“AAAAHHH-hahaha!” Five girls’ screams echoed throughout the school only to dissolve into fits of laughter as they smiled at yet another of the frightful jump scares. “Nice to know some things are the same in either world,” Princess Twilight pointed out with a smile at her friends. So far as she’d heard Nightmare Night in this dimension started as a holiday to ward off evil spirits before evolving into the form that was at least familiar to Twilight. “Your version seems a lot more fun for Luna two. Ours kind of stressed her out really badly the first time she tried to get out again and meet people,” she pointed out.

“I still can’t believe Vice Principal Luna could be evil in any world. I mean manipulated certainly. We all saw that,” Rarity confided to how she still had a hard time accepting some of the history behind Princess Twilight’s world. “Although I suppose Rainbow Dash might beg to differ with how often she gets in trouble with her,” she added, earning a laugh from the group as they walked in a close group through the familiar halls of Canterlot High. So far they’d seen Flash as a vampire leaping out of a coffin, Snips and Snails trying the old heads on plates routine, and even Lyra and Bonbon had managed to get a good spook with slime covered hands touching them from behind. Although the scariest thing for Rarity was worrying if it would stain.

Twilight, not the princess, couldn’t resist smiling a bit as the group walked together, “Thanks for letting me come along two. I honestly never put much thought into Nightmare Night before, but having friends to share it with makes it kind of fun.” The nervous bespectacled and less straight haired version of Twilight admitted. More than once Princess Twilight recognized how much like her, before she had friends, this Twilight was. Pinkie of course raced up to hug Twilight screaming after seeing yet another something, over-reacting both to the sentimental statement and to a bowl of ‘eyeballs’. The clown hugging the bearded bespectacled wizard was something of a sight though.

Sunset Shimmer wore a sleek shiny red jumpsuit, one Rarity helped tailor to her figure, with a pair of red wings and horns. The costume having been her choice to help put some of ‘that’ behind her. “So, are we just going to keep ignoring the elephant in the room?” She questioned to the group candidly, unable to help giggling a little. Twilight and Rarity both looked uncomfortable as she brought THAT topic up. She didn’t apologize though for choosing to confront that now rather than later.

“There’s an elephant?! Where?!” Pinkie demanded, already holding a bag of peanuts protectively as if at any moment it would pop out to swipe them. Nobody dared question where she got the peanuts, or why. It was a lot better for everyone’s sanity when they simply rolled with Pinkie Pie and her craziness.

Princess Twilight though, like Sunset Shimmer, was far more open to the discussion as they walked, the gladiator’s skirt round her legs fluttering a bit. “There is no elephant, Pinkie Pie. Least not a literal one. And they actually aren’t even in the room, Sunset,” she playfully added on in correction to Sunset’s bemusement. “We’re talking about how Rainbow Dash and Applejack really thought we wouldn’t notice they were naked in front of us.”

Pinkie Pie gasped out, “You guys KNEW?! I thought we were playing some kind of prank on Princess Twilight for Nightmare Night! I even took my underwear off when no one was looking to get in on it!” As if to prove her point, Pinkie Pie opened up a flap in the stomach that nobody realized was there; and would probably vanish soon as she closed it. Everyone was left to stare at Pinkie Pie’s slightly pudgy tummy, nothing excessive but a show that in spite of that metabolism she wasn’t entirely immune to the effect of overconsumption. Her chest of course was what caught their attention more, the round breasts pushing from her torso of a fair size before she shut her suit.

Sunset Shimmer couldn’t quite hold herself back from flushing in embarrassment alongside Rarity and the twilights, though she was the first to chuckle at Pinkie’s comical flashing. The others soon followed, with Rarity being the first to regain her composure. “I don’t understand why they felt the need to bother though. They both should have known I had costumes prepared for both of them in the event of an emergency,” the ivory skinned girl pointed out. “I even have back-ups to avoid showing up in the same costume.”

Twilight shrugged, “If I had to guess, maybe they were just embarrassed? I mean, would you actually admit to walking out like that? I mean…naked, in public?” The Canterlot High version questioned to the group.

The crimson and yellow haired girl at the head of the group smiled, “I don’t know. If I’d had that idea, I might have tried it. No offense to the costume, Rarity, really.” Sunset Shimmer’s confession would of course earn a startled gasp from Rarity, a look of brief almost betrayal on her face at the mere suggestion. Pinkie Pie mirrored her expression behind her in a somewhat comical attempt to echo her friend’s mortification, in spite of likely not sharing the same reservations. “It’s just you all know I used to be a pony. As much as I like my clothes now, they still feel a little weird sometimes.”

Princess Twilight nodded, “I understand there’s certain customs and things you do in your world. Like writing with these things,” she waved her hands at them in that curled over half-closed fist manner she always made. “But Sunset Shimmer does have a point. Whenever I got to get out of clothes here, even just to change, it felt like a big relief. Ponies don’t really wear much clothes to begin with.” To say Rarity had a look of horror on her face at the mere suggestion was an understatement.

