"Sounds like a lot of excitement is happening below," Diamond noted, swinging the door open to her bedroom. Apple Bloom nodded, hearing a harrowing scream from earlier and then a grueling howl. The later sound filled the earth pony with worry, remembering what creature Scoolatoo was dress as this year.

Like her fellow crusaders, she too wanted the night to go as planned. Yet she couldn't stop worrying over whether the costume they stole were somehow cursed by the witch who ran the shop or if it was just the racking guilt. And that vicious glare she gave to her when they left...

"So, are you gonna tell me what's wrong?" her marefriend's concerns spoke through the apple mare's troubling thoughts. Shaking it off, she looked back into the loving blue eyes of Diamond Tiara. "You've been acting weird since coming here."

"A-Aah'm fine, I swear," She reassured with a slight smile, but it wasn't enough to fool the heiress.

"You know you can tell me anything. And I know that look. That's the look you get when there's something naggin' at you in the back of your mind. Don't be stubborn, Apple Bloom. Spill it."

That made her frown reappear as a heavy sigh lifted from her chest and out her lips. Apple Bloom took a seat on the cloud-like comforters draped over Diamond's bed while the pharaoh dressed earth mare sat close to her, resting a hand over hers.

"... Remember when ya asked me where Aah got da dress?"

"Yeah, you said you got it from this spooky new store down the lane," Diamond confirmed.

"Well, ya see... We didn't exactly pay fer them."

"What do you mean?"

Apple Bloom would relay to her lover about the creepy store they found by the block about the mysterious shopkeeper who forbade anyone from using the costumes they each wore. And how they stole it with the hopes of returning them after the party. The pink mare's expression deepened with worry as she listened intently to the apple mare's confession.

"A-And now Aah feel like we're cursed or somethin'," Apple Bloom finished, sniffingly. "Aah didn't want to be a thief! Aah was beggin' them to give them back. But Aah... Aah also wanted to impress you and yer Ma and Pa! I-If Aah could come to an event fancy lookin', then maybe..."

"Oh, Apple Bloom..." Diamond Tiara sighed, pulling her friend into her arms to hug her head into her chest. "You didn't need to do that. I would have loved whatever costume you chose to wore."

"But what about yer-"

"My mom's a hard ass with everything. There's really no way to please her, and honestly, you shouldn't. I don't want you to try and impress my parents. I just want you!"

"F-Fuck, Diamond. Don't be sayin' stuff like that," She sadly laughed, her cheek resting into Diamond's warm hands as she whipped away each tear. "It makes me feel more ridiculous!"

"Mmm, you're right! How about I make you feel better~?" she offered, keeping their faces close before leaning in to place a gentle kiss onto the apple mare's lips. Heatedly, she returned a kiss of her own before what little space between them was gone. Apple Bloom laid down while cupping the pink mare to keep their mouths together. She couldn't get enough of this mare's love and support. To think that the earth mare once saw her as an opportunistic bully when they were younger. And now here she was, clad in vampiric clothes while this beautiful empress kissed and caressed her.

A low whimper came from Apple Bloom as those plump lips left hers to explore her jawline. She could feel Diamond's bust squish up into her own, her tender hands trailing her side to feel up her perky mounds. Pleasant gasps were rewarded for her efforts in sucking on her neck, imitating her costume's nature. "A-Ahh! Ohh, Diamond! A-Aaah~!"

The pharaoh snickered against her fur, her face lowering further down the valley of her breasts, placing longing kisses against her soft mounds while squeezing them. Diamond's hands slid behind to try and untie the back of Apple Bloom's costume, though it proved difficult. "Mnnng! How tightly did you do these knots? I can't get at them," the pink earth mare grumbled, unaware of the faint red glow in her marefriend's eyes before she was roughly pushed back.

"H-Hey!" Diamond gasped, staring bewilderedly at the stronger earth mare, heavily panting while gazing hypnotically at her. "T-Take it easy, babe. No need to rush!"

"Yeah... Y-Yer right," Apple Bloom groaned, unable to keep her eyes off that pretty neck. "A-Aah just want mah turn ta pleasure you~" Before the heiress could protest, the vampiric earth pony was placing sweet, wet kisses all over her cheeks and jawline. Her body quivered as she felt those sharp nails drag lazily along her smooth stomach before tugging the fabric apart to expose her perky tits. With her hard nipples exposed, Apple Bloom latched her mouth onto one while her hand dragged back down Diamond's body to sneak under her dress skirt. There, she would find her marefriend's moist marehood to rub and twitch her finger against, much to the pharaoh's delight. "W-Whooa, fuck! A-Ahhh, mmm~! Babe, keep going!" she encouraged, squeaking out moans as Apple Bloom tugged on her left breast, releasing her boob back in place with a wet 'pop.'

