Malakai rested on a cloud high in the sky after causing his usual daily dose of chaos. He went a bit easier on all the ponies today because of what the night held in store for them all. The cool crisp weather of the fall season was ever present. That’s right, it was Nightmare Night. A night for pranks and spooks and free candy! He laid there with his eyes closed until his felt someone land on him and straddle over him. He opens an eye to see Rainbow Dash smiling over him with her hands on his chest.He offers a light-hearted grin and nods.

“What’s up Dashie?”

“Hey there, Mal! Are you excited for tonight?!”

He chuckled and nodded, watching the mare bounced in excitement.

“I sure am. This will be my first Nightmare Night. Usually, back in my world, it’s called ‘Halloween” or “All Hallow’s Eve”. But it looks like you all follow similar customs.”

She nodded as she listened, then spoke.

“Are you gonna be doing pranks tonight? I mean….more than you usually do anyways?”

Malakai gave a sinister grin and shook his head. He brought his hands up and rubbed them together with a dark chuckle.

“Oooh no. I got something big planned for you and the girls. That is...unless you five are too scared to come and face the nightmare I have planned. I know that Shy won’t be showing up though...poor mare just hates Nightmare Night. And i didn’t want her to deal with that.”

Dash scoffs and lightly punches him in the chest, a glare of determination now in her eyes. Malakai knew the mare well, she took the bait.

“Me/ Scared? Yeah right! I bet I can handle whatever you got, mister! I am the one and only Rainbow Dash after all! The toughest pony around!”

Malakai’s smile grew more, near cheshire cat levels.He sat up quickly and got in her face.

“We will see just how tough you think you are after tonight, Dashie. With what I will be creating, you will rethink your position on a night like tonight. Nightmare night will have a whole new meaning. You are going to experience it on how MY world does things. Not these kiddy pranks and such. Let’s just hope that the other girls can handle it too…”

He said in a wicked low tone of voice before disappearing in a black puff of smoke.

“I hope you aren’t afraid of clowns…”

He voice echoed in an eerie tone, leaving the pegasus mare a slight bit nervous, but she shook it off and went on about her day. Little did she expect, everyone was going to be in a fright tonight, even her.

--Nightmare Night--

Twilight and the others approached what looked like to be a circus tent that had a fire in large bowls surrounding it. A few other ponies were drawn to the structure as well. No younger ponies came however as there was a sign that read in a crimson liquid:

“Do not come here if you are faint of heart, or a filly or colt. This is not a game for those who are mentally weak as well. Enter at your own risk.”

Twilight turned to face her friends who were all dressed up in their costumes. Everyone but Rarity seemed like they were fit for what Malakai had in store for them. That dress was most certainly going to cause her trouble.

“I...got a bad feeling about this girls...I mean, I know it Nightmare Night and all, but Malakai is...well, from what he has told me about his world and the holiday that is similar to this one is much darker. And that sign back there was a clear indication that he has something dark waiting for us on the other side of this entrance.”

Said the lavender unicorn that was dressed in a rather form-fitting version of a guard outfit. Applejack was dressed in a sexy sheriff’s outfit complete with the long brown duster. Pinkie was dressed in...well, something silly to be sure. Rarity wore something along the lines of a long black cloak and dress with fake vampire teeth and some heavy black eye shadow. And of course, Rainbow Dash was dressed in a skin tight shadow bolt uniform.

“Come on now sugarcube, it can’t be that bad. I mean, it’s a circus tent and clowns for pony’s sake. What is so scary about that?”

Applejack said in a playfully skeptical tone. Pinkie bounces up and down with a giggle.

“Yeah! Clowns are supposed to make you laugh and smile! I am sure this will be fun fun fun!”

“While I am not much into these kinds of things, it is certainly something different than our usual events on this night. I am sure that Malakai has something splendid planned~.”

Rarity said in her usual sing-song tone, secretly reassuring herself that all would be alright. Rainbow Dash smiled and pumped her fists.

“Come on girls, we got this! We will show him we aren’t afraid of his little plan!”

They all step through the entrance of the tent to find that it was a circus, but not one they thought it was going to be, that’s for certain. Suddenly the speakers blasted with a heavy metal version of a common circus theme that one would hear from his world. In a flash of fire, Malakai appeared floating in the center of the tent with a long tattered black cape and a top hat that stood high, and to make it even scarier, he still had his face paint on and his eyes gave off a fiery red glow.

“Welcome to your worst nightmare stallions and mares! You are now going to experience hell on earth! You have one last chance to tuck your tails and run before our festivities begin!”

