Author's Note

It is finally here!

Sorry for the wait, but I really had a huge writers block on this one. Thankfully, I found a way to make it work, and hopefully you will enjoy it!

I should say I know there isn't a costume link for Twilight, but that is because I couldn't find a picture I liked. I also put the links there because I suck at describing clothes, so just as a warning. ;)

I hope you guys will enjoy this long awaited chapter!

Chapter 17: A Happy Halloween

It's early morning.

My body feels heavy, but I know the reason for that is the girl lying right next to me. While not fully awake yet, I smile and gently give her a loving squeeze. She responds in kind, and follows it up by nuzzling closer to me. She's naked, her skin is soft and smooth. While my eyes are closed, I can picture her perfectly in my mind.

Both of us enjoy the warmth of my bed, none of us are willing to get out yet. It is one of those moments when you're slowly starting to wake up. You're becoming more aware of everything, and yet you are so comfortable that you do not dare to move, risking ruining the moment.

Of course there are ways to ease into reality, although sadly, I know if anyone has to do it this time around, it has to be me. The reason for that is simple, the girl I'm in bed with is the worst morning person ever.

At this point I can practically hear the gears in my alarm clock turning. I know it will only be a matter of time before it rings, and if I don't want it to be sent into orbit, I need to find a gentle way to wake her up. Slowly I open my eyes, I squint a little so as not to blind myself with the sudden light of the morning sun coming in through the window.

Soon enough the room becomes clear, and I get a chance to take a look at my captor. Right on my chest, I see a rainbow haired head sleeping soundly, her arms wrapped around my torso, and beneath the blanket I can feel our legs cross. One wrong move, and I might get a knee to the crotch.

Thinking about the future generations, I decided not to risk waking her up in a rough way. My thumb strokes her shoulder, while I gently lean closer and speak her name. "Dash, Rainbow Dash, come on. Time to get up and greet the day."

"Mmmm, nooo..." She said sleepily, likely not aware what time it was.

It was amazing how the most energetic girl, after Pinkie Pie of course, could be so lazy at the same time. Then again maybe it made perfect sense, after all, when Rainbow was fully awake, she could work as hard as Applejack. Though despite her eternal goal of becoming the best at everything she put her mind to, she was pretty much impossible to get out of bed.

Nevertheless, it was her idea to work out in the morning, a tradition we had kept up since the first weeks they started to live here. We didn't date back then, and neither did we share a bed as we do now on occasion.

The whole herd thing is getting easier and less awkward, and the girls don't seem to mind at all taking turns sleeping in the same bed as me. To them it is completely normal. I guess I've become used to it by now, although at times I still get flustered, and think about how I of all people in the world got so lucky.

Of course being in a herd does have its problems. Nothing horrible that ruins the magic of love, but stuff like this where my crotch is in danger!

Daringly, I venture to take another attempt to wake up my partner. Gently I stroke her arm, while my voice rises just a tiny bit. "Dashie, come on, it's time to get up." Again she groans, snuggles into me, and mumbles small protests. "Dashie," I will try again. "Working out in the morning was your idea.. You really want to give that up..?"

"Mmm.. Maybe.. It's warm and cozy here..."

I couldn't argue with that. Still we needed to get up, or we risk not only the wrath of my alarm clock, but the happy and ecstatic morning greeting from Pinkie Pie herself. With that in mind, I shook Rainbow Dash a little more, reminding her of just that. "If we don't get up soon, Pinkie Pie will jump into our bed."

That made Rainbow open her eyes, not fast, but fast enough that I could see she didn't like that anymore than I did. It wasn't that Pinkie was not allowed into bed, but more when you are not a morning person, or pony, then getting someone in your face that is as energetic as Pinkie can be pure hell.

As much as Rainbow Dash was a lazy morning mare, she thankfully decided the warm bed was not worth a morning attack from Pinkie Pie. She let out a groan, stretching under the warm covers before she forced herself to sit up. Her hair was a mess, her eyes only half open as she let out a big yawn.

"Fine... I'm awake," said Rainbow, almost in a mumble.

"My crotch thanks you."

"What?"

"Nothing, let's get ready for our morning run."

Giving me a confused look, Rainbow rolled her eyes and got out of bed. It was getting cold outside, and sadly, I have a habit of keeping my window open during the day so my room can be ice cold when I get into bed, so Rainbow shook as she left the comfort of the bed.

"Erghg! Can't you turn on the heat for once?" She asked, looking over her shoulder at me as she stretched yet again.

I smiled as I looked at her, admiring her athletic form. "Sorry, my room, my rules."

"You suck." Dash replied while putting her arms above her head and doing one last stretch. She was wearing a cyan colored tank top, and a matching pair of workout shorts. While Rarity had insisted on making her some real and, as she put it, more attractive undergarments, Rainbow was still being Rainbow, tomboy to the core.

Despite this, the outfit stuck to her body very well, and left little to the imagination. The shorts were also short enough that I could see half of her cutie marks on each side of her. That was another interesting thing. While they looked like humans, they still had the cutie marks, they were located almost right beneath their hips.

"Stop being a stupid pervert." Rainbow grumbled, then turned around to face me.

I shrugged, sending her a small smirk. "Hey, don't blame me. You're the one teasing me with that cute butt."

She blushed, and suddenly her cyan colored wings appeared, shooting out to each side. Now she looked even more embarrassed. "See what you did, you.. You dork!"

Even though she was a Pegasus, she kinda looked like a cute angel. I let out a small laugh. "It's not my fault you got a wing boner!"