“That is scarier than anything we’ve seen or heard in this entire place, Twilight. And you, Sunset! You always look so put together and stylish! How could you dream of suggesting you’d walk around in front of everyone completely na-“ the purple haired ‘mermaid’ stopped as she realized she had begun to raise her voice. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, especially as it dawned on her how perhaps a little aggressive what she was saying might come across. “I’m sorry but you do see my point, yes?”

Sunset smiled, “I do, Rarity, and it’s alright. I get that nudity’s kind of a weird thing for people in this world: I got it a long time ago.” Rarity smiled as Sunset reassured her like that. “But really, we may want to tell them before they get in trouble or do something stupid. I mean, they brought us here thinking Luna would let them borrow costumes,” she pointed out to the group who all nodded. None of them were fooled by the ruse.

Princess Twilight nodded, “Maybe we should call it quits after this. I mean I know I made a big deal about wanting to experience the differences in our Nightmare Night celebrations but I don’t want anyone getting into trouble on my behalf,” the princess of friendship insisted. It was perhaps a radical solution to their issue but seemed sensible given the circumstances. It wasn’t as if either of the two would admit to such a faux pas.

Rarity though frowned, “No, no, no! We can’t. We all worked so hard to think of fun things to do and people to show you!” It was clear Rarity didn’t want to simply allow their ‘foreign’ friend to call it quits when they had barely even begun. “I’m certain we can find some way around this; we will merely need to get creative is all, darling.” She smiled in an attempt to reassure Twilight it was alright, only for another group scream to occur as a body fell out of a closet, flopping out like a corpse to the ground. A glance though revealed the ‘corpse’ to merely be Derpy who stood up right in front of them to get back in the closet.

Pinkie Pie giggled with delight as she watched Derpy get up like that, only to let out an all too familiar sharp inhale type gasp! “I’ve got it! I’ve got it, I’ve got it, I’ve got itttt!” She began to bounce in almost a circle around the group, unnerving Twilight a little. She was concerned that there might be something seriously wrong with the frosting obsessed girl. “How about instead of stopping by the café for the party where they’re sure to get caught; we take them back to one of our places for a private Nightmare Night Party!”

“That actually sounds like a pretty good idea,” Sunset replied with a smile, nodding at the others. “But we can’t let them know that we know. I think the only thing keeping them from dying from embarrassment is the fact that they think we’re clueless,” she pointed out to the group with a brief laugh. “Since Princess Twilight and I are kind of ‘used to’ nudity, we’ll meet up with them and explain the change of plans. You three can grab whatever Pinkie Pie needs to get us an instant Nightmare Night party. We can hold it at my place,” she added. Princess Twilight nodded, clearly comfortable with this change of plan.

Everybody seemed pretty much in agreement with the plan, if anything the more they thought about it, the more fun it started to seem. They even watched an obviously ecstatic Pinkie Pie begin to glow as if she were about to Pony Up from the mere promise of a party. That Pony Up though was shot down the instant they all heard the loudest group of screams EVER echo throughout the hall, “AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!” It came from further down the ‘tour’. Rarity rolled her eyes, “My sister is up ahead,” as if she could somehow discern her sister’s scream from the combined chorus of the Crusaders.

It was a few moments before the scream heard round the school, and Rainbow Dash and Applejack were lying in wait in the locker room. “Ah still don’ get why he stuck us here in the showers,” the farm girl commented. Somebody apparently thought it was a smart idea to put ‘Doctor’ Hooves in charge of running placements around the haunted house. “Mean who the heck ever heard o’ some crazed serial killer an’ a cowboy zombie hidin’ out in the showers?” Rainbow Dash raised a hand as if she were about to answer til Applejack insisted, “Don’t.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged, “Heck if I know. At least we’re near the exit anyways. Soon as we scare the guys we can take these off and move along,” she pointed out. Her pants were shifting, falling a bit on her butt that as they squat down, hidden in a little alcove in the showers that Applejack could see her friend’s butt-crack. She also saw the way Rainbow Dash was fidgeting around as the fabric rubbed into their bare skin. “What the hay is this stuff made out of? Same stuff as those scratchy blankets? Officially never making fun of Rarity for fussing over fabrics again; until Hearths Warming Eve at least.”

Applejack smirked as Rainbow Dash gave herself that out, all too aware she’d never make it even that long. The zombie mask over her face hid it of course, but still. Applejack wasn’t feeling any more comfortable than Rainbow Dash was. After this, she almost doubted she’d want to put anything on until tomorrow. She was about to speak up and ask Rainbow Dash how she planned to get back in the house without her parents catching sight of her when they finally overheard the door creak open. “H-Hello? Anybody in here?” They recognized that sweet soft melodic tone. Second only to Fluttershy, it was the cutest sweetest voice they knew: Sweetie Belle. Which meant even now the Crusaders, plus Big Mac who was acting as ‘escort’ were walking in.

It was hard to really argue with the look she KNEW was under Rainbow Dash’s mask. The way the girl was wringing her hands with delight she’d have sworn it was Hearths Warming Eve and her birthday and, a tad ironically, Nightmare Night, all at once for her. She had no idea how Rainbow Dash felt a growing surge of excitement there as she squatted there; breathing nice and slow. Dashie’s anticipation mounting as they heard the foot-steps. The two physically minded girls were both good at measuring foot-steps and knew the exact moment they were in position.

