"Ah, Nightmare Night, Nightmare Night, everything around frightens us!" Shining Armor sang softly to himself as he balanced on the top step of the ladder and hung bats and spiders on the gate of the mansion. When he had finished with them, the stallion deftly jumped down and headed for the garage, where he had prepared zombie mannequins, which stood in horrifying poses with their mouths wide open.

"Damn, I guess this one was too close to the furnace," the unicorn said thoughtfully, noticing that one of them had part of his torso and face slightly melted. "Oh, it's better that way. He was a mutant zombie".

He picked up a few of the mannequins with his telekinesis and began arranging them in the courtyard, among the plastic tombstones and toy skeletons.

"Perfect," he said, finally dragging the pretty little filly dressed in a country dress to the wide gate, then thrusting an axe into her back. "There we go. Now all he had to do was add blood, and the image would be complete."

He went back to the house with a small bottle of ketchup, and began pouring it liberally over the axe blade and the poor plastic pony, which he intended to represent the victim of a psychopath in a hockey mask, who was standing nearby.

"It's brilliant," the unicorn said in a satisfied voice, shaking off his fur and examining the results of his labors.

His yard was an intimidating backdrop for a horror movie, with moss-covered grave markers and skeletons everywhere, and a hacksaw and gray-painted boards that he used to make a mausoleum out of a pergola, the black cloak-clad Countess Bloody Hoof looked out from the door, whose razor-sharp fangs dripped bright red blood (or rather, ketchup, but this time chili).

"Yes, Countess, your creepy smile is sure to frighten someone tonight," he said with a grin, turning to the toy mare, and then he went out the gate to admire the evening street, where the little foals, dressed in scary costumes, were already beginning to walk. In small groups, they walked around the houses, begging the adults for candy, which was a long-standing tradition of this wonderful holiday that Shining Armor loved so much.

"Eh, happy little ones. Too bad I can't go with you anymore," he said, remembering his childhood, when he first went out dressed as a black knight and filled his bag with candy in just a few hours.

"That was a good time," Shining sighed, stealthily brushing away a tiny tear with his hoof and remaining silent for a moment. "But that's all right," he said cheerfully after a few minutes. "I'm an adult now. And with my yard decorating skills and the pile of candy Cadence got, I can give these folks the best party of their lives."

Then he noticed a pony he knew approaching their house, dressed in a black witch costume with a pointy hat and green striped stockings.

"Hey, sweetheart, how was your candy shopping trip? Did you get everything we needed?" The stallion smiled.

"Of course, a lot of treats," Cadence said, showing him the bags, packed to the brim with bags of sweets, that dangled from her telekinetic grip. "I also stopped by Aunt Tia's place. She's throwing a big party tonight and is inviting us all to the palace."

"So we'll have something to do after the Creepiest Yard Contest," the unicorn said approvingly.

"A contest? Oh, that's right, I forgot you were entering."

She peered into the yard.

"I must say you've done a marvelous job. Our lawn is beautiful. You did a great job decorating it."

"Oh, thank you. I don't mean to brag, but it's my best work," he said cheerfully, tilting the spider on the gate slightly to the side. "I like to keep the festive traditions of Nightmare Nights alive and happy for the little foals. This is more than can be said for our neighbors. Too many ponies these days don't turn on the lights on their doorstep and pretend they're not home."

He glanced at the neighbor's house which, unlike his backyard, had no decorations around it and all its windows were tightly shuttered with shutters and blinds.

"Ignoramus!" He shouted indignantly to the stallion who had come out on the porch, who then ducked back into his house in panic. "How can you not love a holiday where you're allowed to eat sweets and not think about your blood sugar levels at all?!"

"Hee-hee, yeah. I know how much you love sweets," Alicorn snorted, taking out a candy bar, removing the wrapper and shoving it into her husband's mouth.

"Yes, I do," he smiled, munching on it with pleasure.

Cadence, meanwhile, glanced around his decorative cemetery and looked at the plastic cats sitting at the top of the hedge.

"By the way, I don't mean to pick on you, but I think you went a little wrong," she said. "The old saying says there ought to be thirteen black cats, and you have fourteen."

"Really? It can't be!" He turned his head up in surprise. "I thought I had got exactly thirteen. Well, that's all right, I'll just take one out."

He used his telekinesis to lift the ladder, set it on the fence, and went up to take down the nearest cat. He reached for the cat, but as he did so, the cat suddenly sprang to life and hissed, jumping down as quickly as it could, frightening the unicorn.

"Whoa! You filthy tuna eater!" He exclaimed, struggling to keep his balance.

"What is it? Are you alright, dear?" Cadence asked him.

"I'm fine, it's just one of the figurine almost scratched my nose," he grinned nervously as he hurried down the ladder.

"Oh, I see. She must have hated your decision to separate her from her friends," the princess smiled.

"Yes, maybe you're right," the stallion nodded as he removed the ladder. "Well, I guess we're all set for the Creepiest Yard Contest now," he added as he looked around again. He gathered his tools around the yard and began putting them into a big cart.

"You bet. I'm sure the judges will give you a blue ribbon as soon as they see all those creepy skeletons and blood-covered zombies," Alicorn agreed, giving one of the dummies a gentle nudge with her hoof. "But before that, we have other things to do. We have to get ready to meet the foals: put candy in bowls, light pumpkin lanterns, and you still have to go get dressed. You're not going to greet the foals in a carpenter's outfit, are you?"

She glanced critically at his work apron, which had screwdrivers and paintbrushes sticking out of it.

