Calcifer.

In the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse, 3:27 P.M. (4 hours and 16 minutes before the event)

"C'mon guys, I'm sure that Applejack and Rarity will come back soon."  Scootaloo was trying to get her friends to stop worrying.

It had been almost two whole days since Rarity and Apple Jack disappeared to go look for Fluttershy, and they haven't returned.

The absence of their sisters somewhat tore a hole in the holiday spirit of two small mares.

Both Sweetie Bell and Apple Bloom sat on their haunches and stared at the floorboards, waiting for Scootaloo to say something that might actually help them.

They both wanted to spend time with their sisters this Nightmare Night, especially since they made their own costumes and started a haunted house in the barn.

Without Apple Jack and Rarity, Nightmare Night just wouldn't be quite as fun.

"Okay look..." Scootaloo pleaded, "Apple Jack and Rarity would never miss Nightmare Night, I'm sure that they'll be back by sundown.  Besides, if they don't come.  Don't you think that they'd want you to have fun tonight?"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell considered it a moment.

"Yeah, ah suppose." Apple Bloom said, still somewhat melancholy.

"That's the spirit!" Scootaloo cheered, "Sweetie Bell?"

Sweetie looked at Scoots for a moment, then gave a small smile.

"I think so." She mumbled.

"There we go!" Scootaloo pronounced, finally getting through to her friends.

"Now come on, we still got some work to do in the haunted house."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie bell decided to let the thoughts of their sisters not being around for Nightmare Night slide, and Scootaloo was right.  If they didn't show up for tonight, they'd still at least try to have fun.

Mr. Cake walked past Pinkie's bedroom door, Pumpkin Cake in the crook of his arm taking a nap.

The door was closed and hadn't been opened after hearing Lemon Squeeze scream, Pinkie and his disappearance, and how strangely cold it was inside Pinkie's bedroom afterwards.

He tried to ignore what must have been the strangest indecent to ever have happen in his house, and kept on moving through the hall.

Pumpkin squirmed a little in his arm, and her Dad cradled her back into slumber.

He smiled at his daughter, she was destined for a great life, he just knew it.

Jaybird stood infront of the Apple Family's house, a red stallion standing before him.

"Ah'm sorry Jaybird, mah sister's not here.  In fact she's been gone fur about two days now.  Said she was lookin' for a friend of her's.  If you see her please tell her ta come back home soon."

Jaybird was alittle disappointed, "Will do Mac.  Hey, do ya still need a ghost for the haunted house?"

Big Mac gazed at the ground for a second, then turned to Jaybird and said, "Ah suppose you can still come over and play the part, but ah wont make any promises that Apple Jack..." Mac winked at the stallion infront of him knowingly, "will be around.  We could still use ya though."

Jay smiled at Mac, he knew that Mac would figured it out eventually.

"I'll be here around seven.  That cool?"

"Eeyup, that be fine."

"Fantastic, see you then."

***

Calcifer Moved through the woods swiftly.  He wasn't running, nor sprinting of any sorts, he was simply just walking fast, his paces long and repetitive.

The evening autumnal scenery painted his walkway, and it was almost like he was walking through a painting.

He didn't know where he was going, nor where to go.

Even though he was dead, he was probably just as hard-headed when he left Fluttershy as he was on Earth.

It had been about four hours sense he had left the pony, and their was no signs of the Demonics, but he had to keep looking for them before some being got killed.

So he kept walking.

"You know, it seems like your sixth sense isn't and was never direction at all."

Calcifer knew the voice of the being that appeared from behind a tree he passed only a second ago.

"Why are you here Nuntius?" Calcifer asked coldly, still walking forward at a breakneck pace.

"As your guardian, I'm sworn to always be by your side."

"I know that."

Nuntius stepped into the peripheral of Calcifer, his choice of image made Calcifer stop in his tracks.

Nuntius was a Pegasus.

"Why did you choose that form?"  Calcifer questioned, turning to his friend.

"I think it suits me for the world we're in."  The white armored Pegasus-Angel smiled.

Calcifer didn't know why, and perhaps it would be better to not push the blade in harder.

"So do you have a message or, anything?" The human asked.

"Ahh, yes..." The messenger cleared his throat, "It seems that you've been invited."

"Invited to what?" Said Calcifer.

"Well, it seems that the Demons that Lucifer sent to damn you love games and other areas of entertainment."

"Such as?"

"Plays."

"As in... theater?"

"Yes."

"All right, so what?"

"Calcifer..."  The Angel's voice turned more serious, "They want to damn you in public, they want to show every being possible how quote on quote "Pathetic" you really are.  They've planned to draw you out of the forest by bait."

Calcifer became confused by one word, and one word only.

"What's the bait?"

