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I awoke to the feel of something nuzzling against my chin. It felt soft and smooth. Like the coat of a foal. Wait... It was the coat of a foal. I slowly opened my eyes and looked down. Sleeping with her head just under my chin was Scootaloo.

It has been around two months since I was brought to Equestria. And a little over one month since I adopted Scootaloo as my little sister. Our time together as a small family has been very enjoyable and fulfilling. Just like this moment. She has developed a habit of occasionally climbing out of bed during the middle of the night and climbing into Fluttershy and my bed just so she can sleep close to me. This has never been a problem for us. In fact, we are always tickled to find her sleeping with us. But enough delaying. Time to get Scootaloo up and ready for school.

I gently stroked my little sister's mane, my other hand holding her underside. I remained silent throughout the whole thing, wanting to awaken her as gently as possible. "Mmph... Wha..." Scootaloo mumbled as she started to wake up.

"Rise and shine, Scoot. It's almost time for school." I replied softly, rubbing my nose into her mane.

Scootaloo let out a quiet giggle at my touch and reply, "Just ten more minutes, big brother? I promise I'll get up after that." She still sounded fairly groggy. I confess I too was still sleepy.

"Well, OK. But no later than that." I replied with a smile. For being such a tomboy, Scootaloo is still extremely adorable in her own right. It is fairly difficult for me to resist her requests when she is in such a groggy and cute state more often than not.

"Thanks, James..." Scootaloo muttered as she sleepily smiled at me before closing her eyes and snuggling up against me once more. Feeling this small filly warmly pressing her body against me made my heart melt. I gently held her against me and closed my eyes, eager to join her in sleep again.

I suspect we may have overslept as I woke up abruptly a short while later to the feel of cold water being dumped on me.

"Hey! Peh! What the hay was that?!" I heard Scootaloo shout as we both woke up while being drenched. Hovering above us was my little pet dove, Angela, holding a cup by its handle in her feet with it turned on its side.

"Angela... Really? I would expect something like that from..." I replied as I suddenly noticed Fluttershy's pet rabbit standing at the foot of the bed. He seemed rather irritated as he held up an old-fashioned pocket watch. The time was ten minutes past 8 AM. "Uh oh... I think we better get up now."

Scootaloo grinned nervously, "Heheh, yeah. And... Mm! You smell that?"

I sniffed the air, picking up a delightful aroma. "Smells like Fluttershy is already working on breakfast. You head on down while I get dressed."

"OK! See ya in a bit!" Scootaloo replied with a grin, more than likely wide awake from being doused in water. She jumped out of bed, shook herself off, and then ran down the stairs. Angela and Angel followed after her once I sat up in bed.

I pulled on my pants and put on my socks and shoes before looking over the shirts I had. "I wore Pinkie Pie's colors yesterday... Who do I wear today?" I muttered to myself as I looked over the six shirts that bore the colorations and cutie marks of my six closest friends.

After a moment of pondering, I decided to go with Twilight Sparkle's colors. I have to admit I was initially put off by the idea of wearing her and Pinkie Pie's colors as pink and purple are viewed as being feminine. However, I learned quickly that the ponies of Ponyville do not judge based on the colors you are covered in. It makes sense since the entire town's population is essentially a walking kaleidoscope of colors!

When I headed downstairs and into the kitchen, I found Fluttershy setting out our plates with scrambled eggs and hash browns. Scootaloo was already seated at the table, waiting anxiously for us to join her. I could tell she was getting impatient by the fact she was rapidly flapping her tiny wings, giving off a faint buzzing sound reminiscent of a cicada trying to fly away while being held.

Fluttershy smiled at me brightly once she looked in my direction. "Good morning, dear. Are you taking Scootaloo to school today?"

"Don't I always?" I replied with a smile of my own. I had developed a habit of waking up earlier than usual in order to personally escort Scootaloo to school every weekday. It is not a very long trek either, since the schoolhouse is located at the western edge of Ponyville.

The three of us all sat down at the table and began to dine on our breakfast. As we did so, I took note of a few things involving my little sister and beautiful lover. There was my girlfriend, a little filly, and I. A man, a woman, and a child... It was as if Fluttershy and I had become Scootaloo's parents the day I officially adopted her as my sister.

I will admit right now. While Scootaloo and I do maintain a relationship that is more friendly and casual than intimate more often than not, there are times where she seems more like a daughter to me than a sister. Is it just because of paternal instinct? Regardless, I do not think I am ready for actual parenthood. But looking after my adorable little sister is a good way to prepare me for that responsibility.

On that note, I feel I should mention something regarding the end of my previous entry that documented my...evening with Fluttershy. Unfortunately, our attempts to conceive did not have any results. The pregnancy test turned up negative when we used it a week afterwards. This, while disappointing, did not dampen our hopes. All we can do is try again next time Fluttershy enters her heat cycle.

"Have you been getting any better at math, Scootaloo? I heard you used to have trouble with multiplication and division." Fluttershy asked as she sipped some of her tea.

Scootaloo grinned, "Kinda. James has been helping me out with some of the tougher problems, but I think I'm starting to figure out how they work."

I smiled, "I'm just glad Cheerilee doesn't give out much homework." I have never once been fond of homework and often wonder what the point of it is.

The three of us continued to chat casually while dining together. The rest of the conversation was relatively simple, so I will not bore you with the details. But once we finished, I carried the plates to the sink for eventual cleaning. "That turned out great, honey. Thank you." I spoke with a smile.

Fluttershy hovered over to me and placed a kiss on my cheek. "You're welcome, dear. You take care on your way to school... Not that you need to go to class, but... You know what I mean, right?" I grinned with a snicker as she tried to explain herself.

"Thanks again, Fluttershy! I'll see you out front, James!" Scootaloo spoke up as I turned to face her. She was already wearing her saddlebags and on her way out the door in the next room over.

"Wanna meet up for..." I was cut off as Fluttershy placed a kiss right on my lips.

"Yes, I would love to meet up for lunch with you. The café?" She replied once the kiss ended.

I was not prepared for her sudden advance on me, but then again I suppose I should have been. Over the past few weeks, Fluttershy has become increasingly open and less reserved around me, especially when we are alone together. The only times I had ever seen her inhibitions this weak until just recently was when she was with the many animals she cares for on a daily basis.

"Yeah, the café is the place... But...uh... Are you feeling OK, honey? You're not normally this...bold." I asked in return.

Fluttershy blushed as she looked at me with one eye between the two long locks of pink hair hanging over her face. "Oh... I'm sorry. It's just that... I don't know what came over me. When I'm around you, I don't feel as uptight as usual... But I'll try to restrain myself... If you want me to."

At this, I smiled warmly. "Oh, honey..." I then reached out and held my girlfriend in a tender embrace, "You don't have to hold back around me. Just be yourself. Shy or cuddly, I don't mind. Just as long as you're still Fluttershy, I don't mind how you act."

I felt Fluttershy embrace me back before she whispered, "I love you, James..."

"I love you too, Fluttershy." I replied as our cheeks met. I breathed deeply the scent that lingered in her coat and mane. Such a flowery aroma.

Out of nowhere, we heard a familiar voice call from just outside the kitchen window. "James, hurry up! I don't wanna be late!"

It was Scootaloo. And I know she hates being kept waiting. "Oops. I better get going. I'll be right back, honey."

Fluttershy smiled as she let go of me. "OK. Have a good time, James." She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek just before I hurried outside.

Once I was outside, I found Scootaloo standing on the bridge that spanned the stream in front of our house. "Finally! Let's go!" She called out as she started walking east. I broke into a jog to catch up to her.

As the two of us walked, we conversed casually. "So, how comes your 'wind walking' trick?" I asked, remembering the stunt she once told me about.

