Nightmare Night

Ponyville Mental Health Facility

A lone stallion sat in the corner of his cell, just staring blankly at the wall, seeming to stand completely still, it didn’t even look like he was breathing.

It was a relatively small cell, even by patient rooms standards, it was like a dark, metal box with no windows and no light bulbs, with the only source of light coming from the slot on the door, that almost always remained closed. In the top corner of the wall there was an announcement speaker and a bed on the opposite side of the room, the stallion was facing.

Suddenly the slot on the door opened up, illuminating the room inside. Despite the sudden light the lone stallion didn’t turn his head to look at the door, not even a single flinch at the sudden change in lighting in the room.

From behind the light emitting from the slot, a pair of dark green eyes can be seen peeking through. Eyes then shifted over towards the direction of the lifeless stallion sitting in the corner.

“He just sits there. Not doing anything.” The stallion said, as he closed the slot on the door making it dark again. This earth pony stallion was dark orange with an even darker maroon mane and tail, both of which were messy and unkempt. His eyes a nice dark emerald green and he wore light blue scrubs and had a stethoscope around his neck. His cutie mark could be seen, but it was a roll of gauze being unraveled.

“Stretch, I’ve told you. It’s nothing to worry about.” Replied an old, unicorn stallion. This stallion was a dark, cactus green, with gray-ish white hair and bright emerald eyes. His mane was slicked and combed back, he wore a white shirt, black tie, brown vest, dark brown pants, black boots on his hind legs and a tan trench coat. He also had a very monotone look about the situation, a contrast to Nurse Stretch’s worried look.

“How long has he been here again? 20 years?” Nurse Stretch asked.

“14…. 15 at the end of the month.” The old stallion replied.

“That’s right… It’s almost Nightmare Night.” Nurse Stretch explained, looking back towards the cell. “It’s basically just a painful reminder to him of his mistake”

“Mistake nothing…. That stallion is a menace!” The old unicorn explained, pointing towards the closed cell.

“Is he though?” Stretch asked, facing the old unicorn again. “You’ve kept him locked up since he was 6, all because-”

“That’s enough Stretch.” The old stallion explained, before turning and leaving.

“But she didn’t even die!” Stretch shouted back, before running after him.

The lone stallion couldn’t hear their conversation, as his cell was soundproof, but even if he did, he probably wouldn’t even pay attention to it anyway. But Stretch was right though, it was almost Nightmare Night and that was a special day for the lone stallion.

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“Aaaaand…. DONE!” Rarity exclaimed finishing up, on the touches on her latest dress.

It was just two days away from Nightmare Night, and Rarity was very excited for this year. For this year, she and Sweetie Belle were going to Canterlot to show off Rarity’s new line of autumn themed dresses. She had already packed earlier today and was just finishing up the last dress in the line up.

Just then she heard the front door open and shut. “Rarity! I’m home!” shouted Sweetie Belle, as she walked into Carousel Boutique wearing a saddle bag.

“Ah Sweetie.” Rarity exclaimed, facing her sister. “Did you print out the fliers like a asked?”

“Yes I did in fact.” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, as she set her bags on the ground and opened it up to show a huge stack of fliers, advertising Rarity’s new fashion line displaying in Canterlot. “Although I don’t see why I have to go with you?”

“Sweetie I told you, it’s going to be a very large moment in my career and I want you to be there to support me.” Rarity explained, rolling her eyes.

“I know that…. But why do we have to leave now?” Sweetie Belle asked. “This fashion line, isn’t happening until Friday, a whole 5 days after Nightmare Night.”

“Well, cause I want to hang out with my friends from Canterlot.” Rarity explained. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them.”

Sweetie just grumbled under her breath. Rarity took notice of her expression.

“Look Sweetie Belle, I know you’re upset that you have to miss out on the Nightmare Night festival this year. But I’m sure Canterlot will have a TON of Nightmare Night activities.” Rarity explained.

“The only thing that’s happening is that costume party, you and your friends are attending, which I can’t attend, because I’m too young!” Sweetie Belle argued, folding her forehooves.
Despite how upset Sweetie Belle was, Rarity couldn’t help but smile at how cute Sweetie Belle looked, with her fore hooves crossed and grumpy expression. But at the same time, she knew it was unfair depriving Sweetie Belle of Nightmare Night so she had an idea on how to make up for it. Rarity trotted over to Sweetie Belle, peered down at the little unicorn.