She could hear the loud pounding of Diamond's heartbeat with her head up against her chest. The sound was enticing, inviting. The vampiress resumed to kiss and suck on her collarbone, smacking her way back up to her throat. By now, her fingers were drenched in Diamond's fem juices while touching and stroking her insides. The rich heiress couldn't keep her hands off the earth mare, panting and crying out for more; head resting on her shoulder to whisper how much she needed her.

That's when she noticed it.

Diamond's eyes, cloudy from the euphoria Apple Bloom supplied, focused on the mirror on her desk. And upon looking closely, lust soon became dread as breathless gasps escaped. She could clearly see herself under the pale moonlight, clutching onto the red dress over the top.

She couldn't see Apple Bloom. There wasn't anyone wearing the dress in her reflection.

"H-Hey, babe?"

Apple Bloom wasn't listening. Lost in the warmth and feeling of her lover's flesh being so close. The rhythmic beating of her pulse quickening. Her scent was enticing.

"Babe, wait! Stop!"

A sudden chill ran up Diamond's spine upon feeling the earth mare's lips part, pressing her teeth against her jugular.

"BABE!!"

The pain was next to follow as she felt Apple Bloom sink her sharp fangs into her neck. She shouted loudly, pain coursing through her veins while gripping her shoulder's tightly to try and shove her off.

"N-NAAAUGH! A-Apple Bloom!? Get! Off!!"

Diamond smacked her across the head, forcing the vampiress to detach from her lover's throat and jumping back in alarm. Instinctively, Diamond Tiara cupped her hand over the bite mark, hissing hotly as blood dripped down her shoulder. She glared back at Apple Bloom, her eyes glowing brightly while she bared her bloodied teeth.

"My lover, why!?" The earth mark spoke, her southern accent replaced with an unfamiliar one. "You would deny me the joys and pleasure of your flesh? Is this not what you've wanted?!"

"T-The mirror, Apple Bloom!" Diamond demanded, quickly grabbing a box of tissues to try and stop the bleeding. But her finger pointed to her dresser. "L-Look in the mirror!!"

Hesitantly, the apple pony cast a glance towards the object before gasping in dismay. She couldn't see herself. Nothing in her reflection showed the mare with pricing red eyes or blood dribbling down her chin—only the red dress depicting her actions.

"N-No... No, it can't be true! I'm not... A-Aah didn't meant ta... Hoh no!!" Apple Bloom panicked, whipping Diamond's blood from her lip before trying to pull at her choker. But tug and try as she might, she only succeeded in making it cling tighter around her throat, making her gag with sharp breaths.

"I-It won't come off!!" She stammered, frantically pulling at her dress. Yet in only harmed Apple Bloom, squeezing down on her limbs and body with each tug. "D-Diamond HELP! AAH CAN'T GIT IT OFF!!"

"H-Hold on, Babe! J-Just try to calm down," Diamond Tiara insisted, getting up weakly to assist in untying those dastardly knots from behind. Though she couldn't do much with one hand covering up her wound.

"DIAMOND, GIT THIS THANG OFF OF ME!!"

"Gaugh! I'm trying! It won't come apart!"

"AAH WANT IT OFF! AAH WANT IT OFF!! AAAURGH!!"

Anguish surged through Apple Bloom's body, lunging forward, knocking Diamond Tiara away. The pharaoh lost her headdress upon landing against the wall with a thud. All the pink earth pony could do was stare helplessly as her lover wriggled unnaturally in an attempt to be free from the costume. Tears streamed down Apple Bloom's face as she stared back, eyes dilated and dark veins pulsating from her cheeks.

"D-Diamond... A-Aah can see yer heart beatin'," She sobbed, hands clutching over her head, shaking like a leaf. "It's beatin' so loudly. It's overwhelming! I-It hurts!"

"Apple Bloom," Diamond cried weakly, scrambling to get back to her feet as her lover walked closer to her.

"It hurts so much. This sensation in mah chest! Aah feel.. so hungry! So thirsty! B-Blood.. I need blood!!"

"Babe, don't! This isn't you! You're not a vampire! C'mon, Fight it!"

"Aah'm tryiiiiiiin'-Gaaaagh!" She hissed, slamming her body into the wall, whimpering in writhing agony. Her eyes locked with the fearful expression on her marefriend's face before a new sound came from below,

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUHH!"

The music came to a complete sound as more screaming was followed. Panic and dread filled the party downstairs before growling and howls erupted.

"APPLE BLOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!"

"Scootaloo!? Oh no, the others!!" Apple Bloom gasped, realization returning to clear her head from her thirst for blood. "Babe, s-stay here! Try ta patch yerself up, okay?"