"Oh, I'm getting better! I can stay off the ground for a good ten seconds now!" Scootaloo replied with a grin. For one reason or another, despite her wings being normal size for a filly her age, Scootaloo seems to be an extremely inept flyer, as she seems unable to lift herself into the air at all. Even with her wings buzzing like a hummingbird. I am starting to wonder if she will remain grounded for the rest of her life. Not that it bothers her. I have never once heard her complain about it.

"You wanna show me that trick after school?" I asked, wondering how she performs the wind walk technique.

"If I have time. Me and the other crusaders have plans this evening. You coming?" She replied while looking up at me.

Before I could reply, a familiar voice called out with a southern accent. "Scootaloo! James! Wait up!" We both stopped and looked to the southwest. Galloping towards us was Apple Bloom.

"Morning, Apple Bloom! What's up?" Scootaloo asked as our friend and fellow Cutie Mark Crusader ran up alongside us.

"Just on my way ta school! Mind if I tag 'long?" Apple Bloom replied with a smile.

"Sure! Just like every time, right?" Scootaloo spoke with a smile. Since she lives at Sweet Apple Acres, which is just south of Fluttershy and my cottage, Apple Bloom almost always crosses paths with Scootaloo and I every weekday morning. When on schedule, we always end up meeting up partway on our way to the schoolhouse while meeting up with Sweetie Belle just outside the schoolhouse.

Right after we resumed walking, Apple Bloom asked, "So, whatcha dressin' up as this evenin', James?"

I looked down at her and retorted, "Dress up? For what? You girls trying to see if your cutie marks are from costume designing?"

Scootaloo smiled, "No, we already tried that! Didn't work. What she means is what're you dressing up as for Nightmare Night?"

...Nightmare Night? It is today? The last time I had even heard that name was at my welcoming party two months ago when Pinkie Pie mentioned it. To think I utterly forgot about it until now.

"Uh... What exactly do you do on Nightmare Night?" I asked, not sure what the holiday involved.

Apple Bloom grinned, "Oh, it's nothin' but a good time! Ya dress up as whatever ya want and ya go 'round gettin' candy at all the houses in town! Last year, I went as the bride of Frankenstallion. I was thinkin' of goin' as Applejack this year."

In other words, Nightmare Night is Equestria's variation of my world's Halloween holiday. And the thought of Apple Bloom trick or treating as a miniature version of Applejack made me smirk. "Man, I can't wait to see how AJ reacts to that. But as for what I'm gonna wear..." I shrugged my shoulders, "Actually, I have no idea. I totally forgot about it since I've never experienced this holiday before. Any ideas?"

Scootaloo frowned as she rolled her eyes while seemingly lost in thought. "I dunno... Maybe Sweetie Belle will have an idea."

The three of us marched on, engaging in casual conversation. Just as we were approaching the schoolhouse, I saw Sweetie Belle approaching it from the opposite direction. I met her parents once and found that she lives somewhere in Ponyville. And I must say that I really like her father. But I digress.

"Mornin', Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom called out as our friend came within earshot.

"Oh, hey! Morning, guys!" Sweetie Belle replied as she galloped towards us. "Right on time! That makes four days in a row that all four of us met each other before school started."

I got down on one knee and stroked the unicorn filly's mane. "It's all about timing."

As Sweetie Belle pushed against my hand, clearly a sign that she was enjoying this show of affection, Scootaloo asked, "Hey, Sweetie Belle? James doesn't know what to go as for Nightmare Night. Do you have any ideas?"

Sweetie Belle pulled away from my hand while she seemed to be thinking of a response. She then raised her hoof and looked up at me with a smile. "I know! Rarity can help design you a costume!"

Of course. Why did I not think of asking Rarity? If anyone could come up with a design for a costume in a short amount of time, it is her. "Why didn't I think of that? I'll go ask her today."

Sweetie Belle giggled, "I wonder what she'll recommend for you. It'll probably be something flashy."

Apple Bloom then spoke, "Let's talk about this later. School's 'bout ta start!"

Scootaloo replied by rearing up on her hind legs and embracing me, as did the other two fillies. "See ya this afternoon, James!"

I hugged them back the best I could. "Likewise. Have a good time, girls." We bid each other goodbye as I watched the three of them enter the schoolhouse. I then turned and began to head back home.

Just as I was approaching Fluttershy's cottage, I noticed my lover closing the front door behind her. At her sides was a pair of saddlebags. "Oh, welcome back, James! Would you mind coming with me? I need to head into town to pick up some things at the market."

I smiled as I nodded, "Sounds good to me. What do we need to pick up?"

Fluttershy replied as she crossed the creek to reach me. "Well, we need brocolli, carrots, lettuce... Actually, I have the list right here if you would like to look it over yourself." I looked on as... What the...

Fluttershy's left wing reached down, gripped the top flap of her saddlebag and...pulled it open? The larger feathers that extended to the tips of her wings bent like human fingers, gripping the fabric. "Fluttershy... Since when could you do that?"

My girlfriend looked at her wing before looking back at me and smiled, "For as long as I can remember. All pegasi can do it."

As I pondered this physical trait further, I snickered, "Unicorns can use magic to move things and pegasi can grab stuff with their wings. I'm sure earth ponies are immensely jealous of those traits."

Fluttershy frowned, "Oh, I don't know about that... Earth ponies completely outrank us in raw strength. One earth pony can outpull at least three unicorns, but they can outpull five pegasi. And that's just on average. Sometimes I wish I was that strong."

I shook my head, "Well, you're a strong flyer. I mean you have to be in order to pull a wooden cart that's at least three times your weight. While FLYING."

Fluttershy giggled, "I guess you're right. And those frogs I carried in it only made it heavier." I smiled as I reached into her open saddlebag and pulled out the shopping list. Each item listed was a type of food. I was slightly surprised to see different types of fish on it, but then remembered that some of the animals Fluttershy cares for have fish in their diets. Including me... Wait a second. I do not count as an animal. But I have always loved seafood.

"That's a lot of types of food, honey. You got a case of the munchies?" I asked, trying to be playful.

She smiled warmly, "No, not yet. But I might later." She then motioned for me to follow her as she walked past me. "Let's hurry. The market closes early today, so it'll be getting busy soon."

"Closing early? Is it for Nightmare Night?" I asked, knowing that holidays in Ponyville tend to be really big events. The busiest area is always the immediate area around the town hall, which is also where the market is always set up.

"Yes, so they'll have to close up earlier than usual to make room. It takes a while to get all of the equipment in place." Fluttershy replied with a nod.

"Sounds like a lot of work, but it probably doesn't take long when unicorn magic is thrown into the mix. In any case, have you decided on what you're going as this evening?" I asked, wondering what kind of costume Fluttershy had in mind.

She frowned shyly, "Actually... I never attend Nightmare Night. It's...not one of my favorite holidays..."

I was hardly surprised by this revelation. With Fluttershy being as timid as she is, any holiday with the word 'nightmare' probably involves unexpected thrills and plenty of eager pranksters that Fluttershy would never be comfortable putting up with. She might even faint if startled or scared too frequently. Despite this, I really wanted her to come with me. It would be a crying shame if she never once enjoyed the fun of Halloween.....I mean Nightmare Night.

"Well... What if you were to come with me? Would you feel more confident if I was with you?" I asked, knowing that Fluttershy has a much easier time coming out of her shell when with me.

She paused for a moment, likely thinking of a reply. "I guess... I don't know... It would be the first time I've ever attended... And what would I wear?"

I patted her on the head gently, "Just think about it, OK? We've got plenty of time until it starts." Fluttershy smiled at me in response. I hope she at least considers my offer.

As we walked through Ponyville to the town square, I noticed that Fluttershy would sometimes hover right behind me while shifting from one side of me to the other. She would sometimes nuzzle her cheek against mine. For her to be this affectionate and passionate in public was certainly an impressive boost in her confidence. I never knew that being in love could enhance ones' confidence just by being with that special someone you cherish. But I digress.