“How about this Sweetie, while we’re there in Canterlot. I’ll take you on trip to visit the castle. How does that sound?” Rarity smiling at the little filly.

Sweetie Belle immediately perked up. “Ooh will I get to meet any of the princesses!?”

“Well…. No, Twilight wrote to me that they’re going to be out on a business trip to Saddle Arabia.” Rarity explained, only for Sweetie to sit back down again. “But we might be able to meet other royal ponies. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

Sweetie Belle kept that scowled face, but Rarity could see a slight upward curve on her lip. Rarity then proceed to stick her forehoof in Sweetie’s stomach, causing her to fall over giggling. “Okay… OKAY! I give! I GIVE!” Sweetie Belle shouted as Rarity continued to tickle her.

“There’s that smile!” Rarity said, finally ceding her attack, before getting up and going back over to her dresses to pack them up. “Besides we might meet some familiar faces like Starlight… Or Shining Armor, Twilight’s older brother.”

“Okay…” Sweetie Belle said getting. Sweetie learned she couldn’t complain, it would be nice to visit to Canterlot and see Rarity’s friends. Rarity met them about 5 years ago at a convention, she rarely gets the chance to talk to any of them because of how busy she is, but she’s always kept in touch with them. While thinking about Canterlot, a repeat of what Rarity said crossed Sweetie’s mind. Shining Armor, Twilight’s older brother. Sweetie Belle never told anyone this, but sometimes she wished she had an older brother, like her friend Apple Bloom has. She sometimes thinks what he would be like, would he be all fashion obsessed like Rarity or would he be more like herself, someone who loves Nightmare Night. Nightmare Night…. Sweetie just remembered something

“But wait!” Sweetie said turning back to Rarity. “What about my costume what am I gonna be, this year?”

“Oh… Well about that…” Rarity said, smiling. “It just so happens that mom has a costume that she’s been holding onto since I was younger.”

“Wait….” Sweetie said, realizing what she was saying. “mom and dad are coming!?”

“Well of course, I have to invite them to my fashion line, I even got an extra train ticket for them.” Rarity said.
Immediately Sweetie Belle leaped up off the floor, with a huge smile on her face. “Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” Sweetie shouted as she started jumping in circles around the room, before stopping when she realized she was embarrassing herself. She looked over to see her sister with her hoof over her mouth holding back a snicker. Sweetie Belle immediately blushed.

“Sorry…”

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After packing up the dresses and getting the rest of their stuff for the trip packed up as well, The two sisters sent off to The parent’s house.

While Rarity lives in her shop, Sweetie Belle however lives in a two story house, by the Ponyville lake on the edge of Ponyville, with their parents. It was rather quiet even though there were other houses in the same are. While most ponies would rather live in the town square so as to be close to the places they work. Rarity and Sweetie Belle’s parents, Cookie Crumbles and Hondo Flanks, lived this nice location away from the rest of the town. It was kept very nice, despite it not usually being inhabited, due to the two usually going on vacation, while Sweetie Belle is dropped off at Rarity’s place. But this year they both decided to spend Nightmare Night, at home with each other.

The two finally came up to the house, Sweetie Belle dashing forward, as Rarity was walking slowly as she was carrying all their bags on her back, while Sweetie was carrying nothing. As the two walked up to the house, the two sisters were greeted by someone they’ve never met before, or rather someone Rarity never met before.

He was an older, earth pony stallion, who was yellow, with short chartreuse hair and a chartreuse beard. His eyes were of similar shade to his hair, but were much brighter in comparison. His cutie mark was a pair of hedge clippers. The stallion was busy clipping the hedges in the house he lived in, right next door to Sweetie’s house.

“Sweetie? Is that you?” The earth pony stallion said, lifting up his sun hat, despite the fact that it was cloudy today.

“Hey Mr. Cutter” Sweetie Belle said, waving to the stallion, as Rarity walked in from behind carrying their stuff.

“Who’s this?” Rarity asked, finally catching up.

“Oh right you haven’t met yet. Mr. Cutter, this is Rarity, my older sister.” Sweetie then turned to face her sister. “Rarity this is Grass Cutter. He’s our neighbor and he’s really nice and really good at gardening too.”

