The store was just as decrepit looking inside as it was outside. If not for the various candles, costumes, and clothing hanging on racks and hangers, Apple Bloom and friends would be right to assume no one had lived here for eons. "Wow, they defiantly went all out on makin' this place as disturbin' as possible," the earth mare complimented, her eyes enamored with the black and orange decore. But upon facing the window, she nearly jumped out of her skin at the sight of the hideous faces two pumpkins were making.

"Sweet Celestia!" she stammered, holding her chest to try and calm her startled heart. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both looked as unnerved by the ghastly jack-o-lanterns. "You said it. Someone had a helluva time decorating," the young unicorn commented, poking at the fleshy layer of the pumpkin before quivering in disgust.

"Look at all these costumes, though!" Scootaloo exclaimed, lifting the sleeve of an astronaut's gear. "Some of these feel like they were taken off a movie set or something." The other two crusaders looked around to examine and admire the other articles of clothing. "The material of some of these dresses are astounding!" Sweetie Belle chirped in with glimmering eyes. "Fuck, if I had the bits, I'd buy them all~!"

"Aah wonder where da owner got the material ta craft them all from," Apple Bloom wondered, looking over the orange and black fabric of a witch's gown. Just as her hand was leaving the sleeve, a hand with long fingers slither out to grab her wrist. "AAAUHH!" She bellowed, tearing her hand free before falling onto the floor. The figure snickered before stepping off the podium, dusting off the sleeves to her dress. "Serves you right for snooping around, young mare! Didn't you see the sign? The store is closed until the morning."

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle ran to help their fallen friend up, glaring at the spooky storekeeper. "What do you mean 'closed'?!"

"Yeah! The sign says it's open!"

The slender unicorn blinked before scuffling off to the door before realizing that the sign, in fact, did say the store was open. "Huh... Could have sworn I flipped the sign over. Oh well," she shrugged before turning back to address her three customers. "I apologize for frightening you, younglings! Tis the season of nights, frights, and sugary delights~."

Now that the mare was in the lit part of the store, it was easy to mistake her for the mannequins hosting the costumes. Her fur was as dark as charcoal, with white highlighting her nose. The wide-brimmed hat matched her witchy attire, nearly covering her face in shadows as her tangerine eyes peered through. Her auburn mane was long enough to drape behind her like the curtains hanging over the place. The bottom of her dress and sleeves were decorated in red, orange, and yellow leaves. And it was only now that the trio noticed the long protruding horn from her head, a proud stature for any unicorn. "A-Are you da owner of this place?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Indeed I am," the mare nodded with a smile before offering her hand. "Lilium Elderwood, a pleasure to meet you."

"H-Hi," the earth mare smiled back, accepting the handshake. "Aah'm Apple Bloom, and these are mah friends. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle."

"Can I just say that I just love every costume and dress in this place!?" the younger unicorn praised while jumping on the balls of her feet.

"Yeah! Props for making the store look so old, yet modern," the orange Pegasus grinned. "Where'd you get those heinous-looking pumpkins?"

Lilium giggled as she held up one of the jack-o-lanterns. "Nightmare Night is my favorite holiday. And each year, I try to outdo myself in decorations and spookiness. As for these bad boys; Well, they were a little troublesome, but I think my carving work speaks for itself, no?"

"A-Aah'll say, madam! Those are some grievous expressions," Apple Boom laughed nervously, her stomach turning at the sight of each grueling pumpkinhead. The elder unicorn placed the decoration back before walking towards the other side. "So, I take it to you girls are looking for some high-quality costumes for Nightmare Night, aye?"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"We need some really cool costumes for a party. And when we found this store, we couldn't help but notice all the wonderful clothing and masks hanging around!"

"Well, I think you came to the right place~" Lilium beamed as she struts to the reception desk. "Everything you see here was made either by designers I owed favors to or by myself. Each costume was made to be as close to the era of time it depicts as possible. Some of them even appeared in a few movies you may have seen! That samurai armor over to the left? Requested by the director of 'Shojin Showdown'~!"

