Twilight Sparkle, dressed in her hoofmade Clover the Clever costume opened the door to Golden Oaks at the behest of excited knocking and giggled at the collection of foals dressed in their various costume. "Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!", the foals shouted. "Alright! Alright!", she chuckled, "Here's one piece of candy for the vampony and one piece for the zompony and one for Frakenpony's monster and one for Nightmare moon!" She chuckled as she closed the door and placed the bowl of candy on the small table by the door.

Spike walked up wearing a knight's costume and reached in the bowl, pulling out a piece of candy. "Looks like we're getting a good crowd tonight.", he said unwrapping the candy and popping it in his mouth. He rolled the candy around on his tongue before reaching back in the bowl and grabbing a clawful of candies. "Looks like the ponies will get a good haul this year."

"Not if you eat it all and leave nothing for anypony else." Twilight said with a chuckle as she levitated the cand out of his clawed hand and dropped it back in the bowl, "Everypony gets one piece of candy, that means you too, Sir Pranceival."

Spike grumbled under his breath before grabbing his treat bag and heading to the door. "I'm heading out to get a might haul!", he called out, reaching for the door.

"Alright, but make sure you have enough for the Ponies of the Roundtable too!", Twilight teased.

As Spike opened the door he was greeted by Applejack in her Tinpony costume, Big Mac in his Pony from the Black Lagoon costume, Rainbow Dash in her Captain Hurricane costume, Pinkie pie in her Ponythulhu costume, Rarity in her Juliet Clopulet costume, Scootaloo in her Rainbow Dash costume, Apple Bloom in her Pony of the Opera costume and Sweetie Belle in her Doctor Pony from Doctor Pony's sing-along. "NIGHTMARE NIGHT! WHAT A FRIGHT! GIVE US SOMETHING SWEET TO BITE!", the tree fillies shouted excitedly, causing all the within earshot to wince in pain and cover their ears.

"What great costumes!", Twilight exclaimed with a chuckle as she dropped candy into the filly's bags.

Pinkie bounced forth and held out a bag in her foreleg. "Gbhhrthhshqthshsgt whhnnntythsdbbg! Nsnhcvnrkkscpp xxzz gbbbgvttrmnbhgggdtsdzzzx! Hhgnnnvhfyyryhtn mmgnnghvt bbfhhhftthrhhnnncbbgs sppkklmnnygtt ttppmmhhggffdfdrrzzzzz!"

All the ponies nearby raised an eyebrow. "Uh...wadja say Pinkie?", Applejack asked.

"She said Nightmare Night. What a fright. Giver her something sweet to bite. But she said it as Ponythulhu.", Maud said stepping up from the shadows.

"Oh!", Twilight said then dropped a piece of candy in Pinkie's bag. "So what are you going as, Maud?", She asked looking over Maud dressed in her usual frock.

"I'm going as a psychopathic killer. They look like everypony else.", Maud replied before giving a slight smile, "Actually I've never dressed up for Nightmare Night."

"Are you doing something for Nightmare Night, darling?", Rarity asked.

"Pinkie has asked me to do the hoof reading tonight. It's an old Pie family tradition dating back to the old country."

"What old country would that be, darling?"

"Qqhhqhggdtnnfnvtthfjjf sttsyhahnncbbcyyrnnjtjkxk hgjbcjbsjcbshjbsdhbsjdbcskjjakhc!"

All the ponies stared at Pinkie in confusion.

"Pinkie said that our family came from the Trotsylvanian Mountains."

"Ooooooh.", all the ponies standing at the door of Golden Oaks, minus Pinkie and Maude, said in unison.

Twilight went to ask Maud something when there was a blue flash of light and a scroll materialized above her head. She caught it in her magic before it hit the floor, rolling it over in her magic, she saw the crescent seal of Luna and opened it. "It looks like Luna can't join us this year.", she said with a frown, "She says that there is an outbreak of parasprites in Mareatonia that needs her intervention."

