Living the Dream

"Nightmare Night, what a fright, give us something good to bite! Rarrgh!"

"Eeek!"

Sweetie Belle's overexcited cry of terror very quickly gave way to bubbling laughter as she circled in a loop around her friends in an effort to escape the pair of diminutive "timberwolves" that were chasing after her. A buttercream earth pony mare with her candy apple red mane tied back in a ponytail, and a burnt orange pegasus with close-cropped purple hair, both watched with amusement as the unicorn humored the pair of young foals.

"Oh no; ferocious timberwolves!" The alabaster mare cried out in mock terror as she ran at a quick trot which kept her just out of reach of her pursuers. "If only someponies were nearby who had some sort of candy-like substance which could sate their fearsome hunger for pony flesh!" Sweetie Belle gave her two nearby friends a knowing wink.

Applebloom's smile widened as she started to pensively massage her chin with a hoof. "Ah 'unno, Sweetie…you were just harping t'other day about not having time t'go to the gym as often anymore; what with your lessons with that new vocal coach. Way I reckon it, these here 'timberwolves' are doin' you a world o'good!"

Beside the earth pony, Scootaloo sniggered behind a hoof, but ultimately saved her friend from a particularly withering glare from the trotting unicorn by reaching into her saddlebag and withdrawing a pair of brightly-wrapped candy bars that she had brought for just such an occasion. "I gotcha, Sweets." She tossed them to the stick-covered foals, who gleefully caught the offered treats and withdrew in their own fits of giggling to find more ponies to extort candy from.

The unicorn mare stopped her trotting with a winded huff, "Thanks, Scoots. At least I can count on somepony to help me out in the jam…" She eyed her earth pony 'friend' critically.

"Ah'm jus' sayin' that a li'l trot here 'n there might not be the worst thing fer ya." The yellow mare's eyes briefly wandered towards the unicorn's flanks before her lips parted into a wide grin.

Sweetie Belle's typically ivory cheeks briefly flushed with color at the remark. It took a great deal of self control on the unicorn's part not to look at her own hind end to judge the veracity of the allegations that were being made. Instead, she merely turned up her nose and gave a short, indignant, huff that was mostly of mock indignation. "It is perfectly natural for some mares to be…rounder in nature," she insisted.

"Yeah, lay off, Bloom," the pegasus said in defense of her friend, though her own smile was quite broad as well as she continued in a more teasing tone, "it's not easy to keep off the pounds when your coltfriend is taking you out to Bitalian restaurants for dinner every night!" She stuck out her tongue at the unicorn as she deftly flitted out of range of a playful swat of the unicorn's hoof.

"It’s not every night," Sweetie insisted. Then she nibbled on her lip and reluctantly admitted, "just…most of them."

"I'mma have to get me one of those rich Canterlot colts too so I can get treated to pasta dinners all the time," Scootaloo mused. "Get myself carbo-loaded before competitions."

"Uh huh," Applebloom rolled her eyes before motioning for the pair to follow her. "Well, tonight Ah'm lookin' to get sugar-loaded, so let's hurry up an' get to Sugarcube Corner!"

There was no argument from the other two mares and all three friends picked up their pace as they headed deeper into town. The air was filled with the sounds of foals laughing and screaming in equal measure, though the latter often quickly devolved into the former. Above the din could be heard the deeper voices of grown ponies hawking treats or trying to entice passersby into partaking in games or other festive activities. The three long-time friends merrily trotted along the familiar streets filled with milling ponies enjoying the evening holiday.

"It never ceases to amaze me how much Ponyville changes every year," Sweetie remarked as they passed beneath a floating depiction of an illusionary Nightmare Moon soaring above the town. However, her attention was directed instead at a row of condominiums which lined one side of the town's main thoroughfare. Each of the tall buildings were dull gray in color and, as her elder sister might put it: 'entirely uninspired in color and form'. It was like somepony had stacked apartments in the shape of cinder blocks on top of each other until they hit the town's (current) code for height limits. Which was almost certainly exactly what had happened.

Applebloom's eyes tracked where her friend was looking before she gave an annoyed huff of her own. "Tell me about it." Her face screwed up like she'd just tasted something rancid. "You wouldn't believe how often we're gettin' offers on the farm...and we might actually accept."

