal.”
“We have a…” The janitor readjusted the mops in the closet so that their ends all pointed in different directions. “... history. Nothing you kids would be interested in. Now, it’s getting dark out, so I can handle the rest. You’d best be on your way home.”
“Thanks, Mr. Discord,” Pinkie chirped.
Turning away from the closet, the group sped away from Discord with Applejack at the head now. Going around a corner, they came to a stop, their footsteps echoing down the halls. Sliding up next to the lockers, Applejack let out a deep breath.
“What are you looking so worn out for?” asked Dash.
“I didn’t think the janitor would also be here,” Applejack replied. “Don’t want to get in trouble for exploring around the school at night.”
“Please,” Sunset sighed. “We’re doing him a favor by taking care of whatever is here.”
“Speaking of which…” said Applejack.
Pulling away from the lockers, she slid her backpack off and placed it on the ground. Inside were five pairs of gloves, flashlights, and two nets. Everyone grabbed the flashlights and stuffed the gloves into their pockets, leaving Applejack’s set along with the extra one and the nets.
“Figured I’d borrow some of the stuff my family uses for pests,” Applejack explained. “Wish I coulda brought more, but this was all my bag could hold.”
“No, it’s enough that you brought this stuff,” said Sunset. “But lets not waste anymore time.”
The group crept down the dim hallways, save for Pinkie, who skipped through them, zooming ahead of the other girls. The only exception being at corners, where all of them paused, Sunset peaking around walls to make sure Discord wasn’t strolling down the halls.
The faint glow of the emergency lights gave way to moonlight as they passed through the main entrance. Tarps, scaffolding, and construction materials dotted the damaged area, yellow tape separating it from the rest of the entrance. A breeze gusted in from outside, rustling the tarps over the hole. Dash shivered and pulled the zipper up on her jacket while Sunset stared up at the shaking tarp before gesturing the others forward with a hand, back into the artificial lighting of the halls.
Goal getting closer, Sunset placed a hand on Pinkie to stop her bouncing and held a raised finger up to her mouth. Pinkie grinned and waved a hand across her face, pulling her lips close together before tiptoeing to the back of the group, raising her knees high while keeping her feet pointed directly down. Applejack and Sunset shook their heads and sighed while Dash tried to contain a chuckle.
Rounding one more corner, they came to a short hallway that ended with two large doors. Sunset crept forward and grasped one of the doors handles, goosebumps rising across her arm as it met the cold metal. Giving it a small tug, she was greeted by the musty smell of old clothing mixed with makeup and paint that slipped through the small opening she’d created.
Waving the other girls in, Sunset fully opened the door and slipped in after everyone else. With a whine of old hinges, the door closed, leaving the group in darkness for a brief second before they clicked on their flashlights. The four beams of light cut through the stale air, highlighting the dust that floated through it.
Beyond the doors were numerous racks taller than the girls, filled with costumes of varying sizes and styles. The only discernable difference among them was the divide between dresses, blouses, and skirts and muscle shirts and suits. Above the clothing were bins stuffed to the brim with every kind of hat imaginable. Even further up were a dizzying array of catwalks dotted with sandbags and ropes. Canes, parasols, fake swords, and a countless number of other props rested in boxes near the back of the room, near a collection of pulleys and levers barely lit by the girls’ flashlights. Dim lights illuminated the two paths at the end of the room, basking a tiny portion of the theater stage in pale yellow along with a small bit of hallway leading to the changing rooms.
“Alright,” said Sunset as she pulled on her gloves. “We’ll have to work in the dark in case Discord comes by, don’t want him wondering why the lights are on. Plus, I don’t want to scare whatever’s in here until we’re ready to capture it.”
Applejack slipped off her backpack and unzipped it, pulling out one of the nets and holding it to Sunset. Snatching it from Applejack, Sunset scrunched it up, letting a few bits of it dangle out of her grasp. She waved her flashlight across the empty department and was about to take a step forward, but Applejack grabbed her shoulder.
“Hold up there,” she said, pointing her light across Sunset and the rest of her friends. “This may not be the same as catching pests at my place, but the way we catch them should still work.”
“We build a comedically over-complicated trap?” Pinkie swirled her arms through the air, occasionally stopping to point at nothing. “We’d spring the giant mousetrap here, cover the bad guy in ink here, and finally trap him in a huge tub of ho—”
Applejack shoved a palm up against Pinkie’s chin, closing her mouth. Pinkie giggled and swatted her hand through the air, dispersing her “plan.” Pulling her hand back and turning to the rest of the group, Applejack pulled out her second net.