Each mare collectively cooed in awe before Sweetie Belle stepped in with a frown. "Wait, if these were used for movies, doesn't that make these outfits pretty expensive?"

The storekeeper's grin spread wider while resting her chin into her hands. "I do pay a hefty amount, given the time and resources used to stitch these pieces together. But I do hold certain discounts for some items. Why don't you go look around, and we'll discuss the prices when you're ready?"

The crusaders nodded before all three went around to find and discover the costume that stood out to them. Each of them showed off each cloth that caught their fancy, commenting how good it would look on them. There were so many things to consider, from the mummy outfit's bandages to the erotic looking nurse dress. While Scootaloo and Sweetie were comparing potential outfits, Apple Bloom wandered away when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Pulling it up, her mouth curled up upon seeing a message sent from her marefriend;

DT<3:
'Can't wait to see you in costume!
Bet it'll be almost as perfect as mine~
xoxo'

Attached to the message was a selfie; edited to hide Diamond's grinning face while showing off what looked to be an Egyptian inspired dress. The cheeky mare was tugging away one half of the top cut, showing off some delicious cleavage. Heat rose in the apple mare's cheeks, making a quick reply before tucking her phone back into her pant pocket. Biting her lip, Apple Bloom looked over a couple more costumes hanging around. And while a few she felt comfortable wearing, none of them really spoke to her. Surely, there was one costume that would go along with Diamond Tiara's, right?

"Whooooooa! Now, these are some sweet ass costumes!" Scootaloo exclaimed.

"Yeah, Apple Bloom, come here!" Sweetie Belle called over. "Look at these outfits. They're... Agh! Holy Crap!"

Her head tilted up with curiosity before she rushed over to where her friends were. "What's all da ruckus, gals? What's got ya so giddy oveeeeee--Whoa!"

Before the crusaders were three novelty costumes, each in a glass case with a lamp overhead to highlight every detail.

The left case was a steely green bikini top with carvings and bumps similar to seashells. Underneath was a long, scaly skirt with a frilly fabric that resembled a fish's tail. Adding in the floral clip on the wig and you had one fantastic looking mermare costume.

The right case was a furious amount of dark brown fur attached to the chest, leg, and arm coverings. The most eye-catching piece was the wig, a mane of wild hair, ears, and furry sideburns to put over your face. Along with the gloves with claws and pants, and you would make one convincing werewolf.

And in the center case was a beautiful red dress. Its style appeared to be of an older era as if made from another world entirely. The dark accents added to the mystique elegance. If not for the collar wrapped around the mannequin, attaching bright silky drapes over the shoulders and along the arms, one could easily mistake it for a regular ballroom dress. And with the right make-up and contact lens, whoever wore it would pass for quite the regal vampire.

"Da attention to detail! Mah goodness," Apple Bloom said, astonished, tracing a finger over the glass case.

"I know, right? I don't think I've seen a better-looking mermare costume that isn't complicated to walk in," Sweetie chimed in, marveling over the scales and top, imagining how many head's she'd turn at the party.

"Yeah! I could save so much on a wolf mask by just wearing that wig! Then I could get fangs, fake blood, and-- Ohohoho! We've gotta get these costumes!"

The unicorn nodded in agreement. "Definitely getting these. Apple Bloom, just imagine how ravishing you'd look! Diamond Tiara won't be able to keep her hands off you dressed like a sexy vampire~."

Indeed, the earth mare could barely contain her excitement upon showing up at the mansion and seeing both the reactions of Diamond Tiara and her parents. If they were all about looking fancy, then she'd show 'em fancy.

"Y-Yeah, yer right! Um, Miss Elderwood? Aah think we've foun-"

"Absolutely NOT!"

The girls jumped at the witch's voice as she loomed over, a narrow glare fixated on her face. Sweetie Belle shook her head in disbelief. "W-Why not?!"

Without a word, Lilium pointed to the placks that were underneath the podium; each costume was sealed in; clearly stating 'NOT FOR SALE.' "These costumes are worth a fortune and took a long time for me to put together. There's a reason I've placed these in the back of the store. So that nosey customers don't gravel at my heels, begging me to sell them. I'm sorry, ladies, but I can't part with them."