“He even once tried to teach me how to garden so I could get my cutie mark. Remember that time I mowed your lawn, Mr. Cutter?” Sweetie Belle asked, facing Grass Cutter.

“You ran over my garden gnome, destroying it and the lawnmower.” Grass Cutter explained, still keeping his friendly demeanor and smile.

Rarity soon took notice of the sun hat. “Why are you wearing that hat? It’s fall not summer.”

“Ah.. Sweetie has told me a lot about you.” Cutter said.

“Oh she has, hasn’t she.” Rarity said, standing up straight in a proud motion.

“Yeah, she always told me how fussy and snooty you are about fashion and clothing and what’s ‘in’ these days.” Cutter said, causing Rarity to deflate from her proud motion. “I wear this hat, because I like it, doesn’t matter what season it is.”

“I- uh… I see.” Rarity replied.

After that awkward moment, the two head inside their home. Upon going inside, Rarity was immediately caught in a warm embrace by her mother, who was more than happy to see her youngest daughter.

“Oh Sweetie! I’ve missed you so much!” Cookie Crumbles shouted as she swung her eldest daughter back and forth.

“Th-thanks mother…” Rarity said, trying to break free of her mother’s killer grasp.

“Rarity, I’m so glad you’re here, it’s such an unexpected surprise.” Cookie Crumbles said, turning to face her older daughter. “What brings you two down here?”

Rarity set her bags down on the floor, before speaking. “I’ll explain in a bit. For now though… What’s for lunch?” Rarity asked, looking towards the kitchen.

“Just some pumpkin soup and tea with honey. Is that alright?’ She asked.

Rarity just stood there and smiled.

========================================================================

“....And we were wondering if you could come and see it.” Rarity said, explaining what’s happening in Canterlot, showing her parents one of the fliers for her fashion line.

The whole family was sitting at the table, already finishing lunch, the group decided to just sit there and chat.

“Ooh, that sounds amazing. We’ll have to go down to the train station later and pick up a ticket.” Cookie said, taking the flier in her own blue magical aura and examining it.

“No need, I already got you a ticket.” Rarity said, holding up said ticket and placing it on the table.

“Well then I guess we’ll have to go now. Wouldn’t want the money you spent to go to waste, right hon?” Cookie explained, turning to face her husband, Hondo Flanks.

“Of course, it’s honestly been a while since we’ve visited Canterlot. Hey, do you think we’ll get to meet any of the princesses?” Hondo asked.

Rarity sat staring, before saying. “Well.. No… you see-” Rarity was about to explain why, only for her to feel her a tug on her leg. She looked over to see her little sister trying to get her attention, she was pointing towards the stairs. Rarity remembered something else they were here for.

“Oh mother, I forgot to ask, Sweetie here, still needs a costume. Do you still have that cheerleader costume I wore on Nightmare Night when I was her age?” Rarity asked

“Why yes we do, it’s in the attic, I have it stored in a box with red tape on the sides. It’s important to color code all the things you store, right dear?” Cookie answered, turning to face her husband, both of them sitting across the table from their two daughters.

Sweetie Belle immediately, jumped down from her chair and dashed towards the stairs, tripping almost immediately and falling on her chin with her plot raised in the air, stalling her for only a minute before she got up and ran towards and up the stairs.

Three remaining ponies began to chuckling at the beyond cartoony nature of the young filly.

“She sure is a charming little fellow, ain’t she.” Hondo said, facing his wife and daughter.

“Although she can also be quite the trouble maker.” Rarity explained. “She was a little bummed out about missing Nightmare Night with her friends this year, but I’m hoping to make it up to her. I just wish she could understand why this is important for me.”

“Don’t forget you were like her once too.” Cookie explained.

“Although, I hope she doesn’t grow up to be half as snooty as you.” Hondo joked, as all three of them laughed.

“Anyway, I’m really glad you two decided to stay here today. You know it’s kinda funny.” Rarity said.

“What’s funny?” Hondo asked.