She looked like she was about to jump me, but she held herself back. Instead she stuck out her tongue, turned around and stormed out. I chuckled a little. I knew she wasn't angry with me, or really annoyed. She was simply embarrassed in a way she didn't like to admit made her all giddy and happy.

Rainbow would get her revenge soon enough when we went outside, and she would be in a better mood once she had flown a bit. Although, as I looked out the window, I could tell it was going to be a grey and wet morning, not the best weather to fly in. I would of course be running, risking slipping in the mud on the dirt roads. Even so, it just meant that the hot shower afterwards would be all the more satisfying.

Getting out of bed, I made my way to the closet, and started to take out some workout clothes. I didn't bother brushing my teeth yet, might as well save that for when I come home and shower. As I was getting dressed, I heard the door open, and a voice soon followed.

"Morning, sugarcube."

Smirking, I turned around and saw Applejack leaning the doorway, her arms crossed beneath her chest. "Morning, Applejack. Did you sleep well?"

Applejack shrugged. "Well enough if a certain someone had been there to keep me warm."

Now it was my turn to blush. Applejack was downright charming southern belle when she wanted to be, and that accent just added that extra bit of charm that would have any stallion spellbound. "There is only so much of me to go around." I joked, then turned back to finish dressing. "You're up earlier than usual," I noted. Usually I was the first one up. Then Pinkie Pie, who enjoyed cooking breakfast for us all. Then Applejack, Fluttershy, Twilight and lastly, Rarity.

She shrugged, then yawned. "Twilight kept waking me up. I swear, that girl study's harder than I buck apple trees."

I frowned at this, turning to look at her. "Twilight was up all night again?"

"No, I managed to get her into her bed in time." Applejack responded, then let out a yawn. "Might need to take a nap later to catch up, but more importantly, we need to have a talk with Twilight."

"No kidding," I nodded, letting out a small sigh. Twilight had of course done this before, and we had talked about it. Twilight however was, well, Twilight. Some things you just could not change. "Might need to put a padlock on the study."

Applejack let out a laugh. "Good luck keeping Twilight from reading anything!"

I joined in on the laugh as I tied my running shoes, then made my way to the door. "We'll figure it out. Now I got to go and workout with Dashie. See you at breakfast." Our lips met in a quick yet loving kiss.

"Have fun, and watch out for the cold!"

"I will!" I called back.

And with that, I went out to join Rainbow.

As I expected, it was a cold, grey, and rainy morning. While it didn't rain hard, you could still feel it in the air, like mist, or a spray. It meant Rainbow and I got pretty wet before we had even run down to the small river by the woods.

Rainbow didn't complain, she was just happy to spread her wings and fly. It was quite an amazing sight to see her wings grow, letting her take off into the sky. She really did look like an angel, and despite having to get used to a whole new body, she navigated the air with ease. Maybe it was instinctual? Likely it was, but I also imagine Rainbow would be a natural flyer even if she was born a human.

I wasn't worried she would get spotted, especially not this early in the morning. Nobody lived out here, other than me of course. Besides, Rainbow could spot humans before they even had a chance to get a glimpse of her. Again, maybe that was instinctual?

Whatever the case, we had a good morning run, and made our way back to the farm an hour later.

As we entered the house, we were met with the delicious smell of pancakes and freshly baked bread. Pinkie was at it again, preparing for breakfast the day before so we could have freshly made breakfast pretty much each morning. It was a good thing I worked out with Rainbow, and worked with Applejack, if not, I was pretty sure I would have gained a few pounds by now.

We all shared a good morning, Pinkie placing a kiss on my cheek, and Rarity smiling from the couch. Normally she would watch the news with a cup of coffee and a blanket, and I had to admit, it looked pretty cozy. Fluttershy was likely outside feeding the rabbits, and Applejack you could never be sure where on the farm she was working this time. As for Twilight, well, if what Applejack said was true, she was likely still in bed.

Normally I would be the one to shower first, being I spend less time there than Rainbow. However in this case, I looked over at her and told her to go first. She sent me a puzzled look, but after hinting about the whole Twilight situation, she didn't protest.

Making my way upstairs, I went down the hall and over to the study that acted as a sort of library. Grandpa always loved to read up on all sorts of subjects, so it was basically a place made for Twilight. I think my grandpa would have liked Twilight, the two would definitely have a lot to talk about. Rainbow might be another matter, not that he would dislike her, but he would be more stern with her than any of the other girls.

When I reached the door to the study, I gently pushed it open to take a quick peek inside. Twilight didn't sleep in here, although I doubt she would mind it, but I wanted to take a look at the state of things. Well, if you have ever seen an episode with Twilight being manic, then that described this room pretty well.

It was chaotic, and yet so orderly. Notes and books were scattered all over the place, but were still placed with care so they did not get damaged. I looked over the notes, even those who had been curled into balls and thrown aside. I understood little however, but from what I could gather, she was mostly trying to figure out what went wrong. My guess was if she understood what she did wrong, then maybe she could reverse it and send them back home.

I felt bad for Twilight, as I could practically feel the guilt she felt hanging in this room. It was like a thick air, a tension that would not go away. Although I doubted it helped, I decided to open a window and let the fresh and cold air in. It helped, but only a little.

After making a mental note to close the window at some point, I walked out, and made my way to Twilight's room. I knew she was asleep, if she was awake she would not have spent her time in bed. If she was exhausted I didn't want to risk waking her when she clearly needed rest, so for now I decided just to check in on her.

Slowly and carefully I opened the door, being careful not to make a sound. The room was small, and when Twilight got it, there was only a bed. Now it was like a second study for her, although being much more clean and orderly. Of course she had books in here, but fewer that you might imagine.

