The next day the weather was perfect for an October party. Clean, cold fall air blew gently through the orchard with a healthy smattering of colored leaves on both trees and the ground. Add a few jack-o-lanterns and macabre decorations on the houses, and there was no mistaking it: Halloween was here.

By the time Stan arrived, fashionably fifteen minutes late, there was already a line to get in wrapped around a small ‘spooky’ barricade encircling the house. As Stan made it to the gate he was greeted by Applebloom wearing all black and some cheap vampire teeth.

“Applebloom?”

“Stan!”

“Oh no, you’ve been turned into a vampire! When did that happen?!”

She smiled.

“Yesterday, after you left. What’re you supposed to be, James Bond?”

“Guilty!”

“You look good.”

“Thanks. Here. Don’t tell Applejack I paid cover.”

“I’m not takin’ yer money.”

“Take it.”

“No.”

“Take it!”

“No!”

Stan folded up the bills and slid them into Applebloom’s mouth. Her eyes went wide. He kept the bills in her mouth with one finger as he spoke:

“Take the money, and I’m not taking no for an answer. Oh, and come find me when you get off door duty, if we’re going to change you back into a human we have to do it before Halloween is over.”

Applebloom nodded as Stan took his hand back and wandered into the fray.

Inside the crowd was still thin. Music was playing and a few groups were quietly chatting, but things were just warming up. First things first; he thought to himself, and he headed over to the refreshment stand for some Halloween punch.

“Stan!”

Gypsy Rainbow Dash and vampire Fluttershy approached, Rainbow Dash with a drink of her own. Fluttershy mumbled something, but Dash didn’t even notice.

“What are YOU supposed to be?”

“James Bond”

“Ha! Where’s your gun?”

“Right here,” he said, pulling out the ‘lighter’ and pointing it upwards as he pulled the trigger. A small flame came out of the tip.

Rainbow Dash laughed. “You actually bought one of those things?”

“What are you supposed to be - a bar wench?

“I’m a gypsy!”

“Oh, I see it now~,” Stan said.

“Yeah, shut up, you know you love it.”

Random Student #43, dressed as a football player, grabbed small plastic pumpkin and called out, “Hey Rainbow Dash! Go long!”

Rainbow Dash took one look at someone starting to throw something and handed her drink to Fluttershy, “Oh, take this! Be right back!”

Rainbow Dash’s sudden departure left Fluttershy and Stan standing in a suddenly awkward silence. Fluttershy turned her gaze downward and frowned. Stan coughed into his hand:

“That’s a nice costume. Applebloom’s a vampire too. Later on you two’ll have to have a big fight to see who’s queen vampire.”

Fluttershy snorted.

“I’m serious. That would be so awesome. We’ll post it on Youtube after.”

She started mumbling something.

“Uh- the music’s too loud, you have to speak up.”

“I said Applebloom’d probably win,” Fluttershy whispered.

“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re like six inches taller than her.”

She shook her head, but was smiling.

“Well maybe you can be vampire friends or something.”

Gypsy Rainbow Dash and a dozen other Halloween clichés were starting an impromptu game of football (or pumpkin-ball, as it were) on the lawn. They watched for a few seconds.

“So -uh- Where’d you get your costume?”

“Rarity. We were at her boutique for four hours yesterday.”

“That was nice of her. I got mine from a friend, er– from my rich uncle. Do you think I make a good James Bond?”

Fluttershy nodded, taking a sip of Rainbow Dash’s punch. That was probably an accident, but Stan wasn’t about to say anything.

“Hey Fluttershy, do you mind when I call you Fluttershy?”

She looked surprised.

“I mean I know it’s what everyone calls you, but I hate being presumptuous, and I don’t have any problem calling you Faw-”

She shook her head and touched his arm. “I like it when my friends call me Fluttershy.”

“Really?”

She nodded.

“So I’m your friend?”

She nods again.

“Aw, thanks! Here. To friendship!”

