It was half an hour from midnight. Most houses had turned off the lights and put away all the lit jack-o-lanterns. Many fillies and foals had already wrapped up their trick or treating. The entire block of Ponyville was quiet, with only the wind rustling by.

Perhaps it was better no one else was out tonight, as the ravenous hunger between the Cutie Mark Crusaders grew more unbearable by the minute. Apple Bloom held up Sweetie by her arms while Scootaloo was carrying her long, wet tail over her shoulder, struggling to move quickly.

"Hungh! Holy shit, Sweetie! When's the last time you laid off the cake," the she-wolf commented with shallow breath.

"Don't be making fun of my weight," Sweetie scoffed, panting equally as hard while fidgeting about. "You try resisting sugary sweets when going on a non-fat diet!"

"I'm just saying! Your tail alone feels like it weighs a ton!"

"Gals, c'mon," Apple Bloom pleaded. "This is not the time! We have to find that storekeeper! S-Sweetie, ya gotta stop squirmin' so much. Aah can barely keep a tight grip!"

"I can't help it! It's so hard t-to breath," She coughed, each inhale of cold air piercing at her lungs. The slits across her neck kept expanding and closing, acting like gills. The effect wasn't lost as Scootaloo was struggling to keep it together. Her mind grew overwhelmed with all the scents and sounds assaulting her in every direction, constantly snarling. Apple Bloom wasn't fair either, the rhythmic beats of her friend's heart making her salivate. She caught herself licking over her fangs, trying to shake off the intense emotion before looking over to the right, gasping out in relief.

"L-Look! There it is!"

After what felt like hours, the Cutie Mark Crusaders made it back to the ominous-looking costume store. The windows shined with decorative lights, and the disturbing jack-o-lanterns held candles inside to light up their disfigured expressions. The sign held up in the door window read 'CLOSED,' but that didn't stop the earth mare from banging her fist against the wooden frame.

"Miss Elderwood!" She called for, struggling to keep a good grip over Sweetie as she wriggled about. "Miss Underwood, I know your in there!"

Only a moment after did the sound of stomping meet the continuous knocking as the storekeeper flung the door open, a wary look on her face. "Ugh! Who is even up this hour!? Can't you folks read!!? The sign clearly states--" But the unicorn cuts her words short upon realizing who her visitors were, and fury gave way through her tired expression. "Oh. It's you!"

"Look, Miss Elderwood. A-Aah know this is bad, and we're the last ponies you wanna speak with, bu--"

"You lot have some nerve showing your faces back here. Haven't you taken enough from me?" Lilium rudely interrupts. "It's bad enough I allowed three terrible fillies to steal my outfits right under my nose. Now you think you can crawl right back the moment things go wrong for you? When I'm trying to nap!? Go to hell!"

"N-No wait! Please!!" Apple Bloom begged, shoving her foot into the door before Lilium could shut it, barging right through to drop with writhing mermare onto the floor. Scootaloo fell after, snarling loudly while clawing at the floorboards.

"J-Just what do you think I am, a charity case?! How dare you barge into my store! GET OUT! NOW!!"

"NO!" Apple Bloom snapped back, clutching at the pain pulsing through her chest. "Not until ya tell us what's da deal with these here costumes! Aah've spent da whole day feelin' guilty over this thievery. Aah should have stopped them, returned these back. But Aah got caught up in the emotions and impressin' my marefriend a-and now.. now Aah'm just starving! Aah can barely think without wanting da taste of blood pourin' down my throat!" Her face stared hard at the storekeeper, her bright red eyes puffy and wet from shedding so many tears. "Aah'm beggin' yah, Miss Elderwood. Tell us what's goin' on!"

The tall, dark mare stood silent, glaring down at the three monsters, fighting their bodies over control of their unyielding appetite. A low sigh left her lips as she responded, "I pity you, Apple Bloom. Had you not gone along with your friend's foolish demands, I would have given you a dress to impress the mare of your heart," Lilium pointed to the blue witch's gown she showed her yesterday. "And while it's good that you see the error of your ways, it does not justify how filthy the deed you and your friends have committed. I should leave you like this, a fitting punishment for your monstrous behavior."

