Chapter 1: A Campfire Tale
The near empty branches of nearby trees shook in the Fall breeze as three friends, a Unicorn filly, a changeling colt and a female dragon fledgling decided to have a makeshift camp in the filly’s backyard as part of a sleepover.
“Hey, want to hear a scary story?” the Unicorn filly asked her two friends.
“I-I don’t know...but if you want to then g-go ahead” The dragon replied.
“Lets here it!” The changeling Colt added as the fire pit crackled while the filly’s parents watched from inside of their house.
“Okay!” The filly responded before rubbing her hands together with a devious smile on her face. “Now then, have you two heard of the Headless Horse? If not then let me tell you about what happened to a Stallion pumpkin farmer named Jack and those who wronged him!”
“No, what happened to him?” The changeling asked as the dragon held her blanket close to her.
“After telling his neighbor several times that he was encroaching onto his land Jack had found himself trying to escape his burning house when a beam broke, causing him to fall onto the floor with the beam resting on his back” The filly exclaimed as the dragon started shivering from both the cold and the story. “However, right as Jack was about to get up the floor above him broke, causing his dresser to fall side first onto his head, crushing it.”
“Ewww” The changeling and the dragon replied in unison.
“However about a week later there were reports of people going missing near the edge of Jack’s farmland with reports of ponies even spotting a dark headless figure near or around Jack’s burned house, some even say he’s either holding or wearing a Jack O’ Lantern with an extremely angry or pained face.” The filly explained before looking at her two friends and continuing. “However this is not the end of this tale, in fact the most talked about disappearance was the very neighbor who’d set Jack’s house on fire...”
“W-why what happened to him?” The dragon reluctantly asked.
“Well guards were called once screaming was heard coming from the neighbor’s house, however when the guards arrived it was to late, the neighbor had been murdered” The filly explained.
“How was he killed?” The changeling asked the filly.
“He was found with his head severed and a pumpkin shoved on to the stump, there was also charred spots at the neighbor’s front yard, door bedroom and on the body it’s self; however, after that incident the disappearances dropped suddenly with only one or two going missing every now and then” The filly replied. “But those that had disappeared were never found, in fact some say those who went missing were buried up to there necks and had their heads stuffed into pumpkins.”
“S-so um was Jack or whoever this headless figure was spotted after the neighbor was killed?” The dragon asked as a gust of wind caused the fire in the fire pit to go out but was quickly re lit by her.
“Well some say if you listen closely around nine thirty at you could hear the sounds of boots running past with screams and groans trailing behind or even if you’re lucky you’ll see a ball of orange flame” The filly explained before the changeling started to laugh.
“There’s no way that’s real, you just made it up!” The changeling replied before the dragon added. “Y-yea it’s just an s-story...”
“Oh? Then what’s that behind you?” The filly asked, causing her two friends to jump before slowly turning around to see a unicorn stallion wearing a monster mask and holding an ax.
This caused the changeling and the dragon to scream in fright before going to hide behind their friend who was laughing.
“W-what’s so funny?” The dragon asked before recognizing that the person behind the mask was her friend’s father.
Also realizing that his masked pony was the filly’s father the changeling went back into his tent after the dragon went into hers.
“Good one dad!” Filly exclaimed as her father took off the mask while laughing.
“Y-yea that was a good one...” The changeling replied from inside of his tent.
“Mhm” The dragon added as she to was inside of her tent.
“Thanks and it’s about time you three should get some sleep!” The father exclaimed as the dragon and changeling partially emerged from their tents.
“Okay dad good-” The filly started to say when the four of them heard what sounded like a deep pop near them which in turn caused them to jump and the filly’s mother to come out from the house.
“Are you four okay?” The mother asked as the four turned to the direction of the sound only to find a smashed pumpkin.
“Y-yea but where did that pumpkin come from?” The dragon asked.
“I don’t know...but it doesn’t look like there’s anycreature flying nearby...” The father replied while looking up.
“U-um...I think that story is real” The changeling exclaimed after the color drained from his face.
“Relax I’m sure the pumpkin was from a creature flying above our line of sight, besides it’s just a legend” The filly replied in an attempt to calm down her friend. “But we should probably sleep inside you know, just in case something like that falls out of the sky again.”