I noticed she had all the Harry Potter books, since I read the first one to her, she was instantly hooked. I couldn't help but smile a little, but soon enough returned to the matter at hand. Looking over at the bed, I could see her form beneath her covers. I tried to listen for her breathing, but I could not hear her.

Either she was holding her breath, or I simply could not hear her. If she was sleeping, then I did not want to disturb her. So I decided to wait, and moved to close the door when suddenly she called.

"Daniel..?"

I stopped, looking back at the bed. Twilight had turned a little, and I could see her cute face looking right at me. Even from this distance, I could tell she needed a lot of rest. Hopefully I could get her to sleep a little. "Yes, it's me. I just came to see how you were doing. Didn't mean to wake you up." I whispered, trying not to wake her up more.

"You didn't," she assured me. "I was already awake."

"Well, you should try and get some sleep. Applejack told me you have been at it again." I smiled, trying to reassure I was not angry with her, just worried. "Do I need to ground you again?"

Twilight giggled. A light, sweet giggle that eased my worries a little. Last time we had this conversation, she had tried to rationalize it, as if trying to defend herself. Well, there was no need for defense, just her taking care of herself. Twilight seemed to have understood that this time around.

"No, I think an alarm clock will do."

I chuckled at that. "Well, we'll see what we can do about that. You should try and get some rest."

Again, I was about to close the door, but once more she stopped me. "Can you stay a while?" That took me by surprise, but I wasn't about to say no to her. Although my surprise must have shown on my face, because she explained herself before I had closed the door. "I work a lot, so we don't often get to hang out."

That was true, and in all honesty, I felt a little guilty about that. Although, I don't think either of us did it intentionally. Still I said, "I'm sorry.."

Hastily she shook her head. "No, don't be. We're both busy."

"Shouldn't keep us from trying."

"Do you think we are not trying?"

I chuckled, finding a chair and sat down next to her bed. She seemed confused by this at first, but when she saw how I was dressed, and the state I was in, she understood.

"You sound like Celestia."

Twilight smiled. "You think so? I could really use her help right about now."

"I'm sure she knows you're doing everything you can. I'm equally sure she is doing everything she can to get you guys home." She didn't look at me, but seemed to be thinking about it.

"I miss my family, Spike, Ponyville, Equestria.." She said, "I don't feel like I'm in control."

"Life tends to be like that." I replied, knowing full well that when it came to magic, I had no clue how to help her. The only thing I could do was to support her to the best of my ability. "I'm sure you didn't feel in control when Nightmare Moon appeared."

Twilight shook her head a little. "But that was still in a world I understood."

I understood what she meant, but It still didn't change the fact that she beat the odds. "Twilight, what happened, whether you're doing it or not, it was a freak accident. You six arrived here, it has changed my life." Maybe even saved it, I nearly said, but didn't. "I love you girls, and I'm so glad I got the chance to meet you. If this meeting is your fault, then I'm grateful to you."

"And," Twilight hesitated for a moment. "And what if we have to return home? What then?"

A question I had asked myself multiple times, but now was not the time to discuss it. "We can talk about that later. I don't think it will help you relax."

"But."

"Shhh.." I whispered, putting a finger to her lips. "Twilight, right now, at this very moment, we are all together and happy. That is enough for us. Whatever awaits us in the future, we will face it together. Now, rest."

Clearly she wanted to continue, but she seemed to relax a bit, and gave a small nod. "Okay.."

Didn't take long after she closed her eyes that she fell into a deep slumber again. Poor Twilight, she must have been fighting to keep herself awake through the whole conversation. I made my way to the door, and for a third time tried to close it. This time I succeeded without anyone trying to stop me.

Standing outside Twilight's room, I allowed myself to let out a deep sigh. I have had this conversation at least a dozen times now, but I was scared for what the future may hold. I didn't want Twilight to know, she had a lot to deal with on her own, and I didn't want to add on her already heavy guilt.

At any rate, I couldn't stand around here and be all sad. I had a whole day ahead of me, so after checking my watch, I decided to get a shower and join the others for breakfast.

As usual Pinkie didn't pull any punches when it came to our breakfast. Thinking back to my time before the girls came into my life, this was certainly more enjoyable than eating alone. It was nice having people, or in this case, ponies, around me again.

For a few moments, I just watched them, listened to what they had planned for the day. It really was like having a family again. The moment ended when suddenly Rarity spoke directly to me, catching me off guard. "Darling, are you quite alright?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, sorry. I guess I was deep in thought." I chuckled. "Sorry, did you say anything?"

Rarity and the others shared smiles and light giggles. "I asked you, if you know anything about this Halloween theme the magazines are advertising lately."

The question was a little surprising, but in hindsight maybe it shouldn't have been as each holiday was new to them. "Uhm, yes. It's something we do every October. We decorate our homes to be spooky, then we go out and trick and treat with our kids. We dress up in costumes, some dress up as scary things from stories or folklore, but really anything goes."

"Oh, so it is like Nightmare Night?" Asked Pinkie Pie.

I nodded. "Yes, though our reasons and history behind the holiday is different, it is almost exactly like it." I explained some of the things I knew, but that wasn't much. I knew of the parties, trick and treating, and other traditions like pumpkin carving, but I actually didn't know anything about the history behind the holiday, not that it ruined it for the others.

"Normally I'll go to a Halloween party my friend throws every year, but he is out of town to visit family, so this year I'll spend it here at home with you guys."