"Raagh! For fuck sakes!!" Scootaloo roared, standing on her bent legs while hot saliva spat from her mouth. "What more do we have to do to apologize?! You already cursed us to act like monsters, isn't that fucking enough!?"

"Ha! The only curse upon you is the one you placed on yourself. I only sewed the materials together."

"Then why," Sweetie Belle wheezed, coughing harshly. "Why did we turn into monsters!?"

"Because those 'costumes' were made from monsters!"

The storekeeper's declaration caused the whole room to freeze. Each one of the crusaders stared with astonished looks on their horrible faces. After the statement settled in, Apple Bloom spoke, "W-What!?"

"There was a reason I had those locked up, you idiots. They're not costumes, but remnants of the creature they originate from," Lilium explained, walking over to the casings the costumes once belonged to. The mannequins stripped bare. "The material I used came from some of the most legendary monsters in history. That scaly skirt and bra for the mermare outfit? Straight off the tail of Lorelei, known for drowning many boats and sailors with her enthralling voice and beauty."

Sweetie quivered, remember the sensation of seducing Button Mash to a watery grave in the pool.

"The werewolf hairs to make the wig and fur? Actual fur from Leto, one of the first ponies to be cursed with lycanthropy, who went on a rampage and slaughtered thousands out of spite."

Scootaloo seethed, recalling the horrid looks she got from Rumble as she tore into him.

"And this beautiful red ballroom dress? Right off the corpse of Countess Carmilla, the first known female vampire. Legend said she turned to vampirism in an attempt to court her lover at the time, but the mare rejected her out of fear for what she became."

Apple Bloom held her throat, trying to swallow down the pain she felt when Diamond stared at her in fear, the blood oozing from the bite mark on her neck. "B-But what for? Why would ya make outfits from monster hinds?!"

A small smile spread the black mare's muzzle as she loomed over the three mares. "Just like you lot, I love Nightmare Night. It is my favorite time in Autumn. And every year, I try to outdo myself with how spooky I can get. And what better way than to revive classic monsters from beyond the veil? Unfortunately, their souls remained tethered to the fabrics I weaved. And all who wore them became influenced to act out their endless thirst for life. That's why I had them locked away."

"How could you do such a thing?" Scootaloo interrupted. "W-What even are you?!"

"Just an old soul passing by," she confessed, tracing her hands along the many costumes sting hanging among the shelves and racks. "Every three months, when the summer ends, I come to bring the harvest to the land. To collect the spent energy from the trees and earth before the coming of winter. And to give the mortals festive costumes to celebrate the glory of fall."

"Ya mean to tell me your the essence of Autumn itself?"

Only a nod was her answer. And given their current predicament, it wasn't too hard not to believe her. "I spent so much thought and dedication into these outfits, I couldn't just destroy them," she continued, eyeing the crusaders with a heated glare. "So I thought it would be safe by keeping them sealed away, where no one could try them on again... But then you three came and stole the fabrics for yourself. And now, their life essence runs through your very soul, tethered until the bond is permanent."

"P-PERMANENT!?"

"You mean we'll be stuck like this forever?!"

"Oh, you won't be stuck. Eventually, your conscience will fade away as the monstrous side fully consumes your identity. When that clock strikes midnight, there won't be anything of you left."

"NOOO!" Sweetie Belle cried her scaly body twitching and thrashing about in desperation. "NOOOOOOHOHOHOOOH!!"

"This can't be happening! This isn't real! This can't be reeeaaAAAAAAOOOOOOOOO~!!" Scootaloo shouted, dropping to all fours and slamming her fists into the body. Both mares fought desperately to stop their fates, but the monstrous urge to harm and cause havoc grew stronger with each passing second. Apple Bloom watched helplessly as her friends writhed in unrelenting agony, backing up into the storekeeper whole placed her hands over the earth mare's shoulders.

"Sorry, dear, but that's karma for you," Lilium said dryly.

