A Nightmare Night Kiss

Chapters

Massacre at Sweet Apple Acres
The Sacrifice of Nightmare Night
A Night Ripe for Change

Massacre at Sweet Apple Acres

A Nightmare Night Kiss: Pt 1

(A Horror My Little Pony fan fiction. This story contains disturbing descriptions and scenes some may find shocking. Happy Halloween 2014 everyone!)

Rainbow Dash was thinking. Hard.

It was something she allowed herself to do only when it seemed really important, otherwise it seemed a waste. But this was one of those times, one of those critical moments in her life that would determine the course of an important event:

What costume should she use?

Even less frequent than her deep thinking was her trips to Rarity’s Carousel Boutique, a bastion of fashion that ground against Rainbow Dash’s patience every time Rarity got an Ideaaaa!!, and Dash happened to be her most to-hand experimental prop. Braving the risk of this, she stood amongst racks full of Rarity’s Halloween assortment, a stunning array of imaginative costumes fit to fill the streets of Ponyville with frightening, yet stylish, stalkers of the night.

“Have you chosen yet, darling?” Rarity called from the back.

“Not yet,” Dash called back. “I need something awesome.”

“You’ll have to be more specific than that, dear,” Rarity said, emerging from a back room with Sweetie Belle. “My entire range is, as you term it, awesome. Wouldn’t you agree, Sweetie Belle?”

Rarity’s little sister was beaming with anticipation, admiring her robot costume in a tall mirror.

“Beyond awesome!” she squealed, dashing for the door. “See you later, Sis! I promised I’d meet Applebloom and Scootaloo at Sweet Apple Acres!”

“Alright dear, make sure you get there before dark. Now, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity sidled up to Dash and cleared her throat. “Something awesome, you say. In my opinion, giving consideration to your preferences, I’d suggest one of these.”

So saying, Rarity gave her horn a wave. The neat circle of racks revolved around them and moved themselves to the margins, whilst a single empty rack rolled to the centre, several choice costumes zooming onto it. Rarity led Dash forward, and lifted several out.

“We have a Roaman soldier outfit, a skeleton costume, your shadowbolt costume that I spruced up of course,”

“Wow,” Dash said, lifting another costume off the rack with her teeth.

As it stood, Dash had her whole night planned out. Most of the town would be playing in the night festivities, but this year there was an extra surprise for the kids giving the annual candy sacrifice.

Princess Luna had called away for the night with the deepest regret, apparently having to deal with a significant diplomatic issue in the Griffon Kingdom, and so had commissioned a taskforce of Ponyville ponies to create the effects of her presence instead. Twilight was to use her magic to fabricate herself into Nightmare Moon, whilst she, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack were to create the effects. Lightning, thunder, spooky sounds from bushes, magic smoke: the works. Applejack was even going to get some special spices from Fluttershy to make coloured smoke. It was going to be so awesome!

The sun was setting as Dash landed next to the Golden Oaks library. Spike answered the door, smiling up at Dash proudly.

“Oh hey Dash. What do you think?” he asked, spreading his arms. Dash frowned.

“Isn’t that what you wore last year?” Dash asked, turning her head this way and that to see him from different angles. Spike looked annoyed.

“No,” he huffed. He pointed to the top of his costume. “See? No horns or spines.”

“So?” Dash asked, not getting it. Spike sighed vehemently.

“I’m a lizard!” he snapped, as though this should be obvious.

“That’s what a dragon is.”

“No we aren’t!” Spike shouted, throwing up his arms and storming away. “Twilight, I’m going to candy offering!”

“Err...” Dash said, raising an ineffectual hoof. A short laugh came from above.

“He is right, you know,” said Twilight, descending the stairs. “Dragons aren’t actually lizards. They occupy a different phylum.” Dash wasn’t listening to the lesson, but staring at Twilight, impressed. Tall, slender, black as the night and wearing gleaming armour, the only way Dash knew that it was Twilight in there was by the kind look in the cat-like eyes.

“Geez, Twilight. I barely know it’s you!” Twilight smiled self-consciously.

“Thanks, Dash. What’s giving me away?”

“You have a nice expression. You gotta look mean.” Dash flexed her facial muscles into a sinister sneer. Twilight recoiled slightly.

“Goodness, Dash. I think you’d have done better at this job. But that’s a lovely Luna costume.” Dash smiled, turning to the side so Twilight could see the whole thing.

“Yeah, I just couldn’t pass up this silver armour. Even if I have to wear this sissy dress under it.” Twilight gave Dash a knowing look.

“That armour is based off of the first NightGuards uniform, which gave the inspiration for the first armoured Wonderbolts exhibition line.”

“No foolin’? I thought it looked familiar. So you want to go pick up Applejack? Pinkie already has most of the kids together with Zecora.”

Even though she knew it was Twilight, Dash knew a faint doubt in her mind as she walked alongside her. Her long, stately strides, her height, and the long, flowing ethereal mane made her very intimidating. With the light almost gone now, and their way lit by the mystical light of Twilight’s horn, strange shadows played about her form. She seemed almost serpent-like.

“Want me to zip ahead and see if AJ is ready?”

“Don’t forget I can fly too,” Twilight reminded her. Without preamble, Twilight rose into the air. Dash had to admit, even as she cried

“Hey! That’s cheating!” that Twilight had really improved in her flying. Nonetheless, Dash immediately overtook her in a streak of rainbow colours, and zipped towards the glow of lantern light ahead. Over the trees, a single lamp stood out from those of the farm house, and Rainbow Dash landed lightly in time to watch Twilight’s less graceful descent.