“Yea that’s probably a good idea” The filly’s mother commented.
After agreeing as well the three friends got up from their tents to head inside for the night with the parents of the filly following behind the trio.
Around that same time a figure named Jack entered a hotel, he has milk chocolate colored hair, hazel eyes with a beauty mark above the right corner of his mouth along with having elf-like ears instead of the type you would see on a changeling or any other kind of creature; he was wearing a dark-tan colored vest over an eggshell white collared shirt that had a baby-blue ascot tied with a gold pocket watch poking out from his right vest pocket, he was also wearing dark-stone gray pants with an apple-red handkerchief poking out of a pocket, and spruce colored boots.
“U-um w-what can I do for y-you?” The receptionist asked after Jack had come up to the front desk.
“One room for two weeks please” Jack replied as he smiled.
“O-okay, w-what’s your n-name sir?” The receptionist asked while secretly wishing that this encounter would be over.
“Jack” He simply replied.
“U-um okay room t-t-twenty-four for Jack, h-h-here you go...” The receptionist responded as she handed the customer a room key after signing him into the hotel’s guest book.
“Thank you, have a nice night!” Jack exclaimed before taking the key and heading to his room.
“Thank Celestia he’s gone...” The receptionist thought as she sighed before a sudden realization struck. “Wait, I never told him where his room was!”
Author's Note
Yea Ik it's to early for Halloween but I couldn't help it, I didn't want to wait until October to work on this story. 
After entering his hotel room Jack sat down on one of the beds when he heard a ‘thump’ against the room’s sliding glass window.
“She’s finally here...” Jack muttered as he looked to the sliding glass window only to see a bat with charcoal-gray to blood-red fur slowly sliding down the glass before falling onto the patio and transforming with a puff of smoke.
A girl with charcoal-gray to blood-red shoulder-length hair, magenta eyes, ash-gray wings, elf-like ears; she was wearing a laced Gothic styled crimson, jet black colored dress with silver, black spiked bracelets with leather, a dark-brown leather jet-black block styled heels appeared after the smoke had cleared and rubbing her forehead.
“Are you okay Vlatka?” Jack asked after opening the sliding glass door and helping up his secretary.
“Y-yea, I’m okay” Vlatka replied as she dusted some dirt off of her skirt.
“Maybe you should invest in some glasses?” Jack teased, causing Vlatka to glare at him.
“I may be able to transform into a bat but that doesn’t make me as blind as one!” Vlatka scolded before pouting.
“Heh sorry, but anyway I’m gonna go to sleep. good night Vlatka” Jack replied before heading into the hotel room.
“Alright my king, have a good sleep; I’ll prepare your schedule for tomorrow!” Vlatka replied with a smile after heading into the room.
“Thank you Vlatka” Jack exclaimed before getting into bed.
“You’re welcome!” Vlatka replied before Jack nodded laying down in one of the beds and falling asleep.
Vlatka on the other hand was creating a mostly free schedule with the exception of a meeting with Princess Twilight Sparkle for lunch; after she was done Vlatka decided it was time for her to turn in for the night as well.
The next morning Jack woke up, cracking his back due to the somewhat uncomfortable hotel bed before turning to see that his secretary had turned into a bat while she was asleep.
Not knowing when Vlatka went to sleep Jack decided that he’d search around outside the hotel for some breakfast; once outside the building Jack began his search all the while wearing a coal-black colored overcoat that went down to just below his knees.
“Hmm, I heard there was a pretty popular bakery somewhere in Ponyville, maybe I’ll get Vlatka and I’s breakfast there...” Jack thought while looking around. “Course it’d help if I knew that name...”
While he was searching for Sugarcube Corner several of Ponyville’s inhabitants were carefully watching Jack while others either giving him nervous smiles or friendly smiles.
After walking around for a bit Jack found a building that looked like a giant gingerbread house and figured that’s Sugarcube Corner and entered after seeing some creatures enter and leave the bakery.
“Hello! Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, What can I get you?” A mare with a hot pink mane and tail asked from behind one of the counters. “Say...I haven’t seen you around before, are you perhaps new to Ponyville?”