The town square, which is the immediate area surrounding the town hall, was packed with vendors and stalls selling a wide variety of goods although most were selling various types of foods. The area was relatively quiet for the time being, but I am sure that would change soon once the customers start pouring in to make their rounds before the merchants close up early for Nightmare Night.

Just as we approached some of the stalls, I noticed that some decorations had already been set up around the town square. Strings of lights spanned the roofs of the buildings with at least one creepy white lantern hanging between each structure. They seemed to resemble the heads of stereotypical ghosts complete with empty black eyes. The only other decorations I noticed were black decorations that seemed to depict a slender half moon with a unicorn's head sticking out of it. The horn was unusually long for a unicorn, so it was likely that of an alicorn. The eye showed a slender iris that seemed familiar to me. Where had I seen..... "Nightmare Moon?"

Fluttershy looked up at me, probably in response to my words. "Did you say something?"

I looked down at her and asked, "This holiday... Nightmare Night. Does it have any connections to Nightmare Moon?"

My girlfriend nodded, "Well, from what I've heard, it started up a long time ago out of fear of Nightmare Moon. They say that she returns once a year to eat any pony she finds. That's why everypony dresses up in costume on this day to hide themselves from her. Although the holiday just became a special occasion of innocent pranks and lots of candy and other goodies."

The mention of Nightmare Moon actually eating ponies made me shake my head as I rolled my eyes. No matter how bad a reputation she has, I know for a fact that Nightmare Moon was and still is not carnivorous. "Well... I guess as long as everyone has a good time, no one's complaining."

The first item on the list we needed to pick up were red cherries. I got in line to get some while Fluttershy went to the next stall over to purchase a few heads of lettuce. However, as I stood in line, I noticed that the pony before me seemed very familiar with that beautiful white coat and elegantly curled indigo mane. One name came to mind. "Rarity?"

The pony clearly heard my voice as she turned around and looked up at me with her lovely azure eyes. "Well, what a sight to start my day with! How are you this morning, James?"

I got down on one knee so our faces were closer together. "I haven't even been up for an hour. Whatcha up to, Rarity?"

My former landlord smiled, "I was just picking up some cherries for a cobbler I was thinking of making this week. And before I forget, will you be attending the festivities this evening? I assure you that you will thoroughly enjoy yourself, darling."

I smiled, "I would if I had a costume to wear. Sweetie Belle recommended that I ask you to design one. If that isn't too much trouble, I mean."

At those words, Rarity's eyes lit up with inspiration. "A costume for you?! Oh, I would be flattered to do the honors! What would be best for you? Something frightening like a skeleton? Perhaps something daring like a pirate. Maybe something adorable and charming like a teddy bear. Or perhaps..." She suddenly gasped as I...noticed a lit light bulb momentarily appear above her head? Honestly, where do those things come from? And am I the only one who can see them? Or do they appear so often that nopony really pays them any mind anymore? "Oh! Idea! I have just the thing that will suit a gentleman like you!"

I smiled as I climbed to a standing position. "Awesome. But lets talk it over in a minute. The line's moving."

"Oops! Thank you for alerting me, James." Rarity replied as she took a few steps closer to the vendor.

Once we had both made our purchases, the two of us continued to chat. "Will you be attending Nightmare Night too?" I asked, curious of what Rarity would dress up as.

The beautiful unicorn smiled, "Oh, you can count on seeing me tonight. Granted I did not have time to attend last year, but I am putting all commissions on hold until tomorrow. This is your first Nightmare Night since you arrived in Equestria and I will not miss it for the world! My clients can surely wait an extra day for their orders, can't they?"

I nodded, "They most certainly can. This day comes once a year, but they can pick up their orders any other day of the year." I then asked, "So, you had an idea of what my costume should look like?"

Rarity smiled, "Yes, the image is still fresh in my head. I just know you will look absolutely dashing in it. Once we finish up here, let's head back to my place so we can discuss it."

I replied, "Before we do that, I have to let Fluttershy know. We came here together and I would prefer to stick with her until we're done... Speak of the devil, here she comes now."

Fluttershy came trotting over to me with a smile. "Good morning, Rarity. Am I interrupting anything?"

Rarity faced her friend and smiled, "Not at all, Fluttershy! James and I were merely discussing a costume for him to wear to the Nightmare Night festival tonight. Would you like me to design you one as well?"

I noticed Fluttershy seemed rather hesitant to reply for a moment. "Um... No thank you. I think I already have a good idea of what I'll go as. I think I can also make the costume myself." I smiled to myself, glad that Fluttershy was strongly considering attending the party with me.

"Well, I'm looking forward to seeing your creation. But since I'm here now, may I assist you in gathering up the groceries you two need?" Rarity replied with a smile as she looked at both of us.

"Sounds good to me. It'll save us some time too." I answered with a smile of my own.

The three of us went about the market, gathering up all of the items on our shopping lists as a team. I handled one section while Rarity and Fluttershy handled others. And our timing could not have been better. Not even ten minutes later, the number of shoppers in the market began to increase rapidly. Fortunately, we had already finished our shopping by the time the place was absolutely packed. I could hardly hear myself think with all the chatting and commotion around me.

"Here you are, darlings. All of the asparagus, apples, and oranges you needed." Rarity spoke as she levitated a sack towards me.

"And here are the bits I owe you." Fluttershy replied as she held out a small sack in her mouth.

"Many thanks, Fluttershy. Now then, shall we hurry over to my place so we can get started on designing his fabulous costume for the evening?" Rarity asked with an excited gleam in her eye.

Fluttershy smiled softly, "I'd like to, but I can't. I still need to get all these groceries back home. But James can go along, right?"

I looked down at my girlfriend. "Honey, are you sure you can carry all of these with you?"

She nodded, "It'll be no trouble. We pegasi are stronger than you might think. Just put them in my saddlebags and I'll handle the rest."

Trusting her, I placed the sack of groceries in one of Fluttershy's saddlebags. Each side seemed nearly full to the point of bursting. "OK, I'll see you back home as soon as I can. Take care, honey."

"I will. And you have a good time with Rarity." Fluttershy replied as she flew up to my face and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. I grinned in response to her affection, slightly nervous that someone may have noticed. As she flew away, I took note of the fact that Fluttershy did not seem to be hindered by her heavy saddlebags at all. While she may not be a particularly fast flier, she is indeed a strong flyer.

"OK, let's go." I spoke as I looked at Rarity.

"Right this way, James. Let's hurry before my inspiration fizzles." Rarity replied as she began to trot away. It was a bit too fast for me to keep up with just walking, so I began to jog as a means to keep up with her. "By the way, I'm adoring that shirt. Is it still as comfortable as the day I wove it for you?"

"It sure is. I'm doing everything I can to make this last." I replied, looking down at my shirt. As it is a gift from one of my dearest friends, I always do my best to avoid dirtying or damaging it.

Once Rarity and I had reached the Carousel Boutique, she immediately got out a sheet of paper and a black marker. "Wait just a moment, darling. I must focus before the image leaves my mind." Rarity spoke as her horn was engulfed by a billowing aura. The paper floated in the air as the squeaking of the marker filled the room.

While I waited for Rarity to finish drawing out whatever it was she was thinking about, I decided to browse the various ensembles that Rarity was in the process of weaving. Numerous types of clothing were hanging from clothes hangers, though most of them seemed unfinished. None really caught my eye, although the elegant designs led me to believe that each was meant for ponies that reside in Canterlot. I glanced back over at Rarity for a moment. The fact that ponies are willing to travel from that mountaintop city all the way down here in Ponyville just to commission Rarity proves just how capable she is at her profession.