“Need some help there?” Dash grinned, as Twilight attempted to extricate herself from the bits of fence she was entangled in. Once upright, Twilight looked around, her ethereal mane floating like a ghost.

“The landing always messes me up. Where is Applejack?” she asked, frowning. Dash looked around. There was no one there. Looking towards the gate, she saw something odd.

“Hey, look at this lantern.” Twilight trotted over, and peered down. The feebly burning lantern lay on the ground, cracked, and on its side, as though somepony had dropped it hurriedly. “That’s not like Applejack to leave a mess like this. You think the kids did it?”

Twilight didn’t reply to this, but was directing her light around the floor, casting a purplish spotlight on the dirt road. Dash peered in the direction of the house, wondering if AJ and the kids were there. Picking up the lantern, she swung it around, and instantly caught sight of something that froze her blood. Twilight jumped as the lantern clattered to the ground again.

“Dash!” she squeaked. “Don’t do that!” She frowned slightly at Dash’s expression. “Dash?”

The Pegasus didn’t answer. Her face drained of colour, her eyes were fixed on a gnarled tree silhouetted against the inky blue sky. Twilight raised an eyebrow and directed her horn’s light to the tree. Then she let out a scream.

On the tree, in several parts, was a familiar orange pegasus, her magenta mane matted with blood, her guts messily splattered across the lowest boughs, the look of terror not quite vanished from her misty eyes.

Twilight backed up shakily, and accidentally stepped on the smouldering remains of the lantern. Leaping to the side, she slipped on something wet and fell hard onto the ground. Groaning, she lifted her head, illuminating two other prone figures.

“Celestia, no...” she whispered. Dash looked around with tears in her eyes. She couldn’t speak.

Like Scootaloo, both Sweetie Belle and Applebloom had been crudely disemboweled. Sweetie Belle was sprawled upon the fence, her gut torn apart and the insides strewn. Applebloom seemed to have made a run for it, for her corpse lay several feet away, but was worse for the experience. Whether out of malice or inefficiency, Applebloom was barely recognisable. Her face was rent and torn, a long arterial spray streaked the ground from her open throat, and her back legs were mangled beyond recognition. Her guts lay like butchers meat along the path, darkening the ground beyond.

“Twilight...” Dash said in a strangled voice. She fought the tears and swallowed the lump in her throat. “Twilight, we... *gulp* we need to tell someone.”

“But we can’t... we can’t leave them here,” Twilight said in a brittle voice. “W-We can’t, we-“

“Whoever did this, we need to warn ponies. We need to find AJ.” The thought almost made her numb. Had the same fate occurred to Applejack?

Twilight’s shock didn’t subside exactly; that was clearly too much to ask. It instead gave over to a kind of horrified distraction of mind.

“Right, right. Y-You’re right. You, I... I’ll go back to Ponyville, warn the ponies there.”

“I’ll find Applejack,” Dash said, her voice trembling but sure. Twilight seemed about to object, but Dash cut across her. “I’ll follow after you when I find her. I’m not leaving until I find her. For better or for worse.” Twilight hesitated, but after a moment or two, nodded.

After she had galloped off into the dark, her horn light looking like a firefly far off in a darkness, Dash approached the gnarled tree. Flitting up to the branch where Scootaloo’s face gazed miserably down onto the ground below, Dash stared tearfully at her, gritting her teeth against the urge to cry. She wouldn’t cry, not yet. She’d be stronger than that for the moment, bear it until she figured things out. Applejack- no, Scootaloo and her friends deserved better.

“Goodbye, little sis...” Dash whispered, closing the little pegasus’ eyes for the last time.

- To be Continued

Author's Note

A night for fun, a night to remember the horrors of Nightmare Moon's brief shadow across Equestria. Who or what could have turned a night promising such fun into a night of horror?

The Sacrifice of Nightmare Night

A Nightmare Night Kiss: Pt 2

This story contains scenes some may find shocking.

Rainbow landed in the midst of the gathering crowd close to the Ponyville town hall, where the distinctive form of Nightmare Moon was whispering into the ear of Mayor Mare.

“Rainbow Dash!” said a demure voice from behind her. “What’s going- Oh Rainbow, you don’t like well. Are you okay?”

“Huh?” Dash turned to find a yellow pegasus giving her a look of concern. She barely had time to recognise Fluttershy’s half-finished bat-pony costume, but immediately pulled her into a crushing hug.

“R-Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy choked. “Could you, if you don’t mind, if it’s not too much trouble, could you not squeeze me quite so hard, please?”

“S-Sorry,” Dash cleared her throat. She still felt so shaky. Fluttershy’s bright blue eyes looked over her with great concern.

“What’s wrong?” she insisted.

“Indeed, Rainbow Dash,” said Rarity, trotting up beside Fluttershy. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Dash looked at Rarity with a sinking feeling, thinking of Sweetie Belle. Rarity blinked, stunned. “Darling? Why are you crying?” A handkerchief rose to Rainbow’s face and dabbed at her cheeks. Dash was so distracted that she didn’t immediately react.

Before she could build up the courage to say anything though, the sound of a microphone being tested cut through the autumn air.