"N-No! No, please!" Apple Bloom cried out, turning around to reach up for the tall mare while hunger pains rushed through her cold body. Lilium's warmth and steady heartbeat were too much, the thirst for blood overtaking Apple Bloom's mind. "There has to be some other way! A-Aah'll do anything to make up! Aah'm sorry! Please, Aah don't wanna be a bloodsucker! A-Aah uuughh! Aah must.. have blood!!" The yellow mare's eyes went wide like saucers, pupils fiery red and mouth stretching unnaturally wide to show off her rows of jagged teeth and fangs. Just as she was lunging for her throat, Lilium's eyes glowed a bright white. The vampiress was immobilized, struggling to break free from the magical grip. Apple Bloom hissed and screamed as the magic started tugging at her collar, the red jewel fixated around it before it was ripped cleanly off. The monster stared in horror as Lilium lit up her palm with baleful fire incinerated the ruby crystal.

Harrowing screams and wails echoed out of the store as the costume itself lit up in flames, the dark fabric and tight cloth reduced to ash, much its originator did long ago. Apple Bloom's body dropped down unscathed, panting hysterically while wildly looking over her surroundings. Lilium leaned down to firmly shake the frightened mare.

"Easy, easy! It's okay, you're okay now," the elder mare comforts tenderly. "No more monsters."

"A-Aah'm... Aah'm alright," Apple Bloom repeated, her body relaxing into the storekeeper's grip. "B-But Aah thought--! Aah thought we were bein' punished."

"You appear to me more as a victim of circumstance," Lilium explained with a smile. "It would be unjust for someone with a big heart to suffer a cruel ending. Luckily, the only remnants of Carmilla were the ashes over her ruby pendant. A lot of time was lost in retrieving that beautiful dress, but... Perhaps it's time I put an end to this madness. So no one else gets hurt."

"T-Thank ya so much!" Apple Bloom sniffled, burying her head into Lilium's chest as the two embraced tightly. "T-Those dat mean yer gonna help Sweetie Belle and Scootalo?" Lilium frowned, leering at the writhing werewolf and mermare.

"It won't be easy," the storekeeper replied. "My magic could only free you because I genuinely wanted your safety. I'm still livid with your friends, and I don't feel like they deserve to be saved from their fates. But you do! And with enough magical presence, perhaps you can free them from the curse."

"Magical presence? Me? A-Aah'm just a simple earth mare," she stammered. "There ain't nothin' magical 'bout me. How could I even perform a spell?!"

Lilium pointed back to the chair, holding the blue outfit meant for Apple Bloom. "There's a similar enchantment I placed on that costume. Don't worry; it didn't belong to anyone before its creation. So you'll be in full control. But you must hurry! There are only fifteen minutes before the curse is complete."

Apple Bloom gazed between the witch's gown to her fellow crusaders, eyes glowing ominously and mouths gaping open with drool dripping down their lips. With little time to think or rationalize, the earth mare quickly rose to hold the sapphire fabrics up onto her bare chest. She turned to the storekeeper and nodded before lifting the skirt over her and tugging the dress over her body.

"Good. Now follow me."

Apple Bloom was unaware there was a backyard to the store. In all her times crossing that side of the path, she never found a small yard over the fences. But there before was a small garden, soil dark and mushy to step upon. Each row had a pumpkin growing in the patch while fallen littered the place. And at the very end was a scarecrow; sack, cloth, and sticks standing ominously over the garden. The pumpkin acting as its face was menacing-looking compared to the woeful expression the other jack-o-lanterns were carved with.

Lilium levitated the two snarling monsters with her magic and laid them below where the scarecrow stood. And outside of the whimpering and mewling, all was deathly silent. No living soul was up at this hour, outside of the crickets and birds, occasionally adding their voices to the ambiance.

"Here," Lilium instructed, placing a pair of scissors into the earth pony's hands. "Cut off a bit of hair from their manes. We'll need a physical piece of their souls for this to work."

Wasting no time to worry, Apple Bloom firmly held Scootaloo still to remove a good portion of mane from her head. The purple hair that still belonged to her. Whispering for her to hang on, she reached over to Sweetie for a piece of her mane. Lilium summoned a bowl, dark and rusted with age, to place a few ingredients of her own. First, she sprinkled dirt into the bowl before placing two seeds on top. Another layer of dirt was added to bury the seeds.

