My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Monster Mash-Up Musical

Chapters

Chapter 1: Prologue / Nightmare Night in Equestria
Chapter 2: Canterlot High and Visit to the Canterlot Planetarium
Chapter 6: A Curse?! / Return of the Dazzlings
Chapter 3: Equestria Ghouls
Chapter 4: The Grimwood Girls
Chapter 5: Home of the Grimwoods
Chapter 7: Prepared for the Quest / Scarface’s Introduction
Chapter 8: Castle of Barren Bog
Chapter 9: Meeting with the Wild Cats
Chapter 10: Monster Power Training
Chapter 11: George Sullivan
Chapter 12: Discussion on the Bus
Chapter 13: Pit Stop
Chapter 14: Backyard House Party
Chapter 15: Car Chase
Chapter 16: Nighttime Errand and Sleep Stop
Chapter 17: Henry and the Wild Cats
Chapter 18: Trust Bridge
Chapter 19: Frank Waggoner
Chapter 20: Sullivan Again
Chapter 21: Hike Through the Woods

Chapter 1: Prologue / Nightmare Night in Equestria

Somewhere in a dark town at night, a middle-aged man in his late 40s was decorating his living room with Halloween props. He places fake cobwebs around the rim of the mirror above his fireplace.

"Ah, there we go. The last one. All set up for Halloween." the man exclaims to himself, as he finished and loving his work. As the man goes into the hallway and examines more of his Halloween decorations, there's a teenage boy who comes up the sidewalk to the front door. He looks at the neatly decorated house then rings the doorbell. Inside, the man hears the doorbell ringing.

"Oh! Coming." the man said as he opened up the front door and sees the teen.

"Uncle Arthur." The teen said.

"Winston?" Arthur asked, surprised.

"Yep, it’s me." Winston replied.

"Winston! How are you? Come in, come in." Arthur exclaimed as Winston steps into his uncle’s house and looks at the Halloween decorations in the foyer. "So glad my favorite nephew could come visit me on Halloween."

"Well, my parents are out of town, so they thought I might like to stay with you for a few days until they get home." Winston explained as Arthur smiles approvingly at his nephew. "Whoa! Uncle Arthur! You really went full haunt this Halloween!"

"Thanks, buddy. I like to be prepared for these kinds of things." Arthur replied kindly.

"So, what gave you the idea to have your home filled with all these amazing Halloween decorations, Uncle Arthur?" Winston asked curiously.

"Oooh! Now, that is a very special story that I haven’t got the chance to tell anyone yet." Arthur explained.

"Why don’t you tell me? A nice story always keeps me in full spirits." Winston suggested.

"Well, sure. Come on, we’ll listen to it here." Arthur led him into the living room and sat on the sofa.

"Alright, Winston. This story is a Halloween tale about the Rainbooms." Arthur explained.

"You know the Rainbooms?" Winston exclaimed, excitedly.

"Not only that, but I also know that they once crossed paths with the Grimwood Girls." Arthur continued.

"Oh! I heard about them! They used to go to Miss Grimwood’s Finishing School for Ghouls!" Winston spoke.

"Right! Before I tell you this tale, I better start off with a short history lesson. It all started 50 years ago," Arthur started as we flashback to a cave.

"When an adventure professor named Richard MacWright went to England in search of the Gold Disk of Lycidias." Arthur narrated as Professor MacWright puts a wooden compartment chest from its burial.

"Ah, this must be it." MacWright exclaimed as he digs up the compartment that contains the Disk.

"What’s a gold disk of Lycidias, Uncle Arthur?" Winston asked.

"It was the first clue leading to a great treasure: the Zodiac Stone." Arthur narrates as MacWright presses a wooden button on the compartment chest. The lid slides open revealing only one half of the Gold Disk. He brushes off the remaining grains of dirt off its shiny surface.

"The other half is missing." Richard spoke when suddenly, the cave starts shaking violently. "This chest must have set off a trap." He continued in panic as rocks start falling all around him. "Uh-oh! Better get out of here!" he panicked as he puts the disk half in his satchel and makes a run for the exit. Boulders plummet all around the cave and crushes the compartment the disk half was in. MacWright finally reaches the cave entrance and makes a jump for it and gets out of the cave at the last second before the falling rocks cover the cave completely. MacWright takes the disk half out of his satchel and examines it. It’s unharmed. "Oh. Thank goodness."

Back in the present, Winston sighs with relief. "Whew! That was close. I’m glad MacWright escaped from the tomb. But did he ever find the other half? And where are the Rainbooms?" Winston asked.

"Don’t worry, Winston. That’s where the story takes place. Many years went by and MacWright retired. Now onto the real tale. The story begins in this magical world called Equestria,"

In another flashback, this time, in Equestria, the home of many pony kinds. "home of the Alicorn Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle. When she was just an ordinary unicorn, she and his younger dragon friend, Spike, moved from Canterlot to Ponyville to learn about friendship, on behalf of the ruler of Equestria and her mentor, Princess Celestia." They pass their onlooking friends: The rest of the Mane 6. "And she met 5 ponies who helped her out: Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. Don’t let her colorful hair fool you. She's the feistiest one of the group." They pass her friend, Starlight Glimmer, and her friend, Trixie Lulamoon, who are both eating outside a diner. "Of course, Twilight did have a student of her own: Starlight Glimmer, who was a friend of unicorn magician, The Great and Powerful Trixie. Now, Winston, let’s start the story with Twilight and her friends getting ready for their world’s Halloween: Nightmare Night."

At the School of Friendship, Twilight waits outside the male’s changing room for Spike.

"Everything alright in there, Spike?" Twilight asked.

"Almost ready. Just getting my back scales decorated." Spike replied from inside the changing room.

"Happy Nightmare Night, Twilight!" Pinkie yelled excitedly as she and the others are behind Twilight.

"Ready for a haunted hang-out at your castle!?" Rainbow asked.

"But first, where’s Spikeywikey? We wouldn’t want him to miss out." Rarity asked, worried about the baby dragon.

"He’s getting his costume on." Twilight answered as Spike comes out of the changing room. The little dragon is wearing a black onesie with a white skeleton on it and a white plastic skull mask, which he pulls up and behind his head. He’s dressed as a skeleton.

"Yeehoo! Spike, that skeleton costume you got on there fits you to a tee." Applejack exclaimed, liking Spike's costume.

"I think it looks adorable." Fluttershy cooed.

"Ha ha. Thanks. Now, come on. Starlight and Trixie will be waiting for us back at the castle." Spike replied.

Twilight, Spike, and the rest of the Mane 6 head off. Fade to Twilight’s Castle of Friendship. In the throne room where the cutie map is, Starlight and Trixie sit patiently by the round table map with Princesses Celestia, Luna, Cadance and Flurry Heart for Twilight and her friends. Twilight, Spike, and the girls arrive through the throne room’s double doors.

"Huh. I was wondering when you all were going to show up." Trixie wondered.

"Hey, Spike. That skeleton costume looks nice on you. I see you had a bone to pick." Starlight said, chuckling.

"Good one, Starlight." Spike replied, giggling.

Later, the Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Spike sit in their respective thrones around the Cutie Map table. Starlight, Trixie, and the Princess stand in between some of them. Starlight and Celestia are standing next to Twilight.

"Nightmare Night is quite the spooky day, Twilight. It’s one of my favorite holidays. The scares, the costumes, the treats. Just 4 days away." Princess Celestia said.

"It is a blast. Remember when Fluttershy used to be so afraid of Nightmare Night that she would lock herself up in her cottage and refuse to come out until morning?" Rainbow replied.

"Oh, yes. Until the night Granny Smith helped me figure out how I could make the scary stuff even more fun, but also scary for you all. Thanks to you all, I’m not afraid anymore. Just a bunch of costumes, decorations, and lots of skeleton shaped cookies and candy." Fluttershy answered, still happy of how she got used to Nightmare Night the first time.

"What about when Princess Luna came over to Ponyville and almost canceled Nightmare Night forever?" Pinkie exclaimed, chuckling.

"Yes, well, that was only because I was still trying to find my place in Equestria after being on the Moon for a thousand years." Princess Luna answered.

"And that story Zecora made up about you being threatening again if no one offered you any treats? That was crucial." Princess Celestia replied.

"Well, we may have had a few tweaks here and there on the past few Nightmare Nights, but I have a feeling this is going to be the best---" Twilight said before a knock on the throne room door cut her off.