They clinked plastic cups and took a sip. Fluttershy smiled and played with her hair. Considering this had been their longest conversation on record, he had no idea what her requirement for ‘friend’ was, but it was nice to know he fit the bill.

More and more people were streaming in.

“Hey where is everybody?” Stan asked.

“I think Applejack and Pinkie Pie are inside.”

“Wanna go see how they’re doing?”

Fluttershy shook her head and pointed further in the garage. Twilight and Sunset were standing in a corner talking to Ninja Bon-bon and Greek ‘Goddess’ Lyra. Twilight made a fairly convincing mad scientist, while Sunset came as a ‘fifties girl’, except her ‘poodle’ skirt had a small unicorn on it. A very small unicorn.

“Oh, let’s go say hi.”

They headed over.

“Happy Halloween!

Fluttershy mumbled ‘hello’.

“Oh, hi Fluttershy and… uh…”

Stan smiled. ‘Why can’t she ever remember my name’?

“Stan.”

Twilight snapped her fingers.

“Right, Stan.”

Fluttershy mumbled something.

“Thanks, you too,” Twilight said. “Who else is here?”

Fluttershy mumbled for several seconds.

“But where’s Rarity?”

Fluttershy shrugged.

“I asked her last night and she said she was coming,” Lyra said. “I had to rush over to her shop last minute and buy a new costume because somebody changed the plan.”

“I said I was sorry,” Bon-bon objected.

“She probably wants to make a grand entrance or something,” Sunset said. “That’s like - her ‘thing’. What are you supposed to be, a businessman?”

“James Bond.”

Sunset furrowed her brows. “James Bond. That was the… the…” When she recalled what James Bond was she burst out laughing. “Isn’t that little ‘on the nose’?”

Bon-bon cringed.

“Oh please, are you still on about that spy business? If anyone here is a spy, it’s you.”

“Me?”

Stan continued, but as he continued his tone made it sound more and more like a joke: “Yeah. I’ve seen you writing in that little book of yours. What are you writing about, huh? Political reports? Invasion plans? I wouldn’t be surprised if the people in talking-horse-land knew more about our water supply and power grid than we do.”

Twilight frowned, but the other girls looked amused at his fantastic accusations. Sunset shook her head, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m close aren’t I?”

Twilight gestured toward Stan: “I don’t think the ‘people’ in ‘talking-horse-land’ are planning on invading any time soon.”

“Maybe that’s what they want us to think. Heh! Maybe this is all part of somebody’s plan, and she singled me out ‘cause I’m wise to her tricks - I’m on to her game.”

“Hey Stanimal!” Rainbow Dash called out, “get over here, we’re losing!”

“Ah- duty calls, ladies,” he said, setting his drink on a nearby table. “And Sunset…” They made eye contact and he held up two fingers between his eyes and hers, waving his hand back and forth, then pointed at her – the universal ‘I’m watching you’ sign.

He hurried out.

“Do you really think he’s a spy?” Bon-bon asked.

“I’m pretty sure.”

Fluttershy frowned. “I don’t think he’s a spy. He’s too nice.”

Twilight agreed: “Yeah, he’s too much of an idiot.”

“If he’s a spy,” Lyra added, “then I’m a famous anthropologist.”

Sunset smirked “Maybe in another world.”

Bon-bon craned her neck to see Stan through the growing crowd, “If he was a spy who do you think he’d be working for?”

“The government?” Twilight suggested.

Bon-bon smiled. “It would be cool if he was…”

A few minutes later Applejack entered the garage carrying a large platter filled with frosted cookies.

“Here y’ go… every… one…” she trailed off as two dozen people immediately gathered round to help themselves. She pulled her gaze from the rapidly depleting platter to the long line of people still waiting to get in.

“A-heh. There’re a… a few more people than we were expectin’.”

“You can thank Stan for that,” #5 said from behind her.

She turned his way as he took bite out of a frosted witch’s-head. “Whaddya mean?”

“He went around school all day yesterday telling people to come.”