"No, darling. My costume is ready and waiting for me in my room. I'll go and change right away," said Shining.

"All right, I'll make some holiday marshmallows in the shape of eyeballs," Cadence nodded as she headed toward the house.

"M-m-m, eyeball marshmallows," the unicorn said dreamily, about to follow her, when one of the branches of the hedge rustled.

"Huh?" With a twitch of his ear, Shining Armor said, stepping closer and examining her carefully.

"Are you coming, dear?" Cadence asked.

"Yes, sure," he said, glancing a little at the hedge. "Apparently another cat decided to climb my figurines."

He looked up.

"Oh, I hope it won't throw them down. They're so fragile."

Nervous of his hard work being ruined, he turned away from the hedge and went into the house.

"Hey, hubby, how are you doing? Are the holiday decorations in order?" Chrysalis, who was standing in the hallway looking at herself in the mirror, asked when she saw him.

"Oh, yes, I'm a virtuoso when it comes to decorations on Nightmare Night," the stallion replied, drawing her closer and kissing her on the cheek. "What about your costume?"

"I still can't decide who I should be," the queen replied, stepping back. She stomped her hoof and turned into a moldy mummy in a blaze of flame. "Something classic, perhaps?"

"I don't know," the unicorn said with a shake of his head. "You can't scare anyone with that nowadays. The foals these days are getting too picky."

"I see. What about this one?" She asked, stomping her hoof again as she turned into a chained ghost so realistic that her body was see-through and she began to float above the floor.

"That's better, but no one will see your slender figure like that," Shining replied.

"Yes, you're right. I need something bold and unusual. Something to bring out my creative side, and my natural beauty."

She stomped once again, and once again assumed a new form. She reminded Shining of an abstract art piece, with angular body parts colored in wild, almost garish colors.

"Yikes! That's creepy," Shining remarked, backing away from her. "It scares even me. And I'm not exactly the easily scared sort."

"Yeah, I could give someone a heart attack. But then what should I be?"

She tapped a triangular hoof on the chin.

"Oh! Why not?"

With another flash of greenish flame, Chrysalis's body was covered in long chitinous growths, her tail extended forward, and a sharp sting appeared at the end of it. What was the Queen's biggest change, though, was her head. It had grown much larger, and behind it grew horns that were connected by translucent leathery membranes.

"Whoa! You decided to become an alien from a sci-fi movie?" The stallion whistled, finding her appearance rather exotic.

"Not just an alien, but an alien queen," she hissed with a playful wink. "We have so much in common, after all. She's just as indomitable and powerful and strong."

"And she looks as good in black as you do," Shining added. "And those antlers and chitin underline your sexiness."

"Do they? You like predatory aliens with acid instead of blood?" Chrysalis grinned, wrapping her tail around his body and pulling him closer.

"So, maybe we should make this fantasy come true?" She whispered in his ear with her tiny fang mouth. "You would be the brave spaceman who wants to stop me from destroying the space station, and I would be the wild and unbridled alien queen who wants to be impregnated."

"Actually, it was a little different in the movie," the flushed stallion told her.

"It's just details," the changeling brushed her off. "Well, what do you say, hubby? Shall we go to bed?"

"Well, uh," Shining said uncertainly.

"What is it, big boy? We've been married to you for a few months now, and you don't usually put up much of a fight."

"Yes, that's true, but let's save our caresses for later," he answered embarrassedly, covering the right eye where his wife's saliva had dripped. "I have to go upstairs and get ready for the foals."

"Oh, that's right," she nodded, untying her tail and setting the Shining in place. "I'd forgotten it was the night the ponies were supposed to hand out candy to the little ones. And foals are sacred. In that case, go, hubby. I can't wait to see your nightmare night suit."

"Of course, darling. I'm sure you'll love it," the unicorn told her, giving her a quick kiss, before running swiftly up the stairs.

***

"All right, ladies, get ready! You are about to see the most stylish and charming stallion in the world!" Shining Armor said after a few minutes, as he descended one of the railings to the first floor and landed directly in front of his wives. He wore a pair of worn white pantaloons and pajamas of the same color with suspenders thrown over them. A black bowler on his head completed the look.

"Ta-da!" he added loudly, holding up a curved oak cane he had in his telekinesis. "Well? What do you think?"

"Very original. You look wonderful, darling. But… who are you?" said Cadence thoughtfully, peering into the stallion's right eye, the lashes slightly touched up with mascara.

"I have a guess," Chrysalis smiled. "Nice costume of Alexius Discordius, Shiny. Pretty brave of you to dress up for Nightmare Night as the Clockwork Tangerine character."

"Thank you. I've wanted to pretend to be him for a long time, back when I was in junior high, but my mom wouldn't let me. But I'm an adult now, so no one will stop me from wreaking havoc and confusion in our perfect society anymore," the stallion said mockingly, shifting his bowler slightly sideways."

"Hee-hee, yeah. Just don't start ripping the bracelets off the legs of well-to-do ponies when we go to the palace party," the changeling chuckled.

"Don't worry, baby. Since my motives are selfless, I won't hurt these sissies," Shining smiled slyly. "Unless, of course, the chaos in my soul demands it."

The bell rang.

"Oh, here come the first foals! Sorry, darlings, but it's my time. Time to start handing out candy," he said, and picked up a bowl of candy from the table and headed for the door.

"Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to eat!" Said a small group of foals dressed in costumes of a witch, a sinister clown, a ghost, and a blue hedgehog in red sneakers.