"Huh. Wonder who that could be?" Pinkie asked as Twilight trots over to the large double doors.

Twilight telekinetically opens the doors, revealing, to everypony’s surprise... Sunset Shimmer! In her unicorn form.

"Hey, everypony!" greeted Sunset.

Twilight, Spike, and the rest of the Mane 6 beam with excitement!

Back at Arthur’s house, he and Winston are still sitting on the sofa while Winston continues listening to the story.

"Wait! Sunset Shimmer? Like the Sunset Shimmer from Canterlot High? That’s her?" Winston asked, getting intrugued by his uncle's story.

"That’s right, Winston. Sunset Shimmer visited Equestria to invite Twilight over to the human world for Halloween. The human versions of Twilight’s friends were students at Canterlot High." Arthur replied as he continued the story.

"Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Sunset!" Spike and Starlight exclaimed in surprise as they and Twilight embraced the visiting unicorn.

"Happy Nightmare Night, everypony… Well, early Nightmare Night. Heh heh." Sunset said, clearly embarrassed that she showed up early. Later, Twilight, Sunset, Spike, the Mane 6, Starlight, Trixie, and the Princesses were walking down the castle hallways.

"So, Sunset, what brings you back to Equestria this time around?"

"Last time we saw you, the Storm King’s magic was threatening your cruise vacation. Did you come to spend Nightmare Night with us?" Spike spoke.

"Actually, I was coming to ask Twilight if she could spend Halloween with me and my friends in the human world." Sunset asked.

“Halloween?” The ponies and Spike asked, confused.

"Yeah, it’s the human version of Nightmare Night." Sunset explained

"Oh, okay. But what about your Twilight?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, our Twilight and Spike left for a vacation to New York. They’re going to go see a Halloween parade. I just thought it might be better if Princess Twilight would spend Halloween with me and my friends until our Twilight comes back. Besides, Halloween isn’t for another 3 days." Sunset answered.

"Well… uh… girls, can we have a quick talk? Please excuse us for a minute, Sunset." Twilight said, unsure of her orange friend's idea.

"Oh. Sure." Sunset replied as Twilight brings Spike, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Starlight and Trixie aside so they can huddle up.

"I don’t know about this, girls. I mean, what about you? Don’t we have Nightmare Night to get through?" Twilight asked.

"Well, you won’t be alone, Twilight. Besides, you have alternate versions of us in the world behind that mirror." Applejack said.

"I bet this Halloween sounds awesome." Rainbow spoke, already loving the excitement of human-world Halloween.

"All the candy, the costumes, the scares, the decorations. It should feel like a Nightmare Night party in the human world." Pinkie exclaimed, excitedly.

"I just hope others me have conquered her fear of Halloween." Fluttershy wished.

"All those different costumes. I bet they’d look fabulous." Rarity said, clearly wanting to get the visuals of the costumes so she can get an inspiration for her fashion line.

"Twilight, you’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t go spend some time with Sunset Shimmer. She’s our friend." Trixie points out as Twilight looks back at Sunset, who smiles expectantly.

"Still, I don’t know." Twilight spoke, still unsure as Spike and Starlight look at each other with concern.

"Would you like for me to come, Twilight? I miss other Fluttershy petting me." Spike asked

"I can come too. I haven’t been since my stay after I saved Sunset and the Rainbooms from Juniper Montage’s mirror." Starlight replied.

"Are you girls really sure you can handle 3 days without me?" Twilight asked as the others nodded yes. They rejoin Sunset.

"Alright, Sunset. We’ve reached an agreement. Starlight, Spike and I would love to join you and our Canterlot High friends for Halloween." Twilight answered as Sunset grins with excitement.

They all go to Twilight's library where the Crystal Mirror is located. The ponies, Trixie, the Princesses and Flurry Heart are there waving at them, wishing that they'll have fun in the other side's version of Nightmare Night.

"Alright. Time to get going." Twilight commanded as Starlight, Twilight, Sunset and Spike (who is still in his skeleton costume) jumps through the portal.

"Have fun, my dear Twilight." Princess Celestia said as the portal closed in the mirror turns off.

Chapter 2: Canterlot High and Visit to the Canterlot Planetarium

The scene fades into the bustling hallways of Canterlot High on a crisp autumn day. The human versions of Twilight's friends are hard at work, decorating the school with Halloween decorations. Applejack is placing scarecrows and dummies around the hallways, while Fluttershy, with the help of her animal companions, is arranging homemade jack-o’-lanterns between the classroom doors. Rarity is hanging various lanterns from the ceiling, each adorned with a different Halloween-themed creature: bats, spiders, snakes, ravens, and owls, all in shades of purple, orange, and black. Pinkie Pie is busy setting up a Halloween candy station, surrounded by an array of orange, purple, and black balloons. Rainbow Dash, using her super-speed, is decorating the windows with fake cobwebs, the classroom doors with green glow-in-the-dark stickers, and the lockers with orange and black streamers. A thick, eerie fog rolls across the floor, adding an extra layer of spookiness. The Rainbooms turn their attention to Trixie, who is adding some special effects with a fog machine.

"Hey, girls," comes a voice from behind them. The group turns to see Sunset, in her human form, approaching.

"Sunset, you’re back!" Fluttershy exclaims, her eyes lighting up with delight.

"What do you think of these Halloween decorations we put up?" Rarity asks, clearly proud of their efforts.

"I bet our classmates and teachers will find them spooooooooooky," Rainbow Dash adds with a grin.

Sunset smiles. "Yeah, really spooky. Oh, oh! Girls! Look who decided to join us on Halloween!" She steps aside to reveal Twilight and Starlight, both transformed into their human forms, and Spike in his dog form, still wearing his skeleton costume.

"Happy Halloween, girls!" Twilight says, beaming with excitement.

"Twilight! Spike!" Applejack exclaims, rushing forward to greet them.

"Starlight!" Trixie says as she walks up to her old Equestrian friend.

"Hey! Trixie!" Starlight replies as they warmly embrace. "Long time, no see."

Spike trots up to Fluttershy, who immediately scoops him up and begins to pet him. "Aw! Spike! Your costume is just adorable!" she coos.

"Thanks, Fluttershy. I heard that from you, twice in one day," Spike says, blushing from the compliment.

Pinkie Pie turns to Twilight with a grin. "Well, well, back again. At this rate, you should probably just move in with us."

Twilight chuckles. "Well, I don’t know about that, but Sunset told us about your Halloween celebrations. In Equestria, we call it 'Nightmare Night.'"

"And she thought we’d like to spend Halloween with you all until your Twilight comes home," Starlight adds.

Rarity’s eyes widen with excitement. "Princess Twilight and Starlight Glimmer spending Halloween with us? Ooh! I think I’m going to faint."

Sunset reaches into her satchel and pulls out Sci-Twi’s geode pendant. "And she let us keep an eye on her geode until she gets back." She hands the pendant to Twilight. "Hey, why don’t you wear the geode until then? It’ll be like our Twilight never left."

Twilight grins and slips the geode around her neck. "Huh. Nice."

"Oh!" Sunset says, reaching back into her satchel. "I almost forgot! Twilight took another trip to Camp Everfree a couple of months ago and found two more geode crystals." She retrieves two additional pendants—one deep blue with Trixie’s cutie mark, the other green with Starlight’s cutie mark. "She got these for Starlight and Trixie. Trixie’s geode will give her the ability to cast illusions, and Starlight’s gives her luminosity abilities."

"Controlling light? Sounds like my kind of thing," Starlight says, taking her new geode.

"And illusions are pretty much like magic tricks. I accept," Trixie agrees, accepting her geode.

Twilight, eager to try out her geode, uses telekinesis to levitate a caramel apple from Pinkie Pie’s candy stand and offers it to Pinkie. Starlight places her hand over Trixie’s head, and her palm shines like a spotlight. Trixie activates her geode, conjuring illusions of rainbow balls, diamonds, apples, balloons, butterflies, and books, which float down from the ceiling like snowflakes before vanishing with a flick of her wrist.

"Well, it looks like you girls went full haunt this Halloween," Twilight observes, admiring the decorations.

"Well, if you think this is spooky, you should check out what’s happening in town," Rainbow Dash says, a hint of excitement in her voice.