"Now place the hairs into the bowl. Then sprinkle the outer edges with salt. You must be the one to do it as they are your friends."

"Right," Apple Bloom followed along, gently dropping the mix colored mane hairs in the center before pouring the salt all around.

"Good. Now read the incantation. Read over and over while pouring your will and belief into each word. Only then will the magic activate," Lilium explained before handing her Book of Shadows to the apple mare. The very same book she had at her reception desk. Apple Bloom looked over the words and diagrams, tension rising as she tried to make sense. Time was ticking.

"A-And this ritual will recuse mah friends from becomin' one with da costumes?" she asked, uncertainly in her eyes.

"If done properly, the ritual should expel the curse from their spirits," the storekeeper confirmed, her eyes gesturing towards the moon nearly above their heads. This was her only chance to save her fellow crusaders. So clearing her throat, she began to sound out the passage slowly,

"Aelp ym reah to strips eht nopu llac I
Em to gnilaeh fo srewop eht nopu wotseb
thgir ecno saw tahw nruter, sluos eseht erotser
thgin eht to ti nruter, ssenkrad eht morf meht eerf!"

The autumn wind began to stir around them, blowing through the mare's flowing dresses. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo howled up to the moon, an eerie green aura glowing around them.

"Don't stop, Apple Bloom!" Lilium urged. "There's no more time! You must keep going, or your friends are lost!"

Desperation and fear rose within the earth mare, watching her friends slowly lose the curse of their monstrous costumes. Taking a deep breath, she cried out the night sky, pouring everything she had into the encantation,

"𝔸𝕖𝕝𝕡 𝕪𝕞 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕙 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕡𝕤 𝕖𝕙𝕥 𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕦 𝕝𝕝𝕒𝕔 𝕀
𝔼𝕞 𝕥𝕠 𝕘𝕟𝕚𝕝𝕒𝕖𝕙 𝕗𝕠 𝕤𝕣𝕖𝕨𝕠𝕡 𝕖𝕙𝕥 𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕦 𝕨𝕠𝕥𝕤𝕖𝕓
𝕥𝕙𝕘𝕚𝕣 𝕖𝕔𝕟𝕠 𝕤𝕒𝕨 𝕥𝕒𝕙𝕨 𝕟𝕣𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣, 𝕤𝕝𝕦𝕠𝕤 𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕙𝕥 𝕖𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕤𝕖𝕣
𝕥𝕙𝕘𝕚𝕟 𝕖𝕙𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕚 𝕟𝕣𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕣, 𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕜𝕣𝕒𝕕 𝕖𝕙𝕥 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕗 𝕞𝕖𝕙𝕥 𝕖𝕖𝕣𝕗!"

As she chanted the phrase over and over, her body began to levitate, a luminous white aura swirling out from her body and pupils. Clouds formed over to book out the moon's rays as leaves whirled around her feet. The bowl lit up with a glowing flame before the fire rose. Falling back down, the purifying flame split in two to catch onto Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, both screaming out as their bodies erupted in warmth and light. Lilium kept a hold of her hat while watching the costumes disintegrate from the mare's bodies, the ancient souls of the monsters evaporating into the baleful fire.

All at once, the luminous blaze shimmered down before vanishing off the two crusaders, hazy steam swaying off their bare flesh. Apple Bloom felt the earth again as her magical aura depleted, leaving the yellow pony to nearly collapse to her feet. Dizziness and fatigue weighed over her head as she struggled to stay standing. But upon looking to the ground, relief and hope overcame how exhausted she felt.

"T-The costumes. They're gone!" She exclaimed, tears of joy leaking down her face. "A-Aah managed to pull it off?!"

"Indeed, you did," Lilium congratulated with a smile. "Well done, Apple Bloom! I haven't seen such a dazzling aura in a long time."

"Aah didn't know magic like that could even exist in me."

"Oh, it does, my dear. With enough practice, time, and dedication, you could harness some powerful spells to rival most unicorns~."