"Aww!", the CMCs exclaimed.
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As the night wore on, ponies had spread out across Ponyville. Rainbow had gathered up some fog and changed her costume a boiler suit, hockey mask and rubber machete to look like the horror movie slasher, Ponehese. She cackled softly to herself as she directed the fog bank, in preparation to prank some ponies. "Ki ki ki mi mi mi shu shu shu!", she whispered sneaking up on a lone pony, as she used her pegasus magic to make the air go still and the fog to spread out. This is going to be hilarious! She walked in a jerky manner seeing a lone pony walking.

Rainbow dispersed the fog and jumped out, preparing to scare the pony. Suddenly the pony turned to face her, wearing its own boiler suit, a mask over its face looking like it was made from pieces of pony hide and holding a revving chainsaw in its hooves. Her eyes became pinprick as the pony reared up in its hind legs and waved the revving chainsaw over its head. "Aaaaaahhhhhhh! Leathermuzzle!", Rainbow shouted before running off.

Pinkie fell over laughing, rolling on the ground as she pulled off the Leathermuzzle mask off her head.

"You an' Dash are somethin' else, ya know that?", Applejack said.

Pinkie quickly sprung back to her feet and slipped the Leathermuzzle mask back on her head. "Be careful or Leathermuzzle will carve you up with her chainsaw and wear your face as a bib.", she said in a scary voice. She then slunk off looking to prank Rainbow again.
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In town square, Maud sat in the tent preparing to read pony's hooves while wearing a large gray turban with several strings of pearls and a large jewel hanging from it.

"Go on darling.", Rarity said nudging Twilight, "I have a feeling that your fortune will hold for you...", he tone took on a mysterious waver, "...a tall, dark and mysterious stranger."

"I don't know, Rarity.", Twilight waffled, "I never really believed in fortune telling."

"Nopony does, darling. It's all just for fun.", Rarity said nudging Twilight again.

"Mac, why doncha go first an' show Twi that it's all in good fun.", AJ said bumping her brother in the side.

"Eeyup!", Big Mac said as he pulled the Pony from the Black Lagoon mask off. Trotting in the tent, he saw Maud sitting with her back turned and adjusting the turban on her head.

"Welcome to Madame Maud's fortune telling. Would you like your hoof read?"

Big Mac raised an eyebrow and looked around the tent for a bucket of paint.

"I won't pull such an easy prank.", Maud said in her usual deadpan, to which Big Mac blew out a sigh. "Place your hoof on the table and we can begin."

Big Mac complied and placed his hoof on the table, frog facing up. Maud took his massive hoof in both of her forehooves and began looking it over. Her eyes went wide as her normally stoic expression broke, being replaced by one of fear and shock. "Big Mac!", she exclaimed in a wavering whisper, "You have the mark of the pentagram on your hoof!"

"Eh, what does that mean?"

Maud locked eyes with the massive stallion, her body trembling slightly and her face a mask of fright. "The curse of the timberwolf has chosen you!" Dropping his hoof, she scrambled over to a wooden crate in the corner and kicked the top off. The gray mare fumbled around inside the crate before pulling out a black-lacquered walking cane with a stylized silver timberwolf's head. She placed the cane between her teeth and walked back over to the table, dropping it in the stallion's grip. "This is lunar silver. If you see the timberwolf, do not hesitate, strike it with this until it is dead. And don't let it bite you!"

Big Mac felt a bit confused, nothing ever rattled Maud, she was always calm, cool and collected, even when that disastrous obstacle course nearly killed her sister. Pushing the cane away, he said, "Ah thankee kindly, but Ah dun think Ah c'n..."

Maud pressed her hoof gently to the eldest Apple sibling's lips, cutting him off. "Take the cane, it will help keep you safe. If you see nothing after the full moon passes, you can give it back to me then."

Grabbing the cane in his hoof, Big placed it on his back. "Evenin' Maud." He turned and walked out of the tent.

Maud walked to the tent flap and hung a sign from it that read "be back in fifteen minutes."

As Big Mac walked up to his sisters and their friends, Rarity spoke up, noticing the unsettled look on his face, "What's the matter, darling?"