The scene shifts to Canterlot City, where Halloween decorations adorn various buildings, including Sweet Shoppe and Carousel Boutique. Twilight, Spike, Starlight, the Rainbooms, and Trixie stroll down the sidewalk, taking in the spooky atmosphere. They spot DJ Pon-3 waving at them from a distance. The mute music lover rushes over to them.

"DJ Pon-3," Twilight greets.

"How’s it going?" Sunset adds.

DJ Pon-3 gives a thumbs up with a nervous grin. Her smile fades as she removes her purple-tinted shades, revealing her anxious dark fuchsia eyes. She tries to use sign language to communicate with the group.

"Uh… You got a screw loose in your turntables?" Applejack guesses, but DJ shakes her head.

"Spiders tangled in their own webs?" Fluttershy offers, but DJ shakes her head again.

"Thread on one of your outfits coming undone?" Rarity suggests, to which DJ again shakes her head.

"You have an overdue book?" Twilight asks.

"Trying to throw a big Halloween party?" Pinkie Pie guesses.

"You’re using exercise equipment that looks like creepy creatures?" Rainbow Dash adds.

Starlight, frustrated by the lack of progress, whistles loudly to get everyone’s attention. All eyes turn to her as she pulls out a can labeled "Speech Spray". "Let me handle this." She says as she approaches DJ Pon-3. She sprays a mist of turquoise liquid on DJ, who coughs as the spray dissipates.

"Ugh! Careful with what you spray!" DJ Pon-3 suddenly exclaims, her voice sounding surprisingly cool. "You never know if it’s hazardous!" She puts her hands over her mouth, surprised that she just spoke.

"What in tarnation?!" Applejack exclaims, astonished.

"Something’s happened!" Trixie’s voice rings out.

"I’m talking! I AM TALKING!" DJ Pon-3 exclaims excitedly. "Whoa! Who knew my voice sounded this cool?" She winks at the group, who are visibly impressed.

"Starlight, that wasn’t a refreshing spritz you gave her, was it?" Rainbow Dash asks.

"It’s a Speech Spray," Starlight replies, "but yes, it does have a lavender quality to it. Twilight helped me make something out of one of my magic skills."

"Girls, you’re gonna have to come with me to the mall," DJ Pon-3 says urgently. "The newspapers have critic sections about you again."

The Rainbooms follow DJ Pon-3 off-screen, their curiosity piqued about what awaits them at the mall.

The scene shifts to the Canterlot Mall, at dusk and adorned with elaborate Halloween decorations. Inside, Twilight’s crush, Flash Sentry, sits at one of the tables in the food court, a newspaper spread out before him. His face is etched with frustration as he reads an article that clearly displeases him. Nearby, a small group has gathered, their expressions mirroring Flash’s annoyance. Among them are Princess Celestia and Vice Principal Luna, the Principals of Canterlot High, alongside Principal Cadance, who has transitioned from Dean of Crystal Prep to its principal some time after the Friendship Games. The crocked-eyed Derpy Hooves and the Cutie Mark Crusaders—Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle—are also engrossed in their own copies of the newspaper, each bearing a similarly displeased look. The Crusaders, ever in the spirit of Halloween, are holding plastic masks on sticks: Apple Bloom's is a werewolf, Scootaloo - a vampire, and Sweetie Belle - a witch.

As Twilight, Spike, and the rest of the girls arrive at the food court, they immediately sense the tension in the air. DJ gestures for them to proceed, and they approach the group with concern. Twilight’s eyes lock onto Flash, who

"Flash," Twilight calls softly, her voice laced with concern.

Flash looks up from his newspaper at the sound of her voice, then spots her approaching. "Twilight?" Flash responds, his face lighting up with surprise. As Twilight nods in confirmation, a warm smile spreads across his face, and he rises to embrace her. "Twilight, you’re back," he says with genuine happiness, pulling her into a tight hug. "Hey! Starlight! How’s it going?" he adds, offering Starlight a fist bump, which she returns with a grin.

"Twilight Sparkle!" Principal Celestia greets warmly.

"The Princess of the Fall Formal has returned," Vice Principal Luna adds.

"We heard about the critic articles about the Rainbooms in the newspaper again," Rainbow Dash says, her tone reflecting the annoyance that everyone else is feeling.

"Yep, just get a load of this," Principal Cadance says, handing one of the newspapers to the Rainbooms. Twilight and Sunset lean in, their eyes scanning the offending article, which features a photo of a middle-aged man named George Sullivan.

Twilight reads aloud, her voice tinged with disbelief, "‘George Sullivan. In a world seemingly obsessed with the mundane and mediocre, the Rainbooms have managed to carve out a niche for themselves as the epitome of both. With their grating vocal stylings that bear a striking resemblance to a herd of cats caught in a blender, and their questionable fashion choices that would make a peacock blush, these so-called “music icons” have somehow managed to captivate a legion of impressionable young fans.’"

Sunset continues, her voice growing more indignant with each word, "‘Their recent performance at Canterlot Stadium was a prime example of their artistic bankruptcy. The stage was a garish spectacle of neon colors and inflatable objects, and the music was a cacophony of noise that seemed designed to induce migraines. The so-called “magic of friendship” that they purport to embody is nothing more than a cynical marketing ploy to sell overpriced merchandise to unsuspecting children. It’s time for the public to wake up and realize that talent and artistry are qualities that should be celebrated, not ridiculed. The Rainbooms are a prime example of why the music industry is in such a sorry state.’" Sunset finishes, her face flushing with a mix of anger and hurt.

"I am INSULTED!" Rarity declares in frustration.

Rainbow Dash crosses her arms, her expression stormy. "Ugh! George Sullivan gives me the creeps!"

"But it doesn't matter now," Pinkie Pie chimes in. "His insults won’t stop us from celebrating Halloween."

"Hooo, yeah!" Apple Bloom exclaims. "I love Halloween! Pumpkins, costumes, candies, parties!"

"Halloween is one of my favorite holidays," Scootaloo adds with equal enthusiasm. "Spooky surprises, all different creatures, all that cool stuff."

Derpy turns to Fluttershy with a puzzled expression. "Of course, but… Fluttershy, I never knew that you liked Halloween."

"Well, I used to be scared of it when I was little," Fluttershy admits with a shy smile, "but I think I’ve grown to actually enjoy it."

Rainbow Dash gives Fluttershy’s shoulder a supportive pat, proud of her friend’s newfound courage. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, however, aren’t quite ready to let go of their mischievous teasing.

"Well… Are you sure you’re not just a little bit scared?" Sweetie Belle asks, her eyes twinkling with playful intent.

"By all the bat-winged vampires?" Scootaloo adds, her voice taking on a mockingly sinister tone as she imitates Dracula.

"Howling werewolves?" Apple Bloom howls dramatically, adding to the playful atmosphere.

"And wicked witches?" Sweetie Belle cackles, her imitation of a witch drawing giggles from the group.

Applejack chuckles, shaking her head at their antics. "Nice try, girls. But we’re not afraid of a bunch of ghouls or goblins. Well, Fluttershy might get a little jumpy around them. No offense, sugarcube."

Fluttershy simply smiles, her usual nervousness nowhere to be found. "Oh, none taken."

"Oh, come on," Principal Cadance chimes in, amused by the playful banter.

"Not even on Halloween?" Vice Principal Luna adds, raising an eyebrow with a smirk.

"Of course not," Pinkie Pie responds confidently. "Although I would like to go to a big Halloween party."

DJ Pon-3 suddenly perks up, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Well, there’s one at the Canterlot Planetarium. It’s totally decked up!"

The reaction is immediate. Everyone except the Rainbooms gasps in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"DJ?!" Derpy exclaims, her eyes widening in surprise.

"YOU CAN TALK?!" Flash Sentry blurts out, his flabbergasted expression echoing the thoughts of everyone around him.

DJ Pon-3 nods enthusiastically. "Yep. Thanks to a special spray can Starlight made."

Starlight holds up the can of Speech Spray, a proud smile on her face.

Principal Celestia, still processing this new revelation, simply nods. "O-kay… But, yes, you girls should go to Canterlot Planetarium. They can throw quite a big party there."

"And our Twilight just happens to love the Planetarium," Rainbow Dash adds with a grin.

"Oh. Alright. Then I guess we’re off to the Canterlot Planetarium." Twilight says affirmingly.