Pinkie Pie was at this point beaming with anticipation, probably thinking about holding a big party. There was a short moment when I considered holding one myself, a good way for the girls to interact with other people. I quickly shot the idea down, it was simply too risky. Their safety was the most important thing, and one slip up could lead to unwanted attention.

"Are we going to celebrate Halloween, Danny?"

"Uhm, well," I began, but Rarity cut me off.

"That sounds like a good idea, Pinkie. I could make us all costumes."

Pinkie eagerly nodded. "And I can make us all sorts of snacks!"

At this point the excitement was spreading. "Applejack and I can decorate the house!" Said Rainbow with a big grin. No doubt up to mischief. Applejack just shook her head with a small smile, seeming to have come to the same conclusion as me.

As for Fluttershy, while not looking opposed to the idea, she was definitely a bit more timid about it. Ardently we all had the same thought, because Applejack was assuring her soon enough. "Don't worry yourself, Fluttershy. It will just be us, and we'll make sure we all have a good time."

Fluttershy didn't want to be a bother, so I could tell she was a little unsure about how to respond. "Oh, well, I don't want to be a bother."

"Flutters, you are never a bother. We are all just gonna have a good time, play some games, dress up, just have fun." I assured her, and she seemed to calm down a little. Although, I think we all knew Halloween meant horror movies, I could not deny them that, even if I hated them as much as Fluttershy. Still, my reassurance seemed to have calmed her, and she sent me a small smile, which always made my heart jump a bit.

"So," Rarity continued after the moment had passed. "We are all in agreement then?"

"Well, except for Twilight," Rainbow stated. "Where is she anyway? It's not like her to be late for breakfast."

Applejack sighed, almost with a motherly disappointment. "Twilight stayed up late again."

I nodded. "I let her sleep, she must be exhausted." I took the moment to talk to the others about the problem. "Look, we all care for Twilight, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who knows how much she blames herself for you being stuck here." The others nodded, confirming what I knew without interrupting. "So I think we all need to be more aware, and help make sure she does not go around and punish herself. Let's make sure she does not spend too much time there, and let's help her relax more, okay?"

Of course the girls needed no convincing, they were all as worried for Twilight as I was. So we agreed to keep an extra eye on her, and make sure she didn't overdo it as she tended to do.

The rest of the day went by as normal, when Twilight woke up, we told her about our plans for Halloween, which was only a few weeks away. That meant Rarity was all ecstatic, and busy with getting our costumes ready. She told us all to think about what we wanted to be dressed in, and to help them I gave them a website for them to check out. It was a costume/merchandise/comic book store in the big city I used to love, and maybe they would find some inspiration there.

I didn't mind dressing up, but it was only going to be us seven, so I didn't really think there was any reason for Rarity to bother. Then again it was her passion, and I was certainly not going to stand in the way.

A few days later, Rarity came to me and asked if we could go shopping for materials. "I need a few things to make the costumes. You don't mind, do you, darling?"

"Of course not, but has everybody settled on their costumes already?"

Rarity giggled. "Twilight was the first one to decide, the rest of the girls needed some inspiration and suggestions."

"What about me? I still haven't decided."

Now Rarity smirked. "Oh, we have already decided what you should dress up as?"

I raised my eyebrow. "We?"

Rarity winked at me. "Don't you worry about it, I know you're going to love it." I was about to ask what they had planned, but she just held a finger to my lips. "Just trust me, darling. I would not do this if I knew you would be displeased, or if you would look ridiculous."

When all was said and done, Rarity did know what she was doing, much more than I ever would. So was there really any other option than to trust her? No, there really wasn't. So I smiled, and gave her a nod. "Alright, Rarity. I trust you make me look stunning."

"And handsome." She giggled. "But we are losing daylight, or what little we have during these winter months. No time to waste!"

And then, I took Rarity to town to shop for fabrics. Of course there was only one shop for us to go to, unless we wanted to go to the city. Although I kinda felt I owed Marie some business. Hopefully it would not attract too much attention, as people had already seen me with Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. I was pretty sure the rumor mill was already starting up, and sadly Marie was one of the biggest gossipers.

Even so, I felt like I owed it to her. Besides, Rarity had really wanted to go to her shop ever since I mentioned it in passing. So we got into my truck, and drove the 6 kilometers to town. Rarity had put on a dress, and a fancy hat, which made me feel like we were back in the 20ths when you could not go out shopping without dressing like we were going to church.

"Do you know what you are going to get?" I asked as I drove away from the farm.

She sent me a playful smile my way. "Of course I do, darling. Do you want to know the details of my shopping list?"

I chuckled. "I'm afraid I would not understand it, I know absolutely nothing about fabrics."

"You could learn." She giggled, but didn't press the point. "I hope they have everything I need."

"I'm sure she does, otherwise we can drive to the city and get it." This time Rarity didn't respond, which I found strange. After about 10 seconds I looked her way, and found looking at me with a smile, and an almost smug expression. I gave a small unsure smile. "What?"

Rarity shook her head, letting out a small chuckle. "You really are amazing, you know that?"

I felt my cheeks warm a bit. "What?"

"Well, you have been so kind to us. I'm sure the others have told you that too." She replied, and my cheeks warmed a little more. "Daniel, how many do you think would have opened their homes to us like you have?"

"Well.." I shrugged. "That's a hard question, but I think quite a few."

"But how many would take care of us the way you have? You have let us into your life in ways I imagine few would have." Rarity looked forward again, letting out a sigh. "You have looked after us, protected us, given us as normal a life as you can offer. You care about us like we were family."

Somehow getting praised like this made me feel embarrassed, and even slightly uncomfortable. "Well, I'm dating four of you, and courting you and Twilight."