The other mares balked, gaping open-mouthed at the earth pony. "Seriously?!" Scootaloo was the firstto find her voice. "I thought AJ was all 'Our parents are buried here, we will be too!?"

"She is," Applebloom acknowledged, then frowned. "Er, was. But…well, what with Big Mac and Sugar Bell expecting their fourth foal, Granny finally admitting she needs help to get around…" The earth pony let out a defeated sigh. "And, honestly, the farm just ain't doin’ so good no more."

She fixed a hard look on both her friends. "Y’all don't breathe a word of what Ah'm about to tell ya, y'hear?" Both mares nodded as their hooves ritually moved across their chests and touched their eyes. Mollified, the earth pony continued. "...We haven't turned a profit in five years."

"WHAT?!" "How?!"

Applebloom looked around them, wide-eyed with concern that they'd be overheard and gesturing for the others to keep their voices down. "Shush! Look, it's just…" Another aggrieved sigh, "...ever since they opened up that there Coscolt in town, business ain't been so good. They undercut our prices on everything. Even Zap-Apple Jam!"

Sweetie Belle cocked her head in confusion. "How can they possibly do that? I thought that stuff took some big ritual to make that only your family knew?"

"It's not real Zap-Apple Jam," the earth pony all but spat. "Jus' regular jam that they colored up. They flavor it too’er sommit; Ah 'unno. But most ponies can't seem to tell the difference. Or they don't care. Doesn't help that it's actually labeled as being 'Zap-Apple Jam'; so ponies don’t know it ain’t real."

"Can…can they legally do that?" Scootaloo asked. "Can't you guys, like, sue them over infringement or something?"

Applebloom flashed the pegasus a defeated look. "D'ya know what a 'trademark' is? 'Cause Granny didn't; but Coscolt apparently did, and they registered one. The real screwed up part? Because Coscolt has one, the lawyer we spoke to told us that if’n we tried to make and sell any jam ourselves, we’d be the ones getting sued!

"We can't do nothin' about it, and it was one of our biggest money-makers." Another rueful snort from the earth pony. "And you'll never guess who is putting in the offers on the farm." Both of her friends groaned, easily catching the implication of where their friend was leading the conversation. She nodded in confirmation. "Their most recent offer was less than the last one. They gave us the impression the next offer would be even lower.

"Ah overheard AJ and Big Mac taking t'other night. Ah think…they're gonna take the offer." She admitted. "Neither really wants ta. It's jus'..." Words finally failed the yellow mare and all she could do was give a helpless shrug.

Her two oldest and dearest friends gathered their distraught member up in a tight hug as they consoled her. "It'll be alright, AB," Scootaloo insisted, though she was forced to admit to herself that she wouldn't have been able to articulate in what exact way things would eventually be 'alright'.

"Yeah, something'll work out," Sweetie Belle agreed, managing to sound more genuinely optimistic. "Maybe you can get the farm classified as a historic landmark? Then it'd be 'owned' by The Crown or something? I'll talk to Jessant about it on our next date. His parents are always hosting benefit dinners and fundraisers for stuff. Maybe we can do it for your farm too!"

"AJ and Granny ain't much for accepting charity," Applebloom said as she sniffled and wiped at her eye with the back of her hoof. "But Ah'll mention the historic thing tomorrow. Maybe there's something there. Worth a shot."

"Heh. CMCs save the day again, maybe?" The pegasus said with a wink.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders, Farm Savers! Yay~" Sweetie announced with a muted cheer, earning a giggle from the others.

"Well, now that our spirits are back on the up, who's up for actuality trying to enjoy this Nightmare Night?" Scootaloo asked. The others each raised a hoof. "Good!" The orange mare started looking around. "Let's see. How about….ooh!"

She jabbed a good at a nearby tent that had been set up along the side of the avenue. The sign above it promised that a 'Spook-tacular Experience' awaited within. "That looks like fun!"

Applebloom canted her head as she eyed the tent. "Some kin'a haunted house―er, tent?"

"Probably," the pegasus shrugged as she started off towards it. "Come on, let's go get frightened! You know, by something other than unfettered capitalism ruining our lives and destroying our homes…" She finished with a sardonic laugh.

The trio of friends ducked through the tent flaps and found themselves in a reception area. All around were various hoof-scrawled cardboard signs purporting to warn away all but the most courageous. Yet, none of the young mares could spy anything which looked remotely scary.

