As night fell over Chicacolt, the suburbs came alive with the sound of happy foals and delighted screams and laughter. In the city, however, fewer dared to walk the streets, especially alone. Even on a night like this.

In a dimly lit parking lot, two masked ponies hopped over a chain link fence and made their way towards rows of cars. While one kept an eye on the street, the other set down a large duffel bag and pulled out a crowbar.

“Keep it quiet,” the first pony hissed to him. “No breakin’ windows.”

“Right,” the second grunted.

The second metal touched metal, however, there came a growling noise, like someone gruffly clearing their throat.

The two ponies froze, ears swiveling as they looked around the parking lot. They saw no one nearby, nor heard anything further. The wind blew an old newspaper through the lot, but nothing else moved.

“Maybe it was the wind,” muttered the first pony. “Get to pryin’.”

The second nodded, taking another look around the lot before putting his crowbar the car’s door.

“I said,” came a gruff voice, followed by more, louder throat clearing.

The two masked ponies snapped upright, the second one gripping the crowbar like a bat to use for defense. They scanned the lot again, but once again came up empty. This time they knew it wasn’t the wind.

“Up here.”

Slowly, their gazes panned upwards, and their pupils shrunk.

Hunched on one of the parking lot’s light poles was a cloaked, shadowy figure, sitting rigid like a gargoyle. The ponie’s face was obscured by a cowl with pointed ears, almost like a bat’s. In the moonlight, her eyes practically glowed.

“N-No flippin’ way,” the first pony muttered, taking a step back.

His friend was less hesitant, especially with the crowbar in his hooves. “Y-You ain’t real! You’re an urban legend!” he snapped, leveling the crowbar at the figure. “J-Just some jokester in a costume!”

“Oh I’m very real,” came the mare’s gravelly voice, and she rose up on her hind legs. The two robbers shrank back as she flared her cape, fully resembling a bat against the light of the moon overhead.

“Y-You’re supposed to be in Trottingham!” protested the first criminal.

“Well I’m here now.” The figure dropped down to the ground in front of them, rising back to her full height and squinting at the two. “And if you two know what’s good for you, you’ll give this up.”

The first criminal hid behind his cohort, who still brandished the crowbar, albeit much more shakily. The hooded figure took a step forward, and the two criminals let out a scream. The crowbar clattered to the ground and they fled the parking lot, leaving their bag behind.

The figure stood there for a moment more, watching them leave, before letting out an amused snort.

The pointy-eared cowl and cape shrunk back into her body, which regained its bright red hue. She shook her head, flaring her black mane and tail back out and adjusting the white goggles over her eyes.

“This is fun,” Penny Tumbler remarked with a grin. “I love Nightmare Night.”

Her ear flicked towards the sound of a car alarm a few blocks away and she sighed.

“Well, Plastic Mare’s work is never done,” she said, bouncing off in the direction of the racket. “Wonder if I could pull off Supermane next.”

Author's Note

Penny Tumbler/Plastic Mare: Female, Earth Pony

About: Penny Tumbler was an average safe cracker until a robbery went wrong and she was shot and doused with a mysterious chemical. Her body underwent a drastic change, allowing her to bend and stretch at will. She would go on to don a costume and fight crime under the guise of Plastic Mare.

Appearances: The Heroic Rebound of Plastic Mare (Plastic Mare Volume 1) (Upcoming), Plastic Mare Volume 2 (upcoming)

Fun fact: Supermane is already a work in progress by the talented Jade Dawn. Check out his work here!