As Without, So Within

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

Chapter 1

The sun had dipped over the horizon and night had begun to settle. Small groups of students trickled down the path to the front doors of Canterlot High, dressed in various brightly colored costumes. In the parking lot almost every spot was filled and more students were coming in from that entrance.

Leaning against the wall by the door of the school, Twilight looked at the time display on her phone. “Where are they?”

She looked up as she heard a car pull in and smiled at the familiar deep indigo convertible. The car pulled into an empty spot and its headlights turned off.

“Hello, dear!” Rarity called as she got out. She slammed the door and looked Twilight over as she approached. “Oh, did you forget your costume?”

Twilight looked down at her usual blue and purple blouse and skirt ensemble. “I’ve got a plan for that, actually.”

“I hope so,” Rainbow Dash called, pushing her door open. “I’m not gonna let two of our friends be squares tonight.”

“I’m not a square,” Fluttershy whispered from the other side of the car. “I just didn’t want to dress up. I don’t want to scare anyone.”

“Scary?” Rainbow snorted. “If you don’t wanna be scary, then just be awesome, like me.” She planted a sneaker on the concrete barrier at the end of Rarity’s parking spot and crossed her arms.

“You do look wonderful, Rainbow,” Rarity said.

Rainbow was clad in a suit of silver and grey armor, overlapping plates covering her limbs save for her hands and sneakers, and larger plates over her torso. A black shirt and tights showed through the gaps in the armor. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and hung over the armor’s collar around her neck.

As Rainbow stepped onto the sidewalk past Twilight, she peered closer at the armor, its pieces clanging together in a notable non-metallic ring. “That isn’t real steel, is it?”

“Nah, it’s painted plastic. It still cost me a hundred and eighty bucks online.” Rainbow reached a hand up to wipe her brow, a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek. “And it’s hot as hell, and a pain to sit down in. But it was worth it to look this good!”

She reached to her back and brought forward a sword and shield. She chuckled as the sword wobbled in her hand. “Er, these are just store-bought toys. Saved myself twenty dollars not ordering the set that came with the armor.”

“Goodness, that’s quite a price tag,” Rarity feigned fanning herself. “I’m more grateful than ever that my costume was highly economical this year.”

Twilight looked the fashionista over. Rarity was wearing a deep purple turtleneck sweater with a pair of pants a shade or two darker, and over it all a white lab coat with goggles hanging around her neck and a notepad and pens sticking out of her breast pocket. She noticed Twilight looking and twirled. “Do you like it? Who am I?”

“A scientist, of course.”

Rarity stopped and huffed. “Yes, but which scientist!?”

“Um…” Twilight scrunched her nose and thought. “I have no idea.”

“Paul Friedländer!”

Rainbow Dash scratched her head. “Is that the guy who invented the microwave or something?”

“He is the scientist who expanded our understanding of the production of indigo clothing dyes! My color, darlings!” Rarity gestured to her purple clothes. “I never realized I owed so much to him until Twilight told me about him!”

“I did?” Twilight’s eyebrows lifted. “Because that’s kind of an obscure thing to know, even for me.”

Rarity huffed again and crossed her arms.

“I think you put a lot of thought into it, Rarity,” Fluttershy said.

Rarity’s expression brightened and she smiled over her shoulder. “Thank you, Fluttershy!” She gave a small pout and turned. “But I really wish you had decided against foregoing a costume of your own. Halloween is such a festive time!”

“Just talking her into coming was a challenge,” Rainbow muttered.

“I don’t like being frightened, you know that!” Fluttershy said sharply.

“Nonsense!” Rarity swept closer and put an arm around her. “You know Celestia and Luna wouldn’t allow scary shenanigans in the school, it’s all in good fun! No one will try to frighten you tonight, and it's your chance to dress up as something unique, something you couldn’t dress as any other time of the year.”

Twilight nodded. “You could be anything you want to be, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy bit her lip. “Well… when you put it like that, maybe I could have found something. But now there’s no time.”

“Don’t be absurd!” Rarity wagged her finger and walked to the back of her car, pulling Fluttershy with her. “We’ll whip you up something in no time!” Twilight and Rainbow ran after them. Rarity unlocked her trunk and flung it open, revealing several small plastic cabinets with various fabric bundles, crafting materials, and costume accessories in their drawers.

Twilight stared. “You keep costume supplies in the trunk of your car?”

“Darling, have you met me?” Rarity pulled a drawer open without looking and fished out a measuring tape. “Now, did you have anything in mind?”

As Fluttershy pondered her options, a car horn sounded. Twilight and Rainbow turned their heads to see Applejack driving a pick-up truck into a parking spot. As they came closer, Twilight stared in confusion at the blue tarp covering the back of the truck; something under it was wiggling.

“What is that?”

Applejack climbed out of her truck and sighed. “She put the costume on at her place because she said it looked way too much fun to not put it on yet. And then she refused to take it off because she was right.”

“And then Applejack let me ride in the back of her truck!” The tarp fell back as a large poof of pink hair and a mass of green fabric popped up on the edge of the truck bed. Pinkie Pie giggled and waited for Applejack to pull down the truck’s tailgate before she hopped to the ground. Now standing upright and in full view, it was apparent she was wearing a bright green alligator costume, a tail dangling behind her with her head emerging from between a pair of foam jaws.

“That’s not a good thing, Pinkie,” Sunset said from the other side of the vehicle. “Riding in the back of a pickup truck is illegal. If any cops had seen us they would have pulled us over.”

“Ah only agreed because we was runnin’ late and it was easier to throw the tarp over her than to argue.” Applejack glared at Pinkie. “Near gave me a heart attack when we passed that patrol car.”

“No biggie, if he had peeked at me I’d have scared him off!” Pinkie swiped her clawed gloves at Twilight and Rainbow. “Rawr, rawr!”

“I don’t think alligators roar,” Rainbow said.

“Not like that they don’t, but let’s not get into it,” Sunset replied, joining them.

Twilight glanced at Sunset. The third girl from the car was dressed in an old-fashioned gown with white ruffles on her skirt and sleeves, elbow-length gloves, and her hair was woven into a bun. She eyed the small golden tiara on Sunset’s head. “Princess?”

“Yeah.” Sunset shrugged. “Seems a bit on the nose maybe, but I wanted to dress up. Blame Applejack, it was her idea.”

“Hey, when somethin’ feels right, go with it.” Applejack stuck out a hip and tipped her hat. She had on a brown leather vest over a tattered red checkered shirt, black jeans, fingerless leather gloves, and boots with spurs.

“You barely even dressed up,” Rainbow snickered. “What's your costume supposed to be, hillbilly?”

Applejack reached to her waist where a pair of gun holsters were clipped over her belt, and drew a pair of silver revolvers with large orange plugs on the barrels. “Watch the tone there, partner. Ah’ve killed for less before.”

“En garde, redneck!” Rainbow grinned and brandished her sword.

“Y’all know what they say about bringin’ a sword to a gunfight, dontcha?” Applejack pulled the hammer back on one of the revolvers and pointed it at Rainbow. “It might be a capgun, but it still hurts.”

“Girls, come on,” Twilight said gently, rolling her eyes.

Applejack looked over at Twilight. “Hey, where’s your costume, Twi?”

Twilight turned her head down. “Oh, right, we’re all here, guess I should put it on.” She reached to her neck and took hold of her geode. With a flash of purple light and a crackle of magic, pony ears sprouted on her head and her hair elongated into a ponytail, and her clothes glowed and shifted into a wider purple skirt with a pink star on the side with a blue shirt and a star on the chest. “I thought I’d go as a superhero.”

“Sweet.” Rainbow grinned and pumped her fist, and held the other out to give Twilight a high-five. She stepped forward to give it, but then pulled back as Pinkie scuttled between them on all fours. She stopped and sniffed the air.

“No more talking! There’s candy in there!” She rushed towards the doors into the school. The group laughed and followed her.

As they passed Rarity’s car, Twilight paused and looked her way. “Did you find Fluttershy a costume?”

Rarity slammed her car trunk and sighed. “So to speak.”

“I’m sorry, Rarity.” Fluttershy’s muffled voice came from a figure draped in a large white sheet with three holes cut into it. “I just couldn’t think of anything, and none of your ideas seemed right for me…”

“It’s fine, darling!” Rarity patted the ‘ghost’ on its shoulder. “Baby steps. Next year we’ll make you look wonderful, I assure you! For now, let us celebrate and enjoy ourselves!” The two joined Twilight and the others, and the seven friends passed the doors into the school.

Orange, black, and yellow banners hung from the walls of Canterlot High with various paper and plastic depictions of monsters, black cats, and jack-o-lanterns interspersed down the corridors. Over the PA system played creepy music with various spooky sounds like cackling witches and creaking floorboards. Students in costume passed by the seven as they took in the sight.