“Yeah,” #124 added, “and he said anybody that didn’t come was probably a loser.”

“It worked I guess. The only reason I’m here is so I don’t get burned on Monday,” #5 said. “But the cookies are a plus. Nobody said there’d be cookies.”

“Glad y’ like ‘em. But y’ weren’t gonna come?”

“No, I was supposed to stay home and hand out candy for my Mom. But when I told her the whole school was going to a party, and I had to go too, she let me off the hook.”

“I was actually going to go trick or treating,” #203 said, with a cookie in each hand, “but I wanted to see the dance contest.”

“Heh,” Applejack muttered, “Guess it’s a good thing ah invited him then. Have y’ seen him?”

“He’s playing football out front. Right there.”

“Thanks,” she said, walking in his way.

Out on the lawn the teams were lining up for another go. Rainbow Dash was waiting for the hike, when Applejack interrupted:

“Hey, hold up a secon- Big Mac!”

Big Mac was heading up the other team. He looked up and grinned sheepishly.

“Yer supposed to be watchin’ things.”

“I am, I’m just… I’m watchin’ ‘em from here is all.”

“Stan, I need to talk to you.”

“No way!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Applejack, we’re in the middle of a game!”

“How can yuh play in that dress?”

“Stop yappin’, yer on our team, make room!” Rainbow shouted.

“No, she’s on our side!” Big Mac shouted.

“There’s no time fer football, we got a party to-” she objected.

“I’m heeerrrrreeee!” Rarity called out from the entrance. She was wearing a lavish Marie Antoinette costume, covered in ribbons and bows, and was holding her hands up elegantly, as if waiting for rapturous applause.

All eyes were definitely on her for pause. Then Lemon Zest in a Super-girl costume ran up behind her.

“Dudes!”

Indego Zap came up on her other side in a drag racing suit. “Football? I’m in!”

“Hey it’s the Crystal Prep kids,” Sunset said, emerging from the garage with Twilight and Fluttershy in tow. Lawyer Sour-Sweet, Black Bodysuit Sunny Flare (maybe she was a time traveler?) and Sugar Coat wearing a buckskin dress and eagle feather in her hair, all waived hello.

“Hope we didn’t steal your thunder,” Sugar Coat muttered to Rarity.

“I’m so glad you could all make it,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, that’s great,” Rainbow started. “Indigo, you’re on-”

“OUR SIDE,” Big Mac interrupted.

“Hey!”

All the girls had already started chatting, except for Lemon and Indigo who were marching into the pumpkin-ball kerfuffle.

“I need to talk to you.”

While the two ‘team leaders’ argued over who went on which team, Stan let Applejack pull him aside. “What is it?”

“People ‘re sayin’ that yuh were sayin’ things around school.”

“Yeah?”

“And you said that anyone that didn’t come t’ the party was a loser.”

“Well its true, isn’t it?”

Applejack’s look of dismay evolved into a smirk.

Stan looked at the line of people to get in. “And it worked, didn’t it? You wanted a lot of people to come, didn’t you?”

“Well… yeah but-”

“There, see. Your party’s a success, and all you had to do was believe in yourself. And me. But believing in me is the easy part. Cookies!”

Stan hurried away to help himself to some dwindling refreshments, while Applejack watched him suspiciously. She didn’t like rumors, lies or liars; but knowing Stan, it had probably been a big joke.

“Applejack, come’ere!” Rainbow Dash called out. “You’re on our team!”

The Halloween Themed teams lined up for another round.

“Hut! Hut! Hike!”

In the ensuing melee both sides fought valiantly, but Indigo’s speed and Big Mac’s strength proved irresistible. They stopped when it was time for the dance competition, by ironically by the time it was ready to start half the contending dancers had thoroughly wearied themselves out.

“This is it!” Rainbow Dash said, heaving for breath on the ‘dance floor’, an empty area in the middle of the garage. The sun had set and the party was pretty much in full swing now. A few stragglers kept showing up at the front gate, now manned by Big Mac, but by most accounts there were enough people there already. A large crowd thronged the garage and driveway waiting to see the competition.

