Nightmare or Treat

Nightmare Night. Its a holiday everyone looked forward to for its scares, dressing up, and getting treats. it was a night of pure fun and excitement. It also has its fair share of legends of killers, ghosts, and stories to tell fillies around the fire. To scare them to make sure they wouldn't go in that abandoned castle or not to go to far into the Everfree Forest. All of it was what ponies enjoyed about the holiday. However, the holiday itself wasn't for another week. But decorations were already going up across Ponyville and even up in Canterlot.

Down in Ponyville, a large bronze statue is surrounded by flowers and candy children laid around it. The statue was of a wolf wearing a mask and holding a blade in his right hand. Hoping to sooth the spirit the statue was made for, little kids colored pictures and placed them on top of the candies and flowers. Standing in front of the monument was a little filly. Her braided black mane gleamed under the warm sun and her pink dress flowed in the wind. In her hands was a picture she drew to place on the statue. She gulped. This was her first time doing this and she wanted to know a perfect spot to put the little drawing. Behind her, she heard her mother call to her.

"Nightingale honey. Aren't you gonna put your picture up?"

Nightingale turned and saw her mother giving her a warm expression. The little filly looked hack at the statue with now a look of bravery. With a deep breathe, she walked over to the bronze statue. Its shadow engulfed her as she came closer. Nightingale took one look back to her drawing and placed below the nameplate of the statue. She gave a small grin and giggle and quickly ran back over toward her mother. The two walked away from the monument, sharing smiles along the way.

How long had it been? How long has he been gone now? Last time Apple Bloom counted, two years. Oh how much it felt longer. She couldn't remember how many journal entries she made for him when she was younger. She lost count around fifty. Apple Bloom was just finishing her last chore for the day when she dozed off into space. Thinking about the future mostly. What would her future life would be. Would she meet her special somepony? Would she have children? All of these questions, and no answers. Not yet anyways. The filly heard a knock at her bedroom door and stopped washing the window.

"Come on in!" she called.

The door opened to reveal her two friends since childhood. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Both sporting wind breaker jackets and shorts. Apple Bloom smiled and wiped her forehead of sweat.

"What's up with the gear girls?" she asked.

Sweetie Belle stepped forward.

"Scootaloo's got me training for the Nightmare Night jog-a-thon!" she said bashfully.

"I can see that." Apple Bloom chuckled.

Sweetie Belle then cringed, stretching her leg out. Scootaloo couldn't help but laugh in her throat.

"But she's kind of ramming me harder then she should be." the white unicorn said. Looking at the orange pegasus next to her with a irritated expression.

Scootaloo put her hands behind her head and whistled. Trying to seem innocent. Apple Bloom laughed again. The orange pegasus stopped whistling and looked at Apple Bloom with a grin. She gave her a confused look.

"Sooooo Apple Bloom. Got anything planned for Nightmare Night?"

The teenage filly thought to herself. Nightmare Night wasn't really something she celebrated since she and her friends were kids. It never really came to her mind that much. All she really did for the past two years was just pass out candy to fillies that came to the door. However Scootaloo looked as though she had a more devious plan for the holiday.

"Um...I don't really have anything planned." Apple Bloom replied.

On cue, the orange pegasus grabbed her friend by her shoulder and flew her to the window.

"See that huge tent in the distance?" she asked.

Apple Bloom squinted her eyes to see a large dark purple tent near the edge of the Everfree Forest. Around it were ponies hammering wooden stakes into the ground and setting up booths.

"That's where all the action is!" Scootaloo said. "While the little kids are down here in town getting candy, we'll be up there partying."

That idea seemed fun to Apple Bloom. It would be nice to actually do something this year instead of just sitting at home. Immediately she perked her head up.

"Its a deal!" Apple Bloom said.

It all looked so fun. The decorations was what really caught the eye. The colorful creatures roaming around the little town were fun to watch. Especially seeing the other kids so excided. It was so satisfying to see these ponies celebrate Halloween far more then people. Hell, nobody would be killed this years of their lucky. Amongst the shadows of a tree, a little orange figure wearing a brown sack over his head watched the ponies work.

The little boy giggled, grabbing a dirty sack next to him and turning to walk into the forest. However before he even took a step, he felt something. A strong love for Halloween. The bot turned and saw a little filly with her mom walking out of a store. In her hands was a costume. From the distance he was at, the boy couldn't make out what it was. He tilted his head as he saw the little filly look at his mother with a small smile and the two proceeded in the other direction. The boy shrugged and grabbed his bag. He grunted as he dragged it on the ground. This place seemed nice, but he couldn't let Halloween get in the way of his main objective.