“My idea’s a bit more simple than that,” she continued. “We split into the two groups, each side starting on opposite ends of the room. We look through things, guess try not to make too much of a mess, and slowly make our way back to the middle of the room. That way, if we flush out the critter, it’ll have no way to get out, barring it being too fast for us to catch.”
“What do we do then?” asked Sunset.
“I suppose ya could turn your light on and off real fast if ya find the critter but can’t get i—”
“And leave the rest of the catching up to me!” Dash proclaimed, slashing her flashlight down like a sword. “Helping Fluttershy get strays off the streets has gotten me great catching skills!”
“And a few rabies shots,” said Applejack.
A blush flooded Dash’s face. “Hey! Fluttershy promised she wouldn’t tell.”
“She didn’t need to,” replied Applejack. “What with the way you were scratching you—”
Sunset slammed her foot down, the echo vibrating through the darkness. “Enough. More yelling like that and we’ll scare away whatever is here and have Discord on our tails. Now, how are we gonna split up?”
“Ooh! Oooh!” Pinkie flapped one arm through the air while grabbing Dash with another. “Dashie and I will take the back! I know about all the tiny cracks and hiding places in the girls’ changing room, so it’ll be super easy for me to find any nasty wasties that might be hiding there!”
“Sounds good to me.” Applejack handed Pinkie the second net and turned to Sunset. “Guess that means we get the front.”
“Weee!” Pinkie exclaimed.
Dragging Dash with her, she skipped off the back of the room. Her flashlight bounced along with her, casting bizarre shadows across the room that vanished as quickly as they appeared. Applejack silently put on her gloves as Pinkie and Dash’s lights disappeared down one of the paths, leaving her alone with Sunset.
“Well,” she said, flexing her fingers. “Let’s get started.”
Taking a breath, Sunset followed after Applejack as the two entered the first row of racks. Her flashlight combed over the costumes to her left while Applejack’s scanned of the ones on the right. They occasionally brushed their hands over the various pieces of clothing, parting them to shine their light into hidden crevices.
Pushing back a rustled grey suit, Applejack sniffled and unleashed a loud sneeze that reverberated through the air. When she pulled her head out from the rack, dust covered her face, making it look like her nose had developed moss on it. Sunset couldn’t help but chuckle a little.
“I can’t believe Rarity can stand this,” Applejack said as she wiped off her face. “ She’ll barely set a foot in my house, but is fine helping out every semester in this dusty old place.”
Sunset shrugged her shoulders and turned back to her side of the racks. Applejack snorted, dislodging a bit more dust from her nose, and turned back to her search. Eventually, the two reached the middle of the racks, a space bisecting the rows down the middle. They moved their flashlights across the upper half of the first row one more time before turning around and walking up the second row.
~~~
Pinkie pulled open drawer after drawer in the mirror room, peaked her head inside, and then quickly closed it. Dash stood in the back of the room, limply holding her flashlight over Pinkie as she rifled through the cabinets.
“Pinkie, I don’t think anything is gonna be hiding in there,” Dash said after a few minutes.
Pinkie opened another container and smiled. Reaching inside, she pulled out a small tube of lipstick and rushed back over to Dash. She bounced around her in a silent jig, Dash raising an eyebrow at the spontaneous number.
“Uh, Pinkie, you okay?”
“Better than okay! I found my Tutty-Fruity Juicy lipstick!”
Dash slapped a hand against her forehead. “You were looking for lipstick?”
Pinkie ceased dancing and slid close to Dash, her eyes now sharp. Brandishing her newly found lipstick, she pressed it close to Dash’s face. Dash stared back at Pinkie with a nervous grin as she glanced down at the cosmetic.
“Not just any lipstick,” Pinkie said, holding her flashlight up to her face, highlighting a grin that was a bit too wide. “The lipstick. I’d thought I’d lost it forever after the summer play workshop, but now it’s mine! All mine!”
She broke out into a cackle that made the hair stand up on Dash’s neck. Twirling the lipstick around her fingers, she smoothed it across her lips in one swift movement and sighed, resting an arm against a chair. She popped her lips and grinned at Dash.