"Greetings, little ones! Look at the scary costumes you're wearing!" Shining said in a loud voice as he stared at the foals. "I am horrified! You'll be handsomely rewarded with these very tasty and very sweet bonbons," he added with a grimace before he placed two bonbons round the necks of each little one.

The foals laughed merrily, thanking the unicorn for the treats and walking toward the next house, discussing the zombies in the yard and poking at them with interest.

"Happy Nightmare Night!" Shining waved to them.

"Oh, how sweet he is," Cadence whispered, watching him.

"He's so thoughtful. Our Shiny is going to be the best dad ever," said Chrysalis.

"By the way, do you think we should talk to him about it? While he's in a good mood?" Princess asked.

"Perhaps. But let's postpone it until after the party. Let him rest and have a little fun first," the queen answered.

"And a few drinks," the alicorn winked.

"Well, that goes without saying. Then we'll go after him, and when he least expects it, we'll put him in a vice and talk of foals. I'm sure he won't be able to refuse us."

"You've read my mind. Well, okay, in that case, we'll wait until the party," Cadence said conspiratorially, tapping her hoof.

***

"And the grand prize goes to..." the unicorn who was the judge in the contest for the creepiest courtyard said in a loud voice. She had already spent an hour walking through the contestants' yards and looking at their decorations, and now, having climbed onto the platform, she turned to the contestants gathered beside her, who were eagerly awaiting her verdict.

"Please, please," Shining said, folding his forelegs crosswise.

"Shining Armor's courtyard, with its zombie cemetery composition!" She finished after a dramatic pause.

"Hooray! I won! I won! Yes! I knew I would win for sure!" shouted the unicorn, hugging his wives with joy, then ran up to the platform and stood next to the judge.

"Big deal. It was just a cemetery. What do you know? My yard is much scarier," grumbled his neighbor, who was standing below and watching the blue ribbon being handed to Shining. "How can some pathetic zombie be compared to my disgusting changelings?"

And, with a contemptuous puff of his chin, he walked away proudly.

"Disgusting changeling? Listen here, unshaven, bald, racist!" Chrysalis hissed in displeasure as she pointed her tongue at him behind her back.

"Ay, never mind, Chrissy. He's just a pompous Canterlot snob," Shining said from the podium, giving her a hug.

"Exactly, forget him," said Cadence. "He's no one to judge a changeling's otherworldly beauty."

And as she said that, she kissed the queen gently on the cheek.

"Oh, my darlings, you always know how to comfort me," chuckled Chrysalis.

"Besides, we have better things to do than sulk at some boor," Shining Armor said, rubbing his hooves. "Now that the contest is over, we can go to the party at the palace."

"Oh yes. Aunt Tia's party must be in full swing by now, and we'd better not be late for it," said the princess as she glanced at the watch on her hoof.

"I agree, my love," the stallion said cheerfully, stepping into the center between Cadence and Chrysalis.

"Well, girls, let's go have some fun. Let's show these high society rich pony how the anarchic-minded draconics and their girlfriends have fun."

"Of course, my dear Lord of Chaos," the queen said, taking him under her leg and the three of them walking down the street toward the royal palace, past the many cottages and mansions whose courtyards were lit with inviting lights and tipsy voices. It was well past midnight and all the little ones had gone to bed, which meant that it was time for the adults to indulge in erotic fantasies with their friends and family without disturbance.

After passing a few blocks, they came to the gate of the castle, which was guarded by guards dressed in holiday costumes of timberwolves and, passing through the yard, came close to the ballroom, where loud music thundered and in the windows you could see dancing ponies.

"Hey! We're here! Open up!" Cadence knocked.

The servants on guard duty at the other end opened the doors and the couple entered a darkened hall. The windows of which were draped with tattered terrycloth curtains, and the refreshment tables resembling cracked sarcophagi and coffins, surrounded by apple and water containers and enchanted pumpkins. They grinned wickedly at their visitors, and whenever anyone passed them, they turned toward them and opened their mouths menacingly, snapping their triangular teeth. But the main attraction was the luminous cocoons, like those of the changelings. Suspended from the ceiling, they spun in a circle like a disco ball and created miniature shadows in the shape of various monsters and skeletons on the floor and walls.

"How original," grimly said Chrysalis, looking at them.

"Yeah! What a party! It's really something to see!" Cadence added cocking her head to the top as she watched two drunken pegasi mares dressed as cockatrices chasing each other with sauces." Wow! I never would have guessed that the finance minister and the agricultural advisor could be so gregarious."

"You should have seen the dancing of Wonderbolts Captain just forty minutes ago," suddenly they heard a familiar voice, and they turned around and saw Princess Luna dressed as Chrysalis at the nearest table.

"Hello, friends. Welcome to my hive of horrors!" With a wicked grin, she said.

"Hey, Luna. You look great," Cadence giggled.

The changeling queen, however, was clearly not pleased.

"Agreed," she said, eyeing her attire with displeasure. "You think I'm ugly enough to be a monster, do you?"

"Not at all. I'm not dressed like that because you're ugly. On the contrary, I've always liked changelings. And that's why I chose this costume. It's brutal and catchy. It also fit my slim figure perfectly. "She wiggled her crotch playfully in her leather pants." Besides, it's Nightmare Nights, and there's nothing wrong with being a boogeymare. By the way, many stallions adore gloomy beauties and find them very sexy," the Princess of the Night remarked, winking at their spouse. "Right, Shining?"