With that decision made, the Rainbooms, Spike, Starlight, and Trixie prepare to leave. As they turn to go, Flash Sentry watches Twilight with a dreamy expression, clearly captivated by her presence. The group leaves the mall, their spirits lifted as they head to the Canterlot Planetarium.

Later, the Rainbooms arrived at the Canterlot Planetarium. From the moment they stepped out of the crisp autumn air and into the building, they were greeted by an extravagant display of Halloween decor, with cobwebs clinging to corners, eerie lights casting shadows across the walls, and the faint sound of haunting music drifting through the air. The girls, along with Spike, were immediately captivated by the spooky atmosphere, their eyes wide with wonder.

"Whoa! This place is really looking spooky," Rainbow Dash remarked.

"And full of Halloween fun!" Pinkie Pie added.

As the group dispersed to explore and enjoy the festivities, Twilight noticed Sunset seeming a bit off. There was a slight slump to her shoulders, a hint of melancholy in her eyes that didn't quite match the festive surroundings. Concerned, Twilight exchanged a glance with the others, who had also noticed the change in Sunset’s demeanor. They quickly regrouped, surrounding their friend with expressions of gentle concern.

"Sunset? Are you okay?" Twilight asked.

Sunset, caught off guard, forces a smile. "What? Oh, yeah! Totally! I’m fine. Why?"

Starlight Glimmer wasn’t convinced and pressed further. "Well, you just look like something’s bothering you."

For a moment, Sunset looked around at her friends, all of whom were watching her with expectant eyes. Realizing she couldn’t keep her feelings to herself, she let out a weary sigh, the forced smile fading away. "Well," she began hesitantly, "I’ve been having a few doubts about Halloween this year."

Rarity tilted her head, concern deepening in her eyes. "Whatever do you mean, Sunset Shimmer? Is something wrong?"

Sunset hesitated before answering, clearly struggling to find the right words. "I just don’t think Halloween costumes are really my kind of thing this year," she admitted. "I've been wanting to have some real spooks and scares this Halloween. I just thought that if a corrupted person uses something possessed by Equestrian magic again, we might make them stop with really convincing Halloween frights."

The rest of the group was taken aback by Sunset’s words. They hadn’t expected her to be so troubled by something that usually brought so much joy.

"Well, don’t let it bother you too much, Sunset," Applejack said in a comforting tone. "We haven’t seen any dark magic happening yet. So we might as well enjoy ourselves."

Starlight Glimmer nodded in agreement, giving Sunset a reassuring smile. "Yeah. Remember what I said to you about focusing on the positive?" She reminded her.

Sunset looked around at her friends, who all wore expressions of support and understanding. The weight on her shoulders seemed to lighten a bit, and she returned Starlight’s smile with one of her own, albeit small and tentative. Later, as the group wandered through the planetarium, they found themselves examining a series of framed pictures depicting various classic Halloween monsters. Each picture was accompanied by a detailed description of the creature’s lore. The girls were fascinated by the artwork: Rarity found herself drawn to a picture of a mummy, Fluttershy studied a ghost, Applejack was intrigued by a Frankenstein-like creature, and Sunset examined a swamp monster with keen interest. Pinkie Pie giggled at a depiction of a werewolf, Twilight scrutinized a witch, Rainbow Dash admired a vampire, Trixie was intrigued by a dinosaur, and Starlight focused on an alien.

As they were lost in the eerie beauty of the pictures, a young woman with raven hair and dressed in a lab coat passed by behind them. Fluttershy’s eyes lit up with excitement as she recognized the familiar face.

"Hey! I know that girl! That’s my friend, Sarah Scientist!" Fluttershy exclaimed, her voice brimming with joy. "I went to elementary school with her. I think I should go see her."

The rest of the group nodded in agreement, smiling at Fluttershy’s enthusiasm. Fluttershy wasted no time in catching up to the woman. "Hey, Sarah!" she called out.

Sarah turned around, her face lighting up with recognition. "Fluttershy? Whoa!" The two friends embraced warmly, their reunion filled with genuine affection. "How are you?" Sarah asked, then glanced over Fluttershy’s shoulder to see the other Rainbooms. Her eyes widened in surprise and admiration. "Oh! The Rainbooms! Wow! Big fan," she said, her voice tinged with excitement. Her gaze landed on Twilight, and she gasped. "You must be Twilight Sparkle! I’ve heard so much about you."

"She became the Princess of the Fall Formal some time ago, Sarah," Fluttershy proudly informed her friend.

Sarah’s eyes sparkled with admiration. "Well, that is amazing! Oh! Fluttershy, I heard that you’re a member of the Rainbooms! I even saw you at the parade in Equestrialand."

The Rainbooms couldn’t help but smile at the warm praise, feeling appreciated and recognized. "So, came to enjoy our little Halloween party?" Sarah asked, her tone turning playful.

"You bet!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "I just love parties!"

Twilight, noticing Sunset standing slightly apart from the group with a half-smile, decided to speak up. "Uh, Sarah? Sunset Shimmer told us that she’s been anxious about this Halloween, and she said that she wanted to have a convincing Halloween costume this year." She glanced at Sunset, who nodded to confirm her words.

Sarah’s expression shifted from excitement to thoughtful consideration. "Well, you’re in luck," she said after a moment. "I’m not just a scientist, but I’m also an inventor. I think my latest creation can fix Sunset’s problem. Follow me."

Intrigued, the girls and Spike followed Sarah as she led them deeper into the planetarium.

Now, Arthur and Winston sat in two chairs outside in the backyard of Arthur’s house. The two were facing each other, the cool night air wrapping around them as they engaged in a quiet conversation.

"So, Uncle Arthur, Sarah has some invention that can make really convincing Halloween costumes for the Rainbooms?" Winston asked.

Arthur gazes at his nephew with a mysterious smile. "Well, yes… and no," he replied, his voice carrying an air of suspense.

Winston’s brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Arthur leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "Sarah’s invention was going to put the Rainbooms in something, but it wasn’t costumes. Oh, no, this invention is way different. You really wanna know what it’s going to do?"

Winston nodded eagerly, his curiosity piqued.

Arthur’s smile widened, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "They were going to be transformed."

"Transformed?!" Winston gasped, his voice filled with shock.

"Transformed!" Arthur answered, clearly enjoying the suspense. "Into actual Halloween monsters."

Winston’s eyes widened with surprise, his mind racing with the implications of what his uncle had just revealed.

In a dimly lit, invention-filled laboratory of the Canterlot Planetarium, the Rainbooms found themselves awestruck by the sight before them. The room was a marvel of technology and creativity, filled with strange gadgets, blinking lights, and contraptions that seemed to defy the laws of physics. Everywhere they looked, there were inventions that hinted at endless possibilities, each more intriguing than the last.

"Whoa!" "Wow!" "Awesome!" "My goodness!" "Well, I’ll be!" "Cool!" The exclamations from the group echoed around the room as they took in the sight of the lab. Each girl was caught in her own moment of amazement, their eyes wide with wonder.

Sarah smiled at them. "Yes, it is cool," she acknowledged, her tone slightly serious. "But be careful. You never know what these types of inventions can do."

The Rainbooms, sensing the underlying seriousness of her words, nodded in agreement. They promised to tread carefully, understanding that while the inventions around them were fascinating, they also held the potential for unpredictability. With that understanding, Sarah led them further into the lab, the group following closely behind, their curiosity piqued even more.

As they walked, Rarity’s keen eye for beauty and glamour caught sight of something particularly captivating—half of a golden disk displayed in a glass case - It’s the other half of the disk MacWright tried to find. It shimmered under the laboratory lights, its surface reflecting a mesmerizing glow that immediately drew her in. "Oh! Shiny," Rarity exclaimed. "Hey, Sarah! What is this fabulous gold relic you’ve got?"

Sarah paused, turning to look at what had caught Rarity’s attention. A smile played on her lips as she explained, "That is half of the Gold Disk of Lycidias, a clue leading to a treasure called the Zodiac Stone—a powerful artifact that can grant ultimate power to whoever makes contact with it."

The revelation hung in the air, each of the Rainbooms processing the significance of such an object. Trixie couldn’t contain her excitement. "Ultimate power? With that kind of capability, my magic skills could be stupendous!" she exclaimed.

Sarah chuckled softly at Trixie’s enthusiasm. "Yes, well, unfortunately, I was only able to find one half of the disk," she admitted, a hint of regret in her voice.