"Are we sure they're open?" Sweetie Belle asked, not seeing any clear direction of where prospective customers were meant to proceed.

"Maybe they just popped out for a quick squat?" Scootaloo offered with a shrug.

"We could check back later if that's the case―"

"Welcome to―"

"Gaaugh!" The trio yelped at the sound of a stallion's voice coming from directly behind them.

The stallion, a zebra sporting a black and crimson cape and a set of obviously fake vampony fangs, blinked at the three startled mares for a few moments before trying his introduction again. "Erm…welcome, young mares, to this: my Tent of Terror!" He reared up and waved his hooves over his head in what was likely an attempt to affect being menacing.

However, due to the apparent lack of genuine effort being put into the bit, the CMCs found themselves wondering if they'd have felt particularly 'menaced' even if they weren't adults. For her part, Scootaloo found herself second-guessing her choice of attractions

"Well, we're here to get 'terrorized', we guess," the pegasus answered with a lopsided smile. "What'cha got, Jackula?"

The zebra looked momentarily confused. "Huh? My name's not Jack―Oh! The costume! Right!"

He grinned, almost losing his plastic fangs in the process, and swept aside the curtain hanging behind him. "Your greatest fearsawait…within…" Again the striped stallion attempted to affect a foreboding tone, with limited success.

The trio still shared some stifled giggles among themselves, if only in response to the ineffective performance offered by the proprietor. They reminded themselves that not every creature got their cutie mark in theater, and that he probably was really trying his best.

They stepped past the curtain and found themselves in a little sectioned off quadrant of the tent which played host to a line of admittedly comfortable-looking pony-sized pillows. Many were already occupied by costumed figures who looked to be dozing soundly, with little jeweled circlets around their heads.

"Dream Machines?" Sweetie Belle uttered in surprise, recognizing the devices.

"Dream what-now?" The earth pony beside her asked.

"Dream Machines," she repeated. "They're a new device that's supposed to let you experience things. All kinds of things. Played out right in your head, like a lucid dream."

"Indeed, fair maiden!" The stallion reentered the conversation, guiding them towards three unoccupied cushions and their nearby circlets. "With these, you shall experience sights and events most terrifying!"

"Not sure how afraid Ah'll really be, knowin' Ah'm still safe'n sound in this here tent…" Applebloom pointed out.

"You can still get scared by a nightmare when you're safe and sound in your bed at home," Scootaloo pointed out, to which her earth pony friend could only roll her eyes.

"Let's give it a try," Sweetie Belle insisted before turning back to their striped host. "How much?"

"Three bits per customer," the costumed zebra informed her. After the unicorn had floated the bits over to him, he then asked, "Now, will the three of you be sharing the experience? Or would you like them individualized?"

"Being together sounds pretty neat," Scootaloo said, looking between her friends. "We should totally do that!"

"Agreed," Applebloom nodded. "CMC Dream Machine Team!"

The three mares shared a quick giggle as they slipped onto the indicated pillows. Dream Machine circlets were delicately placed over each of their heads. Once satisfied that everything was in order, the caped zebra took out a trio of cut sapphires with runes carved into their facets and placed one in front of each mare. As he did so, he launched into what sounded like a well-rehearsed speech.

"Please be advised that the Dream Machines will tailor user experiences on their own. Any individuals or events you encounter which bear similarity to real creatures or events are coincidental and the products of your own imagination. FlimFlam Machines Inc isn't liable for any defamation which you may feel you've experienced, either in regards to yourself or associates.

"Users may terminate their experience at any time by either returning to the start point or by entering a state incompatible with continuing the experience. FlimFlam Machines Inc, its subsidiaries, and its patent company FF Holdings, are not liable for any injury or trauma caused by improper or proper operation of any FlimFlam device-"

"Wait, what?" Sweetie balked.

Applebloom has her eyes narrowed at the zebra. "Hold on, what company makes these things?!"

If the stallion heard them, he didn't react. "By wearing the Dream Machine device, all users waive their rights to seek damages for any harm they may suffer.

"Have fun!"

There was a flash of brilliant blue light which very nearly blinded the three mares.

***

When the trio of friends could see clearly once more, the first thing that they noticed was that they were no longer in the tent. They instead found themselves laying outside in the middle of a dirt road. It appeared to be the middle of the night, or closer enough to it. In the distance, they could see the faint glow of light from a town that night have been Ponyville.