"Heh-heh, yes," he confirmed as he hugged the queen.

"All right, all right, consider me convinced," smiled Chrysalis.

"Speaking of stallions, let me introduce you to my new suitor," Luna said, beckoning a handsome young pegasus who was standing nearby. He wore a black prison jacket with the number 6240 and a striped shirt, and his mane was slicked back and coated in black polish. Despite his athletic and trim figure, he looked kind of disheveled and a little tired.

"Oh, I know that look well," Shining grinned mentally when he saw him. "That's exactly the look a stallion has when he meets a divine mare."

"This is Rush Wind," Luna introduced him as she held him under her wing. "Rush is a famous athlete I met two weeks ago. Rush, let me introduce you to my friends: this is the lovely Princess Cadence, Changeling Queen Chrysalis, and Palace Guard Captain Shining Armor."

"Um, hi. Nice to meet you," the pegasus said, trying to extend his leg to them, but he was hugged tightly again by Luna.

"Oh, he's such a cutie. By the way, Rush's team will be participating in the next Olympics and representing our country in the buckball competition. Right, honey?" Princess of the Night said, playfully tickling his chin.

"Y-yes... I..." the pegasus said again.

"The best host I've ever had," Luna finished for him. "You only saw how well he strikes the ball and how beautifully his muscles tense."

She whispered these last words in Rush's ear before kissing him hard on the lips.

"Why, you sweet little candy," said Luna.

"Yeah... candy..." The pegasus nodded cautiously, smiling faintly.

"Well, friends, I wish you all a good time," said the Princess of the Night, taking Rush by the leg. "Come along, dear."

"Wait, Luna. Where's Aunt Tia?" Cadence asked her.

"There, on the stage. Singing with the musicians," said the alicorn nonchalantly.

She nodded to the far end of the hall, where a group of musicians in skeleton costumes were performing on a large, lantern-lit stage. Princess Celestia, in a tight, cream-colored dress that completely covered her back legs (and highlighted her bouffant shape) and a large brimmed hat, strutted uncertainly between them, singing along and swaying her croup. The Sun Princess had red lipstick on her lips and long fangs in her mouth.

"Yes, Aunt Tia seems to have had a little too much to drink," Cadence said with a chuckle as she watched her drop a few instruments on the floor. "She never could hold her liquor."

"I agree. Well, at least she's happy, and she'll definitely have something to remember tomorrow morning when she wakes up lying in the tub," Luna said. "Or in the garden under a tree in the city park, dressed in a single nightgown, as she did last year."

And with a wink at Shining and his wives, she and Rush headed for the snack table.

"Well, looks like Luna's settling down and finding love, too," Cadence said with a happy smile.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure it's going to last very long," Shining remarked.

"Why not? Do you think he'll break her heart?" Cadence asked.

"Not really, but she'll break his ribs if he keeps this up," the stallion hummed. "She'll have to tone it down if she doesn't want to lose him."

"Please, don't judge her harshly," Cadence brushed her off. "Luna just needs a little time to get used to him. I'm sure she'll get over it."

"Of course he can, we've learned to take care of you," Chrysalis snorted, slapping him on the back with such force that Shining's legs buckled. "All right, darlings, let's go have some fun."

"But let's get something to eat first, because I haven't had anything to eat all day except candies and cookies," the Princess of Love said, nodding toward one of the tables which had all sorts of snacks stylized as creepy things like vegetable snake kebabs or skull sandwiches. And there were drinks, each served in unusual glasses, like dragon heads or werewolf paws holding clear glasses in their claws.

The princess and the queen got themselves a couple of sandwiches, while Shining preferred the chocolate cupcakes baked in the shape of bats, but he wasn't allowed to eat properly. As the stallion swallowed a few muffin wings, the musicians briefly interrupted, and a swaying Princess Celestia approached the microphone.

"And now, ladies and... hic! ...oops... gentleponies, it's time for a dance contest! Everyone who wants to participate, pair up and make your way to the center of the room!"

"Yay, a dance contest!" Cadence exclaimed in anticipation, tossing aside her sandwich and downing her glass of purple punch. "I love to dance! Come on, Shining. We'll beat them all easily!"

"Ha, really?! Don't be ridiculous, Cadence. It's going to be me and my darling Rush," Luna told her mockingly, standing nearby, and then she deftly wrapped her wing around her companion and galloped with him to the dance floor.

"Look how quick she is! No, I won't let her win!" Cadence snorted, picking up Shining (who had a muffin hanging out of his mouth) with her telekinesis and galloping after her.

"Hey, you forgot about me!" The queen exclaimed, rushing toward them.

"Oh my love... kha-kha... perhaps we shouldn't..." said Shining, coughing and trying not to choke, but Cadence had already placed him on the floor beside her. Chrysalis stood behind them, and to their right were Luna and Rush and a few other contestants who were eyeing the princesses and the queen warily.

"So, is everypony ready?! Then let's get started! Now we're going to remember the classics and do the Johnny-Bobby-Jingle Rock dance!" Celestia proclaimed, patting herself on the croup. "May the best pair win! Or should I say... hic... the fastest!"

"Oh, my Goodness," Shining mumbled fearfully, aware of what was to come.

Cadence pulled him sharply to her side and squeezed.

"Ouch," he exhaled, straining.

Although he had managed to get used to some of his wives' peculiarities over the past couple of months, their strength was still a huge problem for him.

In the meantime, the musicians played a cheerful rock'n'roll tune, and all the assembled couples held each other's feet and began to dance dashingly in the center of the ballroom.