“I don’t envy Principal Celestia with the clean-up,” Sunset mused. A hand grabbed her shoulder and she screamed and jumped away.

“Oh, you seven are welcome to help.” Behind them as they turned, Celestia smiled and gave a small bow of her head. Twilight giggled at her and Luna behind her - the two had both donned Victorian-style dresses, dull yellow and red for Celestia and green and blue for Luna, with clawed fingers and fake warts on their faces.

“Er, are you two noble ladies or somethin’?” Applejack asked.

Luna sniffed. “We’re witches, of course.”

“Ya don’t look much like witches.”

Celestia winked. “Well, that’s the idea, isn’t it?” The seven laughed politely. “Luna and I were just on our way to the auditorium. That’s where you girls can find the dance floor if you’re interested. The upper levels are blocked off so please stay on the ground floor. There’s some light snacks in the cafeteria, and other students have brought items as well. There’s also various classrooms for games and socializing, and signing up for the costume parade.”

“Games? What kinds of games?” Rainbow asked eagerly.

“There’s some tabletop and card games, and video games. The rooms are labelled.”

“Sweet! Come on, Fluttershy!” Rainbow went to grab her wrist and waited until the folds lifted to reveal a yellow hand, and she took hold and ran down the hall.

“I need candy.” Pinkie dropped to all fours and went another direction, sniffing loudly.

“Ah’m gonna head with her.” Applejack tipped her hat and followed Pinkie.

As the group split up, Twilight smiled and nodded.

It’ll be nice to be able to come to school and the only monsters we have to worry about are fake.

A wave of the hand made the book flip open, its pages glowing bright pink. The pages began to furl as the hand flexed and the reader spoke.

“As without, so within, let the festivities begin. Hear my voice and heed my verse, as I invoke the power of this curse!”

Swirls of pink magic began to flow from the book, gathering into an orb of light above it.

“The witching hour of All Hallow’s Eve, play host to this spell I weave. As ghouls and ghosts give call to arise, let all within lose themselves in their guise!”

The orb of light intensified and shot up into the sky. A wave of pink magic burst from it, radiating out and falling down to create a dome of energy over the grounds of Canterlot High.

The figure giggled and snapped the book shut. “Let the fun begin!”

Chapter 2

Twilight didn’t know what was happening, other than to label it “chaos”.

She had strolled down the hall after parting with her friends to use the bathroom, and as she stepped out the door there had been a flash of pink light and she felt a shiver go down her back. The next thing she knew, several students had fled the nearest open classrooms, other students chasing them. Screams, growls, and roars filled the air, and Twilight pulled into a drinking fountain alcove and watched several of them run past her.

What’s happened? What’s going on? She looked at the students coming past. “Excuse me!” A boy in street clothes ran by chased by a girl in a black cloak, her hands stretched toward him. At a glance the girl was unusually pale.

Clattering and banging sounded from further down the halls. Twilight took a breath. Okay, something is wrong, obviously. First step, find my friends. The cafeteria wasn’t far away, Pinkie ought to have been there. True, there was no promise she was still there now, but it was Twilight’s best lead. She emerged from her alcove and looked around - most of the students had fled elsewhere. She ran down the hall past two classrooms and to the double doors of the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was a disaster zone. Chairs and tables lay on their sides. Trays of food had been knocked over and their contents scattered, and a tub of orange drink had been spilled and flooded the tiles with a layer of liquid.

Twilight swiveled her head and saw no one. Did they all run off? She slowly crept into the room, her feet splashing in the puddles of the orange drink. She peeked around the furniture for any sign of someone, but found none.

A metallic clang made her jump and squeak, and she hurried behind a pillar. She heard more banging along with smacking and slurping, and looked to the source.

Someone was hunched down in front of one of the food trays and messily eating whatever was in it. The figure had on a bright green costume with a tail and was on all fours, their back to Twilight. She spied the shock of poofy pink hair on the head of the costume.

“Pinkie Pie?” Twilight took a step out from the pillar.

The figure lifted their head and turned.

Twilight froze.

The creature’s jaws were smeared with pasta sauce and noodles, and its eye was slitted and stared right at her. The creature growled and cracked its mouth open, showing twin rows of gleaming teeth dripping with sauce and saliva. As it turned to bring more of its body into view, the scaled texture along its body became clearly visible, as did its three-toed, webbed feet.

Twilight screamed and turned to flee.

With a loud growl, the alligator wheeled around and came after her. Twilight lifted off the ground and flew toward the doors. She grabbed her geode and flung her hand out to telekinetically grab a table and throw it behind her, then a stack of chairs by the wall. She heard the splashing of the alligator’s feet as it padded after her and then the loud clatter of it knocking the furniture aside. Twilight pushed the cafeteria doors open and ran out into the hall. A loud bang of the doors hitting the walls told her the alligator was not far behind.

Her shoes squeaked as she rounded the corner and dipped to the ground momentarily. As she lifted back into the air she glanced behind her for a glimpse of the alligator - it was catching up quickly. She flew down the hall, ignoring the clacking of claws on the tiles coming closer and closer. She felt something brush her shoe sticking out behind her and shrieked. Her focus broken, she descended to the ground and stumbled before tumbling onto her back, the alligator directly behind her with jaws opened wide.

“Yaaaaah!”

She saw a flash of silver out of the corner of her eye, and then a figure jumped in front of her. The alligator’s charge was interrupted as it bit onto something the figure was holding. Twilight pushed herself up and looked at her rescuer.

A figure in gleaming metal armor was standing in front of the alligator, who had apparently leapt at Twilight and gotten its jaws wedged on a shield on the figure’s forearm. The alligator thrashed, trying to dislodge itself, but the figure kept their arm up and sidestepped to keep the alligator stuck. The metal shield held against the creature’s jaws, even as it tried to bite down.

The figure reached over their shoulder for the handle of a sword strapped to their back, and Twilight saw the long rainbow-colored ponytail.

“Rainbow?”

“Fear not, my lady!” Rainbow called back, not looking her way. “I shall handle this beast!” She swung her sword forward and stabbed, but the alligator tore back and freed itself. It fell on the ground and rolled wildly. Rainbow grunted. “I mistook it, flee!”

Twilight nodded and began running, Rainbow behind her. She heard more cries and clashes of metal as Rainbow somehow repelled the alligator long enough for Twilight to make it to the door of an open classroom and head inside. Rainbow backed in, slamming her sword and shield together, and once she had clearance Twilight pushed the door shut. The door immediately thumped as the alligator rushed into it.

The two held the door shut as the alligator growled and scratched at it. Twilight gasped for breath and looked at Rainbow. “What’s going on?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Sorry my lady, I’ve nary an idea!” She looked at Twilight and focused on her wings. “Thy dost bear wings? Be thee some manner of angel or fae creature?”

“This really isn’t the best time to stay in character!” Twilight hissed. She looked back at the classroom and spied the teacher’s desk. “Can you hold the door?”

“Of course, my lady.”

Twilight ran to the teacher’s desk and went to the far side to push, and stopped at the sight of a familiar blue dress huddled under it. “Fluttershy?”

Her friend squeaked and looked up at her from the underside of the desk. “Twilight!”

“Come on, help me move this,” Twilight said, holding out her hand.

“Um… I can’t.” Fluttershy swallowed heavily and shook her head.

“Why not?”

“Uh…” Fluttershy slowly reached out a hand and swung it down. Twilight’s eyes widened as Fluttershy’s hand passed through hers like it wasn’t even there. Fluttershy repeated the action twice more.

“What happened to you?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know!” Fluttershy stood up right through the desk. “I was with Rarity in the crafts room, and then there was a pink flash and the next thing I knew, everyone was screaming and running. A few of them came at me, but they couldn’t touch me and I couldn’t touch them, and then the room was empty and Rarity was gone…”

“Okay, okay!” Twilight tried to lay a hand on her friend’s shoulder as she began to breathe faster, and stopped as her hand fell through it. She pulled her hand back. “It’s okay, we found you. We’re together, that’s what matters.”

“I must beg to differ, ladies!” Rainbow grunted as the door shook. “This foul beast means to make a feast of us, and unless we can subdue it I fear it shall be so!”

Fluttershy looked at Rainbow quizzically. “Why is she talking like that?”

“I don’t know.” Twilight hunched behind the desk and began to push, the wood slowly moving forward. “Rainbow, seriously, now is not the time.” She looked up at her friend with her back pressed against the door, sword and shield in hand, and paused. “Wait…” Twilight walked closer to her and looked her over.

“Yes, my lady?” Rainbow looked at her even as she kept her hands planted on the door.