However, this also brought a question to mind. From what I know about Rarity, one of her dreams is to someday live in Canterlot. But... I have no desire to ever leave Ponyville. This town is where I belong. Where all my friends are. And even though I cherish every single one of them, losing just one of them is a possibility I absolutely dread.

"Rarity... May I ask you something?" I asked, hoping Rarity would be finished with the sketch of my costume by now.

"Just a moment... There we are!" She replied as she set the marker and paper down. She then began to approach me with a smile. "Now then, what's on your mind?"

I asked, "You plan to leave Ponyville and set up shop in Canterlot someday, right?"

She cheerfully replied, "Of course! Canterlot is where I truly belong! The sophistication, the style, the elegance. It just screams MOI, wouldn't you say?"

This only served to confirm my fears. Someday... Maybe in a few months or even a few years, but someday in the near future, my beautiful and dear friend would leave me. "I hope you enjoy yourself out there, Rarity..."

Rarity did not reply for a moment, almost as if she was detecting my unhappiness with her decision. "Darling... Is something wrong?"

I sat down on a stool and bowed my head. "I'll be honest. I.... I really don't want to see you go."

My friend remained silent for a moment. "Oh my... I did not consider how my friends would feel about that choice..."

I spoke, "I know you want to live there, but I don't. And...I don't want you to leave, Rarity... I don't want us to grow apart."

I heard the sound of hooves clopping as Rarity slowly drew near. "Neither do I... I never thought about it like this... But if I move to Canterlot, my business will only... Wait..."

I looked up as I heard my friend pause. She had a hoof against her chin, apparently lost in thought. She then gasped with a smile, "Of course! Why did I not think of this before?! I already visit Canterlot on occasion and the majority of my clients come from there just to commission me for my services! Why should I go to Canterlot when Canterlot already comes to me?!"

"You mean..." I spoke, not sure of what Rarity was getting at.

The beautiful unicorn ran over to me and embraced me tightly. "You are right, James. If I were to leave my friends behind and go to Canterlot, our bonds would be strained. We would still stay in touch somehow, but it would never amount to our daily interactions. And as my clients already come to me, there is no reason for me to bring myself to them. And besides, if I were to leave..." She then looked up at me, "Who would craft you new clothes? I'm the only pony in Equestria who is familiar with your body type, after all."

I frowned, fearing that I was only holding my friend back from the glory she craved. "You don't have to stay just for me, Rarity. I don't want to see you leave, but I'll respect your decision regardless."

To my surprise, Rarity shook her head. "James, James, James... I have made up my mind. I shall remain in Ponyville, as it is where the most important things in my life are located. Because..." She then placed a kiss on my cheek, "Nopony could ever replace the friends I have known for years. No amount of fame or riches could ever amount to friends like you."

I think I may have been blushing at that moment. Rarity then nuzzled me gently, "Thank you, James. I realize now that leaving Ponyville would have been a poor decision in the long run. Without me, humble Ponyville would not have that special somepony to add a little dazzle to it." She then frowned sorrowfully, "The more I think about it now, the more I feel I will regret leaving Ponyville. Thank you, James. Thank you for changing my mind."

I closed my eyes as I embraced my wonderful friend. "You're welcome... I'd hate to lose you..."

Rarity whispered, "Don't worry about that, darling. You and our friends will always have me." She then smiled and went back over to the sketch she had made and pulled out a red marker before applying the tip of it to the paper. "Wait right there, dear. I will be done here shortly."

I did as I was told and remained seated for a moment longer before Rarity approached me again. "All done! What do you think of this fine ensemble?"

As I beheld the design Rarity had drawn, I noticed that she had drawn the shoes black while leaving the pants bare, possibly indicating that they would be colored white or gray. The upper body, obviously based on my own, was covered by a red jacket of sorts. Not the type you would wear on a cool evening. It seemed too elegant for that with those twin tails reaching knee length. "Rarity... What exactly is this costume?"

My friend smiled, "It is the attire of a gentleman from Canterlot. At least, that is what it would look like if they were human. Is it to your liking?"

I examined the design closely. It was certainly a design one would expect to see on a noble. However, it felt as if something was.....missing. What was it? I could not quite put my finger on it...

After a brief moment, it came to me. A sword. Preferably a rapier. The nobleman's weapon of choice and a stylish item to wear at the waist. I will admit right now that I consider myself something of a sword enthusiast and had even amassed a very modest collection of different swords before being brought to Equestria. But I digress.

To emphasize my point and to fit the role of the costume I would wear, I added a British accent to my voice as I spoke. "Most elegant, Lady Rarity. But I do believe there is something missing. Perhaps a rapier to be worn at the hip. That would make the attire complete, would it not?"

I suspect I may have been too in character as I noticed Rarity was blushing slightly at my words. "Ooooh, that voice. It gave me goose bumps! Do it again!"

I shrugged my shoulders as I spoke again with that accent. "As you wish, m'lady. What is it you desire to hear me say?"

Rarity raised a hoof to her forehead as she gasped with a euphoric grin, probably on the verge of fainting. Was I really THAT good? "Um... M'lady? Are you well?"

She sighed loudly as she seemed to regain her composure, "Oh, that voice just makes me melt! Perhaps I will request for you to be my knight this evening! But yes, I see what you mean, darling. Just let me add it here..." Rarity levitated her black marker over to us and popped off the cap. "Could you stand for a moment, please?"

I did as I was told and reached a standing position. Rarity's eyes scanned me, probably to get an idea of how long to make the sword so it would be properly sized with my body. She then scribbled something down on the sheet of paper. "Oh my, that DOES look better!" She then showed me the sketch again. A thin scabbard with a rapier's hilt was now affixed to the side of the model in the sketch. "I will add the rest of the colors later on. Does this look perfect to you now?"

"That looks pretty much perfect, Rarity. I'm looking forward to it." I replied with a smile.

"You are going to look simply dashing in this attire." She spoke with a smile. However, her eyes seemed to scan the paper for a moment before asking, "James, are you a duelist of any sort? I know you have some experience in the use of knives after that stint in the Everfree Forest, but have you ever actually been involved in a duel before?"

Despite my fascination of swordplay, I have never once been involved in a fight of any sort. My fascination likely stems from playing video games for years that featured dynamic (and probably unrealistic) swordplay. "Can't say I have. Swordplay interests me, but I've never had to use a sword on anyone before."

Rarity nodded as she rolled up the paper into a scroll. "I most certainly hope it stays that way. You are too darling to involve yourself in combat." I wholeheartedly agreed with her on that. "But now, is there anything else I can help you with? Perhaps a hat to go with your ensemble?"

I shook my head, "No, it's good as is. But what are you going as?"

Rarity smiled brightly, "Why, I am going as a lovely princess! I just need to put the finishing touches on my dress and hat." I was hardly surprised by this. Rarity's elegance can even compare to Celestia or Luna. I just hope they never read this entry. Would not want them to send me to the dungeon out of jealousy. Although I am fairly certain they would take it in good humor.

"I'd expect nothing less, Rarity. Should I leave you to your work?" I asked, certain that Rarity would need some time to focus on finishing her costume in time for that evening.

"Oh, I would certainly not mind your company, but I do believe I am keeping you from Fluttershy." She replied, reminding me that I had promised to return home as soon as possible. "Just remember though. When the night is about to begin, come over here to my home. I'll have your costume ready by then... At least I hope I will."

Not waiting any longer, I thanked my friend and headed out the door. As I began to walk home, I was uncertain of what to do for the rest of the day. If this day is Equestria's equivalent of my world's Halloween celebration, then the really good stuff would not start until the sun had begun to set. What would be a good way to spend the day with my beloved?

I returned to Fluttershy's cottage as quickly as I could. Everything seemed quiet as I crossed the bridge. However, I soon noticed what seemed to be a bush near the front door that was not present there before. "We have a new bush?"