***

(Their arrival.  7:43 P.M.)

The speaker sparked into life and the Mayor's voice came across the teleprompter.

"Will... wi will everypony pl-please come to the stage for an im im important announcement.  Everypony mu, must come immediately.  Puh, please."

It was unusual for the Mayor to be so staggered in her sentences, especially since she was the one pony who's job it was to make and publicly speak speeches.

All of the costumed ponies slowly yet surely gathered at the stage decorated in Nightmare Night favors.

Luna was among the crowd, she had arrived just like she promised in the letter to Twilight; the letter that the pony never replied back to.

The Mayor was on the stage behind the stand, she was wearing a vampony costume this year.

The grey maned mare was shaking for some reason, and she wore an expression as if she was hiding fear; a struggling smile plastered on her face.

However hard the mare tried to look calm, it was impossible.

The last of the ponies arrived in the crowd, a humming chatter about the area.

The speakers squealed, silencing the crowd.

The Mayor stuttered, "We, wuh wuh wuh wee ha ha have some very special gue gue guests to tonight."

The crowds mumbling started again; eager ponies wondered who "they" could be, especially sense Princess Luna had already arrived.

Luna herself grew in excitement, but it was still very strange how the Mayor was talking.

"Well, who are they?" a pony from the crowd asked.

The Mayor continued nervously, "They're from... far away."

The crowd's anticipation grew still; ponies conversed with themselves about these far away visitors, and how they would certainly welcome them with open arms.

"Well, where are they?" The same pony from the crowd asked.

The Mayor didn't answer in words.

The grey maned Vampony stared off into the distance; they were coming.

Four dark colored Earth ponied came into view, and the Mayor was stunned immobile, her heart skipping beats.

Each dark pony carried a sack on their backs, what was in the sack she didn't want to know.

"Look!" A Pegasus from the crowd spotted the four from the sky, and signaled the rest of Ponyville about the whereabouts of their guests.

Everypony in the crowd turned their attention behind them.

Small groups of ponies went to go greet the four, most of them small fouls.

The groups of ponies greeted the four dark ponies with glee.

In return they were ignored.

The crowd that stayed infront of the stage cleared a pathway for the four ponies making their way to the front of the gathering.

The ponies of Ponyville were confused as why the four ignored their greetings though.

The four climbed up onto the stage, and the Mayor joined the crowd, still shaking in fear.

Each dark pony dropped their sacks onto the stage, a loud plop came from each sack.

The tallest of the four trotted slowly to front-center stage.

"Welcome to our little play!  My friends."  His voice sounded welcoming, cheerful at it's best, "We apologize for not returning your welcomes, but we have a show to perform; so please, relax and enjoy yourself!"

The townsponies cheered, their excitement returned.

The tall pony smiled kindly, and raised his hoof to shush the crowd.

The crowd grew silent, and the pony spoke.

"We have one more member of our little group that must be among us, unfortunately he is late..."

Some of the crowd began to "Aww." in the thrill of the play, they were expecting another performer to pop out of nowhere, sometime soon after their response.

The tall pony spoke again, "Tonight is something very special, for tonight our friend will play a special role in our... play.  We have special gifts for him that we have put in our sacks.  So since he isn't here yet, HOW WOULD ALL OF YOU PONIES LIKE TO SEE OUR SPECIAL SURPRISE!?"

The crowd exclaimed their cheered.  Fouls leaped in excitement over the surprise.  This was going to be a fantastic Nightmare Night.

"Okay!  But I must ask you ponies, not to tell our friend what's in these bags after we put what's in them back.  Can we trust you?"

The crowd responded with a loud "Yes!" followed by some smaller yeses by latecomers.

"All right!"  The black pony exclaimed.

The crowd cheered continuously.

The tall one motioned for his companions to empty the cargo in the sacks.

They complied; one after another dark pony emptied their sacks, spewing the cargo on the stage.

The crowd went silent in shock.

The tall pony backed up to his sack, hoisted it to his shoulder, untied the opening, and out sprawled a severely wounded Twilight Sparkle.

The crowd responded with gasps and shrieks, six of their friends landing on the stage infront of them.

Each pony that came out of the sacks had burning red scorch marks somewhere on their body, they all looked either dead or unconscious.

The tall one tossed the now empty sack away, then made his way back up to center-front.

"Now then..." He complied to the crowd.

The colt stomped his hoof on the floorboards, and one of his companions lifted Rarity up, and held a jagged knife to her throat.

More ponies gasped, and a few more screamed.

"If our friend doesn't appear in the next six minutes, your friend here will die, and I will keep slitting each one's throats every six minutes then, until he appears."

He smiled evilly, everything was coming out smoothly.

***

(To be continued.)