"Uh...it was weird. Maud got ll freaked out an' scared, sayin' that some sorta curse had chosen me."

"She was probably just getting to the Nightmare Night festivities, right?", Twilight said nervously.

"Uh, Twi...when have ya ever known Maud to act scared?", Applejack asked, "E'en when Pinkie was nearly crushed by that boulder from that crazy-flank obstacle course she made, Maud's face never changed once. If'n somethin's got her shook, it's gotta be bad."

Rarity levitated the cane off Mac's back and studied it with her practiced eye. "Well if nothing else darling, you've got this exquisite antique walking cane."

Twilight walked over and looked the cane over, noting the maker's marks on it. "I'll say this is an antique. These marks on the silver date back nearly eight hundred years ago, to the time of Vlad the trampler."

"Are you sure darling?", Rarity asked, looking closer at the markings on the silver head of the cane, "I thought he was a myth."

"Oh no, he was very real and was a very paranoid and violent dictator that lived in the Trotsylvanian Mountains of Canterpathia.", Twilight stated matter-of-factly.

Big Mac cleared his throat, getting the attention of the two mares. "Oh, right, Sorry Big Mac.", Rarity apologized and levitated the cane back onto his back.
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Having shed her costume, Rainbow Dash grumbled to herself that Pinkie had pranked her three times tonight. Said pink mare had walked over to the cyan pegasus, having shed her own costume, draping a foreleg across her friend's withers and chirped happily, "Don't worry Dashie, there's always next year!"

Rainbow begrudgingly in her mind agreed. "Say Pinkie, where did you get that chainsaw from?"

"I borrowed it from Fluttershy a couple of days ago!"

The two mares walked along the road that led past Whitetail Woods, sharing laughs. Pinkie froze dead still in her tracks as her Pinkie sense started twitching.

"Pinkie?", Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow, "What the mmfmmfmf..."

"Shh! There' something out there in the woods!", Pinkie whispered.

Rainbow wiggled her muzzle free from Pinkie's grasp and was about to scold her friend's attempt at pranking her, when she noticed the pink mare's eyes with fright and her ears pivoting around. She in turn began pivoting her ears, only hearing on their breaths, suddenly she heard some disturbing sounds...low growling and the crunching of bones. The clouds that had covered the moon parted, bathing the countryside in soft silvery light and revealing a massive timberwolf tearing away at a body.

Rainbow gave a loud gasp, that seemed to echo in the stillness of the night. A wooden perked up and the timberwolf looked up from its prey with eyes glowing in a hateful red. The creature locked its gaze on the two terrified mares and licked a bark-covered tongue across its lips dripping with fresh blood and ichor. The wooden monster turned to face its new prey and let out a low growl before springing forward in a loping run.

The two mares let out a terrified shriek before running away. Pinkie was able to match Rainbow's speed, who was flapping as hard as her wings could carry her. If Rainbow had had the presence of mind to ask, she would have asked Pinkie how Pinkie was able to keep up with her. Legs pumping hard and breath coming in gasps from a combination of terror and exertion, Pinkie didn't notice the tree root sticking up from the ground, her hoof snagged it and in a staggering run, she tumbled headlong on the ground. "Pinkie!", Rainbow shouted and quickly swooped over to snatch her friend up from the ground. Cyan hooves snatched the pink earth pony off the ground and took off in a blur, a split second later the timberwolf clamped down on the dirt where its prey had once been.

Big Mac, Applejack and Apple Bloom were walking on the rod that lead back to Sweet Apple Acres. "Choo haff a koog nikt?", the yellow filly said around a mouthful of candy. "Dun speak with yer mouth full.", the orange mare scolded her little sister. Apple Bloom quickly chewed up the candy in her mouh, swallowed and asked again, "Did you too have a good night too?" The two elder Apple siblings laughed as they replied simultaneously, "Eeyup!"