“Ponies of Ponyville,” came the mayor’s voice, magnified to cut over the happy chatter of the growing celebrations. Her voice was official and stern, garnering all attention. “It is my deep regret to inform you all that there has been...” she took a side-glance at Twilight. “There has been an accident. A very serious accident. In the interests of public safety, I hereby cancel this year’s Nightmare Night celebrations. Please return to your homes.”

Instant uproar, but Rainbow Dash heard none of it. Her head was buzzing.

“Rainbow Dash, do you know what this is about?” Rarity asked, giving her a suspicious look. “What kind of accident?”

“Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked, tentatively.

She couldn’t do it. Looking into Rarity’s concerned sapphire eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to tell her that her sister was dead. She certainly couldn’t tell her the condition of the body. She couldn’t bring herself to do it.

“Dash, did you find Applejack?” Twilight landed beside them, tall and frightening in her Nightmare Moon guise. Dash shook her head jerkily.

“I... I searched the farm, looked in the house. I only found... Big Mac and Granny, they’re-“ She swallowed. Twilight’s eyes showed her comprehension.

“The whole Apple family... but you couldn’t find Applejack?” Dash shook her head.

“Twilight, what is all of this about?” Rarity asked. Twilight glanced at Dash, who avoided her gaze. Taking a deep breath, and with much hesitation, she explained.

Dash was glad that she avoided too much detail, for by the end of it Rarity was barely standing. Fluttershy herself had her mouth covered, her eyes going this way and that. Rarity’s mouth opened and closed a few times, but she seemed quite beyond the realm of speaking. With more courage than Rainbow Dash credited her with, Fluttershy recovered first.

“Rarity, I’m so sorry,” she said in a soothing though brittle voice. “I’m so sorry.”

“I... I... mother, father...” Rarity squeaked, her eyes wondering vaguely.

“It’s alright, Rarity,” Fluttershy said, a hoof over her shoulders. “I’ll take you home. Let’s get you some tea. You like tea.”

“Tea,” Rarity said, distractedly. “I... like tea...”

“Thank you, Fluttershy, Twilight said in a low voice. “Help her if you can.” Fluttershy set her face to the closest thing to a serious expression that she could without employing her stare, and led Rarity through the thinning crowd to her home.

“How could something like this happen?” Dash asked, firing up. The wave of fear and shock had begun to wear off, and as per usual with her, her temper began to rise to take its place. Unbidden into her mind sprang the image of Scootaloo’s mauled corpse crucified upon the tree, her organs dangling like grotesque Nightmare Night decorations. “I swear, whatever pony did this, I’m gonna-“

Twilight let her rant as the ponies around them moved away, disgruntled and angry about their mundane problems.

“I know, Dash. We’ll find out who did this, and we’ll make them answer for this. Come to think of it,” she seemed struck by a thought. “I’d better report this to Princess Celestia. This needs to be brought to her attention.”

“Good idea,” Rainbow snarled. “Tell her there’s going to be another murder when I find this guy.”

“I need to find Spike.”

Dash stopped scowling for a second to look puzzled. “Didn’t he say he was going to the candy offering?” At that moment, Mayor Mare ran up to them, looking panicked.

“Princess Twilight! The candy offering, they don’t know about this! They’ll be in the Everfree forest alone!” Twilight raised a hoof to shush her. The major flushed slightly and looked furtively around at the ponies staring in their direction.

“Don’t worry, mayor,” Twilight said, quietly. “Pinkie and Zecora were with them. I’m sure they’ll be fine until we can get there and bring them back.”

Despite Twilight’s encouraging words, Dash herself wasn’t fully convinced. Applejack didn’t seem to have been enough to prevent her own family’s massacre. Pinkie might be a formidably random pony, but what could arbitrary nonsense do against the kind of malice that murdered little foals? And Zecora, wise though she was, Rainbow had never seen her fight. No, Dash could not keep the fluttering of her fear at bay.

Flying high over the trees of the forest, the two of them headed directly for the statue of Nightmare Moon, the place of sacrifice for candy treats in her terrible name. To Dash’s relief, she saw no lights at the statue itself, and one along the path through the trees. A pony stood on the path with the lantern in their mouth.

“There they are!” Dash cried, zooming down.

“Rainbow, wait!” Twilight tumbled from the air, fighting to not fall too far or fast as she descended. Dash landed lightly on the ground, just in time to watch Twilight skirt a tree and land heavily next to her.

“You’re getting better,” Dash smiled. Twilight gave her a sharp stare. Both of them looked towards the lantern light and the pony holding it. Even in the dark, they recognised the striped mane of Zecora, although the black dress she wore made it seem as though her head were floating in the gloom. “Hey, Zecora!”

“Not so loud, Rainbow,” Twilight said, stepping forward. “Hey Zecora, we came to tell you-“ To Dash’s surprise, Twilight tripped and stumbled out of sight, her horn light fizzing out.

“Hey, Klutzlight Sparkle. This is no time to be fooling around.”

“Ugh, what is this?” Twilight groaned. “Feels like a sack of apples.” Standing up, she sparked her horn light again, and directed it downwards. She let out a shriek, and Dash leapt back. They both stared in horror for a full ten seconds at the thing on the ground, and then slowly, they both turned to Zecora. She hadn’t moved, even when Twilight had cried out; she just stood there with her lantern in her mouth.

Twilight approached, slowly, flickering her light onto Zecora’s face. Dash’s insides squirmed as she saw the blood on her coat, the rolled up eyes, and the taught jaw. As Twilight drew within a few feet, Dash saw a broken sign on the ground, smashed to pieces. The stake it had rested on stood slightly askew, dripping with dark red liquid.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

“Zecora...” Twilight sobbed.