“By the way, is it okay if I go use the bathroom? Had a few too many sodas while cleaning.”
“Yeah…” Dash replied, eyes glancing down at the floor. “You do that.”
Dash found herself being crushed by Pinkie in a hug for a brief moment before Pinkie sped off to around a corner to the girls’ changing area. Dash let out a breath and slumped against a wall.
“Note to self: Never get between Pinkie and her cosmetics.” Dash shuddered. Don’t want a repeat of the sophomore bake sale.
~~~
A few minutes later, Pinkie refastened her skirt and moved to leave the stall. As her fingers slid off the lock, the bathroom’s lights turned off, throwing her into darkness.
“Ahhh,” she whined, “silly motion-sensor lights.”
Sliding out into the sink area, she waved her hands through the air, but the room still remained dark. Momentarily frowning, she flicked on her flashlight, casting a yellow glow around her. Grinning, she walked over the sink, humming as she turned it on.
“Washing hands, don’t want the germs, so got to use the soap and the hot wa—”
A creak from behind silenced Pinkie. Grabbing the flashlight with her dripping hands, she spun around and was greeted with a stall’s door slowly closing. Letting out a strained chuckle, she turned back around, shut off the water, and reached out for the towels.
“Heh, guess the dark spooked me more than I thought. Well, better hurry up and dry off before Dashie starts to wo—”
“Hrrrrrhh...”
Pinkie froze at the noise, goosebumps erupting across her body. She raised her flashlight, its light shaking as she slowly panned it across the room.
“H-hello? M-mr. Animal-that-Wouldn’t-Hurt-a-Girl-All-by-Herself?” Another creak made her spin around and jab her flashlight at the stall’s door again. “Easy, Pinkie. J-just gotta get out and whatever is here can’t g-get you.”
Gulping, she raised a foot and took a step back. Out of the corner of her vision, she saw something dart past her, its form cloaked in the darkness. She swung her flashlight in its direction, but was only met with the sink, still dripping. Eyes darting around the room, she took another quivering step back, then another and another, each faster than the last. The shadows moved around her, but her flashlight only revealed inanimate objects.
She took another step back and bumped into the wall. The door was just a few inches to her right now. She kept her flashlight on the darkened bathroom, still revealing nothing more than the stalls and the sink as she inched over to the door. She sighed as her damp hands clasped the handle.
Breath, hot on her left shoulder, paralyzed her. Peering in that direction, she was met with only black, yet, the breath still fell on her back, followed by a sniff. Cold sweat trickling down her face, Pinkie stared down at the door handle. In it was a blurred reflection of herself, distorted by the bends and curves of the metal. Behind her loomed a slick shape, its form silhouetted by Pinkie’s flashlight and eyes glowing like hot coals.
Heart in her throat and death grip on her flashlight, she rapidly spun around and shined a light in the creature’s face. Raising its arms, the creature revealed massive leathery wings sticking out of its back that stretched to the floor. Glaring at Pinkie, it hissed, revealing a set of massive fangs that shimmered in the light.
Pinkie screamed.
~~~
“Ya sure it wasn’t a dust bunny ya heard?” Applejack asked as she shifted through a collection of canes.
“It might have moved,” Sunset replied, “maybe we shoul—”
A piercing scream from the changing rooms made them both jolt upwards. Swinging their lights in that direction, they looked at each other before darting at full speed over to the scream’s location.
Rounding the corner, they found Dash looking a bit more blue than usual in Pinkie’s grasp. Her arms flailed against Pinkie as she tried to break out of her hold or at least avoid being smothered by her hair. In place of puffy curls, it now pointed straight out in various directions, some of the ends jabbing into Dash. Gibberish spilled out of Pinkie’s mouth as she pulled Dash closer.
“G-guys” Dash coughed, noticing Applejack and Sunset. “L-little help here?”
Applejack went over and grabbed Pinkie, pulling her back from Dash. Pinkie’s grip held fast even as Dash pushed away from her. Snorting, Applejack planted her feet and tugged harder. With a pop, Pinkie unclenched from Dash and skidded across the floor.
“Pinkie!” Applejack yelled as she went over to her while Sunset stayed by Dash.
With nothing left to grab, Pinkie wrapped her arms against her knees, pulling herself into a ball. Applejack reached out to her, but stopped, and instead squatted down. Pinkie rocked back and forth, eyes glazed over and on the verge of tears.