Twilight reached out to Rainbow’s armor, shining silver. She ran her fingertips along it and gasped at the cold, steely texture. She tapped it and the plate swung into another, clanging. “That’s real metal.”

Rainbow scoffed. “Of course ‘tis real metal! What fool of a knight would go into battle with fake mail?”

Twilight jerked. “A knight…” She looked back at Fluttershy. “You’re a ghost.”

Fluttershy looked down at herself. “I was, but then my costume vanished in that flash of light.”

“No, Fluttershy, you’re a ghost!” Twilight pointed between the two. “Rainbow is a knight…” Twilight gulped as she remembered the alligator’s inexplicable pink hair. “And that alligator outside… is Pinkie.”

Fluttershy squeaked and cupped her hands to her mouth. “We’ve turned into our costumes!”

“Seems so.” Twilight sighed and pressed her hand to her forehead. “Figures. It’s Halloween night and it’s a Saturday, of course someone is using Equestrian magic!”

“Witchcraft?” Rainbow hissed. She glared and grit her teeth “Of course the godless curs would wait for Samhain to torment the innocent, no time better. What fiends are behind this?”

“I don’t know, but we can’t stay in here if we want to find out. We need to subdue Pinkie without hurting her too much.” Twilight thought and smiled. “Okay, Fluttershy, go to the far wall there.” Twilight pointed and Fluttershy stepped back to the wall opposite the door. “Rainbow, on the count of three, I’m going to pull the door open, and you need to stay behind it.”

“Open it? Hast thou gone mad?”

“Trust me. When you have an opening, hit it on the head as hard as you can with your shield. Don’t kill it. Understand?” Twilight gave her an even look; Rainbow nodded firmly. Twilight gripped the door handle. “One… two…” She inhaled.

“Three!” Twilight twisted the handle and pulled, stepping back with Rainbow to stay behind the door against the wall.

The Pinkie-gator charged into the room, saw Fluttershy, and made a beeline for her. Fluttershy screamed and pressed against the wall, gasping as she fell back through it. The Pinkie-gator stopped and stared at the spot where she had been.

“Get it!” Twilight whispered. Rainbow charged forward, bounded onto the teacher’s desk, and leapt. With two hands gripping her shield she landed on the Pinkie-gator’s back and slammed the metal into its head. With a loud metal ring the creature slumped to the ground.

“Ha!” Rainbow stood and slid her shield back onto her forearm. “A cunning plan, my lady!” She looked to Twilight and smiled widely.

Fluttershy walked out of the wall and looked down at Pinkie. She gasped and pointed at its hair. “She turned into a real alligator!”

“Yup.” Twilight stepped up to them. “Something is rotten in Canterlot High and it smells like Equestrian magic.”

“You can detect the witches by scent?”

“Rainbow…” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Stand back.” She clutched a hand to her geode and held the other toward the Pinkie-gator. A purple aura surrounded it and she lifted into the air.

Rainbow watched in awe. “Such power. Art thou truly a celestial being?”

“Sure, let’s go with that.” Twilight kept her focus on moving Pinkie and didn’t pay Rainbow much mind. That changed when she heard a rustle of metal and saw movement beside her. She turned her head.

Rainbow was on one knee, holding her sword before her with her head bowed behind it. “Forgive my impertinence in doubting you, O holy one. I had not realized thy nature. If thou wouldst overlook my transgression and allow me to fight by thy side against this evil, it would be an honor.”

“Um…” Twilight’s eyes flitted to the side. “Sure. No problem. But, please stop kneeling.”

“Of course, my lady.” Rainbow stood and sheathed her sword, and bowed her head with hands clasped in prayer over her chest. “Thank you.”

“And please don’t bow or pray to me.”

Twilight floated the Pinkie-gator to the back of the room by a closet door and set her down. She pulled the door open and rifled through the supplies until she found a pair of extension cords, and tossed one to Rainbow. “Here, tie up her claws.” Rainbow caught the cord and obeyed. Once Pinkie was tied, Twilight levitated her into the closest and closed the door.

“Should we barricade it?” Fluttershy asked.

“Indeed.” Rainbow moved to a desk and began to push. Twilight let her, tired from moving Pinkie around.

“Okay, first problem - if Pinkie is an alligator, she can’t use her geode and the seven of us can’t blast whoever is responsible for this. But we should still find the others. We’ll need all the help we can get.”

“I hope they’re okay,” Fluttershy said. “I was with Rarity but I don’t know where she went. And I think Sunset was off to one of the game rooms. Applejack said she was going to the cafeteria, right?”

“She did, but I didn’t see her.” Twilight turned to Rainbow, who had stacked two desks on top of each other and was pushing a third in front of them. “Rainbow, we need to go. Our friends are out there and they need us.”

“Yes, my lady!” Rainbow finished her task and nodded at her. “I shan't allow thy comrades to face this menace alone. Lead on, holy one.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and led the trio into the hall. She heard the distant sounds of screams and running, but there was no one in sight. “Okay, the monsters are gone, somehow. We’ll take things one room at a time.” She crossed the hall to the open classroom door and looked inside. “Hello?” After a few seconds with no answer she pulled back and walked down to the next door, a sign reading ‘GAMES’ hanging from it. “Hello?”

“Hello?”

Twilight smiled at the familiar voice and stepped into the room. Various video game consoles and TVs were on the floor with several chairs and tables. At the back of the room crouched behind an overturned table, a weave of red and yellow hair rose up.

“Sunset!” Twilight ran forward. “You’re okay.”

“Yeah, great, thanks.”

Twilight stopped in front of the table. “Pardon?”

With a snort and a glare, Sunset stepped around the table, her skirt rustling. “Figures that you’d be here. Something goes wrong in my life, of course it involves you, laws of time and space be damned.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped as Sunset walked past her without even turning her head. “I know this night isn’t what any of us had planned, but you don’t need to pull an attitude with me over it.” She saw Fluttershy and Rainbow at the doorway over Sunset’s shoulder.

Sunset turned to her, huffed, and feigned horror, pressing a gloved hand to her cheek. “Oh, excuse me, Princess, if I don’t kiss your feet just because you happened by after everything is done. Don’t even know why you’re here, but it’s probably to annoy me. In which case congratulations, it’s working.” She turned to the door and scowled at Fluttershy and Rainbow. “What are you looking at?” She tossed her hair and marched past them, Fluttershy and Rainbow pulling back to let her into the hall.

Fluttershy whimpered. “She hasn’t talked to anyone like that since her first year.”

“...Her first year?” Twilight groaned as realization dawned. “You mean when she was stuck-up, mean, and obsessed with being a Princess?”

“Yeah… oh.”

Twilight slumped forward. “Why couldn’t she have turned into Snow White or something?”

Chapter 3

Twilight ran into the hallway. “Sunset!”

The other girl stopped and turned, a sneer on her face. “What now?”

Twilight stopped in front of her. “Please, come with us. We need your help.”

“My ‘help’?” Sunset crossed her arms and snorted. “That’s rich coming from you.”

Oh come on! Twilight suppressed a groan. “Well it’s true. There’s something going on at this school. Can’t you tell that?”

“Sure.” Sunset shrugged. “But I don’t see how that’s my problem.”

Twilight stepped closer. “Sunset, you have to remember! We’re friends, and I’m not the Princess you think I am! You’re not like this, you’re nice!” She thrust a finger at Sunset’s geode around her neck. “That geode gives you the power to sense the memories of others. Grab it and touch me, you’ll see I’m telling the truth!”

Sunset gripped the chain holding her geode and held it out to look at it. “Ain’t never seen this thing before. But there’s no way in hell I’d grab any magical artifact that you put on me and trust what you say it’ll do.” She pulled the geode off and tossed it to Twilight.

“Ugh!” Twilight grabbed the geode and stuffed it in a pocket of her skirt. “Fine, don’t believe me, but the fact is there is Equestrian magic causing chaos here, and I’ll take any ally we can get even if she is being insufferable.”

“Equestrian magic?” Sunset’s scowl softened. “Someone is using Equestrian magic here?”

Twilight brightened. “Yes! That's what's making people act like their costumes. We have to put a stop to it.”

“Who’s causing it?”

Twilight shook her head. “Hard to say. It could be someone got too close to the portal and was infused with Equestrian magic. Or something they own was infused with Equestrian magic. Or they found a magical artifact from Equestria that was hidden in this world. Or they just are a magical creature from Equestria.”

“That’s a lot of ‘ors’.”

“There’s precedent for all of them.” Twilight looked at Sunset evenly. “You don’t need to like us, but the entire school is in danger and I have to believe somewhere in there is my friend who doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. So please, help us.”