“Twilight!” Dash gasped. “Pinkie Pie!”

“The trick or treaters.” Twilight breathed.

Through branches and shrubs they smashed their way, circumventing the long and winding path to the statue of Nightmare Moon. As they had seen, there were no lights there, but the statue, tall and ferocious, stood out against the starry sky like a patch of cosmic darkness. Although revolted by the action, Dash had pried the lantern from Zecora’s mouth and, wiping it off as best she could, carried it to the clearing. She raised it up to cast flickering radiance on the surrounding area, but could see nothing but grass.

“You don’t think that they ran back when whatever it was found them?” Dash whispered, hopefully.

“Maybe...” Twilight whispered back, directing her horn’s light this way and that. “We didn’t see them on our way here. Hey, do you hear that?”

Both Dash and Twilight paused to listen. Dash’s ear flickered once or twice as she registered a slight scuffling noise, like the movements of a small creature in the underbrush.

“Rainbow,” Twilight breathed. “There’s a pair of torches next to the statue. Do you think you could light one of them?”

“Yeah,” Dash whispered back. With careful tread, she moved towards the statue, her head suddenly filling with nightmare visions of a monster lurking beyond her lantern light. She knew that if there was something in the darkness, watching them, it could very well see them by their lights, but her entire body was tense. As she reached the statue, she noticed for the first time that the shape looked unfamiliar. She paused for a single moment to peer at it, trying to figure out the unfamiliarity of the statue’s form, but unwelcome thoughts of the creature in the darkness made her muscles ache to move.

Using the lantern, she lit the torch there, but then leapt back with surprise as the flame erupted. The lantern flew from her grip and smashed onto the floor. Owing to the proximity of several ornamental bushes, the lantern’s oil doused the dry leaves in flame, setting them all ablaze. The entire clearing blazed with orangey light, the statue lit from all sides and coating it in layers of flickering shadows. Then the horrible truth revealed itself with awful clarity.

Pinkie Pie was dead. Her cartoony hydra costume was torn to shreds, save for one of the long necks, which wound tightly around her torn throat, affixing her to the mouth of the Nightmare Moon statue as though from a gallows. Her face was swollen and bloated, her eyes having rolled upwards into her head.

Averting her eyes from this new and ghastly sight, the surrounding trees bore up another terror. The trees that bordered the clearing were ancient and tall, and each one was ornamented in a splattering of red dripping from the innumerable foals hanging from their lower trunks. Each one had been mauled in a fashion eerily similar to the cutiemark crusaders.

Dash’s body felt numb, but she was dimly aware of the movement in her own bowels as her head involuntarily jerked forward, and she vomited over the forest floor. Coughing and wretching, her eye was caught by something on the edge of the clearing. Dash’s senses were wobbly at best, but her hearing was suddenly rising to clarity. Over the crackling of the flames and breaking branches, she heard again the scuffling sounds, and a new noise. A series of short, pathetic gasps and squeaks coming from...

Dash’s hair stood on end. A dark shape was moving very slightly on the margins of the blazing light, shifting slightly like a predator stalking prey. As though sensing it was being watched, the creature rose, or raised its head, or something, and directed glowing green eyes directly at Dash. Dash felt herself pierced by those eyes. The creature turned and moved slowly towards her. Dash couldn’t have moved; her muscles seemed to have frozen.

As the creature reached the edge of the light, however, it paused, as though unsure of passing out of the shadows. But enough radiance reached it to see its shape, that of a pony, and of the dripping, bloody maw. The bush blaze suddenly roared with greater life, and the creature darted into the darkness. Rapid tread disappeared into the distance. Still, the feeble gaspings and whimpering persisted. Dash approached the place where the creature had been, and realised that however bad things were, they could get worse. For here was irrefutable proof of it.

“Oh Celestia!” Twilight cried, leaping forward. Her disguise had melted away, leaving only Twilight, diminished and frightened, unmanned by this most terrible of the awful surprises that night had so-far produced.

“Dinkie,” Dash muttered, her voice breaking.

Dinkie lay feebly at the foot of a tall, ominous tree, her body shuddering, both of her front hooves trying desperately to staunch the flow leaking from her throat. Her eyes wondered, seemingly aimlessly.

“It’s... cold...” she gasped, wetly.

Twilight bent over her, crying in desperation at her powerlessness to help, and Dash knew that she was powerless to help.

When she had been a filly, she remembered taking a trip to the ground below from Cloudsdale. It had been her first time, and her father had taken her to see Canterlot for the annual raising of the sun. Everything had gone perfectly, until they had come across a fox hunting a rabbit. Startled by their appearance, the fox had run away, leaving the rabbit feebly stirring.

Dash had pleaded with her dad to make the rabbit better. Her dad had promised to. He told her to stand away whilst he tried.

Dash had not seen what had happened, and it was only years later that she realised what her dad had done to help the rabbit. The snapping sound seemed to echo over the years.

“Twilight,” Dash said, huskily. Twilight didn’t seem to hear her. She was crying in earnest now. “Twilight,” Dash said, louder.

“I’m useless,” Twilight sobbed. “I’m... I’m nothing. I can’t do anything.” She looked up at Dash, her face eloquent with despair. “I’m a princess. I’m supposed to be able to help ponies. So why can’t I help her?”

Dash put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Go back to Ponyville.”