"Aww, c'mon, that's not fair!" Scootaloo complained. "How can you keep these amazing costumes locked up?! They're supposed to be worn, aren't they?"

The tall mare huffed while crossing her arms over her bust. "This is my shop, and I'll run it how I want. Now you can continue to look around and find another costume to wear, or I'll happily kick you out! These costumes are not for sale. End of discussion!"

"B-But... Ugh," Apple Bloom groaned before looking to her friends with an equally disappointed expression. Lilium's expression softens as she let out a deep sigh. "You. Apple Bloom, was it? Come with me; I think I know a costume that'll look great on you." The earth mare held her head up before following the slender unicorn away while the rest of the crusaders gazed helplessly at the forbidden outfits.

Back in the main hallway, Lilium directed Apple Bloom to wait outside a curtain before stepping inside. "I know it was in here somewhere... Just give me a second! Agh!" She rose an eyebrow before looking over to a book on her desk. It was too large to be a regular book to read or write check-ins with. Was this part of her decorations? Because upon further inspection, there were many weird diagrams, circles, and words that didn't make sense.

"W-What kinda book is this?" She wondered quietly to herself.

"My, you girls are awfully nosey!" Lilium interrupted, poking her head out from the curtain. "Didn't your family teach you not to stick your nose where it doesn't belong?"

"A-Ahh! O-Oh, Aah'm sorry, ma'am! Aah didn't mean ta peak; it was just... out in da open like this, a-and Aah thought-"

The older mare laughed over Apple Bloom's bashfulness. "No worries, dear. Just try to avoid looking into stuff you know you shouldn't. And that is a prop, by the way. Call it my 'book of shadows'! WoOoOoOoOoo~" This made Apple Bloom ease up a bit, though there was this feeling that kept tugging at her heart. Like something about this place felt wrong.

"So uh, Are ya new ta town? Aah don't think Aah've seen ya or this store be-for-wah," Apple Bloom asked as the witch stepped out with an outfit draped over her arm. Her dark orange eyes were locked with hers, a curious glimmer in them.

"You could say that. This place was up for sale, and I figured folks here would appreciate a new costume store for the season," Lilium explained. "Only temporarily, of course. I have elsewhere to be at the end of the season, so I'm just renting this space. Now, tell me, what do you think of this~?" She pulled the fabric off her before showing off what she had in mind for the young earth pony. It was a witch's costume, not unlike her own, but blue in color and a lot more frilly in places. Once more, Apple Bloom was astonished by the fabric's design and texture, feeling it all over before pressing the dress up to her bust to get a good idea of how it would fit. "Garsh, It's... It's so beautiful!"

"I figured you might be the spiritual type," the elder unicorn grinned knowingly. "I sense a certain charm about you. That you are one for the supernatural and mysterious~."

"W-Well, I dunno about da supernatural. Aah mean Aah worked with Zecora 'bout potions, brews, and spirit talkin'. But that doesn't make me a supernaturalist... Does it?"

Lilium shrugged. "Who knows. I just think that dress will look spectacular on you for your party tomorrow night. If you wear this, I can guarantee your marefriend will adore you even more than she does now~!"

"Y-Ya really think Aah'll... Wait a sec. Aah never said anything 'bout a marefriend. How did ya know abo--"

"Hey, uh, Apple Bloom," Scootaloo's voice interrupted, drawing her attention away from the witch-wearing unicorn. She and Sweetie Belle were by the entrance of the store. "We're gonna be outside. There isn't anything else here that's catching my eye."

"Same here! Uh, Thank you for letting us browse your store, Miss Underwood! Have a good day!" Sweetie called for before both of them left the building. Apple Bloom gave a dishearted sigh. "Ohh, Aah should git goin' too. W-Would it be alright if Aah came back a Lil' earlier tomorrow?" she asked with big eyes as the witch chuckled.