Apple Bloom reached into her bag to fish out some more candy and Applejack took the bag from her. "Ah think y'all've had enough candy fer tuhnight." Apple Bloom tried to snatch her candy bag from her sister, who in turn flipped it up onto her back. "Hey! Give it back!" "Eh-nope!" Apple Bloom gave her sister the stink eye. "If'n Granny were out with us yuhnight, she'd let me have all Ah wanted." "Oh really?", Applejack said giving her little sister a scowl, "Ah 'member last year when Granny took yer candy bag sayin' th' same thing an' ya said 'that if'n Ah were out here with you, Ah'd eat ya eat it all'. 'Sides ya got school tumarrah." "Oh horseapples!" "Applebloom! Ya watch yer tongue lil missy or Ah'll tan yer flanks." Applebloom stuck her tongue out at her sister and blew a raspberry. "Is this watching my tongue good enough fer ya?!"

"Alright you two!", Big Mac scolded as he interjected himself between his two sisters, "You two cut it out!" As Apple Bloom laid ger ears back and hung her head low after being scolded and Applejack held her head high in victory, Big Mac reached his hoof into the bag of cand and pulled out one piece. "Ah dun see no problem with ya havin' jus' one more piece...right after Ah eat this'un." He unwrapped the piece of candy and popped it in his mouth, then tossed a piece to his baby sister.

Applejack bumped her brother. "An' that's why she dun wanna listen tuh me half th time." The three Apple siblings began jostling each other while laughing. "C'mere!", Applejack exclaimed as she put her sister in a headlock and gave her a noogie. "Both o' you c'mere!", Big Mac exclaimed as he put both his sister in headlocks and started pushing their snouts together, "Kiss!"

The two Apple sisters wiggled out of their big brother's headlock, knowing that if he wanted to hold them there, then Celestia herself couldn't have pried his forelegs loos and wiped their hooves across their lips while sputtering. "Alright mister, ya done gone an' brought this on yer own head!", Applejack half shouted/half giggled as she put him in a full nelson, "Apple Bloom! Work th' ribs!" "No no no!", Big Mac begged as his baby sister began tickling his ribs.

A cyan and pink blur flew by, causing the three siblings stop what they were doing. "Timberwolf!", a familiar sandy, raspy voice shouted. A few seconds later a menacing growl from the darkness came, followed by a pair of red glowing eyes.

Without even thinking Applejack grabbed Apple Bloom up by the scruff of her neck with her mouth and tossed her on her back. Big Mac took up a defensive stance as his two sister took off, leaving the bag of candy laying on the ground in their wake.

The timberwolf started to lope after the orange mare with the yellow filly on her back, Big Mac lunged forward, throwing his weight into the wooden monster and flipped it over his body. As the beast scrambled back up to its feet, Big Mac snorted as he pawed the ground with a hoof. As the timberwolf pounced, he turned bucking his powerful hind legs into the creature. Instead of shattering, the wooden wolf sailed backwards and a shock wave ran up Macintosh's body as if he just kicked the mightiest tree in the whole of the Everfree.

The timberwolf landed hard on the ground with a loud crunch and quickly rolled up to its feet. In the second that the wooden monster was rising up to its feet, Big Mac mused why it was acting differently than other timberwolves and why was it attacking alone rather than with a pack, he didn't have time to further pursue that line of thought as the monster began a loping charge. Rearing up on his hind legs, the earth pony stallion slammed a hard and powerful hoof into the wooden predator's eye. With a surprised yip, the wooden monstrosity staggered away and Big Mac charged forward, lowering his head in a charge. The red stallion slammed his immense bulk into the wooden abomination, sending it tumbling away.

As the timberwolf tumbled on the ground, Big Mac turned to run away, trying to put as much space between the creature as he could. As the timberwolf struggled back up to its feet, rage and the desire to kill overpowered any predatory instincts that would have told it to find easier prey. The timberwolf set out in a loping charge after the red stallion. As it pounced, Big Mac dove to the left to avoid the snapping jaws, but was a little too slow.