“W-What? B-But-“

“Go back,” Dash said, firmly, her throat still dry. “Go back and make sure nothing else happens.” She tried for a smile. “You’re a princess. You can do that.”

Twilight stared at her tearfully, and Dash could see the thoughts working in her mind. “But... but what are you...?” the question died on her lips.

“I’ll help her,” Dash said, swallowing the rising bile in her throat. Twilight was smart, and she knew what Dash meant. Dash put a hoof to Twilight’s mouth as she tried to protest. “I’ll help her,” she said, firmly. “Go. You don’t have time to hesitate, Twilight. I’ll be right behind you.”

Twilight blinked fresh tears from her eyes, looking down at the half-dead filly. Then she turned and ran, her crying echoing into the night.

Dash sincerely wished that she could do the same thing. But if she left Dinkie like this, she would never be able to live with herself.

She raised Dinkie as gently as she could against the tree, and pressed a hoof under her chin to help stop the flow of blood. Dinkie’s wandering eyes fixed on Dash’s magenta ones for a moment, and she raised a trembling hoof. Dash gently lowered it, brushing Dinkie’s mane.

“I’m so sorry, kid,” she whispered. “But don’t worry, you’ll wake up in a moment. Everything will be okay.”

“I... I’m i... in...” Dinkie spluttered.

“It’s just a nightmare,” Dash said, her voice as light as she could make it. “Just a stupid nightmare. You’re going trick or treating when you wake up. Won’t that be fun?” She pulled Dinkie into a close embrace, setting her hooves into place. “Just close your eyes and wake up, okay? One. Two...”

Dinkie’s body convulsed once, and then twice. Then she was still.

Dash felt the ball of fear and regret surge in her throat again. Alone and unable to affect anyone else’s courage, she let it pour out now, and cried unrestrainedly into Dinkie’s mane as the shadows closed about them.

- To be Continued

Author's Note

Things are looking worse as Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle attempt, seemingly in vain, to halt the horrible murders being committed on this darkest of nights.

A Night Ripe for Change

A Nightmare Night Kiss: Pt 3

This story contains scenes some may find shocking.

Dash returned to Ponyville in a blur. She vaguely recollected flying, and as she landed in the town centre, she regained lucidity enough to notice Twilight in solemn conclave with the mayor.

As Dash approached, Twilight averted her eyes.

“The children!” the mayor whispered desperately. “Are they... Did you bring them-?” Dash shook her head, feeling like it was made of lead. The mayor stared at her for a moment, and then swayed on the spot. Twilight reacted quick enough to magically pull a bench for her to sit on. “W-What... what’ll I say?” she asked, as though speaking to herself. “What do I tell them?”

Dash and Twilight looked at each other fleetingly. The discomfort was too great right now.

“Did you find Spike?” Dash asked, quietly. Twilight lowered her head. Dash had feared that. She hadn’t looked thoroughly over the bodies, but suspected Spike was...

“We can’t inform the Princess,” Twilight sobbed. “Pinkie is gone, and Applejack is missing. We have to get the rest of our friends.”

“Fluttershy took Rarity home,” Dash remembered. “We should go there first.”

“I’ll go there,” Twilight said, more firmly. “You go check on Fluttershy, gather everyone back here.” She turned to the mayor. “Go home, lock your door. We’ll try to figure this out.”

Whether the mayor would have protested they didn’t know. She seemed too distracted to answer them, but rose shakily from the bench and stumbled her way through the half-formed night festivities.

As Dash’s feelings mingled within her, she didn’t feel a return of her rage, but a desperation, a desire to make sure no one else was hurt. It had appeared first when they’d found Dinkie, and had since waxed into a furious numbing agent, blinding her to the horror of the night until she achieved one thing: he friend’s safety.

As she soared down to Fluttershy’s home, her resolve was tested once again. The dim lights of the house lit a land of slaughter below. The myriad animals that Flutterhsy cared for were scattered like dolls across the grass and trees, blood splattering every surface. As Dash landed by the house, a flash of green flickered under the trees, and disappeared into the shadows.

“Fluttershy!” Dash hit the door so hard that it blew off its hinges. Inside was a scene of equal devastation. Animal corpses lay scattered over the cottage. Angel Bunny lay sprawled in his feeding bowl, his white fur soaked in what Dash was sure was his own blood.

“Fluttershy!” Dash screamed.

“R-Rainbow Dash?” Dash’s heart rose in her chest. From the doorway of another room, with her characteristic tentativeness, Fluttershy’s head poked, still dressed in her half-formed bat-pony costume.

Dash leapt forward and hugged her, perhaps harder than was necessary. “Celestia’s ghost, I thought you were dead!”

“N-No!” Flutterhsy gasped as Dash let go of her. “S-Something was here. It... it...” she teared up, looking around her cottage. Dash grimaced sympathetically.

“I know, Fluttershy. I’m sorry. But we have to go, now.” She took Fluttershy’s bloody hoof. Getting a good look at her, Dash saw that she was smeared in blood like the rest of the cottage. Whatever that monster was, it was sick, killing all of Fluttershy’s animals in front of her.

Dash and Fluttershy took longer than they should have to get back. Fluttershy was so freaked by what had happened that she moved slowly, tentatively flying over the trees to the town.

As they landed back in the town centre, Twilight ran up to them, her eyes wide.

“Where’s Rarity?” Dash demanded.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t seem to bring herself to do it. Dash looked quickly over to the boutique. Its door was open, and its insides dark.