"Of course. This costume will be right here waiting for you~" she winked before pulling out a hanger to drape the witch costume over. Smiling with appreciation, she practically skipped her way out of the store before turning back to wave goodbye to the store owner. Lilium waved back as she placed the hanger on a rack behind her desk. "Yes, I think she'd look just marvelous as a young witch," She commented to herself. Just as the tall unicorn was about to flip her 'OPEN' sign, something caught the corner of her eye. Her brows furrowed as she got a better look over to where the off-limits costumes were hung. And a deep sigh left her voice.

"They could have at least remembered to close the door..."

"H-Hey! Wait up, gals!" Apple Bloom called after, running up behind her friends on the other side of the street. "What's da hurry? We didn't really give Miss Elderwood's place a clean sweep fer costumes."

Both girls looked to one another before back at the flustered earth mare, sly grins spreading their faces. Sweetie Belle took out her purse, unclipping the tiny lock over it as her blue aura shimmered out from the velvet casing. "This comes in handy when I want to make big purchases~" she giggled, reaching inside to pull up the sleeve of that beautifully woven vampire costume. "Or the best Nightmare Night outfits on the market!"

Apple Bloom's eyes went wide with shock. Not over the sight of the alluring costume, but over her friend's action in having said costume. "Ya STOLE them?!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Scootaloo shooshed her. "Keep it down. Don't want anyone listening in on us!"

"Gals, ya can't be takin' stuff that doesn't belong ta ya. Lilium sayd they weren't fer sale. This is wrong!"

"What's 'wrong' is for that stubborn ol' broad keeping these rich fabrics for herself. C'mon, Apple Bloom. If you had a way to make a million bits, would you not sell that like Manehatten corndogs?"

"A-Aah'm sure she had her reason," Apple Bloom tried to protest yet couldn't help agreeing that it was strange the store owner refused to offer them. "E-Even if she did offer them, they weren't gonna be cheap! Were you still plannin' on stealin' them even then?"

"Girl, relax," Sweetie Belle insisted, putting her purse away. "We're not stealing them. We're just going to 'borrow' these outfits for the party tomorrow. We'll put them back where they were after we're done with them."

"Ya really think Lilium will allow us back after ya 'borrowed' her work?"

"Ugh, Apple Bloom! Quit worrying over the consequences!" Scootaloo complained, playfully latching her arm around her friend's shoulder. "You used to encourage this kind of behavior if it meant getting our cutie marks."

"T-That's different," the apple mare argued. "We were tryin' ta find our life's purpose. This is just to show off at a party!"

"Exactly! Just for the party. It's not like we have a lot of time left to figure something out. Don't you want to impress Diamond Tiara and her parents with how incredible you'll look?"

"W-Well, yeah, it'd be nice. But--"

"The only but I wanna hear is how good your butt fits in that dress!" The orange pegasus encouraged, giving the earth mare's rump a hefty smack, making her yelp.

Apple Bloom looked between the encouraging faces of her fellow crusaders in dismay. She knew this was an awful idea and that they needed to return the stolen costumes, but by now, the witch would have figured out what happened and would most likely ban them from entering her store. So staring at Sweetie's purse that held that ravishing red and black dress, and the temptation of showing off to Diamond and her family still present, she didn't have much choice. With a weary sigh, she nodded her head.

"A-Alright. Aah might as well wear it since it's in our possession now. But just for tomorrow night, right?"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle squeed excitedly before scooping Apple Bloom into a big hug. The middle mare let her lips form a smile as they ventured off home. But while her friends clamored on about what amazing fun awaited them, she couldn't shake off the growing guilt in the pit of her stomach. The earth mare looked back to the store, faintly seeing Lilium's figure in the window. And if she squinted her eyes enough, Apple Bloom could make out the seething glare on the storekeeper's face.

Author's Note

𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕚𝕟; 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕤𝕥𝕦𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕠𝕦𝕥. 𝕎𝕒𝕤 𝕚𝕥 𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕠𝕣 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕚𝕥 𝕨𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕘? 𝕀𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕕𝕠𝕦𝕓𝕥?

See you in an hour~