Big Mac cried out in pain as powerful jaws clamped down on his leg and sharp wooden teeth sank into his flesh. The timberwolf shook its head in an attempt to rip the limb off. Summoning up all the strength her could, Big Mac kicked backwards with his free leg, digging a hoof onto the monster's eye with enough force to make a loud crack.

Big Mac sailed through the air as the timberwolf released its hold on his hind leg. All the air rushed out through his lungs as he impacted on the ground. The stallion drug himself to his hooves, ignoring his spasming and burning lungs. Out of the corner of his eye Big Mac could have sworn he saw the timberwolf give a perverse smile as it licked the blood from its lips with its bark-covered tongues.

Limping, Big Mac circled to his tight to keep the monster in front of him and keep it off balance. The timberwolf loped forward and pounced, the red pony rolled on the ground to avoid its snapping jaws. Big Mac rose back to his hooves and planted his three good legs under him. As the monster leapt through the air again and Macintosh ducked to the side, avoiding the creature's bulk. As he turned to put the predator in front of him again, a glint of metal in the moonlight caught his attention for a split second.

As the timberwolf started charging again, Big Mac snatched up the metallic object in his hoof to better defend himself. Instantly he recognized it as the walking cane Maud had given him. Without hesitation, Big Mac swung the head of the cane at the charging wooden apex predator. The monster bayed in pain as the silver wolf-shaped head impacted its cheek and it thrashed about on the ground in pain for a second before regaining its footing and rising up, wiping a wooden paw across its face trying to wipe the pain away.

Big Mac stared stunned as the timberwolf howled in pain before rising to its feet, he further gaped at the visible crack in the wooden wolf's cheek with a wisp of smoke curling up from it. The timberwolf circled Big Mac, as the stallion circled as well to keep the vicious predator in front of him. As the magical beast stared at the pony, a single coherent thought bubbled up in its brain 'I can die.'. The thought was quickly subsumed by rage and the desire to kill.

As the timberwolf charged again, Big Mac raised the cane above his head and brought it down on the monster's head with a shout, the timberwolf slumped to the ground. Big Mac didn't take any chances and continued to bring the head of the walking cane down over and over again until it broke, sending the silver head sailing through the dark night air.

With his tongue hanging out his mouth and panting in exhaustion, Big Mac backed up several paces, keeping his eyes on the creature. His eyes flew open in shock as the timberwolf began shrinking, soon to be replaced by his colthood friend, Talbot. Talbot's vision slowly faded as he saw his old friend staring in disbelief at him, he tried to speak to thank Big Mac, only to find that his strength failed him. The world faded away into darkness for Talbot, only to be replaced by a sun soaked wide open verdant field with Bright Star, the unicorn mare beckoning to him. Talbot found his strength returned to him as he sprung off into the sunlit field after his fiance.

Big Mac stared in horror as the last breath slowly escaped his colthood friend's body and he slumped lifelessly on the ground, wounds from the fight opening up in his body. The world spun around Big Mac from a combination of confusion and his injuries. He felt his eyes roll up in his head and the world vanished into nothingness.

Dreams of the full moon, teeth and blood played through Big Mac's mind, he snapped awake in a room shouting in fright as sunlight poured in through window. Applejack, who was sitting in a corner sleeping, awoke at her brother's shouting with a snort. Big Mac quickly snapped his head around trying to figure out where he was, soon the fog in his head cleared as the smell of antiseptic filled his nostrils, he realized he was in a hospital and he saw his sister walking to him with misty eyes.

Applejack pulled Big Mac in a tight hug. "Good to see yer awake.", she said after a few sniffles. Big Mac wrapped wrapped his forelegs around his sister, hugging her back. After they parted from the hug, she slugged him in the shoulder, "That's fer tryin' tuh fight a timberwolf on yer own." She pulled him back into the hug as her voice cracked, "When Mr. Cake came by the farmhouse last night an' said ya were in th' hospital, Ah assumed th' worst." She began to tremble as tears began to pour forth.

Big Mac wrapped his forelegs around his sister again and gently cradled her head against his shoulder. "It's okay AJ, jus' let it all out." The door opened drawing hiss attention, revealing Apple Bloom and Granny Smith.