Rainbow Dash thought for a moment before speaking up. "Well, would you like for us to find the other half and the Zodiac Stone? We happen to have had a few adventures like that in our time," she offered.

Sarah’s face lit up with delight at the suggestion. "That is so generous of you! And brave!" she said, clearly touched by the offer. Without hesitation, she carefully retrieved the disk from the display case and handed it to Twilight, who tucked it securely into the pocket of her pleated skirt. With the disk now in their possession, Sarah beckoned them to continue following her through the labyrinth of the lab.

As they made their way deeper into the lab, Sarah led them to an area dominated by a massive, futuristic-looking structure—a gigantic sterilization chamber that looked like something out of a science fiction movie. The girls exchanged curious glances as they took in the sight of the enormous device.

"Behold! The transformation chamber," Sarah announced. "It can transform anyone into a different species. Any kind of species you want."

The Rainbooms were taken aback by the revelation, their minds racing with the possibilities that such a machine could offer. Sunset, still harboring her earlier feelings of wanting something more intense for Halloween, perked up at the mention of transformation.

"Sunset, you said you wanted to have real spooks this Halloween, right?" Sarah asked, a knowing smile on her face.

Sunset nodded, her interest piqued. "Yep. So?" she prompted, eager to hear what Sarah had in mind.

Sarah’s smile widened as she revealed her plan. "So… I just thought—instead of wearing a monster costume, you could be what the monster costume is."

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes widened in realization. "Wait. Are you saying—?"

"That’s right, Twilight," Sarah confirmed. "I’m going to use the transformation chamber to turn you all into real monsters. For real."

Sunset’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "You mean we’re going to get to be actual Halloween monsters this year?" she asked, her voice tinged with anticipation.

Sarah nodded, and the smile that spread across Sunset’s face was one of pure joy. "This… is… PERFECT!" she exclaimed. "Actually being a monster instead of wearing costumes is just what I needed this year. Who’s with me?"

Twilight was the first to step forward. "I’ll try it out. I think being a Halloween monster would be interesting," she said thoughtfully.

Rarity, ever the fashionista, couldn’t resist the idea of combining fright with style. "I’d look spooky and monstrous, but also fabulous at the same time," she agreed with a confident smile.

Applejack, always practical but never one to shy away from an adventure, shrugged. "Ah, what the hay. I guess I could give it a try," she said, her tone nonchalant.

Fluttershy, ever the timid one, hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Well, if you go, I’ll go. I just hope we don’t become too scary," she said softly, her voice tinged with concern.

Pinkie Pie, as always, was bursting with excitement. "Ooh! Ooh! I wanna go too! I bet being a monster will be so much fun!" she said, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Rainbow Dash, competitive as ever, set her terms. "Well, my monster look better be mind-blowing. I’ll trust you all," she said, crossing her arms with a smirk.

Starlight and Trixie, both intrigued by the idea, quickly voiced their agreement. "I’m in!" Starlight declared, while Trixie added with a flourish, "Count me in too."

Twilight turned to Spike, who had been quietly observing the conversation. "Spike?"

The little dragon-turned-dog considered for a moment before shaking his head. "Well… I’m actually fine with my skeleton costume. You girls can go ahead," he said, his tone light.

Sunset gave him a reassuring smile. "Alright, Spike. We shouldn’t take too long."

With their decision made, the Rainbooms exchanged determined looks before turning back to a smiling Sarah. The Rainbooms were ready to be transformed.

Chapter 6: A Curse?! / Return of the Dazzlings

Cut to the Canterlot Planetarium at morning. Flash, Vinyl, and Derpy head inside. The interior is still all-out decorated for Halloween. They’re astounded by the decorations.

"Flash, Vinyl, are you sure we should be doing this?" Derpy asked with concern.

"Well, I thought we might as well have a look at the transformation chamber the girls told us about." Flash answered.

"And I just wanted to see if Sarah Scientist found out anything about the Gold Disk of Lycidias and the Zodiac Stone." Vinyl considered. "Besides, she did let them go on an adventure to find the stone."

They share an agreeing look, then head deeper into the Planetarium. In her lab, Sarah tests out vials of different colored liquid. She takes out a dropper and uses it in the vial of teal liquid. She lets a drop fall into the vial of magenta liquid, and it becomes lime green with dry ice vapor. Sarah smiles to herself. Flash, Vinyl, and Derpy head in and spot the scientist at work. Vinyl takes off her shades then knocks on the already open lab door, getting Sarah’s attention.

"Oh. Hello." Sarah said with a friendly smile. "Can I help you?"

"Hey. Uh, Sarah Scientist, right?" Flash asked. Sarah nods, answering his question. "We’re friends of the Rainbooms. We heard you use a transformation chamber to turn them into real monsters."

"You heard right." Sarah said, pointing towards the chamber, which is a bit further in the lab. "Did they show you their new monster forms?" She asked.

"They did." Vinyl said with confirmation. "We also heard you told them the story about the Zodiac Stone. And now they’re on a quest to go find it." She added.

"Yep. They volunteered to go find it." Sarah said nicely. "But don’t worry; I told them about the stone, I told them about the disk, I told them about the curse..." Wait! What did she just say?! The aghast scientist gasps loudly, getting off her stool. "I FORGOT TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE CURSE!!!"

"CURSE?!" Flash, Vinyl, and Derpy yelled with full-blown panic.

"THERE'S A CURSE?!" Derpy asked in horror.

"Oh no! What have I done?!" Sarah said to herself. "Your friends are in BIG danger!" She said to the trio. "But I know how to help! Follow me!" They follow Sarah further into the lab.

"This is terrible!" Vinyl said, aghast. "My book about the Zodiac Stone didn’t say anything about a curse!"

"Well, it looks like we’re about to find out what it does." Flash stated.

At a park, Arthur and Winston sit on either side of a picnic bench, facing each other.

"Wait a minute! The Zodiac Stone has a curse?" Winston asked with fear. "That does not sound good!"

"Yeah, sorry for not bringing that up earlier, Winston." Arthur said apologetically. "I guess I should have told you when I started telling you the story."

Back in the lab, Sarah leads the trio to a projector facing a white board.

"I’ve got a few images of the Zodiac Stone’s capabilities and put them in a slideshow." Sarah said.

"Perfect. This should give us some info about the curse." Flash stated.

"Yeah, but what does the curse do?" Vinyl asked with concern.

"Good question, DJ." Sarah said. "It’s a guardian curse." She turns the projector on and it projects images of the Zodiac Stone and a large red ghostly dragon, the slides even show the dragon wreaking havoc on a city. Sarah told them the tell while showing them. "Years ago, the Great Lycidias put the Zodiac Stone inside its tomb and cursed it, so that if anyone takes it from its resting place, the curse will rise up and take the form of a terrifying beast, and battle whoever took the stone!"

"And Twilight and the girls are somewhere out there trying to find it!" Flash said fearfully.

"So if they take the stone, they’ll unleash the curse that protects it by turning into a gigantic red ghost dragon?!" Vinyl asked in terror.

"You got it." Sarah admitted. "But don’t worry, I do know the ingredients for a serum that can break any curse. This is the perfect opportunity to try out my giant syringe." She holds up a huge syringe, the size of a pogo stick. Flash, Vinyl, and Derpy stare at the oversized injector. Sarah puts the syringe on the table the projector is on, turns the projector off, then faces the trio curiously. "So, do any of you know anyone who knows a bit about curses?" She asked.

Flash, Vinyl, and Derpy look at one another in thought, then get an idea that even they don’t like. But they had no choice. They had to do it to save Twilight and the Rainbooms. They sigh in resentment, then turn back to Sarah.

"Well, there are 3 people we know." Vinyl said, flustered.

Later that morning, Flash, Vinyl, and Derpy arrive at a suburban house, their faces etched with determination. Inside the house, the interior is dark and decorated with Halloween decor, including creepy fog on the floor at knee-high level created by a fog machine, the Dazzlings start appearing out of the mist. Adagio Dazzle comes down from the staircase, Aria Blaze comes from the living room, and Sonata Dusk comes out of the kitchen. As they stand in their foyer, Flash, Vinyl, and Derpy watch through their window by the front door, with suspicious but curious looks on their faces. Wearing the hoodies they wore at the cafe during their debut in “Rainbow Rocks”, they start singing a spooky jazz funk song around their house, including their front yard and the backyard. They may have permanently lost their ability to manipulate people into being hateful and competitive, but they can still sing.