Shining tried his best to keep up with Cadence as she waved her legs and crouched to the rhythm of the music, but he quickly began to tire and stumble. Then the princess already openly grasped him by the neck and began to drag him behind her like a rag doll, periodically passing him to Chrysalis. Next to them, Luna danced just as fast and led Rash along with her.

After a few minutes, Shining felt uneasy.

"Ouch! Girls! Girls! Will you take your time?! You might fall!" He barely made it through the hug of Chrysalis, who, like Cadence, was trying to outrun Luna, speeding up and occasionally tossing him over herself.

"Don't be ridiculous, Shiny. We've only just begun," the queen answered him, sending Cadence off in her direction.

"Exactly! And once we warm up, we'll show Luna some real passion," the princess added, picking up the unicorn and throwing him on her back, then grabbing him sharply and dragging him under her, putting him back on his hooves before bringing him back to Chrysalis.

"Passion? Celestia be merciful, I'm finished," he mentally horrified, struggling to catch his breath between the rare breaks when he was not being cradled by one of his consorts.

The dance seemed never to end. The Princess and Queen danced faster and faster. As they began to speed up, Luna took the decisive step of gripping Rush with her forelegs, sweeping him off the floor, bouncing him forward across the room.

"Is that so?" Cadence snorted as she glanced at her, and immediately picked up Shining by the legs and began to untwist him.

"Aaaah!" the startled stallion shouted, his eyes whirling and blurring.

At last Cadence stopped wriggling him, and threw him over to Chrysalis. The queen wrapped her legs around the unicorn, then danced a few steps and tossed it into the air toward the ceiling.

"Hello, birds," he said softly, spotting a nest of chicks on one of the bars before gravity pulled him down and he landed in the folded legs of both wives.

"Well, well, well, I've never seen anything like this before," Celestia said as she approached them, glancing at the struggling stallion. "Looks like we have winners. I'm sorry, Lulu, but Cadence and Chrysalis were the best in the competition. And of course, Shining. Congratulations!"

"Yay! Hooray! We won!" The happy mares exclaimed, releasing the stallion for a hug.

"Yes, hooray," said Shining faintly, falling to the floor.

"All right. You three may have won this time, but Rush and I will get even," Luna snorted, dragging the exhausted Pegasus, who, like Shining, could hardly move.

"Yes, keep dreaming," said the Princess of Love, bumping sides with the queen. "Well, did we show her well?"

"Ha, you bet! Their dances weren't even close to our lively dance. Right, hubby?" Changeling asked the unicorn at her hoof.

"Water," he murmured softly.

"What?" Chrysalis didn't understand.

"I mean, you're quite right, my dear. You were on top of it. I'm just... uh... a little tired... and I... uh... need time to catch my breath, I'll... now," he said, breathing heavily, and, struggling to his feet, he headed to the snack table, where a pitcher of pumpkin was filled with cool fruit punch.

Critically examining the tiny cups nearby, the unicorn grabbed the whole jug and emptied it in a gulp.

"Phew, that's better," he said, pausing briefly.

"Oh yes, mate. I know what you mean," said Rush, who came up to him looking like a squeezed lemon. "It's not easy being a princess' coltfriend."

"Especially me. After all, I have a queen in addition to her," Shining remarked. "So you, my friend, are a very lucky stallion.

"How do you manage to get along with them?" Pegasus asked, taking a big jug from the other one. "I can't manage one, and you have two."

"It's not so bad, really. As long as they don't get another crazy idea in their heads, they're usually nice enough, though sometimes they forget that I'm not immortal and don't have their divine powers. So it just takes some getting used to. And to train my leg and back muscles a bit better."

"What's that for?" Rush wondered.

"Why? Haven't you and Luna had intercourse yet?"

"Not yet," said the Pegasus. "Why are you asking?"

"Oh, it’s all clear with you, buddy. Anyway, I advise you to start training your rhomboids and triceps and pelvic muscles as soon as possible. After all, it takes too much energy to satisfy a horny alicorn. Also, sometimes she can lose control over herself and forcefully pin you down. That's when you need a strong back and legs to keep you safe and slip out of her grasp. If you were a unicorn, I would also advise you to learn a reinforced shield spell to guard against her magic during the orgasm."

"What?" said Rush uneasily.

"You see, sometimes an alicorn can unintentionally blast a force-beam from its horn for pleasure, which can be very unpleasant for you, but," he added, noticing his companion's pallor, "you'd better get a helmet with a reflective surface. Oh, and I'd advise you to train your lungs. You need a phenomenal stamina for hours and hours of caressing."

Hearing all that, Rush swallowed nervously.

"And don't forget that a princess recovers more quickly than you do and may crave sex every two hours," the unicorn added finally.

"I see. T-thanks for the advice," Rush said, turning slightly pale, walking away from Shining and toward Luna, who was calling him.

"You're welcome," the unicorn waved at him, taking a few more long sips. "Poor boy. Well, he's got a long way to go."

He turned and glanced around the hall, where the costumed guests continued to eat and enjoy themselves.

"Yeah, I really hope there aren't any more contests tonight, or I..."

"And now we begin the muffin-eating contest!" At which point Princess Celestia loudly proclaimed.

"No! Not again!" Shining exclaimed with a pang of nausea.