Applebloom shook the last of the spots from her eyes before leveling a hard look at Sweetie Belle. "Ya didn't mention that those contraptions were made by those two conniving snakes!" She didn't quite spit.

"I didn't know, honest!" The unicorn protested, boring her lip nervously. "I’ve only used them the one time before to play house with Jessant―" Her features quickly flushed before she hastily amended, "build a house with Jessant! Of cards! We built a house of cards…" She finished lamely.

The two other mares exchanged looks before regarding their friend with flat expressions. It was Scootaloo who broke the silence, her lips spreading into a broad smile. "Okay, we're definitely circling back to that later." The unicorn winced, staring intently at her hooves. "But, for now let's figure out where we are and what's going on."

"Well, Ah'mma guess we're here for that," Applebloom said, pointing over the heads of the other two mares. Both of them turned around and looked up at the same sight which must have drawn the earth pony's attention: a corn field with a large wooden arch and sigh.

Haunted Maize Maze.

"A corn maze?" Scootaloo frowned. "That doesn't sound very scary. Sounds like more foal stuff."

"Maybe this is all supposed to, like, lull us into a false sense of security?" Sweetie Belle suggested. "Then there's this massive twist at the end or something?"

"Okay, but if we know that's what's going to happen, then it's not going to scare us though."

Applebloom rolled her eyes and started to trot forward towards the entrance of the maze. "That zebra said these Dream Machine things pull from our own heads or somethin', right? Maybe that means the maze’ll be filled with phobias we have.”

“That sounds pretty cheap as far as ‘thrills’ go,” Scootaloo noted. Then she sighed and started following the earth pony. “But, you’re right: we’re already here. Might as well see if it was worth the bits.”

Neither made it very far before Sweetie Belle called them back, “Wait, guys! You said this was your first time in a Dream Machine, right?” The pair stopped and nodded. Their unicorn companion pointed her hoof at the ground, directing their attention towards three familiar-looking sapphires that were lying on the ground at her hooves. “In that case, remember that when we want to leave, we need to come back here and stomp on one of these gems,” she pantomimed stepping on one of the blue crystals with her hoof, though was quite careful not to actually make contact with it. “It’ll stop the dream and wake us up.

“...Though there is…another way…” The unicorn said as she and her friends ventured through the entrance of the maze.

“Yeah?” Applebloom inquired absently, most of her attention focused on their surroundings. The earth pony found herself marveling at how real this all felt. The crunch of cut stalks under her hooves, the sound of insects jumping and buzzing just out of sight amid the field, even the smell of the corn itself, were all as real as she had ever recalled experiencing in the ‘waking world’.

“Dying.”

The other two mares came to a sudden stop, gaping at the unicorn. “Excuse me?!” The pegasus blurted.

“It’s like with a real dream,” Sweetie Belle explained hurriedly, as though she were concerned that she’d lose her nerve halfway through if she so much as paused to catch her breath. “You know how when you start falling or something and wake up before you actually hit the ground, or whatever? That’s what the zebra meant with the whole ‘incompatible state’ thing. If your mind ‘rejects’ the dream, like by thinking you can’t possibly be having it anymore, on account of being…dead…then you’ll wake up.

“So, if we do or experience something that kills us, or at least that we’re pretty sure would kill us, that’ll pop us out no matter where we are.”

It was at this point that the trio reached the first true fork in the maze with clearly divergent paths for them to choose between. “That’ll actually probably be helpful,” Scootaloo observed, “because, foalish frights or not, I do not envy the possibility of wandering around in this place all night trying to remember how to get out. We don’t even know how big this place is supposed to be,” the pegasus pointed out.

“Hmm,” Applebloom nodded before pointing her hoof down the left passage. “In that case, e’erypony keep their eyes peeled for any bottomless pits we can hurl ourselves into fer when we’re tired of this place.” She wasn’t being entirely sarcastic.

They made it about twenty feet down the path the earth pony had chosen when the ghost appeared.

Although the ‘ghost’ was quite obviously just a balloon which had been covered by a pillowcase with ‘eyes’ colored on it with a magic marker, and was being dragged along by a piece of twine overhead. The three mares watched it drift leisurely by over the top of the maze’s corn stalk walls with bored expressions. A few seconds later, a poorly synchronized recording played from nearby out of what sounded like a particularly cheap speaker. “OOooOOoo―zzt!”