“Your Highness, please be reasonable.” Rainbow walked in front of Twilight and knelt in front of Sunset, crossing an arm over her chest. “There are witches and demons about that pose unspeakable danger to thee. This is no place for royalty to tread unescorted.”

Sunset glared down at Rainbow. “Get up before I knee you in the face.” Rainbow obediently stood and bowed her head. Sunset looked back at Twilight. “Fine, I’m in. But stop saying we’re friends! Alright?”

“Good enough.” Twilight nodded.

Rainbow bowed her head. “You shan’t regret this, Your Highness.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “So, any leads on where we look?”

Twilight put a hand to her chin. She turned her head to the direction of the end of the hall and the doors outside and jogged up to them. She peeked out and spied groups of children crossing back and forth on the sidewalk. “It’s not affecting anyone outside, which means it's localized to the school, so it’s probably someone on the grounds.” She walked back to her three friends, eyes tilted up in thought. “And I’ll wager they’re hiding out on the upper floors. That would be the safest place to try and cast a spell without someone interrupting.”

“So do we go up and look?” Fluttershy asked.

Before Twilight could answer, there was a loud, piercing scream. The four snapped their heads around, and after a moment Rainbow charged toward the source, shield raised in front of her.

Twilight nodded. “Scream first, higher floors after.” The three followed after Rainbow.

As they got further down the hall, an ajar door into a nearby classroom slowly swung open. Spurs jangled in time with the stepping of boots as the figure behind the door stepped into the hall and watched them go.

“Royalty, eh?” Applejack gave a crooked smirk and drew a revolver from her belt, thumb spinning the cylinder. “Now ain’t that somethin’.”

Rainbow Dash rounded a corner and skidded to a halt. Shortly behind her, Twilight, Sunset, and Fluttershy came around the corner and stared.

Against a dead end doorway, a large group of costumed, transformed students were shuffling forward. Twilight saw vampires, werewolves, zombies, and more unusual monsters among them. And at the end of the hall, yelling at the monsters-

“Back, back you fiends!” Trixie wailed. Clad in her usual attire but with the addition of a cape and magician’s hat, she was perched on top of a trash can above the monsters. She swung her wand again and again, firing blasts of pink magic. The ones that were struck fell back and collapsed, but the mob shuffled their fallen out of the way and kept coming.

“Trixie!” Twilight called. Trixie raised her eyes and then lowered them back to the monsters.

“The lady needs our assistance!” Rainbow hollered. She grabbed the handle of her sword.

“No!” Twilight grabbed her wrist and stopped her from drawing the blade. “They’re all transformed students, we can’t kill any of them! No stabbing, no slicing!”

“Then how are we to fight them?” Rainbow replied.

There was a sound of breaking glass. Twilight saw Sunset withdraw her elbow from a trophy display case nearby and reach in to pull out a small silver trophy. She caught Twilight’s eye and shrugged.

“How do you feel about mild head trauma?”

Twilight pinched the bridge of her nose. “Try not to swing too hard.”

“I make no promises.”

Running forward, Sunset hefted the trophy in her hand and swung it into the head of the closest monster, something covered entirely in dark brown hair. It chittered and collapsed. Rainbow came up beside her, swinging her arm to slam her shield into the monsters and using her free hand to punch them. After a few moments the mob registered the new arrivals and the ones in the rear turned to confront Rainbow and Sunset.

Twilight grabbed her geode and held her hand out. She darted her eyes between the monsters closest to Rainbow and Sunset, and when one of them tried to attack she focused and surrounded it with a telekinetic aura, holding it in place until one of her two friends struck it. A lizardman slashed a claw toward Sunset and Twilight’s magic froze it before it could make contact; Sunset noticed it and swung her trophy into the side of its face and sent it toppling to the ground.

“Haha, yes!” Still standing atop her garbage can, Trixie continued to shoot magic blasts out at the thinning crowd. “You creatures are no match for Trixie and her stewards!”

Rainbow slammed her shield into a werewolf’s muzzle, and the beast stumbled into a wall and slumped down. She and Sunset surveyed the crowd. The monsters filling the hall were on the ground in various states of consciousness, some groaning and weakly moving their limbs. Twilight knelt by a few who were still and felt their necks to ensure they were still alive - to her relief she found a pulse on every one.

“You’re welcome.” Sunset tossed her trophy to Fluttershy; the other girl watched as it passed through her torso and clanged across the floor.

Twilight looked at the sea of fallen students. “It looks like we beat up almost two dozen of them.”

“Yeah, slow day for me,” Sunset muttered.

Trixie hopped off the trash can. “You have Trixie’s thanks, Rainbooms.” She put a hand to her chest and did a small bow.

Twilight looked at her curiously. “How come you aren’t affected by the spell?”

Trixie smiled and gestured to her costume, flicking her cape out. “Trixie is already the greatest and most powerful magician in the world! Whatever spell is at play here merely granted her real magic.” She looked at her wand, a pink aura surrounding it. “She does not mind this development.” She twirled the wand and smirked.

“Great, so instead of being a powerless, talentless hack, now you’re just talentless.”

Twilight glared at Sunset, who pointedly looked away and ignored her. She turned back to Trixie. “Would you mind coming with us to help figure out who’s behind this?”

Trixie paused. “Me? Why ask me for help?”

“Because anyone who still has their right mind,” Twilight glanced at Sunset, “or close enough, is a potential ally. And you have magic, so you could help us fight the monsters off.”

Trixie scrunched her nose. “I dunno… seems kinda dangerous…”

“Um, girls?” The group looked down the hall where Fluttershy was standing, her head tilted back. The two walked toward her and were almost to her when they saw what she was looking at.

A ghostly, luminous green vapor was wafting along the ceiling. “What is that?” Trixie asked.

“I don’t know, but it can’t be good.” Twilight followed the vapor down the hall. It grew thicker and more luminous as she passed several classrooms and stopped at an intersection. She looked to her left.

A short distance away were the doors to the auditorium, and the green vapor leaked through them on all sides.

“We’re not gonna go in there, are we?” Fluttershy whimpered.

“This could be the source of the Equestrian magic,” Twilight replied. “We have no choice.” She stepped forward and put a hand on the doors, glancing to either side to confirm Rainbow, Sunset, and Trixie were with her, and pushed the doors open.

The auditorium had been a dance floor earlier in the evening, but had devolved into chaos the same as the rest of the school, judging from the torn decorations laying on the floor and the chairs that were overturned at the sides. In the middle of the room, tied up and on their knees, were more than a dozen students. At a glance, they looked like they hadn’t been transformed, or at least were still human.

Twilight spied a familiar curl of purple hair in a white coat among the students and gasped. “Rarity!” She put a foot out but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

“Caution, holy one,” Rainbow whispered. She nodded her head, her eyes looking over the students. Twilight saw what she was looking at.

On the stage of the auditorium was a massive iron cauldron over a bonfire made of the remains of stage scenery. The green vapor that filled the air came from whatever was inside it. And circling around it, hands waving over it…

“Well, well, well.” Principal Celestia turned from the cauldron towards the door and clicked her tongue. “Look what we have here, sister.”

“It seems another batch of troublemakers, sister.” Vice-Principal Luna stepped up beside her, tapping her fingers together. “How considerate of them to save us tracking them down.”

Twilight gaped. Celestia’s hair was a massive, frizzy puff rising in all directions, and her front two teeth jutted over her lip as she leered at the group. Luna’s hair was long and stringy, and - as a quick glance confirmed - the neckline of her dress had plunged a few inches downward. Or a few inches outward. Perhaps both.

“What happened to you?” Twilight asked.

“They’re witches!” Fluttershy screamed.

“Oh, why not just tell the whole town?” Celestia trilled. She grinned. “You’re just in time. We were brewing up a little potion to drain the life from these students.”

“And we’ll rule the town forever, young and beautiful,” Luna giggled, biting one of her long, pointed nails.

Sunset snorted and rolled her eyes. “Seriously? There’s not enough students in the whole world to make you hags young and beautiful.”

Celestia gasped and pressed a hand to her breast. She glared at Sunset fiercely. “Sister, did you hear what she said about you?”

“Unmistakably, sister.” Luna bared her teeth, fangs gleaming. “Whatever shall we do with them?”

Rainbow stepped forward and thrust her sword toward them. “You’ll do nothing with us, fiends! We’ll not let your kind run amok with your foul sorcery!”

Luna’s eyes lit up. “Oooo, can we run amok, sister? I love running amok.”

“Later. First, kill them.”

Celestia raised her hands and fired a blast of lightning towards the door. The four dove to the side as the lightning struck the ground and fizzled out. Trixie rolled into a kneel and pointed her wand at the stage and fired a shot of pink magic. Celestia and Luna leapt off the stage and glided to the ground, their clothes fluttering.