Sunset, Octavia, and DJ Pon3 sat at the judges table; the latter most had a laptop in front of her, which was connected to a small sound system she had just set up.

“Where’s Applejack?” Sunset asked.

“She went to get more food,” Ballerina Pinkie said, stretching out.

“Where’s Rarity?”

“Back here, darling.”

Sunset and Octavia reeled around to see Rarity sitting on the floor next to Fluttershy.

“Aren’t you going to dance?”

“Oh no, I couldn’t”-she yawned-“I stayed up all night finishing this dress, I wouldn’t dream of dancing right now, but good luck.”

“Uh- thanks.”

Sunset turned back, and looked over the contestants. That was three of her crew out, but she guessed they could still win this. As long as Stan didn’t have some dirty trick up his sleeves, that was. She gave him a cold look. His back was turned to her, but #13 (AKA Muffins or Derpy, in a McDonalds server ‘costume’) tapped his shoulder and pointed in her direction. He raised his eyebrows when he saw her. “What?”

She looked away. “Are we ready to start?”

DJ Pon3 nodded. Sunset grabbed a microphone attached to the laptop.

“Okay, hi everyone, and welcome to the Applejack Crackerjack Never-Slack Dance Competition! Is everybody having a good time?”

The crowd cheered.

“Good! This contest will have three rounds; round one will consist of us playing music of different types and all the dancers have to ‘prove they can grove.’ Any dancers that aren’t grooving with the music will be voted off! The second round will have two parts; a cooperation round where we’ll play some music and you have to cooperate with each other as you dance, and for the second half I will do a dance and then the remaining dancers will have to repeat it as closely as they can. The third round will be a showdown between whoever’s left, to music chosen by the judges. The winner will receive this delicious Halloween cake frosted to look like a jack-o-lantern. Does everybody understand?”

The contestants murmured affirmative.

“Good, then let’s~ start!”

The first song was, predictably, the Monster Mash. At first things were a little hard to manage, a lot of people wanted that cake, and the dance floor was so crowded it was hard to move around, but it was still fun to see so many people dancing.

After a minute or so Octavia’s voice came over the speaker: “Okay, Wolfman, you’re out. Yes you, go.

The Wolfman slacked his shoulders and slunk away.

Sunset’s voice came next, “You in the sheriff costume. Out!” The sheriff snapped his fingers and strut off the floor.

Next came Pon3’s voice, “You in the red witch outfit. Do that again. Aaawsomeee!”

“You’re only allowed to use the microphone to tell people they’re out!” Octavia could be heard, remonstrating her.

“Why?”

Sunset grabbed the microphone, “Little Bo Peep, go find your sheep.” A girl wearing a Little Bo Peep outfit looked her way. She nodded and the girl left. Sunset eyed Stan. All things considered he was doing pretty good, but there’d be plenty of time too-

Just that instant #13 tried to pirouette but ended up stumbling in Stan’s direction. Down she went, dragging Stan with her.

“Out!” she shouted! “Both of you!”

Stan jumped up, and looked her way, jaw dropped.

Each of the judges shook their heads.

He clenched his fists and turned to glare at #13, who smiled and shrugged innocently. With a sigh he helped her up so they could leave the dance floor.

Sunset smiled at the back of them–that was easier than she thought it’d be. ‘Thanks Derpy!’

Soon, the song faded away and the next one started up: Masquerade, from the Phantom of the Opera. There were several quizzical looks, but everyone kept dancing. The movement aspect of this dance were very different from the mash, and while most of the contestants caught on quickly, the few that didn’t, or hesitated, soon found themselves with the rest of the spectators.

One such contestant was a certain mad scientist.

“You in the lab coat, you’re out,” Pon3 shouted.

Twilight gave the judges a sad look, then headed towards Fluttershy and Rarity.