A cheap speaker which sounded like it had just died.

“How, under Celestia’s golden sun, do you make a dream seem cheap?” Scootaloo deadpanned.

“It was designed by Flim an’ Flam, apparently,” Applebloom pointed out, sounding equally nonplused. “You expected more?”

“Yeah, you’re right; that’s on me.” the pegasus half-feigned looking around them. “Well, no bottomless pits in sight. Let’s go right this time, I guess…”

An hour later, all three mares were slowly wandering back out of the entrance to the maze. Each wore an expression that transcended boredom. The ‘scariest’ thing about the whole experience had been how not scary an experience a magical contraption with access to all of their most repressed fears and darkest thoughts had managed to craft. Poorly painted cardboard cut-outs of witches, ‘skeletons’ made out of painted sticks and twigs, and hay-stuffed ‘zombponies’ had been the highlights of the maze.

“So we’re all agreed this was designed for very young foals then, and nothing at all was ‘tailored’ about it?” Scootaloo asked as they approached the three sapphires laying on the road where they’d appeared.

“That’s my guess, yeah,” an equally disappointed Sweetie Belle agreed. “Do we ask for our money back, or…?”

“Did any of us really expect more for the price of a funnel cake?” Applebloom sighed. “Let’s just cut our losses and get to the Cakes.” The others both agreed with the plan and stomped gingerly upon their associated gemstones. While the blue jewels might have looked like genuine sapphires, they shattered with little effort at all, like they were made of wafer-thin glass.

The trio was once again blinded by a bright light.

***

They were back in the zebra’s tent again, blinking away the spots in front of their eyes. The striped stallion was just slipping back in through the cloth divider as the trio were removing the delicate circlets.

“So, how did you fair maidens enjoy your spooktacular experiences?” He asked them excitedly.

The burnt orange pegasus cast him a level stare. “Dude, call us ‘fair maidens’ one more time, I will buck you in the nads,” she warned. “You’re like, twice our age; it’s creeping us out.” The other two mares nodded in agreement.

“Right, sorry!” He spit out the plastic fangs. “Just doing the vampony bit thing…”

“Uh-huh,” Applebloom sounded less than convinced but didn’t remark further on it. “Well, Ah wouldn’t call a corn maze fer foals very ‘spook’ anythin’, to be honest.”

Now the stallion looked confused. “Corn maze? That wasn’t―oh, shoot,” he winced. “Did I use the wrong program? Dang it! I’m so sorry about that,” the zebra apologized sheepishly. “It was supposed to be a crazy ax-murderer routine. How about we try again? No charge, of course!”

“No thanks,” Sweetie Belle said, waving the stallion off as the three of them stood back up and headed for the exit. “We really need to be going. Lot’s more Nightmare Night stuff to see and all that.”

“Oh. Right. Well, if you have time later and want to come…back…” His words petered off as the last of the trio left the tent and it became clear they weren’t listening to him. “Enjoy your night!” He called out after them lamely.

Back outside on Ponyville’s main thoroughfare, the three friends resumed their trot towards Sugarcube Corner, though their minds were still on the earlier misadventure with the Dream Machines.

“While I think you were just a little too aggressive with the nad-bucking threat,” Sweetie said, “I do agree that the ‘maiden’ thing was starting to get old.”

“And inaccurate!” The buttercream earth pony chimed in. “Ah ain’t been no ‘maiden’ since AJ let me an’ Tender buck apples on our own in the west orchard. If y’all can, get yourselves a dancer stallion. They’re really good with their hooves.” She flashed her friends a knowing wink.

“In my experience,” the pegasus chimed in, “nopony knows how to treat a mare better than another mare.” She paused, considering. “But I could get behind a mare who’s a dancer…” She mused aloud.

“Yeah, Ah bet you could,” Applebloom sniggered. “You’re generous like that~” Her mirth elevated into a cackle as she saw her friend flush as she realized her unintentional double-entendre. Beside the flier, Sweetie Belle’s cheeks were only getting redder with each passing comment.

The earth pony was about to inquire into how sophisticated the unicorn’s ‘card house building’ had gotten with her own beau, but the question died unasked in the wake of a shrill scream that pierced through the night sky. Unlike all of the other cries of terror that they’d been hearing during the evening’s festivities, there was nothing even remotely feigned-sounding about this one. All three mare’s whipped their heads around in the direction of the cry. One which was joined by more equally-frightened yelling only a moment later.