“I’m glad that you’re okay, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, her shaky voice registering genuine relief, however little. “But... the rest of the town...”

“What do you mean?” Dash asked, her heart sinking. Twilight gulped.

“I think... I think it must have been whilst we were gone to the forest... I don’t know how. It was there with us.”

“Maybe there’s two,” Fluttershy said, quietly.

“Two?” Dash asked, desperately. “Twilight, you don’t mean-?” she looked around. Many doors were open, as though someone had hurriedly looked through every house. Twilight looked at her hopelessly.

“The mayor. We have to find the-“

“Dash,” Twilight said, flatly. “I think we have to face facts. We... we might be the only ones left.”

“Y’all would be correct there.”

Dash jumped and spun around. From between two houses trotted a pony with an orange coat and yellow mane. Her green eyes seemed to glow in the moonlit night.

“Applejack!” Twilight cried. “You’re safe!”

She started to run forward, but Dash held up a hoof to stop her. An uncomfortable finger of ice was running up her spine as Applejack trotted towards them, a little smile playing about her mouth.

“Don’t come any closer!” Dash barked. “Who are you?”

Twilight frowned. “What are you talking about, Rainbow? It’s Applejack.”

“That’s not Applejack,” Dash said, aggressively. Applejack had ignored her warning and continued to step forward. “Fluttershy, get behind us,” Dash muttered to Fluttershy.

“What do ya mean, Rainbow?” Applejack asked. It was unnerving after what had happened that night to hear how calm and normal Applejack’s voice sounded. She was almost to them now, almost out of the shadows of the houses. “Of course I’m Applejack. How could you forget a friend?”

“If you’re Applejack,” Dash snarled. “Then where’s Applebloom?”

Applejack paused, just shy of the moonlight. She stood calmly there, staring at them with her green eyes. “And Sweetie Belle? What about Scootaloo?” Dash’s voice rose.

“Rainbow, what are you saying?” Twilight asked, breathlessly.

“Where’s Granny Smith? Big McIntosh?” Dash yelled. “Pinkie and Rarity, Applejack. Where are they?”

Applejack didn’t reply for a moment or two. Then she chuckled. A low, sneering sort of laughter bubbled up from her as she stepped forward into the moonlight. Twilight recoiled.

“You got it all figured out, ain’t ya, sugar cube,” Applejack smiled, showing her pointed teeth. Her maw was dark and bloodied, her face flecked with blood spots. Her ears were tufted, her eyes cat-like slits. Even weirder, she had a pair of nubs on her shoulders, covered in a gauzy material, as though she were sprouting bat wings.

“You did it,” Dash said in a low, fierce voice. “You did all of this.” Applejack laughed again, her green glowing eyes narrowing.

“Not all of it, darlin’. I heed the call of another. Mistress, is it time yet?”

“Mistress?” Dash muttered, confused.

A cracking and a scream of pain from beside her made her look away from Applejack. Twilight feel to the ground with a shriek, her back legs bent the wrong way. Before Dash could fully register what had happened, a yellow, snarling beast had leapt upon her and bit down on Twilight’s left wing. There was a horrible, crunchy snap as the wing bone shattered under the pressure.

Dash was so horrified that she didn’t notice the sound of rapid hoofsteps. She turned in time to see a glint of green, a toothy grin, and a hoof rising to meet her.

She hit the floor hard, her vision badly shaking. She dimly heard Twilight’s screaming abruptly cut off. Her vision coalesced for a single moment, and she looked up at two faces. Applejack’s orange, freckled face smiled down at her familiarly, as though she were waking her up from a mid-day nap. And then Fluttershy’s face, her blue eyes glowing in the night like azure fire. Her mouth curved into a warm smile, revealing a pointed fang. Her tufted ears flicking slightly, she raised a hoof.

“We need you to sleep a little longer, Dash. We’ll wake you up soon.”

As the hoof descended, darkness overtook Rainbow Dash.

She wished she didn’t have to wake up. Her headache made her want to just lie down and sleep again.

As lucidity took hold of her however, she realised lying down wasn’t going to be a problem. All four of her hooves were tied to wooden stake driven deep into the ground, like in an old western film. The armour pieces of her costume had been discarded, leaving her in the dress beneath, like a damsel in distress. The cool night air filled her lungs and her thoughts returned quickly.

“I wouldn’t try to move too much,” said a soothing voice close to her. “It’s not really worth it, darling.” Dash turned her head a little too quickly and received an indignant stab of pain.

“R... Rarity?” she groaned. “But... Twilight said-“

“That I was dead?” Rarity asked, kindly. “Well,” she lifted her head, revealing a half-healed, half open tear in her throat. “It depends how you look at it, dear.” Dash stared at her, at the tufted ears and glowing sapphire eyes.

“H-How?” Dash asked. She was interrupted with a giggle.

“Oh you silly,” said Pinkie Pie’s high voice, and suddenly her bright smile sprang upside down into Dash’s vision. “We’re all dead. Well, kinda, because of course we’re not dead too.”

“Uh...” Dash was uncomprehending.

“Don’t worry about it, darling,” Rarity said, tenderly, caressing Dash’s cheek. “You’ll understand soon enough.”

“Leave her, Rarity,” said Applejack. “The Mistress is seeing to her soon.”

“Oh but dear,” Rarity pouted. “I’m ever so hungry.”

“The Mistress will provide,” Applejack said, sternly, placing a warning hoof on rarity’s shoulder.