Rarity giggled. "Don't be so shameless about it," she teased. "But even if that's the case, you took care of us even before we started our herd. You've cared for us as if we were family from the very beginning. That speaks volumes to the character you are."

At that point I fell silent. I wasn't sure how to respond, and this was hardly the place and time to talk about stuff like this. Rarity did make a good point however, and even I knew it. I had been really open from the very beginning, and that made me wonder. Why had I been so open so quickly?

One might think that would be a hard question to answer, but I didn't need very long before I figured it out. "Well the truth is, Rarity. Before you and the girls showed up, I pretty much lived in isolation."

Rarity frowned. "You did?"

"Yeah.." I let out a long sigh. "You know I lost my family some time ago?" She didn't answer, but I could see she nodded, almost afraid of interrupting. "Well, it hit me pretty hard." At this point we were entering town, and I was once again reminded of the fact this was not the place to discuss this.

"I guess I was just convincing myself it was better, and I just grew accustomed to it. The truth is, I missed having people around me, having a family." We drove into a small parking lot, and I stopped the car. "At any rate, that changed when you girls crashed into my life." I sent her a smile. "Anyway, let's get you some fabrics."

I turned off the car and was about to get out when Rarity's hand gently stopped me. I halted, and turned my head to look at her. I had barely done so, before I felt her soft lips touch mine. The kiss was tender, and short, but very sweet. Once our lips parted, she placed her hand on my cheek.

"Thank you for sharing that, darling. And thank you for taking so good care of us." Her azure colored eyes looked into mine, and I could practically feel the bond between us strengthen. We both knew this conversation was not over, but Rarity had enough insight to not push it for now.

I smiled, feeling slightly better. "Thank you."

The two of us exited the truck, and went right across the street to Marie's textile store. We had barely entered before an older voice called out to me in surprise and joy. "Daniel!" It was Marie, who was already making her way from the backroom and over to me.

"Good afternoon, Marie." I smiled politely, but soon enough found myself pulled into a bone crushing hug.

"It has been too long! Oh, looks like you are finally eating right, you got some meat on your bones again." She chuckled, then suddenly noticed the elegant figure behind me. "And who is this young lady?"

I chuckled, stepped aside to allow Rarity to enter. "This is Roxanne, a friend of mine." Obviously I went with her cover name. "Roxanne, this is Marie, she owns the place, and is probably the most stubborn merchant you find for miles."

Marie chuckled. "Oh, hush you." The older woman beamed, and reached out with her hands and took a gentle hold of Rarity's. "It is so good to meet you, Roxanne."

Rarity smiled back. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, dear. Daniel has told me a lot about you."

"Has he now?" Marie smirked, then suddenly gasped with joy. "Oh, you must be the one he has been buying fabric for these past months?" When Rarity nodded, Marie let out a hearty laugh. "I knew it! I knew something was up when he started to buy fabric and sewing equipment from my store."

"Oh yes. Daniel was so kind to bring me some materials to work with."

"Do you sew frequently?"

Rarity giggled. "Oh yes, quite a lot." She gestured to her outfit. "As an example."

Marie almost squealed like an excited teenager, and by that point I knew we would not be leaving for a long time. Marie took Rarity and showed her everything there was, giving her personal recommendation for fabric and whatever else she could think of. I had pretty much been forgotten in all of this, but I didn't mind. Marie was happy to have someone to discuss the craft with, and I could see Rarity enjoyed herself very much.

I have no clue how much time passed, as I was basically not even there as the two women talked about whatever. I might not have been paying attention, as I almost fell asleep. Don't judge me, I was sitting on a small bench for god knows how long. In any case, when I became relevant in the conversation, it was only to pay for the materials, and to carry the many bags back to my truck.

The way back, Rarity talked excitedly about Marie and her shop. I could hardly fault her for that, and I had the feeling it would not be the last time Rarity would visit Marie's shop.

We returned home shortly after, Rarity dashing to her room to prepare for the work she had ahead of her. I of course was left to carry the bags. Take a note guys, this is your duty as men, might as well get used to it.

The following days were spent like normal, each of us following our normal routines. Twilight was still working hard, but all of us worked together to make sure she took time off for herself. One time I took her to the public library, and introduced her to some new book series. As a Joke, I introduced her to the book series, Twilight.

I'll just make a dramatic pause here so you can all laugh at my amazingly funny joke.

.......
....
...

Done?

Alright, great!

Twilight thought it was interesting at first, and to my delight, she just found the whole book absurd and didn't see a need to continue reading it. Thank Celestia for that. She was already a Harry Potter fan, which I could understand. Thankfully she wasn't into the Twilight books, that would have been the death of me.

Other than that, I helped the girls around the farm, even though there was not much left to do. Applejack had pretty much fixed everything that was in dire need of fixing, but amazingly the girl could still find jobs for us. Not that it bothered me, but I had to tend to my real job too, which was creating music.

From watching the show, I knew the girls had lovely singing voices, so I might as well take advantage of that fact and earn some side money. I talked about it with them, and they seemed pretty interested. After all, MLP Fandom is still well and alive, and making some fan content could be pretty fun to release. Maybe an audio drama, or fan song, then release it to YouTube or something.

More days passed, and Rarity was hard at work on our costumes. So much so she didn't join the girls and I for shopping for decorations, an event I had thought she would love to be a part of. Then again, when it came to spooky things, Dash was more of an expert. Thankfully Applejack was there too, to make sure Rainbow stayed within budget. I mean, a two meter tall robot zombie with motion detection and speakers is cool and all, but it will only be the seven of us. No one comes trick and treating around my house, it's simply too far away.