The thought didn't stay long as the two mares watched Scootaloo stir up, slowly rising from her hands and knees. Sweetie Belle doon followed.

"Ooouugh, Where... Where am I? Augh, my head hurts," the pegasus groaned before rubbing her arms together over her chest. "F-Fuck, it's freezing out here! What happened to my--"

"SCOOTALOO!" Apple Bloom cried out, almost jumping onto her friend with arms wrapped around her.

"W-Whoa, easy Apple Bloom. It's just me!" She stammered, returning the hug. "What are you wearing?! What happened to the--"

She couldn't get a proper question as she felt her friend openly sob into her shoulder. And looking around from her surroundings, the memories began to crawl back in, her purple eyes widening in shock.

"T-That's right. The costumes were... We were almost... Fuck!!" her voice cracked, tears of her own pouring from her eyes as she held Apple Bloom closer. Another pair of arms wrapped around as Sweetie Belle joined her friends in weeping out in relief.

"I'm so sorry, girls! This is all my fault. If I didn't take those stupid costumes, we wouldn't have--"

"Shhhhh, it's okay, Sweetie. It's over now," reassured Apple Bloom, lifting her head to meet the watery gaze of her fellow crusaders. "We're safe."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders laughed sadly to each other, the stress and hardship getting the better of them before they stood up to face the storekeeper. Lilium lifted the bowl up, all the ingredients for the ritual incinerated with only the dirt remaining. Satisfied, she narrowed her gaze back to the three mares. "You three caused quite the commotion tonight. Consider this a warning, should you let your monsters become a reality."

"Y-Yes, Ma'am," Sweetie Belle nodded with an apologetic tone. "We're sorry about the costumes."

"Won't happen ever again!" Scootaloo insisted. "T-Thank you for helping us out of that."

"Pft," she scoffed with a shake of her head. "Thank Apple Bloom. She's the one who saved you."

Both mares turned to the earth mare, looking away shyly with a slight smile. All three of them rejoiced in another hug while Lilium watched with a slight grin.

"You have a powerful friend there. It would be a shame to lose her~."

"We won't," both crusaders reassured the storekeeper before they all started walking down the patch of pumpkins towards the store. "C'mon, gals. Let's git you some clothes and go home! It's been a long night," Apple Bloom sighed.

"W-Wait, what about the party!" Sweetie exclaimed, realizing the damage they caused during their costumed catastrophe.

"Yeah! Diamond's probably having a panic attack over the bloody mess!"

"Shoot, yer right. Maybe we should drop by, just to explain ourselves."

"You think that--Akuh! anyone is gonna believe we--Kuh!Kuh! were wearing cursed costumes?"

"Diamond will. She knew somethin' was up with me when I tried drinkin' from her neck."

"O-Oh, that's Gaakuh! great! She'll Kuff!Ku-Kuff! vouch for us, hopefully!"

"Y-yea, uh. Are ya okay there, Scootaloo?"

"Yeah, I think something's just caught in my throat. Hold on--KUUGH!" the pegasus wheezed, halting her movement as the coughing grew rougher. Then, something small flew out from her mouth into her cupped hand. The crusaders leaned towards the pegasus to look closely.

"A-Are those... seeds?"

Suddenly, something cracked within Scootaloo's body, making her back arch. "G-Gaaahk! Aaugh kuff!" She coughed, more seeds spitting out of her lips. The pegasus clutched at her chest, gapping and sputtering spit, excruciating pain steaming from inside. And as her hacking grew worse, an orange liquid began to leak out the corner of her lips. "W-W-What's happening!? I-I feel like somethings.. coming out! GUGK! AAAUGH!!!"

"Scootaloo?!" Apple Bloom spoke in alarm, watching the pegasus fall to her knees, grasping her throat as seeds and leaves were vomited out.

A similar choking sound came from beside her as the apple mare turned to see Sweetie Belle struggling to breathe properly. She held her mouth and stomach, trying to keep the orange contents from spilling out before she was forced to open up and spit out more vegetation. "Apple Bl-KAUGH!!!" she cried, her eyes wide with growing dread as her hands started to contort and bend at painful angles. Her flesh was drying up like a raisin, her once pristine white coat slowly turning green and veiny.

