Vampire Fruit Bats take to the sky with juicy apples clenched between their fangs. Hanging in the sky is a nightmarish moon with a shadow cast upon its surface that almost looks like the fiendish alicorn that brought fear to may a pony. A chilling wind blows, rustling the stalks of corn that make up the Apple Family maze. Screams of fear and merriment break over the howling air. Those who have found the exit find another sort of excitement not too far away. Ponies dressed in all manner of costumes gather around a bonfire, whose flame stands as tall as an apple tree. The fire is a mixture of blues and purples, not typical for a raging inferno. A hooded pony throws a log into it, causing the embers to shoot upwards in a magnificent explosion. It frightens some unsuspecting ponies, forcing them to run.
Fourteen hooves approach, drawing the attention of those around the blaze. The common cast of ponies stand outside the circle, the mane six and a purple protégé. Each is dressed in a costume as well, though none of them appear terrifying.
“Gear Spring,” Twilight Sparkle is gilded in masquerade gown. “You are doing another story this year?”
The hooded pony looks up, but his face appears to be shrouded in shadow. Only a pair of sinister glowing red eyes pierce through the darkness. He nods.
“May we join you?”
A gray hoof breaks through the black cloak he wears, pointing to an overturned log sitting on the opposite side of the fire. The seven sit, barely able to see the storyteller through the dancing embers.
The other emerges from the robe, holding a red globe with liquid swishing inside. Without warning he throws it in the fire. Glass shatters, and then the flames explode like a volcano, piercing the clouds above. Ponies must shield themselves from the bright lights. Once it settles, a horrific laughter sends a shiver down many of their spines.
“From werewolf howl to ghostly wail, they pale in comparison to my tale. Gather round you ponies here, and experience now the greatest fear. What I will tell you, we all feel, gathering in the darkness to make us reel. It tears at our dreams to give us a scare, I speak of course, of the Nightmare.”
Thunder claps, sending a booming sound across the heavens. It shakes the house, and jostles a filly out of her bed. Apple Bloom hits the floor with a painful thud, knocking her out of her deep sleep. Her paned yelp is drowned about by another thunderous roar coming from the heavens. Rubbing her nose, she looks about her bedroom. Drenched in pitched, she is unable to see an inch in front of her face.
Lightning strikes, sending a bright flash through her window. Shadows sprawl up upon the wall, even her own. Her eyes widen as one transforms into a hideous claw, talons ready to snatch her up. Whipping around, she catches sight of the claw just before the night swallows up the light. To her relief, it is only the barren tree branch that sits outside her window. The whipping wind tosses the wooden arm about making it appear much more alive than it is. She sighs, turning back to her bed, and crawling up onto her sheets. Pulling the blanket onto her, she starts to close her eyes. Thunder explodes, but it is not enough to stop her eyelids from continuing to be heavy.
Rolling over, she looks to the window just before she falls asleep. Lightning illuminates the window, brightening a pair of yellow eyes staring back at her. Apple Bloom screams and leaps away from the window. The blanket gets tangled about her tail, coming with her as she runs to the wall and cowers. It falls onto he, shielding her from the sight of whatever she saw. Trembling, she pokes her head out from under the covers draped around her. Nothing is there to stare at her from the window. Still, the little filly trots to the door, and cracks it open enough to stick her snout out.
“Apple Jack,” she shouts.
As loud as she is, her voice does not carry at all, seemingly snuffed out just as it passes her lips. Apple Bloom tries to scream even louder, but it feels as though something is catching her throat. Only a miserable squeak leaves her. A tinge of fear writhes down her neck, making the hairs of her mane stand on end. Slowly she pushes the door open, and steps into the darkened hallway.
Floorboards creak under her hooves as she makes it further down the corridor. Another bolt of lightning strikes just outside, sending a blinding flash. Shadows twist and distort upon the floor, making her step back. Looking down the end of the hall, she spies something. From around the corner emerge three long talons that burrow into wood. Apple Bloom takes a nervous step back to her bedroom, as something steps out. Another flash blankets a monster in a chilling light.