So that meant we were only shopping for our own enjoyment. Dash was acting like a kid, getting excited about everything that had to do with Halloween. Fluttershy was more timid about it, and stayed close to me the entire time. She had a strong hold of my arm as we passed through the many scary decorations, her chest pressing into my side.

So all in all, it was a good day.

Rarity in the meantime was being VERY secretive when it came to the costumes, forbidding the girls to reveal to each other what they were going to dress up as. I was the only one who didn't know what my costume was going to be, but it added some mystery and excitement, so I was fine with it.

All in all, the whole house was brimming with excitement. It was a little strange, I almost felt like a kid again, even if we didn't celebrate Halloween when I was a kid, it was a relatively new holiday import from America. So maybe I felt more like a teenager? Having all these lovely girls around me, thinking about what kind of outfits they were going to wear.

Whew...

At any rate, on the 30th of October we all helped decorate the house, making it into a spooky manor. We all had our fun, and even Fluttershy got into it. Pinkie had fun preparing the menu, which was nothing special for dinner, but the cakes! Ooooh, spooky themed. I think you can imagine them quite clearly. Everything from Jack o lantern cookies, to haunted house cupcakes, and everything candy related in between.

The whole house looked, and smelled awesome!

On the 31th, everyone was all giddy, even I could not help but feel excited. I had expected Rainbow to try and scare us all during the cause of the day, but amazingly she restrained herself. In fact, other than Pinkie making the last snacks for tonight, the day largely carried on as normal

We all agreed that after dinner, we would put on our costumes, and get the party started. I had chosen some horror movies I thought would be enjoyable, but not too hardcore. I'm not a big horror fan myself, so I tried to mix between fun, and horror, hoping we all got what we were looking for.

"Dinner is ready!!" Pinkie Pie called from the decorated dining room.

The girls and I made our way to the room and took our usual seats. Pinkie had really slaved over the food, as the table almost looked like a medieval feast. There wasn't much in terms of meat, but there was a little here and there, mainly for me, but the girls had opened themselves up to the idea a little.

We all seated ourselves, and looked around at the delicious food. Pinkie looked very proud, and was pretty much bouncing in her seat. "Well? Don't just sit there, food is eating silly heads!" She giggled.

I certainly needed no encouragement, as I took some mashed potatoes. The girls followed soon after, grabbing what was closest to them before passing the dishes around to each other. Other than the decorations scattered around the table, the food was not themed, although Pinkie had been so kind as to put name tags near some of the food.

Like, 'spooky blood gazpacho of spookiness.' Or, 'spooky ghost potatoes that are spooky.' You can say a lot about Pinkie, but spooky is not one of them. Even so, dinner was amazing, and Pinkie was really improving on making human food. Not that it was that different from Equestrian food.

"So," I suddenly said, getting everybody's attention. "Are you girls excited for a horror movie night?"

"Yeah!" Rainbow, and Pinkie cheered.

Fluttershy and Twilight seemed to draw into themselves a little, not scared, just nervous. Rarity and Applejack however, looked more neutral, but still excited about having a movie night. Seeing Fluttershy being the most nervous of them all, I sent her a supportive smile.

"Don't worry, this will be your girl's first experience with horror movies. I figured we would start small, like revisiting some old classics, and some less serious ones."

Rainbow looked like she was about to argue, likely wanting to see the worst humanity had to offer in terms of horror. Though looking over at Fluttershy, she kept whatever protests she had to herself, and settled for the enjoyment of the group, instead of herself. Frankly I didn't have the stomach for hardcore horror anyway. not that I'm afraid, I just never feel so good when I see gore and stuff.

"Anyway," Twilight suddenly said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "It's really amazing humans and ponies share such a similar holiday. I wonder how it is possible."

For a moment I thought that it was because Nightmare Night was inspired by Halloween, but that would imply their life was just a simple show. Twilight and I had already gone over a few episodes, and while the episodes represented their world really well, there were some details the show did not get right. That fact had calmed the girls a lot, knowing that their lives were not dictated by a cartoon show, but instead their own choices.

"Just wait until Christmas," I chuckled.

They all looked at me, but it was Applejack who put their shared thoughts into words. "Chriss-what?"

"Christmas, it's like Hearth's Warming Eve, only we celebrate for different reasons, but our traditions are very alike." There was likely more to it, but that was the only thing I could think of at the top of my head.

"Ooooh, so does that mean we will get each other presents?!" Pinkie asked with an excited cheer.

Rarity's eyes pretty much sparkled at this point. "And decorate the house?"

"And having fun in the snow?!" Rainbow added.

"Be with family and friends.."

The table became quiet, and everybody's attention turned to Applejack. She didn't look back, just kept her eyes at her food. I wanted to sigh, not out of annoyance, but out of understanding. She did have a point, and I knew all too well to be without family when the holidays rolled around.

"I haven't celebrated Christmas since my parents died.." I said, gaining their attention again. "It is just not the same without them, and I miss them." I looked up at Applejack first, then moved my gaze to face all of them. "So trust me, I know what you are feeling." They didn't say anything, they just looked at me.

I smiled. "I was very lonely before you girls showed up. I know it is not the same, but you can take comfort in knowing your family is waiting for you, and Twilight is doing everything she can to get you home. Until then, let's be there for each other." I took my glass, and raised it. "To my family."

The girls smiled back at me, even Applejack. They raised their glasses, and said, "to family."

The mood improved rapidly soon enough, and before we knew it, we were all laughing and telling stories. We also compared Equestrian holidays to humans, and how our worlds were similar, but also so very different. All in all, I would say we had a wonderful dinner.