He said as he waved a cane with a skull with glowing eyes on the top of it. Every pony’s ears dropped to the side of their heads when they saw exactly what was in the tent. Cages of disfigured...things that looked like Malakai, but with sharp teeth and blood dripping from their mouths and dressed in clown attire along with a few other circus outfits. The creatures laughed sinisterly and growl and roared as they pulled at the cage bars, the metal clanking and shaking as they jump and smash against the cages. Every pony in that tent gave a heavy gulp as their eyes widen in terror at what they were seeing. Even Rainbow Dash was having problems keeping it together.

“The rules of the game are simple! Choose your weapons, get ready, and slaughter these undead bastards before they tear you to pieces!”

As he said that, a few steel tables come out of the floor and present an array of weapons. Rifles, shotgun, pistols, daggers, swords, all kinds of things to kill zombie clowns with. They all slowly approach the tables and look at the weapons before them. They were familiar with the swords and such, but the guns were a bit confusing. Malakai lowers himself onto the ground and turns to the now large gathering crowd.

“I understand that you are all familiar with the melee weapons. But let me show you how the others operate. Watch closely now…”

Malakai pulls out a sawed off shotgun from behind his cloak and aims it at a charging clown that was dead sprinting towards him. With a click of the gun and then a loud BANG that was followed by a sickening splat, the now headless body of the clown fell to the floor still convulsing before vanishing into a puff of black smoke. The sound and display made a few of the ponies nearly vomit from disgust, a few of them running out the entrance as they wanted NO part in this. Malakai turned to the large group and smiled lightly.

“Any questions…?”

He got no answers from them, they were all just too shocked to believe what had just happened in front of them. He grins wickedly and snaps his fingers as the only exit vanishes behind them. Not only that, but their wings and horns disappear as well, making them all freak out and scream.

“I can’t have you all cheating now can I? Not to worry though!”

He said as he dropped down onto the ground in his normal outfit, but with a couple of pistols strapped to his leg and a large fuel tank on his back that connected to a hose and a gun like an item that had a small flame resting just on the outside of the barrel.

“I will be joining you as well! So you will have a pro on your side! Now gather your weapons, little ponies. And let's hope that you don’t get torn to pieces this night hmmm?”

This...this can’t be a real thing...right? It’s all part of the act. He...really didn’t just kill a live thing…

Twilight though as she looked at the weapons displayed across the tables. She really didn’t want to feel like she couldn’t handle this new challenge, nor did the others in fact, despite how scared they were at this point. And Malakai did say he’d be joining them. After everyone got their weapons and Rarity cut off the main length of her dress with one of the knives. Which surprised Malakai, but nodded to her in approval. He raised his hand and forms a thumbs up, then slowly tips it down as the cages open and a loud howl of the hordes filled the now large arena.

“Aim for their heads! That will rid you of them quickly!”

Suddenly a different heavy song began to play over the speakers that would most likely get the ponies going and pumped. Gunfire and battle cries rang out as the game began. The sound of blood splattering and body parts landing on the ground was enough to sicken ponies to their stomachs. But they new the risk when they came here, having read the warning sign he had posted. Things started out rough for the ponies, but they watched Malakai use his...weapon that spouted large blasts of fire that burned the zombies to complete ash but noticed that he relied on it only when he was beginning to get outnumbered. He quickly aims his gun toward twilight and shoots, taking down a zombie that was coming right for her from behind.

“Come on Twi! Keep your head in the game. You don’t want to be on the sidelines watching do you?!”

“He said as he looked over to the ones who had gotten ‘killed’ by the zombies who now sat on the outside of the walls. Well, some were actually still lying on the ground in shock. Twilight lets out a sigh of relief now knowing that they weren’t in real danger. She nodded and returned to doing her best to fend off the creatures. Eventually, the last one was burnt to a crisp with Malakai’s flamethrower. Leaving him, Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and surprisingly, Rarity as the last ones standing. After it was all over, the tent disappeared and nothing was left of the whole thing, just a large empty meadow with the moon shining brightly down on all the ponies.

“Well that was fun wasn’t it ponies? Happy Nightmare Night all...I hope you can sleep well after all that...sweet dreams tonight.”

He said before disappearing with a wicked laugh.

“S-see?!N-Not scary at all!”

Said Rainbow Dash as she stood there visibly shaking. After he left, Malakai gave everyone their wings and horns back. He chuckles to himself as he watches from behind the clouds.

“Oh boy...I am not gonna hear the end of it from Moonbutt tonight when she visits these ponies in their dreams…”

He said to himself as he grinned wickedly.

Author's Note

Malakai here, the author and I thought it would be fun to have the ponies experience true horror on this night, so we brainstormed and came up with this!

Damnit Malakai, get back in there!

*Whooving sounds as Malakai runs off in a goofy manner*

Sigh...May the darkness grant you peace everyone...