Not wanting to be dragged into another insane contest (in which he would surely end), the stallion walked quickly through the wide-open doors outside into a beautiful ornamental garden, divided into several separate glades with arbors, where peacocks roamed lazily and night birds chirped in the bushes and on the trees. Here he felt relatively safe. There was not a soul around. Even the guards didn't come in, so he could relax for a while.

"That's it, I'll take shelter here," he said, looking back. "I love my wives, of course, but sometimes I have to hide from them for a while to get through another day or two. I hope they don't get too upset when they notice I'm gone."

With that in mind, he made his way through the garden and approached the small moonlit shimmering lake in the middle of it. Seated on the shore, Shining took a few more sips of the punch he'd taken with him.

"Oh, what a beautiful night," he said after sitting there for a few minutes, gazing up at the clear starry sky. "So carefree. And even though I had to endure the spinning in the washing machine, I think today was wonderful. I can't wait for my wives and me to go home, where we can relax and spend some time watching... he-he... some romantic comedy. Yeah, that's exactly what we'll do. I'm sure Cadence and Chrysalis will understand why I'm tired and won't demand sex tonight."

There was a loud rustling in the bushes behind him.

"Hm? Who's there?" He turned and asked. "Cady? Chrissy? Is that you?"

He got up and walked leisurely toward the bushes.

"If you've come to talk me into taking part in the eating contest, I have to disappoint you, because I..."

He made a telekinesis run through the branches to a clearing where a cloaked mare, with her back to him, stood in the shade. Judging by her height, she was an ordinary pony.

"Oh, I beg your pardon. My mistake. I thought you were one of my wives," he said with a grin, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

The mare turned and looked right at him, but said nothing.

"Um... okay," Shining said, a little tense from her silence. "So you're one of the guests, then? Just taking a little walk in the fresh air, huh?"

The unknown pony stepped closer to him and threw back her hood. Suddenly a bright magical spark flashed over her head, covering her face completely. She appeared to be a unicorn, and was now casting a powerful electric spell.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing? It's..." Shining backed away from her, and was about to summon a shield, but the mare was faster, and before he could do anything, she shot a bolt of lightning at him that hit him square in the chest. Shining shrieked and, twitching finely, collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

***

"After we finished going down the falls, I took Rush to an amusement park where we spent the day riding bison slides, bungee jumping, and running in crazy barrels, the kind that go up forty stories in a spinning motion and then plummet down. Ugh! How great it was! I still remember how much fun we had that day!" Luna excitedly told Cadence and Chrysalis about her amusement.

"Oh, wow. Fantastic," Chrysalis snorted in surprise.

"Yeah, it's been a busy couple of days," said Cadence.

"Oh, no way! Next weekend I'm going to climb Horror Peak, the highest mountain in the world without wings. We'll tie our own wings and only use our own feet. Can you imagine how much fun that would be? The freezing air, the lack of oxygen, and just me and my favorite pony who can keep me warm," Luna said with a dreamy sigh. "It's so romantic".

Cadence and Chrysalis looked at each other in surprise.

"What?" the alicorn asked, catching their gazes. "You don't think it's very romantic?"

"Well, not that it isn't romantic, but I'm not sure it would help you and Rush get really close," said Cadence carefully.

"Why not? My Rush is an athlete and he enjoys exercise, so he'd really love an adventure like this," Luna said.

"Yes, he may be an athlete, but he's certainly no alicorn," said Chrysalis. "He’s not likely to survive the lack of oxygen and bone-chilling cold."

"But..." said Luna, trying to argue.

"Look, Luna, you're an immortal princess, and he's a pegasus. He’s not equipped to withstand the ordeal. You must be gentle with him if you want him to succeed," said Cadence in an instructive tone.

"But... if we're not going to do that, what are we going to do?" The Princess of the Night asked.

"Why don't you do something less extreme, but just as much fun?" The queen suggested.

"And what would we do?" Luna asked.

"Go to the movies," said Cadence.

"Or go for a walk by the lake," Chrysalis added.

"Or you could take up a hobby," suggested the Princess of Love.

"Or... oh, yes! Maybe the two of you could play video games together? Cadence said you were really into video games, didn't you?" the queen asked.

"Yes you are right! Why, that's not such a bad idea! Video games. I'm a goddess at them! No one's ever beaten me in Pony Fighter V! But what if he doesn't like it?"

"Yes, he will," said the pink pony. "You bet he will."

"Just don't push him and he'll be glad to spend his free time with you," said Chrysalis. "Whatever it is. After all, for the stallion it's not only entertainment, but the opportunity to have a good time with his marefriend."

"Well, all right. I'll do it," Luna said. "And as soon as Rush gets back, I'll see if I can get him to play with me on my new console. Thanks for the advice, ladies. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to go to the "little filly room". I'll see you later."

And after bowing, she headed toward one of the doors.

"Bye! What do you think about Luna?" Cadence asked her wife.

"Quite interesting, especially for a princess who's been on the moon for a thousand years," replied Chrysalis. "Though she's a total sucker when it comes to relationships. I still can't believe she wore Rush down like that."

"Yeah, it must be hard for Rush to be in a relationship with her."

"I guess our hubby was right about something when he said she should tone it down if she didn't want to break up with Rush."

"Speaking of which, Luna and I talked for forty minutes. Where's Shiny?" Cadence said as she looked at her watch.

"Probably went to rest. Did you notice how tired he looked?"

"I did. You know, I've been thinking, sometimes we like to go a little overboard with him, too."

"Yeah, we do. Especially lately. We've been pushing him too hard," Chrysalis agreed.

"And even though he's too nice to admit it, sometimes I think he has a hard time keeping up with us."