Soon enough however, we came to the main event. After dinner, we all helped clear the table, and set everything away so we didn't have to deal with it in the morning. We also set up the living room for our movie night, which meant LOTS of pillows and blankets, and of course a LOT of snacks.

When everything was set up and ready, I was told to sit down and wait for them. It was like when the girls started to change, and Rarity had made them undergarments. I hoped I wouldn't get punched out again by Rainbow Dash, although I doubted their costumes would be anything too teasing.

Even though I thought that to myself, my heart was still beating a million miles per hour. The girls took their time, and I could hear them giggle, and whisper. Then suddenly, it began. Rarity spoke, her voice soft as silk as she introduced the first girl.

"All the way from another world, we have Applejack as Power Girl." Rarity said, and on cue, Applejack stepped out into the open. My jaw nearly dropped as Applejack came out, and showed off her costume.

She wore a white long sleeve bodysuit, belt and buckle, knee high boots, a short red cape, and a pair of long women’s gloves. Her curves were shown off very nicely, and with her muscles and ample bosom, she looked just like the super hero. Her hair was a bit longer, but Rarity had done a good job making it look shorter.

Applejack placed her fists on her hips and did a power stand, her face as red as a tomato. I for my part couldn't help grinning, and applauded. It only made her cheeks even more red, but I was thoroughly enjoying myself. "You look stunning, Applejack."

"Shucks, you're making me blush, sugarcube." She said with a playful smile, before stepping to the side to make room for the next girl.

"Next up we have Fluttershy, dressed as a scary vampire."

You could practically hear Rarity giggle, she was having a lot of fun with this. Timidly, Fluttershy made her way out to stand before me. She wore what you might call a strapless/sleeveless black satin bathing suit. It was the kind that you imagine girls dressed like a sexy bunny would wear. It was tight sitting, and followed her body like a paint job. Her legs were covered by a pair of black pantyhose, and her wings had been decorated to look like bat wings. Looking closer I could tell she was wearing red contact lenses, and some fake fangs.

I take it back, Fluttershy was as red as anyone could possibly get. She seemed to be shaking a little, but she didn't look like she didn't want to do this. A hint of a smile graced her lips, showing off her fangs a little. "Wrah..." She growled, though it sounded more like a kitten than a scary vampire.

Even so, I held up my hands and smirked. "I give up, you can suck on me any... You know what, never mind. You look beautiful, Fluttershy."

She smiled, and stepped to the left side, so as not to make a crowd over at Applejack. I could hear a hint of a giggle from Rarity, clearly loving this. "Get ready boys, for now we present your number one entertainer for tonight. Your favorite cabaret girl, Pinkie Pie!"

Unlike Applejack, and Fluttershy, Pinkie revealed herself with a big smile, and a little dance that showed off her legs. I'm sure you can imagine her dress, at least if you have seen MLP, or a meme with Pinkie Pie. A purple front open dress with a single feather in her hair.

She smirked, moving around, energetic as always, but with a focus on her lovely legs. Clearly she was enjoying herself, I know I am. "Breathtaking, Pinkie.."

Pinkie giggled. "I'll be keeping this, Rarity really did good creating a human version of my outfit from episode 21 of season 1!"

Somehow it felt even weirder hearing her break the fourth wall in the real world. Well, I guess it is not the fourth wall in my world, or is it? Ergh, my head is hurting.. Pinkie just giggled again, stepped forward, and placed a single peck on the tip of my nose. Letting out a third giggle, she stepped to the side, joining Applejack on the right.

"And now for those of you who love adventure, let me introduce to-"

"Rarity!"

"What, Rainbow Dash?"

I had to stifle a small laugh as I heard Rainbow and Rarity whisper. It sounded like a small argument, though I could not hear the details of it.

"Ergh.. Fine.. And here is, the coolest, most awesome adventure mare you have ever laid your eyes upon. Daring Raider Dash!"

Coming out into the open was Rainbow Dash, standing almost like Applejack had in a power stance. She wore olive green tight fitting shorts, and the same color shirt that had been buttoned down a little to reveal some chevage. At her hips was a whip, and a prop gun, and of course, on her head was the trademark Daring Do safari hat. She also wore high gray socks, the kind you would wear when you are hiking.

"Wow, Dash. You look really awesome!" I exclaimed, and I meant it. Well I meant it all what I had said to the girls, but I could see Rainbow was really nervous, maybe even more so than Fluttershy.

"You mean it?!" Rainbow asked, her eyes sparkling with the same intensity as they did when she first found out Quibble Pants was a hardcore Daring Do fan.

I simply chuckled and nodded. "Of course I do, that outfit fits you really well!"

Dash was really proud of herself, I could tell, and looked like she was about to let out a victorious squeal. Instead she walked to the left side, and joined Fluttershy in order to make way for the next girl, who could only be Twilight.

"And now, the smartest mare in Equestria, and maybe the wizarding world. Twilight Granger!"

"It's, uhm, Hermione Granger.." I could hear Twilight whisper.

"Oh for Celestia's sake, just go, darling!"

Stumbling out into view was Twilight. She was blushing, stepping forward and did what I could only guess was the attempt of a pose. She wore a white shirt, red and yellow school tie, a grey skirt, and grey below knee stockings. In her hand she held a wand, and even though it was a prop, the funny thing was she could make it look real. Like on cue, Twilight waved the wand, and said the magic words. "Wingardium Leviosa." Using her own magic, she made one of the cookies from the table levitate into my hand.