“What in the…?” Scootaloo began, wondering aloud, only for the pegasus and her friends to all have their questions answered a few seconds later as they heard the sound of laughter rising up above the din of screaming ponies. Instantly, her hackles started to rise as the sound awakened memories from their fillyhood. They’d all heard that laughter before. “...No way; it can’t be…”

Her friends had all reached the same bewildering conclusion it seemed, as Sweetie Belle too gaped in the direction of the terrified shrieks and dreadful cackling. “...Princess Luna?”

Applebloom was shaking her head as she took an instinctive step back from the direction that the haunting laughter was coming from. “Ah don’t think that’s Luna no more, Sweetie,” she began, swallowing back a lump of fear in her throat. “It sounds a lot more like―”

“Nightmare Moon!” A clown-dressed unicorn stallion cried out at the top of his lungs as he galloped past the gaping trio.

“What?! No! How?” Scootaloo couldn’t seem to decide which question whirling through her head she desired an answer to more.

Not that either of her friends had an answer for her, of course. Sweetie Belle looked between the other two. “M-maybe this is an act?” She offered, though the trembling of her words betrayed her own lack of faith in the theory she was presenting. “I mean, she’s done it before―”

The unicorn’s words were interrupted by a more proximal sound of a mare’s scream. The three friends looked in the direction of the cry just in time to see a mare, dressed as the Bride of Flankenstein, scamper out onto the roadway. A heartbeat later it became clear what she was running from as a dark form darted through the air in her wake, dressed in the menacing purple armor that plainly identified the bat-winged figure as being a member of Princess Luna’s Personal Guard. The armored warrior’s leathery wings allowed them to effortlessly catch up to the fleeing earth pony mare and tackle her to the ground, cutting off her frantic shrieking with a pained grunt.

When the two grappling ponies came to a stop, the batpony guard was stradling atop the costumed mare. She was clearly dazed from the blow, but regained enough of her senses to cry out for help once more as she struggled futilely to escape from her attacker. The armored figure barely even budged in response to the writhing mare’s efforts as they grinned down at their victim. They leaned their muzzle down closer to the screaming and struggling mare, their mouth opening wide and exposing a set of teeth that looked like they would be more at home in the maw of a dragon than a pony.

The mare’s frantic wailing reached a fevered pitch now as she saw the glistening fangs coming at her face. She turned away at the last second in an effort to avoid having her own muzzle bitten off. However, it seemed that her face was not the intended target of the batpony’s bite. Instead, the guard darted for her neck. The mare’s screams were abruptly cut short, curtailing off into a wet, strangled, gurgling as the razor-toothed batpony’s jaw clamped down over her throat. The mare went instantly rigid, her eyes locked open in primal terror. She was looking in the direction of the three young mares who were presently frozen in place as they watched the brutal scene unfold in front of them.

Brilliant red blood began to spill out from the sides of the batpony’s mouth, glistening in the festive lights hanging all along the roadway. The leathery-winged equine’s own body seemed to convulse slightly as well, in time with the loud gulping sounds that the trio could hear coming from the guard’s throat. All the while, their victim’s mouth moved in a wordless attempt to beg for help from the petrified onlookers.

Eventually even those barely perceptible efforts on the mare’s part to seek aid ceased. Her eyes, though still wide open, had gone glassy, her pupils dilating to their fullest. The batpony straddling her made one more long, loud, slurping sound before finally releasing the mare’s neck. They raised their head slowly, their glowing ruby eyes peering out through the slits in their helmet in the direction of the three mares watching the scene. A tongue that was far too long flicked out along their exposed fangs, licking up the last few drops of sanguine fluid from the ivory tips.

Its lips splayed wide in a predatory smile as the armored batpony began to stalk towards them. Sweetie Belle was reminded of how her elder sister’s cat would approach her toy mice, right before she would pounce on them and rip the cloth rodent into nothing more than tufts of stuffing. The unicorn’s mind flashed with a vision of something similar happening to her in short order unless the three of them quickly elected to―

“RUN!”

Neither knew for certain which of them had yelled out the command. However, all three mares wasted no time in turning around and bolting down the road as fast as their legs or wings would carry them. Overhead, Applebloom noticed the form of their pegasus friend pulling ahead of her ground-bound companions. Scootaloo looked down, her eyes locking briefly with the sprinting earth pony.