Several more students were subsequently dejected, until the music changed again, this time to Night on Bald Mountain. As it started up several of the dancers just stopped and raised their arms; like ‘what’?

“If you can’t take the heat, get off the dance floor,” Pon3 called out over the sound system.

A few snorted and left, but the majority tried to roll with it. There was a lot more room on the dance floor now and several dancers were starting to get creative. Pinkie, in her ballet costume (and perhaps with a little forewarning) was doing surprisingly well, but not as good as Rainbow Dash, who seemed at surprisingly at ease dancing to classical music.

“Hey Bumble Bee?! Buzz off!”

“You’re out, Freddy!”

More and more people were eliminated. By the time the music cut out there were only a dozen left.

“All right,” Sunset’s voice came over the speakers, “that’s it for the first round, let’s hear it for the winners!”

Everyone clapped.

The Beetlejuice theme started, and Octavia grabbed the mic.

“Round two will feature everyone dancing cooperatively for the half the song. Once the halfway point is reached Ms. Shimmer will rise and everyone who wants to make it to round three will follow her movements exactly. Now begin!”

The next round was a bit tricky (what did cooperative dance even mean?), but everyone who made it this far was a fairly competent dancer and they started improvising. Several of the new dance moves were quite entertaining, but some weren’t entertaining enough.

“Nice try Supergirl, better luck next year.”

Lemon Zest sighed, and headed to where the other Crystal Prep students were gathered on the sidelines.

“Gypsy!” Octavia shouted. “You’re out!”

Rainbow Dash turned to glare at the judges. “What!?”

“Out!”

She scowled and shook her fist, then slumped to the sidelines, thoroughly worn out.

Suddenly the music slowed, and Sunset walked around the judge’s table. All eyes were on her. The 50’s costume was perfect for dancing, and as the music resumed she started moving and clapping her hands. The few remaining competitors mimicked her closely – but the moves got more complicated as she went on. Sunset was actually a lot better dancer than any of them thought, and before they knew it the audience was all clapping along. It was intense.

One of the dancers faltered.

“Racer girl, you’re out!”

Indigo Zap clenched her fist, then wiped the sweat of her brow and strode away. That was draining!

Before the music stopped a fairy and a man in a shark suit also got booted.

The music stopped and the four remaining dancers, including Sunset, took a bow. The crowd clapped.

“Thank you, now everybody hang tight while DJ picks a song for each of the three finalists,” Octavia said, hammering away at her laptop. The final contestants; Devil-Girl Scootaloo, Ballerina Pinkie, and Ninja Bon-Bon, all took a breath.

“When did Scooter get here?” Stan wondered aloud.

“Her and Sweetie Bell got here just before the dance.,” #13 said. “I think they were out trick-or-treating.”

“Oh.”

Octavia continued: “Ol’right, contestants? The final round will be a dance-off. We will play a song and the contestants must make up a dance, and when they’re through the audience will decide who wins and thereby gets the jack-o-cake. Are – you – ready?”

The crowd cheered. The three looked between each other, then back to the judges.

“First up,” Sunset shouted, “Pinkie!”

An instrumental version of ‘This is Halloween’ started playing, and Pinkie started dancing. Her moves were a combination of several styles, some more traditional others more modern, and parts of it could have been a little more graceful, but overall it was very esthetic. Midway through she took a breath and did a back flip, which earned several ooohs and aaahs from the audience.

Eventually the music stopped and she bowed with much applause.

“Next up,” Pon3 shouted, “Bon-Bon!”

Ninja Rap started playing. Bon-Bon put her hands on her hips and frowned.

“Go!”

She shook her head and went with it. Her dance was almost entirely modern, and pretty good all things considered – Bon-Bon could jam and Ninja Rap is a surprisingly ‘dance-able’ song. Before the song technically finished the music faded, and she took her bow, amidst more applause.

“All right,” Octavia shouted, “Who’s ready for Scooter?”