I chuckled, and applauded. "That was simply, well, magical, Twilight!" Taking the cookie, I moved it to my mouth and took a bite. "Thank you, taste even better now that it has been levitated by you." Okay, maybe that was a cheap compliment, but I was never good at this stuff. Thankfully Twilight seemed happy, and hurried to the right side to make way for Rarity herself.

"And now, for your viewing pleasure." Rarity started, sounding both excited, and just a bit more seductive. "Comes the one and only, professor Rarity!"

Professor? Before I had time to think it over, Rarity stepped forward with a sway of her hips. Standing before me is what I would call the classic school mistress. Pantyhoes, a knee long purple skirt, and a light blue top. Her hair had been set up, and she had an amused look about her.

It wasn't the classic sexy teacher outfit, this somehow had more elegance to it, and I had to say I approved it. It wasn't as adventurous as some of her other pieces, not even that risky, but for me it seemed to tie it all together pretty neatly. Plus, it did suit her really well.

"You look beautiful."

Rarity giggled, and did a single twirl. "Thank you, darling. Now, girls, do take a seat while I take our dear Daniel to try on his costume."

"Oh, it's finally my turn, is it?" I smirked and stood up.

"Of course it is, dear. I just wanted to keep it as a surprise." Rarity assured me before taking my hand and leading me upstairs. She led me into her room, making sure to close the door after me. After I entered, I turned around to face her, and she in turn faced me. "Well, now that we are alone, I can finally give you that final lesson I've been craving for so long."

Rarity started to walk towards me, her hips swaying ever so slightly as she did so. I for my part blushed, and smiled nervously. "Rarity? What about the others? They are waiting for us."

Then she burst out in giggles. "Oh, I'm sorry darling. I just couldn't help myself." She laughed, holding a hand up to her mouth and turned away. "You should have seen your face, it turned the most adorable shade of red."

Once I realized she was messing with me, I let out a small laugh. "Alright, you got me.. Since when were you into pranks?"

Rarity waved my comment off with her elegant hand. "Oh, dear, all mares love to tease those we care about." She said, turning toward her desk and got a box. "But while the timing might not be ideal, I do mean what I said. I am looking forward to giving you a very special lesson." She winked at me.

I felt my heart skip a beat, but before I could say anything, she pushed the box into my hands. "Here it is, now strip down and get yourself dressed. Your audience is waiting!" And with that, she left me alone to join the others.

"What a girl.." I chuckled, sitting down on Rarity's bed, and opened up the box she had handed to me. Once I saw what was inside, I could not help but grin, and look at the door. "Clever girl."

I spend the next 15 minutes putting on the costume. The process itself did not take as long as that, but I was so amazed by it I kept looking, admiring it, and making sure it sat on perfectly. Thankfully, when it comes to Rarity and her talent, the whole thing fitted me like a velvet glove.

Once I was sure it was perfect, I walked out, and moved down the stairs. "Alright girls, are you ready?" I have to admit I felt a little embarrassed, but in a good way. It was so strange to me to let loose like this, to relax and be so comfortable in their company. I was really lucky, and I knew it.

When the girls called for me, telling me they were ready, I took a deep breath, and with one final step, I revealed myself. "Evil tyrants beware, for I am Zorro, the fox!"

The girls gasped and squealed, all finding my costume to be awesome! I had to admit, the details on this were really well made. I even got a hat and a mask! The only thing lacking was a whip and a sword, but there was no real reason to go that for one night.

"You look very handsome, darling. I just knew you would." Rarity said with a proud smirk. "How does it fit?"

"Perfectly. Thank you so much, Rarity. I think it is the best costume I've ever worn!"

"You're ever so welcome. I'm glad you like it." She smiled.

"You look awesome!" Rainbow added.

Twilight nodded in agreement. "Very dashing."

"Heroic." Applejack winked.

Pinkie giggled. "You can save me anytime!"

Fluttershy blushed, hiding her expression behind some hair. "M.. Me too.."

"Thanks girls." I smiled. "Now, how about we put on some movies?"

And so our night continued! I found a selection of semi horror movies, and put them on. They were fun, and I don't know if you have ever been in a cuddle pile with six girls before, but I'll have you know it's like heaven! I think I could fall asleep right there in the middle of it, and I almost did a few times as we passed midnight.

Though when the night ended, we all went to our rooms, although I stayed back to help pack some of the snacks away so they would not become stale. Once over, and shutting off the lights in the house, I made my way upstairs to get some sleep. Normally I would brush my teeth, and freshen up a bit, but I just didn't feel like it this time around.

The girls were likely asleep by now, and yet, when I opened the door to my room, who would I find waiting for me other than Rarity herself? She was laying on my bed, on her side, with a sultry look about her. With a slight smirk on her lips, she sat off slowly, and leaned forward just a bit, enough to show some cleavage.

"I'm so glad you're here." She said, standing up and walking towards me. This time with a notable sway of her hips. "I think it is time we finally got around to that private lesson I promised you."

I gulped, almost feeling like a sheep in front of a wolf. "What lesson might that be?"

Rarity giggled, stepping right up to me, and put her right hand on my cheek. "Oh, darling. I just love it when you're acting all coy like this." With her left hand, she reached behind me and gently closed the door. I heard the key being turned, and the lock clicked into place. "Now, how about we get the lesson started?"

Without any more words, our lips met. It was far from gentle, but instead deep, heated, and passionate. She removed my hat, and mask, while I guided us towards the bed. Our lips never parted, not even when she turned us around, and pushed me onto the mattress with her laying right on top of me.

Our lips parted, and before I could say anything, she placed a finger on my lips. "I have something very special in mind for you."

Happy Halloween~!