I took a closer look at it. The leaves were lush and green while having several white flowers adorning it. "Hm. Nice addition." I muttered, not finding anything particularly wrong with it.

However, as I reached for the doorknob, I heard a familiar quiet voice speak from behind me. "Wow. It works even better than I expected."

I stiffly looked over my shoulder, wondering where the voice had come from. I recognized it as Fluttershy's, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Honey...? Are you out there?"

Right as I said that, the bush seemed to suddenly sprout a pair of strong cyan eyes that opened up and stared at me. "I'm right here."

I stared at the eyes, finding it utterly bizarre that my girlfriend was hiding in a bush right in front of her own house. "OK, Fluttershy. I've heard of tree-hugging hippies, but isn't this taking it a little too far?"

Fluttershy replied as the bush's eyes...I mean her eyes looked away from me. "I'd would've liked to be a tree, but that would've been harder to move around in."

It took me a moment to comprehend what she was telling me. "Are you saying...this bush is your costume for Nightmare Night?"

Fluttershy meekly smiled, or at least I think she smiled, as she replied, "Uh huh. This way I'm dressed for the occasion and nopony will even notice me."

I paused for a moment before asking, "You really don't like Nightmare Night, do you?"

She replied, "No... I tried it once, but I just couldn't get used to other ponies popping out of nowhere to scare me..." She then added, "But... I think I'll give it another try if you go with me. I feel...a bit more confident when I'm with you."

I smiled as I reached down and lifted the bush off of Fluttershy, revealing her adorable form. "Just stick with me and we'll all have a good time. We always have a good time when we're together, right?"

My girlfriend replied with a smile, "We haven't had a single bad day yet." I then set the bush down and embraced Fluttershy, feeling her embrace me back with her forelegs. After a brief moment, she then asked, "Oh, that reminds me. What was the costume Rarity had in mind for you?"

I replied as I pulled back to look at her, "Basically a nobleman complete with a rapier at my side. The sketch of the costume looked really authentic."

Fluttershy then looked at me with a baffled expression. "A rapier?" From what I could tell, she knew next to nothing about weapons. I cannot say I blame her, as she is far from being the fighting type.

"A type of thin sword designed for thrusting strikes. But don't worry, I'm not gonna actually use it. I just felt it would compliment my attire with it hanging from my belt." I spoke, hoping Fluttershy would not see me as dangerous.

"Oh... I see. I'm OK with that as long as you don't hurt anypony. But be careful with it." She replied with a smile.

I nodded, "Definitely. But until the night comes, what would you like to do?"

Fluttershy smiled, "Well, I still need to collect the eggs from the chicken coop. Wanna help me with that?"

"Sure thing, honey." I replied as we began to head towards the backside of our house.

"Before we peek in, lemme check for something." I spoke as we neared the coop. All of the chickens were already outside milling about. I got down on my knees and stuck my head into the coop through the entry point. ".....You don't live here, Derpy. Go home."

I pulled my head back out as silly Derpy Hooves crawled out of the coop. Fluttershy shook her head, "You got lost again?"

Derpy replied with a smile, "Nah. I just came out here to take a nap. But I do need to get home to get my costume ready. I'll see ya tonight!" She then took to the air and flew away. But a moment later, she came back over to us. "Ponyville is in THAT direction, right?" It was good to see that Derpy had learned to check her bearings in order to keep herself from flying into the Everfree Forest.

"Yeah, you've got the directions down. And sure, we'll see you tonight." I replied with a nod.

"Thanks! And see ya later!" Derpy waved goodbye before flying back towards Ponyville.

"Now then, how about them eggs?" I asked while looking down at Fluttershy.

"I'll go inside and pass the eggs to you. It'll be easier for me to fit through the entrance." She replied as she began to walk up the ramp and crawl through the coop's entrance.

As she rolled the first egg to me, I asked, "Is it normal for Derpy to spend time in your chicken coop?"

Fluttershy replied while peeking out of the entrance, "Every so often. The chickens don't seem to mind her, so I always leave her be."

I snickered as I placed the egg into the pail I was holding, "That was the third time since I ended up in Equestria. That goofball pops up when you least expect her."

Once we had gathered up the eggs, it was time to feed the various animals that were waiting for us all around the cottage. While Fluttershy tended to the ferrets under the bridge, I filled a small bowl with a handful of earthworms while being sure to add a pinch of water to the bowl to insure that they would stay moist and alive. I stood back after waving at the birds in the trees and watched as they all swooped down and perched on the rim of the bowl before plucking the worms from it and devouring them. "Much better than having to carry them in your mouth, huh?"

Fluttershy nodded as she hopped out of the stream. "Oh, yes. And I think the birds prefer this method too." She then asked, "You know, we still have a while before the night comes. Would you like us to spend some time together at the park?"

As the ponies in town were likely busy getting ready for Nightmare Night, either making costumes or setting up decorations, I was expecting the park to be relatively deserted for the day. "We'll probably have the whole place to ourselves. Should I just go on ahead?"

Fluttershy smiled, "I was kinda hoping it would be that way. I don't have much more to do, so go on ahead and wait for me by the pond. I'll see you soon, OK?" She seemed rather excited about it, a bright grin adorning her adorable face.

"OK then, honey. Head on over once you have time." I replied as I kissed her on the nose. Fluttershy blushed deeply with a meek smile before walking towards Angel, who was sitting at the entrance to his little house. I then crossed the bridge that spanned the stream before heading south.

The shortest route to the park involved taking me through Sweet Apple Acres, so I was expecting to find Applejack or at least Big Macintosh going about their duties. However, I found that the area was largely deserted save for a few pigs wallowing in a mud puddle near a pen.

"Probably in town setting things up." I muttered to myself. Holidays like this are more than likely days of rest for the Apple family. Granny Smith, who I had come to meet over the past two months, was probably inside the farmhouse taking a nap in her favorite rocking chair. Rather than wake the sweet yet occasionally goofy old mare from her nap, I continued on to my destination.

When I entered the park from the northwest, I found that the place was indeed deserted. The place was usually fairly quiet even with other ponies going about their business here. But with it being as empty as it was at the time, all I could hear was the sound of leaves rustling in the trees as the wind blew. I breathed deeply the clean fresh air, reveling in my solitude. It was not often that I had the entire park to myself. For the remainder of the day, it would just be my own personal playground. Or rather, my and Fluttershy's personal playground.

Remembering my beautiful girlfriend, I hurried over to the local pond. I was still impressed by just how quiet it was around me. I walked out to the end of the peninsula that jutted out into it like always and took a seat. The sack of fish food that was always there was filled to the brim. With nothing else to do, I took a handful of it and tossed it towards the pond. As always, some of the fish in the pond jumped to snatch some of the food out of the air before landing back in the water with a splash. "Some things never get old."

I waited for a few minutes before turning my gaze to the north. And sure enough, just starting to peek over the horizon was a pegasus flying towards me. I waved to get her attention, after which she began to descend. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. Angel was being a picky eater again."

I reached out and stroked Fluttershy's mane. "It was no trouble. I kept myself entertained while waiting." Fluttershy smiled warmly at my caresses before taking a seat beside me. She then began to lean against me, her face resting against my shoulder. I responded in kind by placing my arm over her back with my hand gripping her opposite shoulder.

"It's been two months since you came here..." Fluttershy muttered as she closed her eyes.

"And I've enjoyed almost every minute of it." I replied quietly, my head resting against hers. Like so many times before, the moment felt serene. Almost no sound at all. Just me and the woman I love.

After a short while, Fluttershy looked at me and spoke, "You know, I don't know all that much about where you're from."

I frowned, "Lyra can answer any questions about Earth. I've been telling her quite a bit over the past few weeks."