The earth mare watched, her body trembling over the sight of her friends once again wriggling on the ground, their faces growing lumpy as brighter in color as growths swelled in their cheeks. A panic shriek came out from her before turning to see Lilium loom over the crusaders, an unsettling calm smile spreading her muzzle.

"You... What did ya do!?" she demanded, shouting fury at the storekeeper. "Ya said that by doin' the ritual, they could be saved!? What have ya done to them!?"

"This isn't my doing," chuckled Lilium. "You were the only one suited for the cleansing ritual. It wasn't your fault your friends were damned from the start."

"What!?"

"Oh, poor Apple Bloom. You asked ancient spirits to restore stained souls, and that simply doesn't work. A cleansing ritual is meant to ward off demonic entities and curses from innocent people. Not people who have committed horrendous crimes, like, oh, say.... Theft? And murder~?"

Apple Bloom didn't want to believe it, but she understood what the witch was saying bitterly. Unlike herself, who resisted with just a bite, her friends had taken the lives of others during their transformations. It only made sense as to why the ritual would fail her friends, but how on earth could she realize that this would be their consequence.

"Besides..." the slender mare continued, leaning closer to the whimpering earth mare with sunken eyes. "Did you really expect me to let them go unpunished?"

"N-No! No, no, no, STAHP!!" She yelled, backing away before tripping over a pumpkin. She scrambled to gain further distance from the tall storekeeper before locking eyes with a petrified face on a pumpkin. That's when she realized that all the pumpkins in this patch had faces. Each different in expressing their horror.

And soon, her fellow crusaders would join them.

"Aaaaaap-pple B-Blooooom..."

Her head snapped behind at the sound of her name from that croaking voice. "AaaaaAAAAAAAUUAH!!" She screamed, the lumbering forms of Sweetie and Scootaloo crawling towards her. Roots, vines, and leaves replaced their stretched out hands and limbs. Only hints of their fur and mane stuck out in places, most notably from the stems growing out from the top of their heads. And their faces only vaguely resembled who they once were with the pumpkin growth fully formed. Dark, misshapen sockets acted as their eyes and maws, orange juices oozing out.

"H-Heeeelp MeeeEeEee!!!" one creature croaked out.

"Saaaav-ve uuuuuuuuuus!" the other screeched.

"Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo!!" the earth mare wept, unable to avert her gaze from the decomposing forms of her friends. She barely recognized Lilium had moved around her to stand behind.

"Do not cry over them, Apple Bloom. Their fates were sealed the moment they stepped into my store. Compared to living in eternal hunger as monsters, this is a merciful end," she gently reassured before brandishing a hatchet from behind her skirt. "And I shall thank them in the great beyond for this bountiful harvest~!"

"NOO! YA CAINT! AAH WON--" But something coiled around her arm and legs to keep her from getting up. Roots had sprouted from the soil, tethering Apple Bloom to the earth as all the pumpkin heads twisted towards her, their anguish appearances lighting up with ghoulish green light. The earth mare futility struggled while the witch pulled on the stem of Sweetie Belle, slowly raising the arm wielding the cutting weapon. The creature screamed, its voice a cacophony of tones and pitches, all screaming for help. The earth mare's eyes shrunk with fear as Lilium leaned to the side of its head, staring back at the helpless mare.

"Hush, little one. This is all just a bad dream," she whispered maliciously before dropping her arm down towards the base of its neck.

**CRUNCH**

"NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

Apple Bloom awoke with horror, panting frantically. Sweating bullets, the mare looked all over herself. Her racing heart slowly settled after looking over her arms and hands. No demonic cloth clinging to her skin. The earth mare released a huge sigh of relief, her body easing back into her bed.

"O-Oh mah gosh, dat felt so real!" she said to herself between parted breaths. "Than--Gugh! Thank goodness it was a dream..." Her hands rubbed at her forehead and eyes to wipe the sleep and dizziness away. The lingering visages she saw at the end. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle crying for help as their bodies contorted into roots and leaves, the grueling wicked smile the witch Lilium Elderwood wore while swinging down the hatchet. The horrible night of wearing that insidious dress, nearly killing Diamond Tiara.