Twilight grabbed her geode and snapped her hand out towards a pile of chairs, hurling them forward with a wave. Celestia growled and lashed her own hand out, and a whip of electrical energy snapped and ripped the chairs apart. She raised her other hand at Twilight and fired a blast of lightning. Twilight swung two chairs in front of her and the electricity coursed through them. She pushed them forward and heard Celestia shriek before seeing her jump back and ran after her.

“Stand and fight, witch!” Celestia turned to see Rainbow charging at her, shield and sword raised. Celestia ducked as another chair sailed over her head, Twilight stopping several feet away from her. More fallen chairs levitated and flung themselves at Celestia as Rainbow slashed at her. She snarled and caught Rainbow’s sword in a hand, and with a wicked grin snapped the steel clean in two. Rainbow gasped and stared in horror, and Celestia fired a blast of lightning into her. The electricity crackled over her armor and flung her across the auditorium.

“Rainbow!” Twilight called. She inhaled deeply and focused more energy on her geode to continue the attack.

Across the auditorium, Trixie fired a shot of pink magic at Luna, who responded by cupping her hands in front of her and flinging out an orb of pale blue magic. The two magical attacks exploded against each other in a cloud of smoke. Trixie screamed as Luna emerged from within it, landing in front of her and quickly advancing. Trixie backed up, swinging her wand back and forth to fire more magical attacks, and Luna snapped her hands back and forth to deflect them, the magic dispersing against the ground.

Trixie squeaked as her back hit a wall, and Luna quickly closed the distance and wrapped a hand on her throat. Her other hand grabbed Trixie’s wrist holding her wand and kept it extended.

Luna giggled and tapped a nail on Trixie’s throat. “You’re fun. Maybe I’ll string you up on a hook as a toy.”

Trixie’s eyes darted from Luna’s face to over her shoulder. Luna’s expression softened as she noticed. Before she could turn around, a folding chair slammed into the back of her head and shoulders. The transformed witch crumpled to the ground and Trixie fell to her knees, coughing.

Sunset hefted her chair onto her shoulder. “You’re welcome.”

“Sister!” Celestia screeched. She whipped her head towards Twilight and lashed out her electrical whip, cutting two chairs apart, and swept towards her. Twilight gasped as Celestia grabbed her and leapt back onto the stage to avoid a magic blast from Trixie. Celestia put a finger to Twilight’s throat, the sharp nail pressing against her skin. “Stop!”

Trixie and Sunset skidded to a halt in front of the stage. Celestia jerked her head to the side. “Weapons! Throw them away!”

Trixie grimaced and hesitated, then flicked her arm out to toss her wand to the side. Sunset huffed and dropped her folding chair and kicked it aside.

Celestia’s eyes widened. “I didn’t think you two would be stupid enough to actually do it.”

“Go to hell!” Sunset snapped.

“I’ve been, thank you. I found it quite lovely.” Celestia grinned. “And now you’ll all get the group discount, starting with this one!”

“No!”

Celestia looked to the side; Fluttershy had climbed onto the stage. She turned to her and took a step back, dragging Twilight with her. “And what are you going to do?”

“Appeal to your better nature!” Fluttershy said firmly.

Celestia laughed. “And you seriously think that’ll work?”

“Well, maybe not.” Fluttershy tilted her head. “But it might distract you for a few seconds.”

Celestia saw a purple glow out of the corner of her eye. Hand around her geode, Twilight brought her other hand down. Celestia looked up and saw a large bundle of sandbags hanging above the stage unravel and fall toward her.

“Shit.”

Twilight pushed her arm away and dove as the sandbags landed and sent Celestia sprawling to the ground. She reached to her throat and felt for blood; there was none.

“Are you okay, Twilight?” Fluttershy stepped up to her.

Twilight nodded. “I’m fine.” She gasped as she thought back on the fight. “Rainbow Dash!” She jumped off the stage and crossed the auditorium to her fallen friend. When Twilight reached her she turned Rainbow onto her back. “Rainbow!” Twilight gently patted her face. “Are you okay?”

Rainbow groaned and her eyes fluttered. “I failed thee, holy one. My apologies.”

“No!” Twilight shook her head. “Don’t say that!” You’re not going to die here!”

“...Die?” Rainbow let out a barking laugh. “I know I could not defend thee, holy one, but please do not insult me so!” She sat up and rubbed her head.

“You’re fine?” Twilight looked her over. “But, you took a direct hit from that lightning blast. Wearing metal armor.”

“Indeed.” Rainbow frowned and put a hand on her chest plate as the facts registered with her. “Yet I do not feel greatly wounded. Harmed, but not injured.”

“What’s going on?” Twilight wondered. She thought back to the fight. “And Celestia broke your sword with her bare hand… Sunset, go check on Celestia, was her hand cut?”

“Kinda busy at the moment.”

Twilight huffed. “Please, Sunset?”

“Kindy busy.”

Twilight paused at the tension in her voice and turned.

Sunset had her arms twisted behind her back, a look of frustration on her face. Beside her, one hand holding Sunset’s arms, the other holding a revolver to the side of her head, Applejack locked eyes with Twilight.

“Like the Princess said, she’s a mite busy right now.”

Chapter 4

Twilight swallowed heavily. “Applejack, what are you doing?”

“Gettin’ mah payday,” Applejack replied, not moving her revolver barrel from Sunset’s temple. “How much is a Princess worth to you folk? Ah’d say a good startin’ price would be five thousand dollars. And throw in a new horse and a good bottle of whiskey.”

“Seriously, this is about horses and booze?” Sunset groaned and rolled her eyes. “Even under magic she’s still a country hick.”

“Watch it, missy!” Applejack snapped, pushing her gun against Sunset harder. “Words like that make mah fingers itchy.” She turned her eyes and jerked Sunset back, keeping her arms held behind her back.

“Hold it!” Applejack glared at Trixie creeping towards her wand on the floor. “Step back, now.” Trixie held up her hands and backed away.

“Applejack,” Twilight said evenly, slowly taking a step forward. “You don’t want to hurt her.”

“You’re right, Ah don’t.” Applejack turned her eyes back to Twilight. “Like Ah said, how much is she worth to you?”

“Um…” Twilight thought. “Well, we don’t have horses to give you. Or, whiskey.”

Sunset smirked. “Find Sandalwood, he usually brings a flask to these events.”

“You’re not help - really?”

“Hey, focus!” Applejack snapped. “Ah’m gettin’ bored.”

Rainbow stepped up beside Twilight and cracked her knuckles. “Shall I dispose of her, O holy one? Even unarmed, I am more than a match for this greedy outlaw.”

“No.” Twilight shook her head. “She’s one of our friends.”

“What?” Rainbow scoffed. “I would never call a fiend such as her a comrade!”

“Somehow you saying that doesn't surprise me,” Twilight muttered. To Applejack she said “Please, be reasonable. We don’t have any money to pay you.”

“Ah heard she’s a Princess,” Applejack replied, jerking her head towards Sunset. “What do you mean to tell me she’s got no money?”

“Well, erm… she’s…” Twilight gasped and smiled. “She’s a Princess-in-exile!”

“A what?” Applejack replied.

“A what?” Sunset hissed, her eyes bulging.

“Yes. She’s been cast out of her kingdom, and...can’t go home. She was forced to flee with nothing. She has no power or money, she’s pretty much in hiding.”

Twilight saw Sunset glare fiercely at her and mouth ‘I hate you’, followed by an obscene adjective.

“Uh-huh.” Applejack pursed her lips and glanced away as she thought the idea over.

Twilight gestured to Rainbow Dash. “That’s why this knight is with us. She’s her bodyguard and the only person she has left.”

“What?” Rainbow Dash whispered.

“Just play along,” Twilight replied.

“It is amoral for a sworn knight to engage in such falsehood.”

“If you weren’t wearing armor I’d elbow you in the hip.”

“Okay,” Applejack said, looking back at them. “Let’s say Ah believe you. Gimme a good reason to let her go.”

Twilight thought for a moment. “Ah, well, we’re here trying to find a magical artifact she could use to take her throne back. If you aid us in finding it, she can return home and claim her rightful crown, and we’d certainly be in your debt.”

“Ten thousand dollars!” Sunset called out. “And the best horse our kingdom has ever raised!”

Applejack looked at her. “That don’t sound like a bad deal at all… but…” She nodded at Rainbow Dash. “You, knight. Swear on her life this is for real.”

“What?” Rainbow stepped back.

“Ah want y’all to swear on yer Princess’ life that if we get this magical doo-hickey she’s after, she’ll pay me ten thousand dollars when she goes home. And, Ah want all my charges cleared, wiped away. Make it happen. Ah don’t care what it takes.”