ADAGIO DAZZLE:
What's that just around the corner?

SONATA DUSK:
Something in the rocks and trees.

ADAGIO DAZZLE:
Slowly, slowly getting closer.

ARIA BLAZE:
Makes you want to gasp and freeze.

THE DAZZLINGS:
Monsters everywhere, hiding in the trees!
Just behind the rocks, blowing in the breeze!
Monsters everywhere, doing as they please!
They try to scare you!

(Flash, Vinyl, and Derpy creep in through the front door, while still listening to the song without the Dazzlings seeing them.)

ADAGIO DAZZLE:
Is your air getting colder

ARIA BLAZE:
As you slowly walk around?

ADAGIO DAZZLE:
Must be brave, you must be bolder.

SONATA DUSK:
It's no more than silly sounds!

THE DAZZLINGS:
Monsters everywhere, hiding in the trees!
Just behind the rocks, blowing in the breeze!
Monsters everywhere, doing as they please!
They try to scare you!

(The Dazzlings head outside in the backyard, and animated eyes, dinosaur footprints, ghosts, spiders, and bats)

ADAGIO DAZZLE:
Look out! Look out! They're all about!

SONATA DUSK and ARIA BLAZE:
Where?

ADAGIO DAZZLE:
Look out! Look out! They're all about!

SONATA DUSK and ARIA BLAZE:
Where?

ADAGIO DAZZLE:
Look out! Look out! They're all about!

SONATA DUSK and ARIA BLAZE:
Where?!

(They spot a squirrel popping out of a nearby bush.)

ADAGIO DAZZLE (speaking):
Oh, that's not so scary.

(The Dazzlings continue with their song.)

THE DAZZLINGS:
Monsters everywhere, hiding in the trees!
Just behind the rocks, blowing in the breeze!
Monsters everywhere, doing as they please!
They try to scare you!
Monsters everywhere, hiding in the trees!
Just behind the rocks, blowing in the breeze!
Monsters everywhere, doing as they please!
They try to scare you!

At the end of the song, the Dazzlings strike a pose as the dark and spooky background morphs into their front yard. Suddenly, the Dazzlings are startled by a clattering sound. They spot Flash, Vinyl, and Derpy by the front stoop of their porch. The sound is revealed to have come from Derpy, who had accidentally tripped into 3 empty trash cans. Flash and Vinyl help their cross-eyed friend up. She has a trash can on her head.

"I meant to do that." Derpy said innocently.

"Well, well, well." Adagio said mockingly. "If it isn’t 3 of our old, uh..." She uses finger quotes "'classmates' from Canterlot High."

"Mm-hmm. So, we meet again." Vinyl said bravely.

"Oh. DJ Pon-3." Aria said coldly. "I see you’re finally talking."

Flash, Vinyl, and Derpy share a look of annoyance.

"Uh... so, what are you 3 doing here?" Sonata ask curiously and strangely politly.

Taking a deep breath, Flash decided to cut straight to the chase. "Okay, well, I know this doesn’t sound... appropriate for you, especially from your old enemies... but we need your help," he admitted.

"Help?" she asks with amusement. "Oh, huh. Yeah, okay. What do you need help with? Setting up a stage for one of your ‘songs’ at Canterlot High? Because if so, we’re out." Adagio, Sonata, and Aria start to head for their house.

“No, it’s nothing to do with music,” Derpy said earnestly. “Twilight, Sunset, and the Rainbooms have turned into real monsters for Halloween, and they’ve gone looking for a magic object called the Zodiac Stone.”

The Dazzlings gaze at them, then begin to head up the porch.

"Find someone else." Adagio said nonchalantly as she, Sonata, and Aria turn their backs on them.

"But, girls, that stone also has a curse," Vinyl blurted out.

The Dazzlings stop upon hearing the word “curse”, then turn back to Flash, Vinyl, and Derpy. Our view zooms in on their surprised faces.

"What?" The Dazzlings exclaimed in shock.

"Did you say... 'curse'?" Sonata asked with wide eyes.

Flash, Vinyl, and Derpy share a look of concern.

Back at the lab in the Planetarium, Sarah fidgets at her desk, tapping her fingers on its hard surface, waiting anxiously for the trio to come back. Flash, Vinyl, and Derpy arrive with the Dazzlings.

"We’re back." Vinyl called out.

Sarah turns around, surprised to see that they brought the Dazzlings with them.

"What the--?" Sarah stuttered. "The Dazzlings? But why would you bring them--?" Sarah asked. Vinyl raises an eyebrow and Sarah's eyes widen. "Oh. Because they cursed Canterlot High with their music once and therefore, you thought they might know a little bit about the curse of the Zodiac Stone?" She asked. Flash and Vinyl nod. "Huh. Now why didn’t I think about that?"

A little bit later, Sarah shows the Dazzlings her slideshow about the Zodiac Stone’s curse to the wide-eyed Dazzlings.

"A guardian curse? Oh. Creepy!" Aria shivered.

Sonata begins hyperventilating "I can’t... Oh my... A curse..." Adagio comforts her. "I... I can’t breathe."

Sarah steps up. "So I need to make an anti-curse serum for my giant syringe and use it on that big phantom lizard. But the only problem is... I don’t know where to inject it." She admitted.

Adagio steps up to the image of the red ghost dragon. "Well, all curses have a source." She says as she points to a glowing sphere in the dragon’s center. "The center of its capabilities. So, if you inject the beast’s center with the syringe, that will break the curse."

"The center of its power." Sarah gasped. "Of course, it’s so obvious now." She glanced around at Flash, Vinyl, Derpy, and the Dazzlings, who all stare at her intently. "Alright, people. Let’s get to work."

As Sarah led the way into the lab, ready to concoct the anti-curse serum, Flash, Vinyl, and Derpy turned to the Dazzlings, their expressions hardening.

"Now, remember, Dazzlings." Vinyl said bravely "Don't try anything funny. We’ll be watching you." Flash and Derpy nod in agreement. The Dazzlings look with annoyance at each other, then turn to the 3 students of Canterlot High.

"I’m shaking in my boots, DJ." Adagio said with a bored expression.

And with that, they all follow Sarah into the lab, ready to work on the anti-curse serum for the curse of the Zodiac Stone.

Chapter 3: Equestria Ghouls

Later, the Rainbooms are on a conveyor belt leading into the transformation chamber. Sarah is at the controls. Spike spots a mirror with electronic buttons not far from the end of the transformation chamber. His brow furrows.

"Uh, Sarah? What’s with the controls on that mirror?" Spike asked.

Sarah glanced over at the mirror, a knowing smile spreading across her face as she replied, "Oh, that! I made that for creatures who don’t have reflections, like vampires and ghosts. I even have handheld versions of them." She demonstrated by holding up three handheld mirrors, each equipped with buttons that seemed to serve an array of functions.

The chamber doors open and the conveyor belt brings the Girls inside in this order: Twilight, Sunset, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Starlight, and Trixie. The conveyor belt stops at a window in front of the control panel that Spike and Sarah. The Girls look up at the transformation ray beamers on the chamber ceiling that resemble fire sprinklers.

"You sure we won’t become mean after the transformation?" Fluttershy nervously asked from inside the chamber.

Sarah, trying to reassure her, responded with a calm smile, "Oh, no, of course not. My machine doesn’t transform personalities. It will just change your appearance. You’ll gain the abilities of whatever you turn into while still keeping your own skills and traits. I’ll even program these forms into your geodes, so you can transform into them anytime you want."

The Girls exchanged surprised glances, their initial concerns somewhat alleviated by Sarah’s explanation. Rarity nodded in understanding. "That sounds reasonable," she said.

"Alright, let's do this!" Sarah said as she activated the machine. The lights inside the chamber glow red, and the Girls wait expectantly. Different colored light bulbs on the machine light up and needles on gages move up. The Girls look up the fire sprinkler like devices. Little red sparks come out, followed by blazing crimson light that beams right down on the Girls, and they start to glow red. Spike watches anxiously beside Sarah. As the Girls stand in the chamber under the crimson light and their bodies brightly glowing red, a stone-like material starts to cocoon around them like a chrysalis.