“Easy, girl,” Applejack whispered, gently putting a hand on Pinkie’s shoulder. “You’re okay now.”
“What happened?” asked Sunset.
Rubbing her ribs, Dash glanced over at Pinkie and then at Sunset. “I have no idea. One minute, she’s going to the bathroom; the next, she’s got me in a death hold and is screaming about monsters.”
“Vvvvvv,” said Pinkie, her hair slowly deflating back to its normal proportions.
“It’s okay, Pinkie,” Applejack reassured her, giving her shoulder a rub. “Whatever ya saw can’t get ya now. So, just take some deep breaths, and then tell us what happened.”
Pinkie stared at Applejack before wiping her face and doing as she’d been told. Sunset took a seat as the group waited, flicking her flashlight around. The light played across the floors and walls, casting grotesque and misshapen shadows across the room. After a few minutes of this, Pinkie’s breathing slowed, and with a gulp, she broke away from Applejack and waved her arms around, signalling for the girls to huddle together.
“I… I know this is gonna sound crazy,” Pinkie mumbled, “but I think it was a vampire.”
“Guh,” Dash huffed, “you’ve been reading those crappy books again, haven’t you?
A harsh glare from Applejack shut her up. Giving Pinkie a pat on the back, she said, “It might have been the light playing tricks on ya. Why don’t ya go back to the beginning and explain from there?”
“Well…” Pinkie gripped at her skirt. “I was getting out of the stall when the lights went out. I tried to turn them back on, but it wouldn’t work, so I thought I’d just wash my hands fast and get back to looking. Then…”
A shiver ran through her and Applejack gave her another pat on the back.
“I heard a noise,” Pinkie continued. “I thought it was the animal, so I slowly backed over to the door and was about to get out when I saw it.” Her whole body shaking, she paused to take a few breaths. “It was as big as person, but I couldn’t tell that much in the dark. It was there, right behind me, breathing down my neck and staring at me with t-the eyes. I… I thought I could blind it, so I turned as fast as I could. I saw its wings, j-just like a bat’s, and then the fangs.”
Pinkie wavered and then fell into Applejack, crying into the latter’s jacket. Applejack extended her arms out and pulled Pinkie into a hug, running her hands up her back. While Pinkie sobbed, Dash and Applejack looked over to Sunset.
“What?” she asked.
“We haven’t exactly got giant bat creatures here,” said Dash.
“We do have an annoying janitor that likes pranks though,” Sunset replied. “The setup was a little odd, but now this has his fingerprints all over it. I’m amazed he didn’t do the ‘I vant to suck your blood’ schpiel.”
Pinkie shook her head against Applejack’s jacket. Wiping her face again, she looked over to Sunset. “It wasn’t him. It was too small and it had really long hair… I think.”
“‘You think,’” Sunset huffed. “Pinkie, I’m sorry you got scared, bu—”
A rustle from the racks near the back of the department silenced her. Jumping up to her feet, she flashed her light onto the costumes, catching a glimpse of the pointed end of a massive wing before it disappeared, rows of costumes moving along with the creature.
Sunset’s face drained of color as her eyes widened. Slowly glancing to the others, she saw they were all in similar states, Applejack shivering along with Pinkie while Dash was frozen with her mouth hanging open. Sunset rushed over and pulled them up and into a huddle.
“Okay, so we’re dealing with an Equestrian monster that somehow retained its magical capabilities, and we’re in its territory. I suggest we get to a safe position and formulate a pl—”
“Hrrrrrhh…”
“Get to the boys’ bathroom and bar the door!” Sunset screamed.
She blitzed ahead of the rest of the girls, who were on her trail instantly. They made a mad dash for the restroom, all while shadows whipped around them. Their flashlights cut through pieces of the darkness, catching glimpses of fangs, wings, clawed hands, and hellish eyes.
Reaching the bathroom, Sunset pushed the door open and slammed it as soon as Pinkie and Applejack made it in, Dash having followed right after Sunset. She braced her back against the wall and planted her feet on the door, holding it shut as her heart thumped against her chest. Beside her, the other three tried to catch their breaths.
“What... what is it?” Dash gasped.
“Please don’t be a manticore,” said Sunset. “Please don’t be a manticore.”
“Well how do we deal with tha—”
A shriek silenced Dash. Looking to her right, she saw Applejack petrified, her eyes frozen on a mushy apple with large puncture marks at the top of it.