Twilight put a hand to her forehead. What charges does she even think she’s been accused of? “Done.”

“The knight, swear it on her life.”

“I promise, it’ll happen. So it’s not a lie, right?” Twilight whispered.

Rainbow gave her a dubious look. She looked back at Applejack, knelt, and put a hand across her chest. “I do swear on my Princess’ life and my honor, thou shalt have all thee asks for if you wouldst help us retake her throne.”

Applejack watched her for a moment before she nodded. “Alright then.” She lifted her gun from Sunset’s head.

Sunset stepped away, pulling her arms out and rubbing her shoulders. “Ugh. I smell like manure and inbreeding.”

“That’s on you, not me,” Applejack replied with a snicker. She twirled her revolver and holstered it at her hip. Her spurs jangled as she approached Twilight and Rainbow. “So, where is this magic thing anyway?”

“We’re not sure.” Twilight looked across the auditorium at the crowd of students tied up. “And we need to take care of them, too. Fluttershy!”

The ghost girl came up to Twilight. “Yes?”

“You’re the perfect scout. Check out the upper floors. If you find anything suspicious, come back to us here.”

“Will do!” Fluttershy nodded firmly and ran away. Applejack pulled aside and watched as she passed through the auditorium doors without a sound.

“Well ain’t that somethin’.”

Twilight and Rainbow began untying the students, and Twilight let out a small sigh of relief when Sunset, Trixie, and Applejack came to help without being asked. When she got to Rarity, Twilight helped her to her feet. She glanced at Rarity’s lab coat.

“Paul Friedländer?”

“Yes, my dear,” Rarity replied in a thick German accent. “Zank you zo very, very much for ze rescue. Ze thought of being devoured by zose hideous creatures vas positively dreadful.”

Untying a grey-skinned student in a toga, Sunset rolled her eyes. “Not the only thing dreadful around here.”

With all the students untied, Twilight looked at the unconscious Luna, then to Celestia on-stage under the pile of sandbags. “Rainbow, can you tie the two of them together? Hands and feet, and make sure it’s tight.”

“Of course, O holy one.” Rainbow approached Luna. A couple of other students came with her, ropes in hand, and helped her carry Luna to the stage.

“Can I ask a question?” Trixie said, raising her hand. “Okay, you guys find the cause of this spell - what do you do with it?”

Twilight lifted her eyebrows. “I admit I don’t know.”

“Break it,” Sunset said with a shrug. “Usually works.”

The student in the toga reached up to brush a lock of blonde hair out of her eyes. “How do you normally stop objects causing magical disruption?”

“Who are you, anyway?” Trixie asked.

The girl smiled and gave a small bow. “I am Socrates of Athens. I am pleased to meet you.”

“Normally we just blast it with a rainbow laser,” Twilight replied. “But we can’t do that this time, because it takes all seven of us to form it and we’re one short. Pinkie Pie is a bit busy being an alligator we left tied up in a closet.”

“I see.” ‘Socrates’ gestured a hand. “What other methods may be available?”

“Hm… against Gaea Everfree, we just took her geodes off her and that stripped her of her powers. But this doesn’t seem the same thing. Then Wallflower, Vignette…” Twilight looked at Sunset. “The Time Twirler! Didn’t you say you just smashed it and that destroyed it?”

Sunset held up her hands. “See? I tried to be helpful and you shot me down.”

‘Socrates’ rubbed her chin. “If such a simple, brute method worked on this ‘Time Twirler’, would it stand to reason it could also work for whatever object is causing the trouble now?”

“Ze philosophizer is vight,” Rarity chimed in. “We smash ze object, and perhaps everyzing goes back to normal, yes?”

Applejack nodded. “Sounds as good a plan as any to me.”

“But we don’t know what object is causing this,” Twilight repeated. “It could be a physical object, sure. But it could also just be a spell someone cast that we have to negate. In that case I’d say we strip them of their powers, but how?”

“Then your current course of action ought to be to determine the nature of this magic,” ‘Socrates’ said.

“That’s the plan,” Twilight nodded. “For now, um, Socrates, and… Paul. I want you two to stay here with Rainbow Dash.” Twilight looked at the group of students. “This is going to be our safe haven from the monsters. Barricade all the doors but that one” - she pointed as she spoke - “and we’ll send anyone we find here.”

The students moved to the edges of the room and tables and gym equipment were pulled in front of the various entrances. Twilight looked at Rainbow as she came back. “Rainbow, you stay here.”

“What?” Rainbow put a hand to her chest. “O holy one, have I given cause for offense?”

“No, but someone has to stay here to protect them and I trust you most of all to do it.”

Her expression brightened and Rainbow bowed. “A fair point, O holy one. Not a peasant here shall come to harm under my watch.”

“Sunset, I want you to stay here too.”

“No way.” Sunset shook her head. “I’m not going to stand by while Equestrian magic runs amok in our school. I’m coming.”

Really? “I’m surprised to hear that from you. I didn’t think you cared.”

Sunset scowled and looked away. “I don’t, alright? Just, you know, this is my turf, no one messes with these schmucks but me.”

“Sure.” Twilight smiled. “Okay then, Trixie, Applejack, Sunset, you’re with me. Between the four of us, we should be able to handle ourselves in a fight. Now we just need to wait for Fluttershy to report.”

A loud scream made everyone look up at the ceiling. Fluttershy spun through the air and passed through the ground. A few seconds later she floated back up, blushing. “Um, sorry. I wasn’t sure if I could do that and it surprised me.”

“You dropped through the floor?”

“Yes. It seemed easier than going back to the stairs.” Fluttershy looked up. “The second floor, the music room!” She swallowed. “You… really need to see this, Twilight.”

Twilight threw open the doors to the music room, her friends behind her. Her jaw dropped and she stared.

“Oh my god…”

The music room and everything in it had been hastily repainted black. Black paint was haphazardly splashed on the walls, the chairs, and even the windows. Overtop the black paint were pentagrams, hexagrams, crosses, and various other occult emblems drawn in some sort of thick, dripping red liquid.

She cast her eyes across the room to the small platform for bands to practice on.

Brawly Beats and Ringo were watching her. Brawly was in a tight black tank top with black jeans and spiked wristbands, while Ringo was wearing a black leather jacket with matching pants and chains hanging from his pockets. And standing at a desk behind them was a figure in a long black leather coat with a large silver cross hanging from their neck.

The figure reached up to pull down a pair of round, rose sunglasses and glared. “What the bloody ‘ell is this? You ladies are bustin’ in on our evil ritual and you don’t even knock?”

Twilight’s eyes widened at the voice, familiar in spite of the sudden English accent. “Flash Sentry?”

“You can call me the Prince of Darkness, love.” Flash winked and pulled his sunglasses back up. “But I’m afraid we can’t chat right now, seein’ we’re a bit busy and all.”

Brawly laughed. “We’re going to make an offering of all the souls here to our dark lord!”

“And he’ll grant us power, wealth, and virility!” Ringo cheered.

“Well, maybe you two blokes need that last one but I’m pretty well covered, thank you.” Flash laughed. He shooed his hands towards Twilight. “You ladies need to toddle off for now. We can find a backstage to take you to later. Darkness don’t worship itself, ya know.”

“Bored now,” Sunset said. “Trixie, blast him.”

“With pleasure.” Trixie stuck her wand out over Twilight’s shoulder and fired a magic blast across the room. Flash cried out and ducked, the pink bolt bursting against the wall.

“Are you freakin’ crazy, you bloody trollop? Ya almost hit me!”

“That’s the idea!”

Twilight ran further into the room, grabbed her geode, and held out her hand. Flash cried out as he was levitated into the air. Trixie aimed her wand at him and came up beside Twilight.

Applejack and Sunset approached Brawly and Ringo. The two threw up their hands.

Brawly tilted his head back. “The dark one will bless us yet!”

“We offer our souls for eternal servitude!” Ringo called.

“Shut up,” Sunset snapped. She slammed her fist into Brawly’s chin and he fell backward. Applejack punched Ringo in the gut, then grabbed his jacket as he doubled over and brought him down into her knee. He collapsed to the ground, groaning.

“Hey now, love.” Flash held his hands out as the four approached him, Twilight still levitating him. “No need to get violent now.”

“No need to get violent?” Twilight yelled. “You were performing a Satanic ritual with the walls painted in blood!”

“”Blood?” Flash scrunched his face. “It’s red paint, you damn idiot. D’you think I’m some sort of weirdo?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Satan definitely won’t show up for you three. He’s got too much dignity.”

“Oh, he’s showing up, love.” Flash nodded rapidly. “We all came here, see? The boys and I heard him calling to us, whispering in our heads, so we decided we should heed the call. We was just gonna do a little ritual here to prep our souls and then head out.”