“Yea, I’m currently waiting for my place to have some repairs finished before I can move in so I’m staying at a hotel with a friend” Jack replied after walking up to a counter.
“Oooo, I’m Pinkie Pie! What’s your name?” She asked after jumping several times.
“I’m Jack, nice to meet you” He replied before asking. “What are your specials?”
“That's a weird name, but anyway we have tons for this time of the year such as these pumpkin items: pumpkin, chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin crisp, pumpkin bread, pumpkin dump cake and S’mores pumpkin cupcakes!” Pinkie Pie listed after pulling a menu from her mane.
Upon hearing that some of the items had pumpkin Jack’s face went pale.
“Um is something wrong?” Pinkie Pie asked as she had noticed Jacks face gone pale.
“O-oh it’s j-j-just that I’m a-allergic to pumpkin!” Jack replied while sweating from the lie he had just told.
“Hmm...Okay! We’re also selling carrot cake muffins, walnut zucchini bread and cinnamon sweet potato doughnuts as part of the Autumn only specials!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed before adding. “And if you don’t want any of those, we also have apple fritters, sugar, cinnamon doughnuts, apple tarts and so much more!”
“Hmm, I’ll have two carrot cake muffins, two apple tarts and two blueberry doughnuts” He replied as Pinkie Pie placed Jack’s items into a box.
“Alright, that’ll be twelve bits!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed after placing the box on the counter.
“Wait...how’d you know it was to go?” Jack asked in confusion.
“Well I figured since you mentioned your living in a hotel with your friend and seeing how it’s breakfast time for most it would make the most sense for you to be bringing breakfast to your friend, also it’s because of my Pinkie Sense!” Pinkie Pie explained before giving a big toothy smile.
“Okay?...” Jack replied while giving Pinkie Pie the money he owed.
“Thank you! Have a good day!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as Jack started walking to the door.
“You to!” Jack replied before giving a wave and leaving the bakery.
While Jack was trying to navigate his way back to the hotel him and Vlatka are staying at his secretary had awoken.
“Mm why is everything bigger then it should be?...Oh wait I’ve turned into a bat again” Vlatka exclaimed before transforming back into her normal form when she realized that Jack was not in the room and started freaking out. “Oh no did something bad happen to him? W-what if an enemy had successfully kidnapped him, or worse!?”
While Vlatka was freaking out Jack had managed to find his way back to the hotel and entered the room him and Vlatka was staying at only to see that that his secretary was in the middle of a panic attack.
Vlatka’s freak out was stopped only when she heard Jack’s voice asking. “Are you okay?”
“M-my king are you okay?!” Vlatka shouted before running up to Jack and hugging him while crying. “I-I thought something bad had happened to you!”
“Don’t worry Vlatka, I’m alright! I was just getting us some breakfast” Jack explained while patting his secretary’s head.
“B-but my king what if the food’s poisoned?” Vlatka suggested after looking up.
“Vlatka did you forget I’m already dead? So even if it was poisoned it wouldn’t affect me, besides I got this from Sugarcube Corner” Jack explained before adding. “And I highly doubt the employees of that bakery would risk their job and or business just to poison me.”
“Good point...but how dare you make me worry!” Vlatka exclaimed before pouting.
Jack simply chuckled and placed the box on a nearby table.
“So then what did you get?” Vlatka asked after wiping away her teals and giggling.
“I got some apple tarts, carrot cake muffins and some blueberry doughnuts” Jack listed before opening the box and taking half of the contents and placing them on one of two paper plates that he had pulled out from his trench coat. “So then what’s today’s schedule like?”
“Well it’s mostly free except your lunch meeting with this kingdom’s ruler, Princess Twilight Sparkle and her royal advisor; but, after that your schedule is free” Vlatka explained as she put the rest of the breakfast items onto the other paper plate and taking a bite from the blueberry doughnut. “Mmm, these are good!”
“Thank you, and I know right! they’re nothing like what we have back home!” Jack replied after taking a bite from the carrot cake muffin.
“But my king, next time please let me know where you’re going so I know you’re safe!” Vlatka scolded before taking another bite from the doughnut.
"Alright Vlatka, I will" Jack replied along with a chuckle.