Spike, standing anxiously beside Sarah, managed a shaky smile. "Oh. It’s okay. Some cocoons are just forming around you. That’s perfectly normal," he said with hidden fear.

As the cocoons completed their formation, resembling eggs made of rock, Spike’s initial anxiety turned into outright horror. The conveyor belt resumed its motion, gently carrying the cocoons out of the chamber and bringing them to a stop in front of Spike and Sarah.

Spike’s worry was evident in his voice as he asked, "Are they…?"

Sarah, sensing his concern, quickly reassured him. "Oh, no. Of course not," she said, her tone soothing and confident.

Spike let out a relieved sigh, grateful for Sarah’s assurance.

Suddenly, the first cocoon starts cracking. It’s hatching! Spike and Sarah notice. The cocoon breaks open and Twilight steps out. She’s a witch! She’s wearing a long black dress with wrist length sleeves, gray puffed shoulders, a red belt with a yellow buckle that has a red star in the center, black high heel shoes that have red clips near the toes, and a tall pointed black hat with a dark purple stripe and a yellow buckle.

“Twilight!” Spike exclaimed, rushing towards her. Twilight picked him up, and he responded by giving her affectionate licks on the face, which made Twilight laugh heartily. She set the dog down gently and asked, “Did it work?”

“Come have a look, Twilight,” Sarah instructed, guiding her to a mirror. Twilight gazed at her reflection, her eyes widening with delight.

“Whoa! I’m a witch. Now, that’s something I prefer,” Twilight said, clearly thrilled with her new appearance.

They all look back and see the next cocoon starting to hatch. It opens up and Sunset emerges. She’s a swamp creature. Her entire body is green, her arms and torso are covered in scales, she has gills, her fingers are webbed and her feet have become flippers.

“Huh. Well, that was weird,” she muttered before Sarah beckoned her to the mirror. As Sunset examined her reflection, her amazement grew. “Wow! No way! I’m a swamp creature! Cool! Twilight, Spike, look at me! I’m green, my feet are flippers, my hands are webbed, my back has fins, and…” She touched the gills on her neck and gasped excitedly, “I have gills! I can breathe underwater!”

Sarah quickly reassured her, “Oh, of course not, Sunset. I did give you some gills, but I let you keep your lungs, too.”

Twilight and Sunset shared a wide-eyed look of surprise before giggling softly at Sarah’s thoughtfulness.

They start hearing the sound of stone cracking. They look over and notice that it’s the next cocoon. It cracks open. As harp music plays briefly in the background, Fluttershy emerges. She’s a ghost! Her whole body is sky blue, glowing, and transparent. She’s wearing a cute, silky, and delicate v neck spaghetti strap sky blue sundress that has a miniskirt and a pair of flat slip-on ballet shoes in the exact same shade of sky blue as the dress.

Fluttershy looked at Sarah with a nervous yet expectant gaze.

“Sarah? Did it work?” Fluttershy asked, her voice tinged with apprehension.

“See for yourself, Fluttershy,” Sarah replied, guiding her to the mirror. Fluttershy’s reflection was not visible, much to her confusion. “Oh! Right! Sorry,” Sarah said, pressing a button to reveal Fluttershy’s ghost form in the mirror.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened in fright. “AHHH!!! A GHOST!” she screamed, turning to look around the lab in a panic. But her fear quickly turned into confusion when she found no one behind her. “Huh? Wait! There’s nothing here?" She turns back to her ghost reflection in the mirror. "But it’s in the mirror. How can it—?” She pauses. "Wait a minute." she said as she waves at her reflection, then sticks out her now sky blue tongue for a brief moment. She realizes that the ghost she sees in the mirror is just herself. “Oh! It’s just me. I’m the ghost. Whew. That was close.”

Twilight placed a comforting hand on her ghostly friend’s shoulder.

“See? It’s alright, Fluttershy. Nothing to be scared of.” Sunset said gently.

“It’s just us,” Twilight reassured.

They turn back. The next cocoon is hatching. Two furry pink arms with paw pads and claws on the hands burst out, followed by a furry leg that also has paw pads and claws on the toes. The rest of the transformed girl bursts out of the cocoon as an eerie light briefly shines from behind her as she… HOWLS! “AHHHWWWOOOOOOO!!!” The light behind the transformed girl fades. It’s Pinkie Pie. She’s a werewolf. She’s covered in pink fur, has pointed ears - like those of a wolf, her hands and feet now have claws and paw pads, has a tail, a black nose - like those of a wolf, a canine muzzle, and sharp pointy teeth. The Girls and Spike look at her with amazement.

The girls and Spike gazed at her in astonishment.

“Whoa!” Sunset exclaimed.

“Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked, equally astonished.

“Did it work? What did I turn into? I wanna see what I look like. Sarah, do you have a mirror?” Pinkie Pie asked excitedly.

“Okay, okay, calm down, Pinkie Pie. There’s one over here,” Sarah said, guiding her to a mirror.

Pinkie Pie eagerly approached the mirror and saw her reflection. “Wow! I’m a werewolf! I’m so cute! Oh! I got hair all over me! My nose is black, and I have a muzzle? Paws? With claws? Wow!” She touched her pointy ears and saw her tail, gasping with delight. “No way! A tail! I have a tail! I feel like a cute puppy.” She then struck an adorably playful pose, her floppy canine tongue hanging out and her tail wagging with joy.

Fluttershy and Sunset gazed at her endearingly.

“Aww!” Sunset and Fluttershy said in unison with wide, adoring eyes.

“That’s so Pinkie Pie!” Sunset cooed.

“So adorable!” Fluttershy agreed.

“A werewolf is perfect for her because she’s such a good girl!” Sunset said excitedly.

They began to pet Pinkie Pie, who responded by kicking the air with each gentle touch. Her tail wagged happily, and she panted like an enthusiastic puppy.

“Aawww! Who’s a good girl?” Fluttershy asked, her voice filled with affection.

“Me! Me me me! I’m a good girl!” Pinkie Pie replied, her excitement palpable.

“Yes, you are! Yes, you are!” Fluttershy affirmed.

“Aw, good girl!” Sunset added as they both continued to shower Pinkie Pie with affection.

They’re abruptly interrupted by the sound of the next cocoon hatching. The life-sized stone egg opens up. As Egyptian belly dancer music plays in the background, the Girls look at the opened cocoon as Rarity steps out of it. She’s a mummy! Her usually white skin is now green, she’s wrapped up in bright yellowish white mummy bandages that leave only her face, ears, and hair exposed and is wearing a gold Egyptian style necklace decorated with pretty and colorful gems.

Rarity glanced around, slightly disoriented from the tight confines of the cocoon. "My goodness! It was really crammed in there! So, what monster did I become?" she asked.

Sarah, always ready with an answer, gestured toward the mirror. "This mirror has your answer, Rarity."

Rarity walked up to the mirror and gasped in delight at her reflection. She admired the mummy bandages that wrapped her in a stylish, almost couture fashion. "A mummy? Oh, fabulous! This golden Egyptian necklace is stunning! And these wrappings are so comfortable. Snug in all the right places," she declared, thoroughly pleased with her transformation.

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy share a glad look, then turn to see the next rock cocoon hatching. It bursts open and spooky blue mist comes out of it. The Girls spot a shadowy figure coming from the silhouetted opened cocoon. The figure waves its arm through the creepy mist and it dissipates, revealing the figure. It’s Rainbow Dash! She’s a vampire. She’s wearing a black coat, black pants, black shoes, an indigo bowtie, a white button-up undershirt, a gold medallion, an indigo vest, and a black cape with red inner lining. She also has vampire fangs. Her skin is still the same light cyan as before, and her hair is still in its usual style and is still in its usual rainbow colors.

“Whoa, awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her voice echoing with excitement. “Who knew I could make spooky fog? So, what monster did I turn into?”

Sarah, barely able to suppress a grin, pointed to the mirror. Rainbow Dash walked over, eager to see her transformation. The moment she saw her reflection, her eyes lit up with excitement. “Wow. I— I’m... a vampire,” she exclaimed, marveling at her new look. She looked down at her clothes, admiring the sharp, formal lines of her vampire attire. “Sweet! This will be fun! Oh! And look at my fangs!” With a dramatic flourish, she spread her cape wide and hissed, baring her fangs for all to see. The other girls couldn’t help but laugh at Rainbow’s enthusiastic display of her new form.