"Maybe we should slow down a little and give him a little break."

"And show him how much he means to us and that we appreciate his concern."

"Yeah. Let's find him and talk about it."

"And let him get a good night's sleep tomorrow. Shiny deserves it."

"Of course he does. And we can satisfy ourselves if we have to," Cadence winked and with Chrysalis walked up the wall of the Hall, past the dancing guests, looking for the white unicorn. After a few minutes of searching without success, they asked one of the servants if he had seen the captain of the guards, and he pointed them to an open door leading outside.

"Shiny, hubby, where are you?" the queen called loudly to him as she stepped out into the garden.

"Darling, you don't have to hide, we won't make you participate in any more crazy contests," Cadence added. "We just want to go home and rest. Are you there?"

They looked carefully through several clearings with gazebos before heading toward the pond.

"It's strange, I feel a faint trace of his love here, but he is nowhere to be seen," said Chrysalis with a frown.

"Are you sure? Maybe he just went home?" The princess suggested incredulously.

"And not warn us?" The changeling snorted.

"Well, he might have been afraid we'd have another dance with him, or..."

"Even if he did, that's not like him. Shiny would never leave without telling us where he was going," Chrysalis interrupted her.

"Yes, you're right," the princess nodded grimly.

"There's his love there, too!" Chrysalis said, shaking her head and waving toward the nearest bushes.

They quickly approached them, and as they pulled them apart, they emerged into a small clearing.

Suddenly Cadence growled warily.

"Hey, look!" She said, pointing down somewhere.

The queen followed her footing and saw a bowler lying on the ground.

"It was his hat!" She ran to it and said. "But where is he?"

"I don't know. I don't like the sound of this. What's this?" She leaned over the hat and noticed some charred grasses next to it.

"A lightning spell," the princess said confidently." And it was made by a professional.

"Why do you think that?" Changeling asked.

"Look at the grass, barely scorched. If someone inexperienced in the craft had cast a spell, they would have set fire to the place."

"But if a lightning spell has been used, and there's a Shining’s hat next to it, then…" Chrysalis gasped, frightened.

"Yes, our husband has been kidnapped! We must get to the palace at once!" Cadence exclaimed, and they galloped into the ballroom.

***

"And then she cornered me and started squeezing me, asking me to play World of Ponycraft with her," said Rush to one of the Pegasus guards on guard duty, who was his brother.

"Wow, you're so lucky, brother," he whistled. "Any stallion would give his soul for that."

"Yeah, right. You have no idea how strong her embrace can be, and also..."

Suddenly Cadence and Chrysalis burst into the corridor and shoved Rush aside.

"I'm sorry," said Cadence to him. "But we've got an urgent thing to do. Who's in charge?" She asked the gatekeeper.

"Shining Armor is our captain, in his absence Lieutenant Varris. And what happened to..." the astonished guard wanted to ask, but was sharply interrupted by Chrysalis:

"No time to explain! Quick, get him in here! Something terrible has happened! Get a move on!" She spoke quickly, picking up the guard with her forelegs and quickly shaking him as if he were a rag doll.

"O-o-o-okay, b-b-b-u-u-t f-f-i-r-r-s-s-s-t p-p-p-u-u-t m-m-m-e o-o-o-n the f-f-f-l-l-o-o-r!" He stuttered and ran into the room as the queen set him on the floor.

He was escorted by several stallions and mares in armor, and the unicorn, of athletic build with a strong back and broad cheekbones, came running out of the room.

"Yes? What happened? Bragman told me..." he began, glancing first at Rush leaning against the wall and then at the two frightened mares.

"Oh, it's you, Weezie! Praise the Hive Mother! We're in trouble! So there's no time for pretense now!" The queen pronounced suddenly, rushing toward him.

"Weezie? Is he your son, too?" Cadence whispered in surprise.

"No he is my daughter, but that's not important right now," answered the queen, turning again to the unicorn.

"Weezie, help! Someone has stolen our husband! Here's his photo!"

She opened her purse and pulled out a folded photo, which she immediately unfolded.

"Um, Mom," the unicorn blushed embarrassedly.

"What?" said Chrysalis, not understanding.

"Don't you have anything less explicit?" He gestured briefly at the few female guards who were staring at her photo with interest.

"Oh!" the queen belatedly hesitated when she looked at it. The photo showed Shining Armor in a frank pose, lying on his side with a sly grin, his cock out in the open.

"Hey, where'd you get it? I don't remember Shining posing for pictures like that," the alicorn said suspiciously.

"Well, I..." mumbled Chrysalis, quickly putting the picture away in her purse.

"Look, ladies, it doesn't matter. Let's just talk business," one of the mares interrupted them, the first to come out of her stupor and shake her head a few times.

"I agree. Also, uh, Mom? I know what the Captain looks like," Varris told her in a whisper. "So you say he was kidnapped?" He said loudly now.

"Yes, we found his hat in the castle courtyard, and a scorched mark on the ground. We think he was stunned by lightning and then smuggled out of the palace," said the queen, holding out the hat Shining was wearing. "Please do something!"

"Don't worry, we'll get right on it," said Varris, putting on his helmet. "Let's get to work! We're going to need search dogs and unicorn trackers!"

***

"Well, thank you for all you've done," Chrysalis said to Princess Celestia on her way out of the throne room when, after a strenuous couple of hours of searching. The guards had lost track of the would-be kidnapper (whose trail ended near a waterfall not far from the city) and returned to the palace with nothing.