Fluttershy nodded with a frown, "I know... But I meant about you. I know you love Equestria and everypony in it, but is there anything back home you miss? Is there anyone you remember?"

I decided to answer her question truthfully. "Well, my mom is a really nice woman who used to be a nurse. She can be fun to talk to. My dad is pretty cool too and he has made lots of friends over the years. But that guy has given me my fair share of headaches in the form of poor self-control and the inability to mind his manners or restrain his impulses. There are times when I wonder if he actually tries to make other people mad. There's also my younger brother. The guy used to be an annoying brat growing up...and I'll say right now I did things to him out of jealousy that I wish I hadn't...

Fluttershy leaned against me as if to provide me with emotional support. "I've heard of siblings being that way sometimes. But you got closer over time, right?"

I nodded, "Yeah... He's far from annoying now. But I think he swapped out his annoying quirks for a foul mouth, occasional poor judgment, and the inability to keep track of necessities even if his life depends on it." I then sighed, "There's also my grandmother. She is a very sweet old lady who has always been there for me since I was a toddler. I have so many great memories of her, but she's become something of an incompetent nuisance who can't be trusted with remembering anything important anymore. That, and she's too... I'm trying to find a nice way to say this... Too stubborn to give up smoking, which was a daily headache for me. There are also various people in the neighborhood I have known for years who I can consider friends. I wonder what they're up to now..."

Fluttershy then asked, "Um... How do you smoke? Isn't that a way to prepare and season food? How is that a problem for you?"

I was about to reply, but I then paused as I comprehended why Fluttershy does not know what smoking is. "Fluttershy. Do you know of anyplace around here that sells tobacco products?"

My words seemed to puzzle my girlfriend. "Tobacco? What's that?"

Fantastic. I knew there was something missing from Equestria with every day I went about outside. And I sure as hell am not going to miss it! I smiled widely as I replied, "Oh... It's nothing important. Just be glad it doesn't exist in this world."

"Um... OK? Well... I don't want to bring up any bad memories, but were there any bad things about your life before coming here?" Fluttershy asked.

I bowed my head. "Bad, huh? I guess... My high school days. I had to attend a school that was utterly filled with ill-mannered students who more often than not had criminal histories." I sighed, "Those five years at that school destroyed my ability to trust anyone in my age group. I was under constant psychological strain from the never-ending verbal abuse. I was very rarely targeted directly, but just having to listen to it caused me to experience several mental breakdowns over the course of those five years. A man can only take so much before he snaps. Thanks to those miserable pieces of trash... I never had a single friend in that school. And it literally took years for me to regain my ability to trust others who were around my age." I then frowned, "Looking back on it now, I actually wish I mustered up the courage to kill some of those wretched little monsters so they wouldn't hurt anyone else."

At those words, I felt Fluttershy embrace me tightly. "Please... Don't say that again... I don't want you to be a killer."

I grumbled, "You misunderstand, Fluttershy. I WANT to kill them, but I know I CAN'T kill them. I'll never have the courage to actually attack them..." I then sighed, "I'm... I'm too much of a coward to do that."

However, Fluttershy looked me in the eye. "You're wrong. I know you're not a coward." She then smiled slightly, "Remember when your first week in Ponyville ended and you found that old law in that book? You went into the Everfree Forest in order to protect me from the law. You had to be brave just to go there. And it took courage to hide there, even if it was to protect me."

I felt Fluttershy rest her head against my chest, "You're just timid, James. Just like me. But you can be brave when you really need to be."

I will be honest. I do not think particularly high of myself. Fluttershy's praise felt misplaced to me. "I was just trying to protect you anyway I could... I wasn't thinking about my own safety at all."

However, my girlfriend smiled as she kissed me on the cheek. "Even so, you were still very brave. And even if you weren't, I still love you." I managed to crack a smile as I embraced her, feeling her wings fold around me the best they could.

The two of us continued to cuddle with each other for a short while longer before Fluttershy spoke, "You know... I think we have the entire park to ourselves now."

I nodded, "Yeah. I didn't see anypony on the way in."

Fluttershy then smiled with what I think was a faint blush. "That means we can do whatever we want and nopony will see, right?"

Something was up with Fluttershy. What was she hinting at? "Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

She smiled, "Follow me and I'll show you." I did as she requested and followed her over to a tree that was nearby. She then guided me to a sitting position.

"OK, now I'm getting worried. What're you up to, honey?" I asked, finding that gaze she was giving me to be very unnerving.

"We're all alone and I'm with you. So I don't see any point in me bottling up my real emotions." She replied, an amorous smile creeping across her face.

My eyes glanced around, wondering if there was absolutely anyone nearby. The area around the pond had few trees, so I would have easily noticed someone if there was a pony or any other creature out there. Fortunately, there was no one to be seen at all in the vicinity. "OK, honey... What do you want to do?"

Fluttershy smiled, "Well..." I then felt the longest feathers of her wing caress my cheek like delicate fingers, sending shivers through my body. "Right now, I want to...um...make-out."

She inched closer, practically laying herself upon me. The silence in the air only seemed to reinforce the feeling of solitude I was experiencing. It was just me and the woman I love. No one else.

"Is that OK?" Fluttershy asked. I noticed that her other idle wing was fully spread, a clear sign of arousal.

As there was virtually no risk of being seen out here for the rest of the day, I felt it would not be a problem to indulge in each other's.....'company'. "OK, honey." I spoke while caressing her face. I then closed my eyes and sealed lips with her.

I heard a faint moan as Fluttershy pressed into the kiss. Her tongue reached out to mine, that delightful faintly sweet flavor coating it. The kiss became very intimate very quickly, the two of us becoming lost in each other's touch.

What a magical moment. I am not sure how much time even passed. But as we kissed, I felt a slight need starting to grow within me. I wanted her. But I would not force myself upon Fluttershy unless she wanted me to. I decided to test her to see if she was in the mood for that level of intimacy between lovers.

My hand slowly reached down her body until I felt the telltale curve of her flank. I then felt along the side, trying to find her cutie mark. I must have found it since Fluttershy suddenly shuddered with a moan. However, she did not break the kiss, so I am sure she welcomed my advances. I slowly began to caress her cutie mark, knowing it also functions as a pleasure point.

After a moment of slowly rubbing my fingertips into her cutie mark, my reach went further. I slid my fingers between her hindquarters, finding her moist vulva. I very tenderly rubbed my fingertips against her moist marehood, feeling the moisture on it accumulating with each movement I made.

I could hear Fluttershy's moaning becoming louder in the kiss. Seconds later, I pushed my fingers into her, feeling the warm moistness of her insides. If she was not in heat at the time, she may as well have been. Her internal temperature was very high. And the more I felt her, the greater I felt the bulge in my pants become.

After a moment more of pleasuring her, Fluttershy ended the kiss abruptly with a gasp. I opened my eyes, finding her looking at me with a deep blush on her face. She pleaded, "James... I... If it's not too much trouble... I want to...mate with you..."

I smiled, "Me too, honey. I really want you now." My spare hand caressed her face as my other hand was pulled away from Fluttershy's backside.

Fluttershy stood up and lowered her head to my waistline. "Let me help you get started." She then gripped the top of my pants and yanked them down slowly, revealing my hardening manhood.

I was expecting Fluttershy to become embarrassed upon seeing my length. However, she merely gazed at it with a faint smile and a look of need in her eyes. She has certainly become bolder since we became lovers. Almost every night, we engage in sexual activities once Scootaloo has gone to sleep for the night. And there are times, like now, where Fluttershy takes the initiative.

"I think it could stand to be a bit bigger. May I help, honey?" She asked, regaining her adorable meek smile as she looked up at me.