“RAAAAGH,” Applejack screamed in her best ‘zombie voice’ even as Rainbow Dash leapt out behind her with her knife raised, swinging and coming comically short of the three kiddies who screamed so loudly combined that Applejack was sure her ears would be ringing until next Nightmare Night! Only Big Mac wasn’t standing behind them. Instead she saw her big brother dressed comically in drag, opting for that silly costume, or rather disguise. Sisterhood Social, it was a story she didn’t want to know more about.

The point was though that he was already grabbing one of the shower heads off its handle and turning up the water as the girls, dressed as a lion, a scarecrow made of velvet and taffeta and a tin robot raced to hide behind him. “Oh bu-“ Rainbow Dash didn’t even get to finish her swear before the high shower pressure started up, blasting them both instantly with ice water!

The instant cold shower was stopped quickly enough as the four ran out the exit. Rainbow Dash raised the hockey mask up and comically spat out a bit of the water that got in her mouth through the grating over it. She frowned after them, “Your brother is officially a dead man,” the now freezing ‘serial killer’ insisted as she raised the shirt up and out, taking firm hold of the edge of it to wring it out as best she could even as her frozen stiff nipples pushed through the fabric.

Applejack scoffed as she took off the rubber zombie mask and reached to pick up her hat after locating where the water had blown it. “Get in line. Since when did those showers have a water hose setting?” She offered in an attempt at humor as she looked at her soaked through hat in her hands. As she held it though a chill unrelated to the actual hypothermia setting in hit her. The previously sold red coating to her hands was losing its luster and running, exposing little streaks of her actual orange skin underneath.

She turned towards Rainbow Dash about to express her panic over her costume’s apparent failing. But what she saw on Rainbow Dash only made this worse as she pointed out, “R-Rainbow Dash, you’re blue!” She stammered out at the athlete. She looked at Rainbow Dash even as the girl raised an eyebrow in response in response.

Rainbow Dash began to roll her eyes, “Uh, yeah Applejack, I’m blue, you’re orange, and the twilights are purple,” she replied a little sarcastically as she shook out the shirt a bit more, only to look down and notice what AJ had meant. Though it wasn’t her blue stomach, covered in runny streaks of paint that had her attention. The pants had fallen enough to expose her crotch, where the colors were running just as badly! “W-what the heck?! This paint’s supposed to be sweat proof and everything!" Rainbow Dash's outrage at her body paint's failing to hold up was almost palpable.

“What about me? My paint was supposed to be for a barn! It’s supposed to handle gettin’ a little wet! Dang it, should o’ known that paint Rarity got wasn’t any good to begin with,” she scowled in frustration. All at once though their frustration turned to grim and somber realizations. Hearts threatening to pound out of their chests, the duo realized they were both thinking the exact same thing. We’re going to have to run for it.

“Fluttershy’s house is the close by,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “If we can just make it there before we run TOO badly we should be okay.” Applejack knew Rainbow Dash was purposefully ignoring the fact that they’d need to let Fluttershy see them both butt-naked on her front porch and explain it to her. If they thought about this too much they were certain they’d lose any nerve they still had to run out naked, in spite of their jokes about it due to their discomfort.

Applejack didn’t’ dare say anything or risk losing the battle herself to get moving, rushing along with Rainbow Dash past a wistful Hooves, pointing out they got soaked by Big Mac. They got at least one good laugh at Hooves shocked look and demand, “That girl was Big Mac?” But that laugh didn’t last long as the chill from the wet clothes set in and they started to run back to the costume room. No time was waste examining themselves thoroughly, only doing their best to smear their running paint over the ‘important areas’ much as possible.

It was awful. “Really regret not letting Rarity make me a costume,” Rainbow Dash admitted as they walked right passed Luna; shivering as they worked to ward off the chill while walking bare as a couple newborns out of the school in nothing but goggles, hat, and shoes. Applejack nodded to her as they stood at the front door. “So, count of three we run. No breaks, don’t let anyone ask any questions and if you notice your paint running, ignore it and keep running.”

Applejack knew Rainbow’s taking charge like this and setting those rules was more for her own benefit than Applejack’s. If she set those rules than Rainbow Dash was more likely to actually keep to them and not give up. “C’mon…we’re the fastest runners in Canterlot High. Doubt anyone will see anythin’ more than a couple orange an’ blue blurs,” she encouraged. It wasn’t a total lie. Just enough of an exaggeration to give them both a little hope. Neither girl bothered actually counting; they knew that like with everything else their courage was scarce. “THREE!” And they ran, streaking out into the night.

Author's Note

So, I hope everyone is enjoying the story thus far. I'll admit I had a few different ideas, including one where they showed up at the cafe and discovered how NOT waterproof their 'costumes' were while bobbing for apples in front of everyone. But as I was writing, this one just kind of happened.

The next chapter will of course involve the obvious race to Fluttershy's house, and Fluttershy's introduction to these events. There's also the fact that the others are now planning a party for a couple nudes gone awol.