“For crying out loud!” Dash yelled. “Monster outside and you’re screaming over fruit!”
“Mutilated fruit!” Applejack screamed back.
“Fruit?” Sunset repeated. Her eyes widened and she turned her head over to the Applejack. “Oh, thank the stars!”
Sliding down, Sunset slumped against the wall. She let out a breath and stared over at the girls.
“It’s a thestral.”
Blank stares greeted her. Pushing off the ground, she walked over to the other girls, holding a hand out to Pinkie, pulling her up. She gather them in a group and bent her head close to theirs.
“S-shouldn’t we get the door?” asked Dash.
“It’s not gonna hurt us.” Sunset glanced at Applejack. “Unless we have some fruit on us.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Applejack huffed.
“Thestrals, while rare, are just another breed of pony,” Sunset explained. “It’s just that, in the presence of certain fruits, their minds can give way to instincts. That’s why most of them live in Canterlot, away from any farms… at least, that’s how it was last time I was there.”
“My… my lipstick,” Pinkie quivered.
“Fruit flavored?” asked Sunset.
Pinkie nodded.
“Well, the bad news is, the thestral is definitely feral now,” Sunset continued. “It’s definitely a risk, but it can be caught like any other animal now. We just need to bait it out.”
The group turned to Pinkie.
“Oh…” One of the front curls of Pinkie’s hair drooped down.
~~~
Sunset peaked her head out from around a corner, followed by the other girls. Their sights were glued to the tube that stood amidst the costumes and props. Cap removed, the cosmetic faintly reflected some of the emergency lighting.
“You sure this will work?” asked Applejack.
“We’re dealing with a thestral that still has its wings,” Sunset whispered. “I’m not sure of anything.”
“Quiet!” said Dash. “I’m not in the mood to get turned into vampire pony chow.”
“It’s not a vampire,” Sunset shot back. “It’s just ano—
A row of racks shifted. Sunset silenced herself and pulled her head back as much as she could while still being able to watch her trap. Behind her, Applejack and Dash readied the nets. A shape darted out of the shadows and ran straight for the lipstick, wings cloaking its body as it zoomed down and made to pick up the bait.
“Now!” Sunset yelled.
Applejack and Dash flew out from behind the corner, nets flapping behind them. The thestral spun away from from the trap, a single eye glaring back at the girls. Its wings slid down slightly, revealing a rounded shape protruding out of its mouth. Applejack froze at the sight of the apple getting the juice sucked straight out of it long enough for one of her legs to cross over the other. With a yelp, she tumbled down, net wrapping around her, pinning her to the ground.
Apple tumbling from its mouth, the thestral got off the floor and crept over to Applejack. A long spindly hand reached out to her, clawed fingers glimmering in the dark. A sudden flash forced it to raise up its hand. Below it, Pinkie smirked as Dash rushed over and threw her net on top of it.
“Ah-ha! Bet you thought you’d got the best me!” she goated. “Well, I…”
She trailed off as her flashlight was joined by Sunset’s. Underneath the net, the thestral’s form was still largely covered by its massive wings. Closer inspection showed that despite the intricate style akin to the leather-like skin, the wings were really just a cape, split down the middle with what looked like flexible tubes holding up points of it to give it a more bat-like shape. Behind the cape, the light reflected off of red contacts, turning them white and partially blinding their owner.
Reaching up, she grabbed her upper teeth and yanked them out, fake fangs glistening under the light. She swept her pressed-on nails through her pink hair, revealing the false ears that extended her natural ones and made them pointy.
“Um… would you mind turning off the light?” she asked. “It’s a little hard to see… and the net isn’t exactly helping either.”
“Fluttershy?!” the other girls yelled.
“Y-yes,” she squeaked, keeping her hands raised. “If… if you could just turn off the flashlights, I can explain.”
“And how about I turn on the regular lights too?” came a voice from behind the group. “Think we’ve all been stumbling in the dark for long enough.”
Everyone blinked as the light’s switched back on, revealing Rarity standing next to the switch. As the other girls looked back and forth between her and Fluttershy, she made her way over to them and threw the net off of Fluttershy. Helping her up, she dusted her off while the other girls got a better look at what she was wearing.