They all turn to the next hatching cocoon. 2 hands with stitched up wrists break through the stone chrysalis and pull it apart, revealing the next transformed girl in it. It’s Applejack! She’s a Frankenstein! Her skin is teal, she’s wearing a magenta blazer jacket, a black shirt, blue pants, and tall brown Frankenstein style platform shoes, she’s without her hat, she has stitches on her neck and wrists, there are bolts sticking out from each side of her neck, and her blonde hair is now pale with a white streak running through it.

Applejack looked back at her shattered cocoon with wide eyes.

“Holy tarnation! I knew I was strong, but I didn’t know I was this strong!” she said in shock and amazement as she turned to face her friends. “So, what monster did that there machine turn me into?”

Sarah pointed to the mirror, her smile encouraging. Applejack walked over and took in her reflection, her eyes widening with amazement. “Huh! Well, I’ll be darned! I’m an actual real-live Frankenstein! Yee-hoo!”

“Uh, to clarify, Frankenstein was the DOCTOR, not the MONSTER,” Rarity interjected with a knowing smile.

Applejack chuckled, sheepishly, but undeterred. “Oh. Right. Well, I’m still going to call this form ‘a Frankenstein,’ if that’s alright with y’all.”

The other transformed Rainbooms look at each other, wondering. Then they agree with Applejack’s suggestion. Applejack smiles. She looks past her friends and they follow her gaze to the next cocoon. The stone egg cracks open, and an otherworldly glow emanates from the cracks. The Girls watch as Starlight emerges from the cocoon. She’s an alien. Her skin is now bright green, She has two green antennae on her head peeking out from her hair, She is wearing a teal spacesuit with a chartreuse, triangle-shaped collar, an indigo belt with a metallic silver clasp, chartreuse gloves that match the collar of her spacesuit, and indigo high heel boots that match her belt.

She gazes at the Rainbooms, climbs out of her rock egg, then looks around, slightly disoriented.

“Ugh. What happened? Did I transform?” she asked, her voice tinged with confusion.

Sarah gestured toward the mirror. “See for yourself.”

Starlight approached the mirror, her eyes widening as she took in her new appearance. “Wow! An alien? Well, this is interesting,” she remarked, her tone laced with curiosity and excitement.

Sunset Shimmer couldn’t resist making a lighthearted joke. “Starlight, your new monster look is... out of this world.” The playful wink she gave was met with a chorus of laughter from Starlight, Sunset, Spike, and the rest of the girls.

They turn their attention to the final cocoon, which is about to hatch. It cracks open and the Girls, Spike, and Sarah watch as Trixie comes out her cocoon. She’s a dinosaur! Her skin is now green, her hair has turned a bright green, she has a long, reptilian tail, her arms, legs, and torso are covered in scales, and her feet have transformed to look like hands, and her toes now look like fingers - similar to the appendages of lizards.

Trixie climbed out of her stone chrysalis, her expression one of confusion mixed with intrigue.

“Ugh. The Great and Powerful Trixie feels... different. Did I transform? Is there a mirror around here?” she asked, clearly eager to see what had become of her.

Sarah nodded, pointing to the nearby mirror. “There sure is. It’s just right over there.”

Trixie made her way to the mirror and stared at her prehistoric reflection, a smile slowly spreading across her face. “I’m... a dinosaur! Thank you, Sarah. I just happen to like reading about dinosaurs. I even like to visit the dinosaur exhibits in the museum,” she said.

Sarah smiled warmly at Trixie’s excitement. “Well, that’s nice to hear. Now, let me get a look at you all.” She stepped back to take in the sight of the transformed Rainbooms. Each girl was now a unique, fantastical creature, from the witch to the swamp creature, ghost, werewolf, mummy, vampire, Frankenstein, alien, and dinosaur. “Oh! Oh, yeah! Now THAT’S more like it! You all look great.”

Pinkie Pie bounced excitedly, her tail wagging in delight. “This is amazing! We’re actual real-live monsters now!”

Sunset Shimmer grinned, looking around at her friends. “Now this is what I call SPOOKY!”

Applejack goes to activate her geode to test out turning back into human, but the geodes are no longer on their necks.

"Uh, what happened to our geodes?" Applejack asked with concern.

Rainbow Dash looks around, then looks at her hand and sees a ring on her index finger. The other Girls look at their hands, each sporting a ring on THEIR index fingers. It’s their geodes!

“Here they are! They must have transformed with us!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Time to test this turn-back-to-normal trick out," Sunset Shimmer declared confidently. The group nodded in agreement, and with synchronized movements, they pressed the faces of their newly transformed geodes. But instead of the expected flash of light or the familiar sensation of their powers activating or turning back into humans, nothing happened. The girls exchanged puzzled glances.

Fluttershy turned to Sarah. "Uh, Sarah? Isn’t something supposed to happen? I thought you programmed our monster forms to our geodes so we could become monsters whenever we wanted," she asked.

Sarah’s expression turned sheepish as she realized she had forgotten a crucial detail. "Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention this: after you get transformed by the transformation chamber, you won’t be able to transform back to normal for three days."

The Rainbooms stared at her in collective disbelief. "Wait, we’re going to stay transformed into monsters for three days?" Applejack asked incredulously, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Sarah nodded apologetically. "I’m afraid so."

The Rainbooms exchange looks of concern.

“So... should we stay in the shadows until Halloween?” Sunset asked curiously.

“Wait, Sunset. You said you wanted to become a real monster for Halloween this year. This could be your chance to try it out,” Twilight pointed out.

Sunset’s eyes lit up at the idea. "You’re right. A three-day monster form practice might not be such a bad idea after all." She turned to the others, her expression hopeful. "What do you think, girls?"

The group fell into a thoughtful silence, each girl considering the possibilities. Finally, after a moment of quiet deliberation, they all nodded in agreement. The idea of practicing their monster forms for Halloween began to sound more like an adventure than an inconvenience. Twilight’s logical reasoning and Sunset’s enthusiasm had won them over.

Sunset’s grin grew wider as she sensed their collective decision. "YES!" she exclaimed, her excitement now fully contagious. "Let’s go test it out in town. I’m sure our other friends might be in for a real Halloween scare."

"Like a big monster party!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed with excitement.

"I’m ready for some big scares this year!" Rainbow Dash chipped in.

Twilight, her mind always working a step ahead, pulled out the other half of the disk from the pocket of her new black witch dress. "And maybe we could also go on a little adventure to find the Zodiac Stone," she suggested as she placed the disk back in her pocket. The Rainbooms all nodded in agreement, intrigued by the idea of combining their monster practice with a quest.

As they prepared to leave, Fluttershy turned to Sarah, her voice filled with gratitude. "Thanks for helping out, Sarah. Glad you were able to help."

Sarah smiled warmly at her old friend, pulling her into a gentle embrace. "It’s my pleasure, Fluttershy. Anything for my old elementary school classmate and her friends. Now, you girls go on and have a good time."

"Thank you. We will," Rarity replied.

Just as they were about to step out, Sarah called after them, her voice stopping them in their tracks. "Oh, wait! You may want these." She handed each of them a handheld version of the mirror they had just used, complete with the settings for their new forms. The Rainbooms accepted them gratefully, recognizing their potential usefulness in the days ahead.

"Spike?" Twilight called out.

"Coming." Spike said to Twilight.

With a final nod of thanks, the girls turned and headed off, Spike trotting alongside them, still wearing his skeleton costume. As they left the lab, Sarah waved after them, a proud smile on her face.

In town, Twilight, Spike, and the Girls stroll down the sidewalk in their new monster forms as a song starts. While singing, they encounter DJ, Flash, and Derpy again. The Girls and Spike show them their new looks and new abilities with each verse in the park. Rainbow Dash hangs upside down from an awning, turns into bat, then transforms back, then lists her weaknesses. Fluttershy flies around, goes right through solid objects, and possesses people. Twilight uses a witch’s magic stuff. Pinkie Pie shows her side as a playful wolf. Rarity admires gems, conjures sand, and even shows off her wraps. Applejack pretends to rise from a grave, then shows off her bolts and stitches. Starlight’s verse talks about aliens, space, and out of this world capabilities. Trixie sings about being a powerful prehistoric being. Sunset uses her new underwater skills in the pond at Canterlot Park. Spike’s verse shows him singing about skeleton bones.