She could see the hesitancy there. Scootaloo had the capacity to flee faster than the two of them. With her wings, she’d be able to leave her unicorn and earth pony comrades in the dust. Perhaps she’d even escape unharmed if she were to pour on all the speed she could muster right then and there.

…It would just mean abandoning her friends.

Applebloom knew that the pegasus wouldn’t do that though. They were the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They stuck together, no matter what. Even when faced with something as terrifyingly horrible as what they’d all just seen, the pegasus wasn’t going to leave them.

No matter how much her fear was telling her to.

And that wasn’t okay, to the earth pony’s mind. Neither she nor Sweetie Belle would have ever asked their friend to stay and lose her life just for the sake of maintaining solidarity. Quite the opposite in fact. If leaving them behind was the only way that Scootaloo would survive, then not only was Applebloom okay with that, she’d insist on it.

“Go!” She gasped out between panted breaths. “Don’t worry ‘bout us!”

Still she saw the pegasus hesitate. Only for the ivory mare at her side to echo the sentiment. “Go, Sootaloo! Get help!”

With a final forlorn look, the burnt orange mare nodded and began to flap her wings with all the might she could muster, rocketing ahead of her friends. In seconds, Scootaloo was nearly a hoofball field ahead of the others and gaining distance with every wingstroke. In no time at all she’d be out of Ponyville and on her way to―

“No!”Applebloom unleashed the anguished cry as a dark form came seemingly out of nowhere and slammed her pegasus friend in the side. The powerful blow from the armored figure sent the stunned flier careening off the side of one the town’s new minimalist apartment buildings before she struck the road in an unconscious tangle of legs and wings. When the pegasus’ body finally came to a stop, it was plainly evident from the angle of her head and spine that she was dead.

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle wailed from beside the earth pony. The unicorn’s expression morphed from grief to unbridled fury in the span of a breath as her eyes locked onto the hovering form of the batpony ahead of them who’d just killed their friend. “You’re going down!” She yelled, her horn igniting with a brilliant blue aura.

“Sweetie, look out!”

Her warning was to no avail though. A heartbeat later another member of Nightmare Moon’s army was upon the unicorn, falling onto her back from above. The unprepared unicorn instantly crumpled beneath the massive weight or the armored batpony. Her horn’s glow vanished in an instant as her spell lost cohesion.

White fangs flashed in the light and sank into her neck.

Sweetie Belle’s pained shriek drove into Applebloom’s heart like a dagger. The pristine ivory coat around her neck was stained crimson as her life was sucked out of her by the armor batpony.

“Sweetie!” The earth pony cried out before she bolted forward to rescue her friend. She didn’t make it two strides before an unnaturally strong armored hoof wrapped itself around her neck from behind her, wrenching Applebloom’s head back and arresting her charge in an instant. A life of hard labor on her family’s farm had done the mare’s body no small favors. She was as tough as they came, and yet, try as she might, the earth pony couldn’t seem to so much as budge the batpony restraining her.

The hoof curled beneath her chin wrenched her head painfully to the side. Out of the corner of her eye, Applebloom could see the helmeted face of the batpony hovering just above her exposed neck. Their mouth opened wide, fangs dripping with saliva brushed against her flesh. Warm, damp, breath sent a shiver down along the earth pony’s spine. She tried to struggle, but it was to no avail.

Then they struck.

“Augh!” Applebloom cried out as what felt like dozens of knives plunged into the back of her neck. Her buttercream coat went slick with blood. Her ears filled with a sound not unlike somepony greedily slurping up the dregs of their soda through a straw. The steel-plated hooves restraining her tightened even more firmly, and yet almost sensually. It was as though she were being held in a macabre facsimile of a lover’s embrace.

She began to feel cold and weak, her limbs numb and trembling. As a result of how she was being held, the earth pony could look away from the even paler than usual face of her unicorn friend. Sweetie Belle’s eyes were unfocused. Her body lay limp beneath the attacker.

Applebloom was vaguely aware that the fangs digging into her neck didn’t seem to hurt as much anymore for some reason. She did feel very cold though. And tired. She was so very tired…

Darkness tugged at the edges of her vision. The sounds of the batpony’s slurping seemed to grow further away. Applebloom’s eyes rolled back in her head and blackness overwhelmed her…