The crowd cheered again as ‘the Devil Went Down to Georgia’ started booming. She shook her head round and started bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her dance was more modern than not, and several parts of the song she pantomimed quite effectively, at one point swinging her tail when she was playing the devil part. Soon the music faded and she too took a bow to the audience clapping and cheering.

Pon3 stood up: “Okay, let’s hear it for… Pinkie!”

The audience boomed for the most popular girl at school.

Octavia stood up: “How about… Bon-Bon!”

Everyone hollered for her surprising ninja performance.

Sunset stood up: “And last but not least…”

Pinkie walked over and nudged Bon-Bon, but she was already nodding. Scootaloo as the final performer was standing in front of them, and they both turned to the audience on either side and waived their hands upwards.

“Scooter!”

The crowd went wild, with even Pinkie and Bon-Bon joining in. Scootaloo looked beside herself with joy, as she turned around to see a sea of smiling faces clapping.

“You did it, you won!”

Everyone rushed forward, Renaissance Sweetie Bell, and Applebloom at the front of the throng. Eventually she was ushered to the judges table where she was handed her the cake, which she held over her head, triumphantly.

The audience cheered and cheered as she made her way out of the garage to go put her cake in the house for safe keeping, and even the sorest of losers felt better knowing they probably weren’t going to win anyway.

About half an hour later things had calmed down, and the scary story contest was underway. About one third of the crowd that had attended the dance competition was seated on the floor and listening to #13 tell a story about ‘the headless horse’ taking revenge on the mafia, while a number of people milled about outside. Almost half of the party had already left, most them to get some trick-or-treating done or because they had some other engagement.

Twilight, Sunset, Rainbow and the Crystal Prep students all left for a much larger all-night part in New York City. They’d offered to take everyone with them, but Applejack and Pinkie had to stay with the party, and Rarity had fallen asleep on Fluttershy’s lap, so they were all tied up. Stan might have weaseled his way into going, but Lyra and Bon-Bon were already going with, so he stayed. On the good side things were winding down fast, so hopefully he wouldn’t be here all night.

13 finished her story, and a few people laughed and rolled their eyes. She frowned. It wasn’t supposed to be funny…

Applebloom got up next. She started telling a story about the monster that lived in the woods near there. Stan felt himself slowly nodding off as she spoke. It had been a long day and that football game had taken a lot out of him. He head tilted to his knees. So sleepy…

Suddenly the lights went out. His head snapped to attention. A loud roar came from the window, where a ‘giant ape’ was banging on the window.

“You can’t be serious,” he said to himself, as pandemonium broke out in the garage. The ‘giant ape’ ran for the trees, while the students screamed and shouted and took for the lamp-lit streets. Stan and Pinkie did what they could to make sure no one got trampled in the chaos.

Out on the street the hysteria had died down –slightly– but many of the party goers were not content to assume that was the end of it:

“What WAS that thing?” #43 shouted.

“It was the Bigfoot!” #16 assured.

74 pointed to the far end the orchard, “It ran into the woods!”

“I saw where it went!” #140 bellowed.

“Now hold up,” Applejack tried to call out from the crowd, but they were in a frenzy.

“We can catch it!” #4 cheered, raising a pitchfork.

23 raised a torch. “Get your torches!”

“Say your prayers!” #55 shouted.

“Kill the beast!” everyone chorused.

“Now everyone calm down!”

People turned to see Stan standing on hay bail.

“It’s Halloween and small children -and the POLICE- are out in droves, so we’re not gonna go on no Bigfoot hunt… TONIGHT! But stay posted and maybe we have something organized in a week or so!”

“It’s the apples; that’s what it is!” #43 hollered.

“Yeah!” #161 agreed. “We should set apple-traps – all around town!” Several people nodded.

“We’ll all be rich!” someone shouted from the back.

“Bah!” Stan continued. “The monster’s gone now; let’s all get back to the party!”

He made a good point, and though a lot of people split, many came back. The music started up and people started chatting again. They partied late into the night and by the time the last guest left it was almost one o’clock…