Aside from the cape, Fluttershy wore simple yet smooth black shoes that went along with the slim black dress that covered her torso. Red stripes ran up its sides, highlighting her curves and ending at her shoulders. She ran a hand across her bare skin, pushing off some of the dust.
“Oh, Rarity, I’m sorry,” she muttered. “I got carried away and now your costume got dirty.”
“Nothing a little touchup can’t fix,” Rarity replied, brushing away some more dust. “Besides, it’s my fault for not checking what stuff they would bring.”
“Can someone please explain what’s going on?” said Dash.
Turning to face her, Fluttershy bowed her head and opened her mouth, but Rarity stepped forward.
“Well, we’ve been working on Fluttershy’s Halloween Costume for the past few days. We wanted it to be a surprise, so we worked here where it wasn’t likely anyone would spot us.”
“We thought it’d be a good way to show off Rarity’s skills,” Fluttershy muttered.
“Dear.” Rarity glanced back at Fluttershy. “Take some credit. I’d never have come up with it if it weren’t for you. Plus, I needed to do something with my old costume after that wreck of a party last year.”
“That still doesn’t explain why ya’ve been scaring the living daylights out of us,” Applejack said, crossing her arms.
Rarity opened her mouth to continue, but Fluttershy placed a hand on her arm and looked at the group.
“That… that’s my fault,” she said in a hushed voice. “When Sunset mentioned she’d been hearing noises, I knew she’d eventually find out what was going on. I didn’t know what to do. Neither of us could take the costume home without someone noticing. Then you brought up searching the theater and we knew we were out of time. So, Mr. Discord made a suggestion that if you were gonna find out anyway, we might as well make it memorable.”
A combined groan issued from Applejack, Sunset, and Dash. A grin popped up onto Pinkie’s face.
“So it was him after all,” Sunset grumbled. “Wait, how’d he get involved in this plan?”
“You didn’t think we were just sneaking in here every night without permission, did you?” Rarity replied. “After we explained the situation, he was more than happy to help. The only thing we really couldn’t get down in time was the fake blood in the bathrooms, but from the sound of things, the mushy apples did the trick for Applejack at least.
Fluttershy bent her sight down to the floor. “I hope we didn’t scare anyone too badly.”
She jumped a little as Pinkie gave her an enthusiastic pat on the back. “No way, Shy-shy! I mean, you totally did scare me, but now that I know it’s you and not a bat pony out to get me, this is super duper awesome! Aw, if only you’d done something like this the year we had the haunted house! Oh, maybe we can do it next year!”
“Y-you’re really not mad?” asked Fluttershy.
“A little spooked,” said Applejack, “but nothing a few good laughs can’t fix. Ya really did surprise us though, so I guess your plan worked out in the end.”
“Can’t wait to see what everyone else thinks,” Dash chuckled. “I’m sure the guys are gonna love it.”
Fluttershy’s face turned bright red and she bowed her head down, the rest of the group lightly laughing. With smiles on their faces, the group waited for Fluttershy to change into her regular clothes. Once she emerged from the changing room, they made their way outside and glanced back at the school.
“Heh,” said Dash. “This’ll definitely be a moment to remember.”
“Ooh, and whatever parties we go to,” Pinkie added.
“Hmmm,” Sunset mused. “I wonder if Twilight had to deal with a similar issue.”
♦♦♦
“Applejack!” Twilight yelled. “Put the garlic down!”
“Let go, Twilight!” Applejack shouted back.
She raised her hooves up and banged on Fluttershy’s door again. Inside, two pairs of red eyes stared back at Applejack as she attempted to hold onto the string of garlic bulbs encased in Twilight’s magic.
“Pleath,” Fluttershy lisped, her fangs getting in the way of her tongue. “I’ll only tath a few appthes.”
“No way! I’ve already lost enough of the crop as it is!” Applejack banged on the door again. “Now take this mediciana-whatchamacallit from Zecora and go back to not terrorizing my family!”
“I didth mean to scare Apple Bloomth and Granny Smiph… or your brother.”
Applejack slammed her hooves down, finally forcing the door open. She rushed in and darted toward Fluttershy. Spreading out her leathery wings, Fluttershy leapt up and took to the air, flying past Twilight and zooming into the night.
Racing back outside, Applejack raised a leg in Fluttershy’s direction. “That’s it! Next time I see ya, you’re getting hogtied and I’m forcing ya to eat this!”
“But I’m allergic!” Fluttershy shouted back.