“You have gone on trips a lot, these past couple years.” Rarity explained. “Always dumping Sweetie with me, but when I was her age, you two never went out… Like at all. Not just on vacations, but even just a night out to have some alone time Whenever you guys went to a new restaurant or a play, you always dragged me along with you, even when it was something more adult like and fancy. Like that time, when you took me to see that play about the doctor who developed a second personality from drinking that potion, I hardly understood anything when I saw it as a child.”

“W-well… Uh… You See..” Cookie started, obviously nervous about something. “You didn’t have an older sister to take care of you when we went out.”

“Well…. I guess.” Rarity said, thinking. “But then, why didn’t you just hire a babysitter.”

“Oh babysitters aren’t that great.” Hondo stated. “Letting some stranger look after you kid? Celestia KNOWS where your kid will turn up, being watched by some stranger.”

“My friend Twilight grew up with a babysitter and now she’s her sister-in-law.” Rarity explained. “And besides what could happen to me, that you’re so worried about if I was babysitted?’

Cookie Crumbles suddenly, put her forehooves on the table to lean over close to her daughter to talk. “W-we just don’t want you to end up like… Uh….”

“Like Grass Cutter! Our neighbor!” Hondo said, also leaning in to get closer to his daughter. “Real groucher that old geezer is.”

“He seemed fine to me, even Sweetie Belle herself, said he was really nice.” Rarity explained.

“Oh it’s just a facade, when he’s not around fillies and colts, he spends most of his days at the bar get drunk off his ass and spitting on about how much he hates us.” Hondo explained.”He’s probably still angry about Sweetie breaking his stuff.”

Rarity just stood there staring at her parents, they both seemed like what they said wasn’t true, and they were hiding something, something they didn’t want her or Sweetie to know about. But for the time Rarity decided to just roll along with it. “Okay… If you say so.” Rarity replied.

“Soooo….” Cookie started. “How’s business been going?”

========================================================================

Sweetie looked around the attic, carrying a flashlight in her emerald color magic aura. The attic was fairly clean for the most part. There were several boxes and other furniture littered around the room. She even found her old baby carriage, from when she was a little foal.

‘A lot of memories up here.’ Sweetie Belle thought, as she continued searching through the dark attic, illuminated only by two windows, that were so dusty light could hardly shine through them at all.

As she looked around she finally found what she was looking for, a box with a red tape X on each side, stacked on top of another box, Sweetie approached the red tape box and tried to use her magic to levite it off the other box. She of course, failed to do this, as she ended up just pulling it off the top of box causing it and the other box to fall over on top of her.

Sweetie manage to get up and opened up the red tape box to look inside and sure enough inside was a filly sized cheerleader out, complete with pom poms.

As Sweetie Belle was about to leave, she looked back at the other box she knocked over and saw all the contents inside that one had spilled out. Knowing how she always makes messes, Sweetie decided to clean it up. She approached the turned over box and set it back up and opened it up and then shined her flashlight down to see what fell out.

The first thing that caught her attention was a mask. A silicone masked, wrapped up in a plastic bag. Sweetie lifted up the mask to get a good look at it. The mask was kept preserved in a clear, resealable plastic bag, to stop it from aging too quickly, and it appeared to be stuffed with balled up newspaper so it can keep its shape. Sweetie assumed it was part of a Nightmare Night costume, although after looking around and inside the box she didn’t see a body piece or anything else to go with this costume. But even then, she had no idea WHAT would go with this mask, because she had no idea what it was supposed to be.

The mask itself, seemed to just be a mask of a normal stallion pony. It was colored white, with dark brown hair that was combed back, although still messed up, along with large, gaping eye holes. The expression on the mask was just a simple neutral expression, they couldn’t even have the stallion smile or anything? Upon closer inspection, Sweetie noticed a hazardly cut hole on the forehead where a unicorn’s horn would go, probably made with a knife, so a unicorn could wear it. All of Sweetie’s relatives were unicorns so that must mean one of her family members wore this. Maybe her dad, since it was the mask of a stallion.

Upon looking down again incase she missed something, she saw something else that fell out, it was a bunch of photographs. Photographs? Usually those were kept in a scrapbook, not a box you store in the attic. Sweetie levitated one of the photos to her face. In the said photo was her two parents, this must’ve been taken a long time ago as her parents looked almost 20 years younger, however what was also in the photo was a pony Sweetie didn’t recognize. It was a little unicorn colt, with a dark black coat and azure blue eyes that easily matched her older sister. His mane was cut short and was dual colored, a mix of bright red and dark blue. Sweetie Belle had never seen this colt before and her parents certainly never told her about him. Upon looking at the other photos she noticed the same colt was in all of them. The locations in these pictures also through her off, she didn’t recognize any of these locations at all, none of them seemed to be from Ponyville.