"W-What?! No, wait, where are you--"

"Look what Aah nearly did to you! This is mah fault. This needs ah fixin'," The apple mare promised, kissing the scared pink mare one more time before rushing off. "Go patch yerself up. I love you!"

"Apple Bloom, WAIT!!" Diamond called after, sliding her form off the wall. But the apple mare had already left for downstairs, leaving her to fend for herself and pray that she would come back alright. Hissing, she carried her battered body towards the bathroom to clean herself up.

"I'm so fucking dead when Mom and Dad get home..."

The moment Apple Bloom got to the bottom of the stairs, disaster was there to greet her. Everypony and party-goer had scattered in a frenzy, shoving, and pushing each other to leave. And on top of the living room table was Scootaloo, hunch over while snarling and making swipes at escaping ponies. Blood dripped off her fur and muzzle, it's foul odor hanging in the air.

Apple Bloom covered her mouth in shock, the urge to vomit rising up her throat as she warily approached her friend. "S-Scootaloo, It's me!" She called forth, catching the she-wolf's attention. That vicious snarl softened at the sight of her fellow crusader, her heavy panting slowly before looking down to her hands and body. She looked back, the realization of what she did clear on her face.

"Apple Bloom, there's... blood on my... Oh Celestia, what have I DONE?!" She yelled, smashing her fists into the desk and throwing torn pillows at the window.

"Scootaloo, staph!" Apple Bloom demanded, rushing to grab ahold of her limbs and wrestle the furious wolf mare from causing any more damage. "Git a hold of yerself!"

"I CAN'T!!" She sobbed. "MY LIFE'S A MESS! I... I haven't been in control of myself for weeks! After months of feeling dead inside, I thought I could finally feel alive again, partying with you... Now, look at me! I'm a monster, Apple Bloom. I have someone's blood on my hands. I.. I killed someone! I ate them. It felt... so good!" She winced with disgust, the look on Rumble's face as she consumed him bit by bit. The fear and torment in his eyes burning into her soul. She clutched into her friend's hug, bawling loudly into her chest. Apple Bloom had to take deep breaths, needing to be strong despite the enthralling smell of blood off her.

"Aah know, Scoots. Aah lost control too," she whispered, mustering as much comfort she could without breaking into tears again. "A-Aah nearly bit off Diamond Tiara's neck. All this bloodshed is drivin' meh into a frenzy!"

"It's the costumes, isn't it," Scootaloo sniffled, lifting her head up to her friend. "You were right; we shouldn't have taken them."

"Now's not da time fer 'I told ya so.' Look, where is--?"

Both mares detected a sulking sound echoing from across the room. Slowly, the rose and followed it to the backyard, where Sweetie Belle remained curled up on the edge of the pool. Both either of them could form a word; they stopped upon spotting the wet corpse right next to her. Pale eyes stared off different directions, mouth gaped open. Apple Bloom hesitantly approached the hunched mermare before shaking her attention with a hand to her shoulder, shivering at how cold and clammy she felt. Sweetie paused to look up to her fellow crusaders before bellowing forth more sorrow.

"I... I feel so horrible. All the time, I wanted attention," Sweetie Belle explained with a hoarse voice. "All this makeup, dressing up like a slut... Starting my modeling career. I just wanted to stand up to my sister for always controlling me. And he," She snorted, rubbing snot off her nose. "He gave me everything. All the love and affection I wanted. And this is how I reward him!? By drowning him!!?"

"Sweetie, that wasn't you. The costume made ya-"

"YES, IT WAS!" She barked back. "I was the one who took the costumes! I stole them, pressured you to wear them. And when you tried to warn me, I bitched at you. All I've ever done this entire time was bitch. Bitch like the Lil' bitch that I fuckin' bitched a bihehitched, eheh.." her words dribbled off into constantly babbling as she pulled Apple Bloom to a tight hug. Scootaloo draped her arms over as the Cutie Mark Crusaders embraced each other's pain and misery.

The earth mare pulled away, looking between her two friends, a grim expression. "We have a lot to answer for this mess. But right now, we gotta find that store and git these costumes off!"

"I don't think we can call them costumes anymore, Apple Bloom," Sweetie lamented, lifting her lower body to show her scaly fishtail. "There's no slit to the skirt anymore; I-I don't have any legs!"

"They won't come off," Scootalo grown, clawing at her fur with painful yowls. "I-It's like it's all attached to my skin!"

"A-Aah know! Aah can't get outta mah git-up either," Apple Bloom nodded, tugging at the painfully tight choking around her neck. "But unless we go back to confront Miss Elderwood, we might be stuck like this!"

"But how are we suppose to get to the store like this?! I can't walk!"

Both mares turned to each other before looking back at the struggling mermare.

"We'll have ta carry ya."

Author's Note

𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕞𝕖, 𝕨𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕘 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕚𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖?

See you in the final hour~