"BIG MAC!", Apple Bloom shouted as she sprinted into the room and did a flying leap into the hospital bed with her older sister and brother, hugging him tight while planting kisses on his cheeks.

Big Mac grunted in pain as his baby sister landed on him. "Apple Bloom! My ribs!" Apple Bloom laid her ears flat and slid off the bed, "Ah-Ah'm sorry. Ah was so scared that ya were badly hurt an' jus' so excited that ya were okay."

Big Mac gently pushed Applejack away and mussed up the bright red mane of Apple Bloom. "S'ok sis, jus' a lil banged up is all."

Granny Smith hobbled in the room and hugged her grandson. "Jus' soes ya know, this dun excuse you from doin' yer chores none. Caint have one o' my gan'babies thinkin' theys can get a lazy like on me or else all three will be actin' all lazy like.", she said with a cackle parting from the hug.

"Eh-nope!", Big Mac said with a half chuckle, "Caint have me all actin' all lazy like none, or else AJ here'll think she c'n get away with bein' lazy." Applejack playfully slugged her brother in the shoulder, then the whole Apple clan shared a big hug.

At the door the doctor cleared his throat, interrupting the Apple group hug. "I'm sorry for interrupting this tender moment, but I need to inspect Big Mac's injuries."

The three Apple mares nodded quietly and walked out the room, Granny pausing to give the doctor the "I'm watching you" gesture.

The doctor and Big Mac shared an awkward chuckle as he closed the door. "You're lucky to have such a caring family.", the doctor said. Too whit Big Mac replied, "Eeyup!" The doctor pulled off the covers to better inspect Big Mac's injuries. "Hmm...", he said as he poked around the bite marks on Big Mac's leg, "...everything is looking good so far and you should be out of here in a couple of days."

Big Mac blew out a sigh of relief as the doctor continued, "Now when you get out of here, I want you to take it easy for a few weeks so you can heal properly." "Yup!", Big Mac replied.
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It had been weeks since Big Mac got out of the hospital, though his bruised ribs had healed, the wounds on his leg was still healing and it itched like crazy. Walking out on the farm in the crisp morning air, he began working on the light chores that Granny had put him on, if pulling weeds in her gardens, stacking bails of hay, repairing buckets and loading apples in crates or the juicer could qualify as "light". After breaking for lunch, he set out to feed the chickens and pigs.

Walking over to the coup, he began calling, "Here chick-chick-chick!" The chickens his behind the hen house, clucking nervously as they peeked around the corner at him, which he took as chickens being chickens.

That night as Big Mac laid in his bed trying to sleep, sweat drenched his body. "There should be no reason I'm sweatin up a storm.", he muttered to himself as he got up from bed, "Winter starts in a couple o' weeks." Walking over to the window, he opened it to let some air in and laid back down.

Big Mac dreamt that he was running through a red-tinted world, his sense were heightened as he felt the wind fill his lungs. In his dream, he leapt at a hen house and the chickens gave frightened, shrieking clucks. The hot taste of iron filled his mouth and ran down his throat. His continued with him bounding into a wooded area and began chasing a deer, the desire to kill was overwhelming. He tasted the hot splash of iron in his mouth and the loud crunching of bones.

A beam of sunlight struck Big Mac square in the eye, waking hi from his disturbed slumber. Stretching, he smacked his lips, tasting the taste of iron on his lips. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes and looked around. He wasn't in his room, or even on the farm, he was in the woods and the half eaten body of a deer was nearby. "Huh? What? Where am I?" He staggered away until he made his way back to the farm, where he heard Applejack calling for him.

"Big Mac?! Where didja go?", AJ asked.

"Ah..uh...Ah dunno. Ah think I was sleepwalkin' last night."

Author's Note

I would have had this out about three days sooner, but I accidentally closed the window, losing nearly three thousand words.

Thank you all for reading and I hope you all enjoy.

Please feel free to leave a comment, criticism, throw shade or pure bane.