“Wait.” Twilight frowned. “You ‘heard’ him?”

“That’s what I said, didn’t I?”

Twilight lowered her hand and Flash dropped to the ground, his sunglasses falling from his nose. “Hey, watch the specs.” He reached out to grab them, and his hand stilled as Applejack’s boot edged over them, poised to crush. Flash raised his eyes to her and sat back on his heels. “Now, let’s not do anything drastic…”

Twilight knelt down. “What is calling you?”

“The dark lord, like I said. He’s in my head, in all our heads.” Flash tapped the side of his head.

“And what is he saying?”

“Keeps telling us to go to the roof, up on the roof, I’m on the roof, come to the roof.” Flash rocked his head. “Well maybe not in all that many words, but you get the gist.”

“Calling you…” Twilight looked at her friends. “Have you girls been ‘hearing’ anything?”

“Not me,” Trixie said.

“Uh…” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Now that ya mention it, I had been feeling a pull somewhere. Didn’t really pay attention, what with seein’ a Princess and the money and all.”

Sunset shrugged. “I had a nagging feeling I need to go to the roof, but I figured it was just me wanting to get away from you.”

“I’ve been feeling it too,” Fluttershy said. “But, I thought that was just me wanting to hide somewhere.”

Twilight glared at them. “Seriously? None of you felt like mentioning this until now?”

“So you all feel pulled to the roof, too?” Flash asked, pointing between them. “Do you think we’ve got some sort of unholy psychic connection?”

Twilight stood up. “That would explain why the monsters seem to be thinning out, they’re all heading to the roof. Maybe whatever is causing all this magic is drawing them to it.”

“Then…” Fluttershy gulped. “We’re going to the roof?”

“We have no choice. If whatever is calling them is the source of this magic, we need to get to it.”

“How?” Trixie replied. “All the passages up to the roof are locked. Unless we wanna track down some keys.”

“The library,” Sunset said. “The skylight has windows that open on the roof. A couple of them are loose. Undo a few screws and you can squeeze out. Or just break a pane of glass.”

The others stared at her.

Sunset shrugged. “What? I like my private time.”

“Alright, sounds like a plan!” Flash grabbed his glasses and stood up and clapped his hands once. “So, off we go, eh?” He slipped his glasses on and grinned.

The girls turned back to him.

Sunset lifted her eyebrows. “Chair?”

Twilight inhaled. “Fine.”

“Chair what?” Flash looked at Twilight. “What chair?”

A steel folding chair smashed into Flash’s face and he collapsed backward with his arms out, his cracked sunglasses clattering to the floor beside him.

“Did you have to hit him in the face?”

“Yes.”

Chapter 5

The distant sounds of growls, thumps, and general clatter grew louder as Twilight, Fluttershy, Sunset, Applejack, and Trixie approached the doors of the Canterlot High library. A particularly loud bang made Trixie jump.

“Are we sure we want to do this?” she whispered.

“We have no choice,” Twilight said firmly. “Whatever is up on this roof could be the source of this spell, or even the person behind it. We need to investigate.”

“Ah’m ready fer anything.” Applejack drew one of her revolvers and spun the barrel.

Twilight eyed the gun and frowned. “We can’t be sure that shooting them is safe. Do it as an extreme last resort, and only to wound.”

Applejack frowned. “Shootin’ to wound ain’t much mah style.”

“If you want your reward, you’ll learn,” Twilight replied. “We don’t know to what extent our weapons can harm, so we do not kill anything in here. Is that clear?”

“...Fine.” Applejack nodded. “But let’s move fast then so we don’t need to worry about it.”

“Agreed,” Sunset said.

The group reached the doors to the library. Twilight took a breath. “Here we go.”

She pushed the doors to the library open. And stopped in her tracks.

The library was full of monsters. Everything Twilight could imagine was here - vampires, werewolves, mummies, gargoyles, demons, zombies, and various kinds of animals. And, surprisingly enough, they were fighting other costumed students. Wizards, witches, superheroes, and various kinds of military or fantasy warriors were engaged in battle, some with each other as much as the monsters.

Some of the creatures turned to her and began coming at her. A girl in an army uniform holding a rifle looked at them, raised her weapon and fired. The monsters moving toward Twilight shrieked and fell to the ground. As Twilight watched in horror, the creatures twitched and began to stand up.

“Civilians should evac now!” The soldier yelled, firing at the monsters more. “Whatever these things are, conventional weapons have little effect!”

“Good news for me,” Applejack said with a grin.

Twilight shook her head. “Come on, we have to get to the roof!” She ran around the rising monsters and headed for one of the staircases. A boxer punched out a zombie and glanced at Twilight and her friends as they passed. On the stairs, a winged bird woman looked down at them and screeched. A bolt of pink magic from behind Twilight struck its wings and it fell down. The girls stepped over the monster and gathered at the top of the stairs.

Twilight looked around. “Sunset, where’s the roof access?”

“Here!” Sunset led the way through the bookshelves, stepping over an unconscious witch and a vampire laying on the floor. At the end of the shelves the aisle circling the skylight was lined with study tables. Sunset stopped at the closest one and pointed above it. “Someone break these windows!”

“Yes ma’am.” Applejack aimed and fired and the glass shattered. Sunset tore one of her gloves off and bundled it in her other hand to brush the broken glass out of the window frame.

“Watch your step!” She pulled herself into the broken window and tumbled outside. Twilight stepped onto the desk and looked outside. Sunset was just below eye level outside and moved out of the way. Twilight pulled herself through and rolled forward.

The chilly night air briefly made her shiver as she looked around the roof. “See anything?”

“Nope.”

Twilight looked back at the window as Applejack slid through feet first. Beside her, Fluttershy simply walked through the wall. “Now what?”

Twilight thought and snapped her fingers. “You guys still feeling a pull?”

“Uh…” Applejack thought. “Kinda.”

Sunset pointed. “That way!”

In the window, Trixie wiggled her cape through first before pushing her body through, landing on her stomach and grunting. She pushed herself up as the group ran in the direction Sunset pointed and followed.

As they circled around the skylight, Twilight gasped.

On the roof, near the front of the school, was a small book glowing bright pink.

“That must be it!” She called. She looked back at the others.

Sunset nodded as she reached her. “Yup, looks like it.”

Twilight saw her arm move quickly and then felt the wind get knocked out of her. Sunset tore her elbow back and Twilight collapsed to her knees, clutching her stomach.

The others stopped around Twilight as Sunset knelt and picked up the book. “Excuse me, Princess.”

Twilight gaped and inhaled rapidly as she caught her breath. “Sunset?”

Applejack scowled. “What the hell are you doin’?”

“Taking the Equestrian magic.” Sunset laughed lowly, the book’s aura gleaming in her eyes. “With the powers of this book, imagine what I can do in Equestria on Nightmare Night!”

Twilight rolled her eyes as she pushed herself up. “Seriously?”

“Why else do you think I came with you all this way?” Sunset snorted. “You lot are too gullible for your own good.”

Applejack held out her revolver. “You no-good backstabbing varmint!”

“Backstabbing?” Sunset looked at Applejack. “My offer is still on the table. Once I rule Equestria, I can give you anything you want for helping me take my rightful place as Princess.”

Twilight watched as Applejack thought and brought her arm back. “Applejack…”

“A deal’s a deal.” Applejack grabbed her other revolver and turned to point one each at Twilight and Trixie. “I’d throw that wand away if I were you, missy.”

Trixie gasped and clutched her wand to her chest. “Trixie would never throw away her wand! It is her most valued possession, worth more than her life!”

Applejack pulled back the hammer of her revolver. “Is that a fact?”

“No, nevermind.” Trixie tossed the wand away and slid behind Twilight.

“Thank you, Applejack.” Sunset laughed.

There was a loud clatter a distance away and the group turned their heads in its direction. A group of monsters had battered down one of the maintenance doors to the roof and were coming towards them.

“Up there, too!” Fluttershy pointed to the skylight - more monsters were following their lead and smashing windows to climb out.

Twilight glared and looked her way. “Sunset, we don’t have any more time! We need that book to restore all the students!”

“That’s your problem now. I’m going to be going home.” Sunset lifted the book and smirked. “Oh, but don’t think I won’t leave you with a parting gift, Princess. You can be my test subject as I try out my new powers!”

With a triumphant sneer, Sunset flipped the book open and looked down at it, reading.

Her expression fell. “What?”

The other four waited. Sunset rapidly flipped through the book, growing more confused and angry with each page. “Is this a joke?”

“What is it?” Twilight asked.