"You're welcome. I'm sorry we couldn't find Shining, but I promise we won't give up and we'll keep looking for him tomorrow morning," she said as she walked both mares to the exit. "And if we find out anything, we'll let you know at once."

"Thank you, Aunt Tia," said Cadence with a sigh. "I do hope he's all right."

"Don't worry dear, we'll be sure to save him. Shining will be fine," promised the Princess of the Sun. "I'll send the letter Twilight right away and let her know what happened. If anyone can figure this out, it's her and her friends."

She opened the door for them.

"In the meantime, you'd better go home and get some rest. Good night," Celestia said.

"Good night," Cadence and Chrysalis wished her as they walked down the steps.

Leaving the castle, they walked out onto the main street of Canterlot.

"Who do you think might have kidnapped him?" The queen asked on the way home.

"I don't know. Could it have something to do with his work? After all, Shiny is captain of the guard and he must have enemies," the princess replied.

She went silent for a moment, a thought new line of thought occurring to her.

"So do we," she added.

"What? You mean the kidnappers could have done this to get to us?" Chrysalis flinched.

"Yes. As queen and princess, you and I have plenty of creatures that could have an issue with us. So it might well have something to do with us."

"But if it's true, what do they want? To blackmail us?"

"It's possible. And I sure hope the guards find him before they do. Though our Shiny is strong, I can't bear to see him get hurt."

"Let's not talk about it," Chrysalis asked. "I'm sure our hubby can take care of himself."

They walked the rest of the way in silence, huddled together, shivering in the slight chill of the night. When they reached the mansion, they opened the gate and entered their courtyard. The skeletons and zombies their husband had set up that evening now seemed somehow sinister and brought sad thoughts to their minds.

Without raising their heads, the mares went up to the porch of the house and stopped by the door. Cadence reached into her purse for her keys.

"Hey, what's this?" Chrysalis suddenly said, looking at the zombie standing near the entrance.

It had a small piece of paper clutched in its mouth.

Quickly grabbing the piece of paper with her telekinesis, Chrysalis unfolded it and, shining her horn, read the following:

Queen Chrysalis, as you may have guessed by now, we have kidnapped your husband and are now holding him captive in a very safe place. If you don't want him to have an accident, go to the northern border of Equestria, to the town of Wildsberry, and meet us in two days.

P.S. I hope you realize you have to do this alone? If you tell the guards, or any of the alicorns, Shining will be in a world of hurt. I'll see you at the Humpback Mount Club at 10:00 p.m. And no jokes. We'll be watching you.

"Unsigned. So it's all about me," the queen sighed, sinking onto her croup. "Some of my enemies are out to get back at me, and they've stolen my lover and... Oh, they're scum!"

She stomped her hoof with determination. Flame shot through her body, and she was transformed into a great fanged dragon, the porch creaking beneath her feet.

"All right, if they want me that badly, they'll have me! I will come to this meeting and tear them to shreds!" She roared, letting out a burst of fire that had melted some of the zombies in its path. "And then I'll save my Shiny!"

"You mean our Shiny," the princess interjected. "I hope you don't think I'll let you go alone. We'll go together."

"What? But you saw what the kidnappers wrote, didn't you? If I'm not there alone, they..." muttered the dragoness.

"It doesn't matter! They obviously want to hurt you. And there's no guarantee that you can handle them or that they'll let Shiny go. So I can't take any chances with you. The two of us will go in there and save our husband!"

She clenched her teeth aggressively.

"And whoever kidnapped him will be sorry."

"Thank you, Kady," Chrysalis said, adopting her normal appearance again as she hugged the alicorn tightly.

"Well, it's time for me to remember my former hero years," the princess said after a couple of seconds, getting into an epic pose with the changeling queen.

***

"Oh! My head!" When he regained consciousness, Shining Armor muttered, struggling to open his eyes.

He looked around as he carefully lifted his head and realized that he was lying in a small, half-darkened room without any windows, whose stone walls were covered in copious moisture and a dim bulb was hanging from the ceiling. With a low creak it swayed from side to side, illuminating a small patch of his mysterious dungeon.

"Where am I? How did I get here?" He said with a frown, trying to rise to his hooves, but then he felt that something prevented him.

"What is it?" He looked at his hind leg and saw that it was held by a thick metal chain. "I don't believe it! I was chained like some kind of scooter. But who could have done this?"

His mind immediately ran through dozens of conspiracy and military intrigue scenarios that he had encountered several times during his tour of duty, but they were all forgotten when he heard a voice distorted by static in the silence:

"Ah, I see you're finally awake!" Said the unknown person on a loudspeaker hanging from one of the walls. "That's great!"

"Who are you? Did you kidnap me? What's going on here?" Shining shouted at him.

"What a lot of questions. Looks like your will isn't completely broken yet. That's good. But let's not be too hasty. Let's just say I'm a friend, and you're in a very bad spot, mate. You got mixed up with a changeling queen and she brainwashed you."

"What? What kind of crap is that? Are you crazy? Nobody brainwashed me!" The stallion said angrily.

"That's what you think. Her charms are too strong for you to notice. But don't worry, I can fix it."

Suddenly a huge magical orb flashed from the ceiling, lighting up the room and making Shining squint.

"After all, I know all her methods, and I'll be able to heal you."

The unknown man laughed loudly:

"It's only a matter of time."

Author's Note

Well, after a long break, I'm posting the continuation of the story. I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

P.S. Special thanks to Centurion Pike-Wall for his help.