But thankfully, that was behind Apple Bloom now. Turning to her window, the morning sun shined brightly into the room. Nightmare Night was over. The nightmare was over. When she got up from bed, put on her clothes, Apple Bloom was going to meet up with her friends, and tell them all about the wicked dream she had. Everything... was okay.

A buzzing noise caught her attention. Her eyes opened to look at the phone, which vibrated a few times. Reaching for the device, she opened it to find her marefriend calling her. As the earth mare answered, she noticed that she had apparently missed many calls from her.

"Howdy?" she asked with a yawn.

"Oh, thank Celestia, your up! Fuck, Apple Bloom, I was so worried about you! What happened last night?" Diamond's voice demanded, her tone course and full of fear.

"Last night, what are ya talkin' about?" Apple Bloom responded.

"You don't remember?! At the party, we were about to... To--A-And then you bit into my neck like you were a fucking vampire! Then there was screaming downstairs, and you went to find your friends!"

Apple Bloom's eyes slowly went wide like saucers.

"The place was a total massacre! Worse of all, I found dead bodies in the pool and garden."

It wasn't a dream.

"My parents got home and freaked out over the scene. They called the police to go find you."

It was real.

"And they did, in the backyard of some abandoned building."

It all happened.

"They would have arrested you if my dad and I didn't step in."

It wasn't a dream.

"Apple Bloom, you need to tell me what's going on! I know you didn't mean to hurt me, I-I forgive you. But please, tell me what happened!"

And that's when she saw it. Laying there plain as day.

On the chair by the window, a light blue dress was draped over the top. The very dress she wore the night before. And laying over the seat was a piece of paper with words written in it.

"A-Aah gotta go. Aah'll git back to ya later."

"No, Apple Bloom, DON-"

She ended the call before placing her phone back down and getting up from the bed. Apple Bloom ignored the buzzing going off, too entranced with the bright blue dress that laid before her, haunting her. With a shaking hand, she reached down to pick up the letter and read what it said,

𝒜𝓈 𝒶 𝓈𝒾𝑔𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝑔𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓉𝓊𝒹𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓂𝑒 𝓁𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝓃𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉, 𝐼'𝓂 𝑔𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝑒.
𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓌𝑒𝒹 𝒶 𝓁𝑜𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓅𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓈𝑒, 𝒜𝓅𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝐵𝓁𝑜𝑜𝓂.
𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝒸𝒶𝓃'𝓉 𝒷𝑒 𝓈𝒶𝒾𝒹 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹𝓈, 𝒽𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇.
𝐼 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒩𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓂𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒩𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉.
𝐼 𝓁𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝓌𝒶𝓇𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝑒𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝑔𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝓃𝑒𝓍𝓉 𝓎𝑒𝒶𝓇~

𝐿. 𝐸𝓁𝒹𝑒𝓇𝓌𝑜𝑜𝒹

Apple Bloom crumpled the paper before rushing to her wardrobe to throw on some pants and a shirt. She almost didn't hear her sister call her as she ran through the door. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, panting erratically as she ran all the way down the block. Her mind was screaming, repeating over and over, 'It isn't real!'. When she arrived at the store, everything would be as it was.

All feelings of anguish and confusion faded as she finally got to the street. The building stood stand, but it no longer had any decorations adorning it. No costumes or masks peeking out from inside. No 'CLOSED' or 'OPEN' sign. Everything that celebrated Nightmare Night around the store had vanished. The colorful costumes and masks were gone. Yet the visions of that horrid night returned to Apple Bloom, who fell onto shaking knees before the building. Tears streamed down her face, yet not a sound or hint of emotions came out of her. All she could do was stare at the only things placed against the store window.

Two oddly-shaped jack-o-lanterns. Carved with gruesome-looking faces.

𝕿 𝖍 𝖊 𝕰 𝖓 𝖉

Author's Note

ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕖𝕟𝕕. 𝕀𝕗 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪'𝕕 𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕣 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕.

See you next year~