Its body is covered in wiry blue fur as its head nearly grazes the ceiling by its sheer size. Long, lanky arms hang inches from the floor, covered in a putrid green flesh that can only be likened to rot. Deadly claws slice into the floorboards with little effort. Big yellow eyes stare coldly at the frightened filly. She stares up at the enormous fangs protruding from its bottom jaw.
Slamming its hands down on the ground, it lets out a hissing screech. Apple Bloom turns around, storming back to the room. To the rear the beast crawls on its hands and legs, moving swiftly like a spider. The filly does not look back as she dives into her bedroom. As soon as she hits the floor, she is back on her hooves, pressing against the door to shut it. Just as it is about to close, the long, lanky arm of the monster slips through the crack and snatches her up. She tries to scream, but again her voice barely lets out a whisper, as it yanks her into the dark.
Lightning flashes, as all she sees are the terrible yellow eyes.
***
“Apple Bloom, what in tarnation are you doing?”
The filly finds herself standing in the middle of the apple orchard. Heavy rain clouds hang just overhead, almost begging to shed water upon the earth. A crisp autumn wind ruffles the changing trees, all covered in ripened fruit. Standing just a few feet away is her big sister, Apple Jack, pulling a cart filled to the brim with apples. The pony of honesty trots up alongside her little sis and gives her a smile.
“I’m sorry, Apple Jack, guess I sort of dosed off,” she says sheepishly.
“Well no time for daydreaming when there are apples to be getting,” AJ says. “We need to be getting these apples off the trees so that Granny can make her cider.”
“Oh, yes, of course,” Apple Bloom answers, “But can I talk to you for a second.”
“In a minute,” Apple Jack answers. “Could you go ahead and get the apples off that tree.”
“Uh, sure.”
Little Apple Bloom starts walking in the direction that her sister pointed out to her, finding herself standing under a slightly larger tree compared to the others in the orchard. Many colorful leaves hanging from its branches. Hanging are an assortment of delicious looking red apples. Grabbing a few tubs, she arranges them around the tree. She turns her flank to the trunk, and bucks with all her might. Above the tree quakes, tossing a number of leaves off the branches. Something falls in front of her, but it is not an apple. A massive ball of blue fur lands on the ground. Yellow eyes appear among the matted hair, big like two orbs. Fangs spill out of its mouth, coated with spittle. Its long lanky arms unfold from its body as it towers over the little pony. Apple Bloom runs.
The creature chases her, letting out a screeching hiss as it pursues. Its footsteps are loud behind her, as it knocks branches out of the way. Trees begin to fall like leaves as the monster knocks them down in his pursuit. One nearly lands on her, forcing her to change direction. Looking over her shoulder, the monster is closing in on her.
“Help! Apple Jack. Help!”
The words get caught in her throat. No one comes for her. As she makes a bend, she trips over a root jettisoned from the ground. Before she can even scramble, the creature has its talons snatching her up, and lifting her up off the ground. Looking up, the last thing she sees are those terrible eyes.
***
Apple Bloom wakes up to darkness. Even in the pitch, she recognizes the pattern of her blanket over her face. Her heart pounds in her chest, leaving her breath sporadic. But as she comes to realize it was all a dream, she lets out a sigh. Thunder roars outside, but it does not bother her. Lightning flashes, sending a large shadow to appear through the cloth.
All of a sudden, something pulls off her covers, as she spies three long green talons. A monstrous laughter fills the room as the monster stands over her. She cries for help, but no one comes. The beast pounces on her. Everything goes dark, save for those terrible, yellow eyes.
***
“And the monster got her!”
Gear Spring mimics the noise of the creature, causing the ponies around him to scream. Many of them fall over their seats, hitting the cold ground. The mane six included are victims of the horrifying tale.
“Wow, that was some story,” Twilight Sparkle says.
“And it I all true,” Gear Spring hisses.
“What?” A.J. protests, “Apple Bloom never told me about no nightmare.”
“That’s because…”
The robe falls off the pony, but it is not a stallion. Rising over the bonfire is a creature with long lanky arms of putrid green. Blue wiry fur springs forth as fangs protrude from its bottom jaw. The ponies cower at the sight of the monster. Its daunting yellow yes looks down on them all.
THE NIGHTMARE NEVER ENDS!