“Do we really have to call Fluttershy that?” Pinkie asked, hopping over Dash excitedly. “Is that a thing now?”

“It’s respectful, is all,” Applejack replied, solemnly.

Dash wasn’t really listening. She was looking around at everything, and what she saw made her feel quite ill.

As though Nightmare Night had recommenced, the town centre was full of ponies. Not just ponies, but animals as well. But even from her position on the ground Dash could see that something was very wrong. The entire area was dreadfully quiet, and nopony was moving. They all just stood around like ghastly puppets, glowing eyes and bloodied coats surrounding her and Twilight like a ghostly crowd.

“Hush now, my children,” said a familiar voice. Dash turned her head suddenly to look at the podium where the mayor usually took to speechify. Spreading her hooves and bats wings out as though to embrace them all, she smiled kindly to the entire town. “We now welcome the last of our dearest friends to our new family. The Family of the Night.”

No one said anything. No one except Pinkie Pie anyway, who in characteristic fashion was yelling, whooping, and swinging some rattlers around, all of which echoed dismally in the silence.

Fluttershy descended the platform, her glowing blue eyes fixed on the two ponies strapped to the ground. “Isn’t this wonderful, Rainbow Dash?” she said pleasantly. “We’ll all be together soon. Forever.”

Rainbow Dash had never before admitted openly to being scared of anything. But the sight of her friend, smiling as kindly as ever from behind the guise of a blood-soaked monster terrified her beyond anything she had ever felt before. Fluttershy’s soft pink mane blew faintly behind her in the breeze, as though it were light as air. It was chilling that she could look so much like her friend.

“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said, urgently. Dash broke her stare and looked at the alicorn, twitching painfully against her restraints. Her broken legs and wing were obviously occasioning her extreme pain. “Rainbow, don’t listen to her. T-That’s not Fluttershy anymore.”

Fluttershy gave Twilight a sad look, as though hurt. “How can you say something so cruel, Twilight?” she asked, in a dangerously sweet tone.

“Rainbow, the real Fluttershy would hurt anyone. You know her, you know-“ Fluttershy had given Applejack a look. The orange pony smacked Twilight hard across the face to shut her up. The dull crack resounded through the town.

“Sorry Twilight, really.” Applejack said. “Ya’ll both see soon, this is for the best.”

“Leave her alone!” Dash bellowed. “She’s right, you’re not the real Fluttershy. None of you are my real friends!”

“You’re wrong, my dear Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said, sitting down next to Dash’s head and leaning low over her. Dash felt no warmth coming from her, and saw deep in her eyes a kind of light, like a cold blue flame. “We will be closer friends than ever before. And you will be my queen of the night.” Dash was so bewildered by this statement that she barely registered Fluttershy plant her lips tenderly onto her own until a probing tongue pressed against her loose mouth.

“F-Fluttershy...?” Dash croaked as Fluttershy pulled away. She felt tears run down her face.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight cried. “You can’t let her get to you! We’ll save them, but we can’t let them get away with this.”

“May we bring her home, Mistress?” Applejack asked eerily, frowning at Twilight. Fluttershy seemed faintly distracted, touching her lips faintly with her hoof.

“I think Rarity mentioned being hungry,” Fluttershy said, absently. “Allow her to begin.”

Rarity was all delight. Leaping lightly over to Twilight, she positioned herself over her, like a tiger upon a rabbit. Twilight looked up briefly as Rarity bared her fangs, and then turned back to Dash.

“You have to tell the Princess!” she cried. “Please, Rainbow, you have to get out an-“

Dash looked away as Rarity’s fangs flashed downwards. She tried her hardest not to listen as her other ponies joined in, the sounds of tearing flesh and Twilight’s choked screams and gaspings for air.

“I’m sorry, Dash,” Fluttershy said, so kindly that Dash believed her. “I’m afraid that you are different. You must see.” So saying, she gently, but firmly, turned Dash’s head to the side, and forced her eyes open. Dash’s breathing became shallow, her heart raced, and the tears came thick and fast.

“No!” she choked.

Fluttershy exhaled, as though genuinely regretting what she was doing. Standing up, she went to kneel next to Twilight’s mauled corpse. With careful deliberation, Fluttershy impaled her own tongue on one of her fangs, and then brought Twilight’s limp head around. Dash could tell, dimly, that the kiss was nowhere near as passionate as Flutterhsy had given to her, but it was still as tender as a friend deserved.

“Why are you doing this?” Dash moaned, all of her courage spent.

Fluttershy stood again. She didn’t answer immediately, but seemed to debate within herself for a moment. “I’m doing this because I feel it is right,” she said. “Because I love you all.”

“But...” Dash couldn’t. She dissolved into tears. Fluttershy seemed to understand the unspoken question though.

“I think it was the fruit bats,” Fluttershy said, quietly. “Tonight, before the sun went down, it all just flooded onto me. How small, how brief our lives are. How much better it would be if we all could live forever, be friends forever.” She walked around Dash, her head a little bowed. “But also the hunger. I was so hungry. When Applejack came to get the spices for tonight, I...”

“She gave me the gift,” Applejack said, robustly. Perhaps she sensed the hesitancy in Fluttershy’s voice. “She’s right, Rainbow. This is for the best. See, Twilight will be fine.” She gestured to Twilight. Dash didn’t look, but couldn’t block the sounds of tiny pebbles and debris moving as Twilight’s body twitched back to life.

“What’s a moments pain, darling, for an eternity of being together?” Rarity asked, coaxingly.