I smiled, "Do whatever you think will help." Fluttershy wasted no time in wrapping the feathers of one of her wings around my length like an actual hand. It even felt like a hand was gripping me, save for the tickling feathers. I had to restrain myself to not snicker as she moved her grasp up and down my length.

"That...really tickles, Fluttershy... Be careful." I muttered, trying to keep a straight face.

"Wingjobs do tend to get a lot of giggles, from what I've read. Let me try something else." Fluttershy replied as she released her grip. She then moved her head down to my manhood before giving it a lick. The feel of her soft moist tongue touching me sent a jolt through my body.

It took only a matter of moments for me to become fully aroused. Fluttershy continued to lick and even suck me, even by the time I was ready. She seemed unaware, as her eyes were closed while occasionally letting out a soft moan.

"Fluttershy... Hang on. Where do you want me to finish?" I asked, not sure if she wanted to drink my semen.

My words got her attention as she abruptly pulled her head away from my manhood and looked at me with what almost looked like a drugged expression. "I... I want..." She then stood up and turned around. I stared, probably with a blush on my face, as she moved her tail to the side to give me an unobstructed view of her wet and needy vulva. Fluttershy then looked at me over her shoulder with a smile, "I want you to finish inside me... Just like every other time."

I understood what she wanted, so I got down onto my knees. "OK, honey. Hold still." I held onto her flanks with both hands, my fingers digging into her cutie marks to please her further.

"Ooh! Ah... Please don't tease me..."

I leaned forward over her back as I whispered, "OK then. Hang on." I then slowly pushed my length into her. Fluttershy let out a gasp as her wings spread as wide as they could.

"Please... Don't stop..." She pleaded, her eyes closed with her head held high. I did not want to disappoint my beautiful lover, so I pressed my fingertips even firmer into her cutie marks as I began to thrust slowly into her.

"Mmm... Honey, you feel.....wow..." It was all I could say, to be honest. Words were not really needed at this point.

I felt Fluttershy brush her long beautiful tail against my chest before she skillfully moved it downwards and curved it between my legs. Who knew Equestria's ponies could manipulate their tails so well? Regardless, I could feel her rubbing her silky soft hair against my 'balls', if you will. While definitely new to me, I found this act to be very stimulating. Massaging the area of my body that would produce my seed likely meant that Fluttershy wanted me to fill her with as much as possible.

"More... Please, James... I... I want you to..." Fluttershy gasped as she tried to string complete sentences together. I said nothing as I leaned forward and rested my head in her long mane.

The sensations I felt around my manhood could be described as an intense warmth combined with moist silk cloths rubbing against me. And the longer and faster I thrust into Fluttershy, the better it felt. What was more, her endearing squeaks and moans were music to my ears. But after a short while, I felt Fluttershy beginning to tense up.

"Please... Inside me..." She pleaded quietly. I could not reply as I too felt tense as I neared orgasm. I began to thrust harder and faster before pushing in as deep as I could into the beautiful pegasus. She let out a quiet shriek, clearly trying to prevent herself from getting too loud. I felt her insides quiver around me in orgasm. Those extra vibrations were more than I could handle. I groaned her name as I reached orgasm, my seed spilling forth into her womb in several strong spurts.

My mind was swimming with thoughts and a strange haze. But I can remember clearly seeing Fluttershy slowly turning her head so she was looking at me with a blush on her face while smiling. "Oh... My goodness... I love you, James..."

"I...love you too, Fluttershy..." I muttered as I pulled out of her and fell backwards against the tree. No matter how good an orgasm feels, it is always followed by a type of fatigue. But as I rested against the tree, I was given a perfect view of Fluttershy's satisfied vulva as my white thick seed oozed out of her.

Fluttershy slowly turned to face me and kissed me softly on the lips. "Let me get you cleaned up." I shuddered as she began to lick my manhood clean. She moaned very softly, apparently liking the taste of my seed coating my length.

I panted lightly as Fluttershy pulled my pants back up. "Are you...tired too?" She ask, her head leaning against my chest.

"Yeah... I think I could use a nap..." I replied quietly.

Fluttershy giggled softly, "Me too... How does a nap in the bushes sound while we wait for the evening to come?" She motioned for me to follow into a cluster of bushes nearby, so I stood up and followed her into them.

The bushes were fairly tall and provided us with cover, making it impossible to see us from any direction. Even if a pegasus were to pass overhead, we still could not be seen. "I'm feeling groggy just by being here." I muttered as I lied down. Fluttershy moved her mane under my head to act as a pillow while resting her head next to mine.

"Me too. Shall we, honey?" She asked, still blushing deeply.

I smiled as I looked into her big beautiful eyes. "Yeah. Sweet dreams, Fluttershy." I placed a kiss on her nose before pulling her closer to me. I heard her let out a sigh before I fell into a deep satisfied sleep.

I am uncertain how much time had passed before I had begun to awaken. One hour? Two? Five? Regardless, I felt quite rested. Now... Oh man, I hope I did not sleep too late. I really do not want to miss Nightmare Night.

Fluttershy was still sleeping soundly beside me. Her mane was rather cushy under my head, so I was tempted to go back to sleep. However, I knew better and that this day only comes once a year. I slowly stood up and peeked my head out of the bush. It was still quite bright outside, but the sun was getting a little low in the sky. In the next hour, the moon will be visible. It was time to go home and get ready.

"Honey? Are you awake?" I asked quietly while gently trying to wake my girlfriend.

She began to mumble in her sleep before muttering, "Uh... Is it time to feed the bats yet?"

I smirked as I stroked her pretty little head, "Not just yet. But we need to get ready for Nightmare Night. It'll be getting dark soon."

Fluttershy sprang awake at the mention of Nightmare Night. "Oh dear... I agreed I would go, didn't I?" When I nodded, she gulped, "Oh...my... I'm not so sure anymore..."

I cannot say I blame her hesitation. If I was as timid as her, I would be just as unwilling to attend a party that is all about spooks and pranks. However, I smiled, "Come on, honey. You got your costume ready and I promised I would stay with you in case something went wrong. C'mon, we'll have a good time together."

At my words, Fluttershy sighed, "OK... I won't knock it until I try it." I kissed her on the forehead, prompting a meek smile from her in return. "Well... Let's get going." She muttered as she walked out of the bush. The two of us then hurried home as quickly as we could.

"How do I look?" Fluttershy asked me as she came walking down the pathway from her house covered in the bush that she was using as a costume. The only part of her I could make out was her eyes peering through the leaves.

"Very inconspicuous. Most ponies won't even think it's a costume." I replied, starting to think that she chose that outfit as a means to avoid detection, and therefore avoid being directly targeted for pranks.

Her response confirmed my suspicions. "That's the point..."

I shook my head with a grin, amused by this fact. I then went up to the cottage's door, finding Angela and Angel waiting for me. "Keep an eye on the place while we're gone, OK?" The rabbit and dove nodded in unison. I then closed the door and caught up to Fluttershy, who was already on the other side of the stream that flowed in front of our home. "Ready, honey?"

She replied, "I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be..." We then began to head towards Ponyville. Of course, I still needed to pick up my costume over at the Carousel Boutique, but I did not want anyone to catch on that the moving bush next to me contains a timid pony to spook. So we decided to hang south to avoid passing through Ponyville just in case the preparations were still under way.

After passing through Sweet Apple Acres and trekking through the northernmost area of the park, we came to the Carousel Boutique at the southeastern corner of town. There was hardly any activity going on around there. I knocked on the door and waited with Fluttershy by my side for our friend to answer it.

We did not wait long as Rarity opened the top half of the door and looked up at me. "Ah! James, I just finished completing my costume and..." She then looked at the bush that was staring at her. "Why does this bush have eyes? And why is it growing right in front of my front door?"

I bowed my head while snickering as Fluttershy replied, "I would've preferred to be a tree, but it would've been harder to move around in."