“So I can prove I am the best, give me the knowledge to pass my chemistry test.” Sunset scoffed. “This garbage isn’t Equestrian magic! It reads like some schmuck’s stage play lines!” She snapped the book shut and looked it over more closely. “This isn’t even a spellbook!”

“What?”

Sunset angrily threw the book away. “I don’t believe it! I’ve wasted my time!”

Twilight ran to the book and picked it up. It was glowing with magic, but other than that it was a normal notebook, not any different from what could be purchased in the school library. She opened it and saw several pages with hand-written spells in pen. Indeed, they were all poor attempts at writing rhyming verses, but some didn’t rhyme properly and others had lines of wildly varying length.

“This isn’t the source of the spell?” Fluttershy asked from behind her.

“One way to be sure.” Twilight gripped her geode and held her hand toward the book. It lit up purple, and with a clench of her hand, the book tore in two. Twilight let it drop to the ground and watched the pink magic in it fade away.

“Nope!” Fluttershy squeaked.

Twilight looked over her shoulder and saw the monster horde still advancing. “No? Then what could it be?”

“I don’t know!” Sunset snapped.

“Ah suggest we come up with ideas,” Applejack muttered, stepping back.

The five girls backed up to the edge of the roof as the horde cut off their escape, slowly shuffling toward them.

Trixie had retrieved her wand and snapped it back and forth, knocking a few of them back. “We need to get out of here, now!”

“And go where?” Sunset asked. “These things will kill us!”

Twilight thought. “No, they won’t… except for Pinkie, they’ve never hurt us unless we confront them. So why are they still coming to us?”

“Who cares?” Trixie cried, firing another shot.

“I care, because we need to figure out how to turn them back!” Twilight yelled. “And if they weren’t after that fake spellbook, then what was drawing them up here?”

“The book did have magic,” Sunset said. “Maybe it’s just not the original source of it.”

“So someone was using it to focus the spell?” Fluttershy asked. “Which means whoever did this is still out there!”

Applejack grunted. “Then let’s get out of here and find ‘em!”

As the girls argued, Twilight’s mind raced. Why are they attacking us? If they were being drawn to the magic, shouldn’t they be going for another source of it? Maybe we’re the source they’re after. Our geodes? But that makes no sense, they’ve never actively attacked us unless we attacked them first. And they didn’t even go for any of us any time we’ve seen them. In fact, the only one I even remember them attacking is…

Twilight raised her head. She looked up at the monsters, barely feet away from her. Except they weren’t coming for her, or even looking at her. They were ignoring her and heading towards something to her left.

“No… it can’t be…”

Fluttershy looked at her. “What is it?”

Twilight turned her head. “Trixie.”

Wand firing, Trixie paused and turned her eyes. “Er, yes?”

“Is there something you’d like to tell us?”

“Um… no?”

“Trixie…”

“Trixie is in just as much danger as the rest of you!” She fired another magic blast at a zombie that reached its hand for her. “She has nothing more to say.”

Twilight reached into her skirt pocket. “Fine then. Don’t say a thing.” Hand emerging and gripping Sunset’s geode, Twilight grabbed Trixie’s wrist.

The geode lit up red and Twilight’s eyes glowed.

Standing on a street corner, Trixie sighed and looked at the handful of coins and a single dollar bill in her top hat. “Better than last time.” She reached to her bag on the table and began to put her magic supplies away.

As she reached for her wand, a wisp of pink light swirled down from the sky and touched the wand, lighting it up. Trixie gasped and grabbed it, looking it over as it hummed with new power.

“Ooo…” Trixie touched a finger to the tip of the wand and grinned.

Twilight snatched her hand back. “TRIXIE!”

“You saw nothing!” Trixie backed away from her. “The spell could be messing with your powers, making you see fake memories!”

Trixie’s wand lit up in a purple aura and was tugged out of her hands. “Hey!”

Twilight looked at the monsters and raised her hand to move the wand into the air. The monsters stopped moving and all looked away from Trixie, eyes locked on the wand. Twilight waved the object around, moving it side to side; the monsters turned their heads in unison to keep watching it.

“She did this?” Sunset asked.

“It’s her wand. It's been infused with Equestrian magic.” Twilight levitated the wand into her hand.

Trixie crossed her arms and tossed her hair. “You can’t prove anything.”

“Yes, I can.” Twilight gripped the wand in both hands and snapped it in two.

A shockwave of pink magic burst out from the point the wand broke, washing over the school. In its wake the monsters on the roof shuddered and collapsed, sparkles falling around them. Pointed and furry ears faded, fangs retracted, rotting and discolored flesh turned to normal.

Twilight watched the wand light up bright pink that quickly faded.

“Whoa…” Behind her, Sunset sat down, holding her head. “Um… did that just happen?”

Fluttershy put a hand on her shoulder and gasped happily. “I’m not a ghost anymore!”

Applejack examined the orange plug in her guns. “Everythin’ back to normal…”

Twilight glared at Trixie and crossed her arms.

“I think we need to go have a chat with Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna.”

“I didn’t think it’d be too bad!” Trixie shrank back in her small chair under the withering gaze of nine sets of eyes. “Trixie willed the spell to make it so no one could hurt anyone or be hurt, and it worked, right?”

“Lucky for you,” Luna grated. “What if someone had been hurt?”

“Trixie could have helped them!” she insisted. “You really have no idea how versatile that wand was once I figured out how to use a spellbook as a focus. It did my homework, it wrote a doctor’s note to get me out of gym, it made me smart enough to pass tests…” Trixie trailed off as she noticed the group glaring. She gulped and huddled deeper into her chair. “Trixie thinks she should stop talking now.”

“That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all night,” Rainbow growled.

Rarity shook her head. “So, your wand was randomly infused with Equestrian magic, and you decided to use it to cheat on your classes before coming up with this huge Halloween prank?”

“I thought it would be fun!” Trixie protested. “I thought we’d all end up like Sunset or Rainbow, you know? We’re all still ourselves but we’re like real vampires and knights and stuff. It’d be cool!” She winced. “Trixie may not have thought things through well enough…”

Applejack snorted. “Ya think?”

“I woke up tied up in a closet with a really bad headache!” Pinkie shouted. “And the only thing I can remember from when I was transformed is the taste of lukewarm pasta and watery sauce! Watery sauce! What kind of caterer-”

Pinkie kept talking as Rainbow put a hand over her mouth.

“But everything’s okay now, right?” Trixie gave a small smile. “I mean, you said no one was really hurt.”

“And everyone made a mess around the school,” Fluttershy said.

“Oh, yeah. That.” Trixie rubbed her neck. “Okay, like I said, maybe I didn’t think this through.” She looked between them. “But, really, I thought it would be fun! And we had fun, didn’t we?” She grinned. “Trixie never thought she’d get to go on an epic magical adventure with you! Even if it was to stop the thing I caused.”

Celestia looked at Twilight and Sunset. “You girls were the one who stopped this. I don’t remember much of it myself. How bad was it?”

The two girls shared a look. Sunset shrugged. “Relatively speaking, is this even the worst thing that’s happened this semester?”

“Not any worse than getting a luxury liner stranded at sea.” Twilight glared over Sunset’s shoulder.

“I said I was sorry about that!” Rainbow protested.

“And she at least tried to make sure no one was in serious danger,” Sunset added.

Twilight nodded. “True… in hindsight, it could have been much worse. And we’ve had much worse.”

Celestia sighed and pinched her nose. “It says something about the state of my career that a student using magic to turn everyone into their costumes is considered a ‘minor’ disruption these days.” She lowered her hand. “Trixie?”

“Yes,” Trixie said meekly.

“Two months detention. And you will redo every homework assignment and test you claim this magic helped you with.”

Trixie nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“And, you are going to clean up every inch of this school, top to bottom.”

Trixie’s jaw dropped. “Alone!?”

“Tomorrow is the weekend, you have the time to spare,” Celestia said. “But you’ll be starting tonight. I’ll call your father and tell him to expect you home by ten. You’ll spend the time until then cleaning.”

Pinkie waved her hand. “Oo, we can help her!”

The others all looked at her.

“What? Isn’t this the part where we all forgive her, hug her, and she’s our friend now and we love her?”

“Speak for yourself,” Applejack muttered.

Trixie pursed her lip and widened her eyes. “Are you really going to abandon Trixie in her darkest hour of need?”

The seven all looked at each other, expressions shifting. Rainbow groaned. “Fine! But I sleep in on Saturdays, so I ain’t getting here until like, lunch time! And maybe after!”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “I guess we could swing by and lend a hand… maybe…”

“Yay!” Trixie jumped up and spread her arms. “It’s like Pinkie Pie said, we’re all friends now! Group hug!”

No one moved.

Trixie pulled her arms back. “Okay, we’re not there yet. Trixie will work on that.”