“Like getting your shots,” Pinkie put in, brightly. “I mean, I hate getting my shots, and I kinda hated Applejack horribly murdering me and sucking my blood, but you know,” she shrugged.

“We do kinda get a little carried away,” Applejack said.

“In fairness to Fluttershy, she was quite the dear about it really. Didn’t get a single drop of blood on any of my designs,” Rarity said, thoughtfully.

“You weren’t quite so nice, were ya, sis?” Applebloom said, glaring at Applejack with her gleaming orange eyes. Applejack flushed slightly and didn’t look at her sister.

“It’s okay, Rainbow Dash.” Dash turned her head so quickly she cricked it. Scootaloo stood a little ways off with her friends, her eyes glowing purple. From beside her emerged a small figure with eyes of shimmering yellow. Dash’s insides dissolved as it emerged from the crowd.

“Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Dinkie said next to her. “You stopped it hurting. I feel so much better now.”

Dash looked on in horror. In some part of her mind she knew how much of a disgusting display this all was, a parody of all that she had known. But her misery was washing over her, drowning it and filling her with a desire to end it.

“Will you join us, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy whispered in her ear. “Please?”

“Why are you asking?” Dash asked, tonelessly.

“Do I have to say it?” Fluttershy asked, sounding a little pained. Dash looked listlessly into her glowing blue eyes, and in that instant she believed, against the protests of her broken and shattered heart, that all of this had been done with good intentions. She saw the love in Fluttershy’s eyes.

“Yes. I will.”

Fluttershy’s eyes brimmed with tears.

“Come on, ya’ll,” Applejack said, quietly. “Let’s give ‘em a little space.”

“Oh!” Pinkie said. “But I want to-“

“No, no you don’t.”

Fluttershy rested herself lightly over Dash, wiping a tear from her cheek.

“You’ve made me so happy Dash. I promise; we’ll love each other, and our children, forever.”

Dash didn’t reply, but put her head back and stared at the sky. She thought of nothing in particular, and barely registered the pricks of pain as Fluttershy’s fangs pierced her. As darkness stole upon her, she felt rather as though a heavy weight were being lifted from her shoulders.

She was flying again.

The Griffon Kingdom, Talonfist Castle

Celestia found her sister on the balcony, gazing at the moon. The delegation behind her were plying the Griffon royalty for the moment, so she felt it safe to slip away for a short moment.

Luna was toying absently with her drink, making the cocktail onion twirl around inside as she stared into the sky.

“I’m sorry, Luna,” Celestia said, quietly. Luna looked around, startled.

“What for, sister?” she asked, evidently puzzled.

“For dragging you here on tonight of all nights,” Celestia said, sympathetically. “I know how much it means to you.”

Luna did not exactly reply to this. She looked back up at the moon, and opened her mouth as though to say something, but no sound came out.

“Sister. Dost thou feel as though something has changed?”

Celestia blinked. “No. Why? Is something bothering you?”

Luna paused, and then looked back at her sister with a small smile. “Nay, sister. Tis probably just the time of year. Tonight of all nights is a night for change.” She raised her drink, and Celestia did the same. “To Change, and the opportunities it may bring.”

They clinked their glasses and drank. Celestia eyed her sister cautiously.

“Luna, I don’t want to pry, but if there is anything wrong, you do know that you can tell me, right?”

Luna set down her glass. “Verily, dear sister.” She paused. “As a matter of fact, there was something I hath been meaning to raise with you.”

Celestia smiled more warmly, glad that Luna was opening up. “Oh? What is it?”

“We have been wondering...” she hesitated again, and then set her expression. “We wondered whether you might consider again the proposal we put to thee a thousand years ago. To make new colonies for the fringes of the kingdom.”

Celestia blinked, her smile dimming. She had not expected that. “Luna,” she said, careful to keep her voice light. “Do you mean the proposal you made after Discord’s defeat?”

“Yes, sister,” Luna said, a hardness in her eye. Celestia remained silent for some time. She didn’t want to argue with her sister. Too many times their arguments had had too many unhappy results. Taking advantage of her silence, Luna pressed on.

“We know that last time the idea was dismissed because of the delicate state of the kingdom. But now with the kingdom’s strength more secure than ever before, we believe the time may now be ready for this important step.”

Celestia still wasn’t entirely sold. The logistics had to be worked out first, but Luna was right about the state of Equestria. With the Crystal Empire recovered and free of evil, and the advent of her faithful student Twilight as a powerful new princess, Equestria was indeed safer than it had ever been. The time did seem right.

“We shall speak of it at length when we return home. We shall work out the details then. But all in all I think you may be right.”

Luna’s eyes shone with happiness and disbelief.

“Come, Luna. Let us not make the Griffons think we’re bored. The sooner we sort out this Roaman situation, the sooner we can go home,” Celestia chuckled. Luna smiled and followed. She smiled for the rest of the evening, thinking of Ponyville, and of her plan to help her citizens, and contemplating all of the joy awaiting her upon returning home.

A happy change was soon coming.

- The End?

Author's Note

The mystery revealed, the truth laid bare in all of its terrible glory. Rainbow Dash's loyalty to her friends is admirable, but has it doomed her to a fate beyond death?

Meanwhile, far in the Griffon Kingdom, the rulers of Equestria gaze into a beautiful night sky, unaware of the changes being wrought back home. What consequences will occur upon their return?

Find out in my next story: Sunset Shimmer: The Nightland Adventures