Sweetie didn’t know what this was about, but she knew one thing, she had to get to the bottom of it.

=====================================================================

“And he was a real jerk too!” Rarity said, as she told her parents her story of the time she went to the gala.”Nothing like what you would expect from somepony who’s Celestia’s nephew.”

“Kinda sounds like you had too much expectations in that little fantasy of yours” Cookie said. “Personally that’s what your like to me sometimes.” Immediately the two parents started chuckling, much to Rarity’s annoyance.

“Mom… Dad…” Sweetie Belle said, peering her head out from the hallway, the rest of her body concealed from view.

“Hi Sweetie, did you find the costume?” Cookie asked her younger daughter.

“As a matter of fact, I did.” Sweetie said, showing them the box. “But I also found this.” Sweetie then held up the strange mask still concealed in a plastic bag in plain sight of her parents and sister.

Almost immediately the two parents’ smiles dropped, eyes widened at the sight of something neither would see again, or rather only one thought so.

“W-where did you get that mask.” Hondo asked, as Sweetie Belle returned to her seat next to Rarity and across from her parents, setting the mask on the table.

“I found it in a box that was right under the one that had my costume in it.” Sweetie Belle explained.

“You… You did?” Hondo asked, confused.

“I also found all these.” Sweetie said, she pulled out a bunch of the photographs from upstairs and threw them onto the table, spread out so everyone could see them. This was apparently even more shocking for Cookie and Hondo to see, even causing Hondo to drop his mug onto the floor shattering it to bits. “All these photos contain pictures of some colt I’ve never seen before. I don’t even recognize any of these locations in any of the photos.”

“I do, in this picture their at the Cloud Stadium watching a Wonderbolts show.” Rarity said, as she examined some of the photos. “And here it shows the three at the Sculpture Garden and Hedge Maze, you can even see Discord still as a statue, before you and your friends woke her up on the school trip.”

After double checking the photos again, Sweetie realized Rarity was right. “Your right!” Sweetie Belle said, amazed. “Cloud Stadium… Sculpture Garden… Those are all locations in Canterlot.” Sweetie then turned to face her parents. “Mom I thought you said you and Hondo lived in Ponyville both your lives. Why is there a bunch of photos of you living in Canterlot.”

“And who’s this little unicorn colt?’ Rarity added, facing her parents as well.

“Rarity dear, take Sweetie up to her room.” Cookie said.

“But mom-” Rarity only to be interrupted.

“NOW!!” Cookie shouted, startling her to pick up Sweetie Belle in her magic and run upstairs.

=====================================================================

Two sisters sat in Sweetie Belle’s room. Sweetie’s room was normal for little fillies. There was bed with table next to it, that housed a lamp, there was also a desk on the opposite side of the room, and a window that faced the door on the opposite side. There was also a closet next to the desk, with a mirror on the front of the door. There was no wallpaper, just wood line the walls, that could only be made better with a few drawings that Sweetie hanged up.

Rarity sat on Sweetie’s bed facing the closed door, with Sweetie Belle on her lap. They both could hear their parents arguing downstairs. While they couldn’t hear exactly what they were arguing about, it must’ve been pretty nasty, considering towards the end they could hear crying.

“What do you do think they’re arguing about?” Sweetie Belle asked, who was now beginning to regret showing them what she found.

“I don’t know but it can’t be good.” Rarity said, not bothering to look down at her sister, her eyes dared not to part with the door.

Soon enough the arguing stopped and they two sisters could hear hooves clopping up the stairs. The door opened and in walked was their two parents, Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles, the latter having dried tear streaks on her face. Hondo was the first to speak.

“Listen, we have decided to tell you the truth about something we both kept from you two.” Hondo explained, turning towards his wife. “Cookie tell them yourself, after all you wanted to remember him so badly.”

Cookie sniffled a bit, before turning to face her two daughters.

“Sweetie… Rarity… You have… *sniff* You two have an older brother.”