Rarity jerked her head back in shock as she heard the flowering bush speak. "Fu... Fluttershy?! Surely you must have a costume more fitting for a celebration that only comes once a year!"

Fluttershy replied, "Um... This is the best costume I have for not getting pranked by anypony. No one will think a bush is somepony in disguise."

Rarity smiled sympathetically, "I understand, dear. Who in their right mind would think a bush is worth scaring?"

I then spoke, "Not to change the subject, Rarity, but may we see your costume?"

My request got Rarity very excited as she flung the rest of the door open, "Oh, by all means! Come in, make yourselves comfortable, I will be right with you!" Fluttershy removed her costume before walking inside with me. Rarity then ducked behind a collapsible screen as I heard the sound of clothes hangers being moved around somewhere behind it. A moment later, Rarity stepped out from behind the screen. "Now, don't hold back. Is my costume simply fabulous?"

Fabulous is right. It seemed to be the attire of a classical princess. She was wearing purple shoes with a pink and purple dress. The upper section was pink with golden yellow threads strung across the chest area while the lower section was a royal purple. The cuffs and the bottom of the dress were lined with white frills. Atop her head rested a hennin hat. Think of it as a tall conical hat with a white plume at the top. The color patterns are difficult for me to describe. The bottom was a solid pink with purple dots, the area above that was a lavender hue, and the remaining half of the hat was a royal purple with a ring of golden ovals going around it near the top. "Fabulous? You look like royalty, Rarity. Should I call you Princess Rarity?"

My friend giggled at my compliment, "You are most welcome to do so, James. What about you, Fluttershy? Do you have any words for it?"

Fluttershy smiled, "It looks very lovely, Rarity. I'm sure somepony will even request that you let them be your knight this evening." If only she had known that Rarity had already been considering it since earlier that day.

"Oh, the two of you are such gems. The idea for this design actually came to me in a dream." Rarity replied with a smile. However, she then frowned as she looked at me. "Unfortunately, I did not have enough time left to make your outfit before sundown, James..."

That was certainly disappointing. But I can understand why Rarity was so eager to complete her costume if she was unable to attend Nightmare Night at all the previous year. However, she then gasped with her eyes glimmering with inspiration. "Oh, I've got it! Twilight can help us!"

Fluttershy then asked, "How? I don't think Twilight knows much about sewing. At least not about sewing quickly."

Rarity grinned as she used her magic to levitate the drawing of my costume over to me. As I grasped it, she spoke, "Since Nightmare Night only lasts a single night, it would be trivial to make a costume that is only going to be worn one day in an entire year. I heard Twilight perfected a spell some time ago that changes your clothing into whatever it is you desire."

"You mean she can turn these simple clothes I'm wearing into that costume for one evening? I'm all for it." I spoke with a smile.

"Then it's settled! Oh, but before we go..." Rarity spoke as she levitated a...mop handle over to me? The wooden stick was slightly longer than my leg. "To be used for your sword, darling. You know I don't have the means to forge any blades in my boutique."

Fluttershy then asked, "A sword? You're not going to hurt anypony, are you?"

I shook my head with a smirk, "No, honey. It just compliments my costume's design very well."

Rarity then walked past us and out the door. "Come along now, you two lovebirds. The night is just starting and we don't want to be late for the festivities, do we?"

I replied with a smile, "Yes, ma'am. Lead on, your highness." Rarity seemed to blush at my words as she began to walk with her head held high like the princess she was dressed as. I waited a moment longer for Fluttershy to put her costume back on before we hurried to catch up to our delightfully elegant friend as she headed into Ponyville proper.

The decorations had come along quite nicely. Various tents and stalls had been set up to provide refreshments and plenty of Halloween staples such as caramel apples and bowls of candy. Only since this is Equestria, I should probably call them Nightmare Night staples. Since the sun was starting to get low in the sky, the festivities would likely be starting very soon.

We wasted no time in getting to Twilight's house. By then, the sun had just started to dip under the horizon. In under an hour, the night will begin. But at the same time, I was wondering just what Twilight Sparkle and Spike would be wearing for the celebration.

"Twilight, we need to ask you a favor! Are you home?" Rarity called out as we went inside. However, our gazes fell upon Spike. The baby dragon was standing at the foot of the stairway while wearing a full-body black latex suit with only his face exposed.

"Why in the world are you wearing a gimp suit, Spike?" I asked, becoming fearful of just what happens between him and Twilight behind closed doors.

Our little dragon friend turned to face us, but stared at Rarity with a blush and a love-struck expression. "Wow... Just like in my fantasies..."

Rarity asked while looking herself over, "Oh, you mean my costume? Why, thank you, Spike. I know the design is a tad clichéd, but Nightmare Night IS all about good clean fun without taking anything too seriously." She then tapped the lowest part of her beautiful indigo mane with a smile, "Only there is nothing to be taken lightly when it comes to my work."

Fluttershy then asked, "Um... What is a gimp suit? I never even heard that word before."

Spike snapped back to his senses and replied, "Gimp suit? Nah, this suit just compliments Twilight's costume." He then looked up the stairs with an annoyed expression, "If she would just come down here while wearing it, that is. Twilight, come on! The night's just starting!"

I heard the voice of our wise unicorn friend reply, "No, Spike! I told you the first time that I look absolutely ridiculous in this thing! Why did I even let you talk me into wearing this outfit again?!"

This was not the first time? If Spike looks that odd in the suit, just what does Twilight's look like? "That outfit is one-of-a-kind! Nopony in all of Equestria will be wearing anything like it! Just use some originality this time!" Spike called out again, starting to sound rather impatient by then.

I decided to step in and called up the stairs, "Come on, Twi. I wanna see the costume. I promise I won't laugh."

Twilight clearly was not expecting to hear me as she replied with a shocked tone. "James?! No, I won't show you this! I look like... I can't even find the right word for it!"

I then replied, "Either you come down here or I'm coming upstairs! Now come on!"

I heard Twilight groan in defeat, "Oh.....fine. I'm coming down. Please don't laugh..."

All four of us took a step back as we heard the clopping of hooves coming down the stairs. When Twilight came into view..... Whoa. Just... Where do I even begin with this costume? Like Spike, she was wearing a full-body latex suit. However, her head was completely uncovered. She was wearing a white bandage around her forehead like a headband and a large black eye patch over her right eye. Her mane had been restyled to stick up, giving it a very wild appearance. My response to this sight was as follows. "Whoahoho, Solid Sparkle?! Now THAT is a costume!"

Everyone in the room gave me odd looks. Twilight then asked, "Solid Sparkle? That's what you call this outfit?!"

I nodded, "Yeah, I can see the resemblance! I never knew ponies cosplay!"

Rarity then asked, "And what, pray tell, is cosplaying?"

It was then I realized that the ponies of Equestria have no experience with any of Earth's trends or subcultures. I sheepishly grinned, "Oh... Uh... Nevermind. You wouldn't get it. But seriously, that's an awesome costume, Twi. You look like a grizzled stealth soldier."

She seemed to be taken aback by my praise somewhat. "Re... Really? This costume came about as a result of me making a fool of myself earlier this year! Are you sure it doesn't make me look bad?"

I shook my head with a grin, "I don't know what you did, but it made for a ridiculously original outfit, Twilight. I say roll with it." I then smirked, "And another thing. I think this means you'll be getting a codec call from Celestia soon?"

My friends stared at me with baffled expressions. I could go on and on with the puns, but all of my shots at humor would be wasted on them since they would clearly not get the references. However, I tried getting one more in. "Before you do go out there, you should at least bring a cardboard box."

Spike then asked, "Uh... Maybe I'm just not following this very well, but what good would lugging around a cardboard box do?!"

I replied, "Because it's the ultimate stealth tool. Who would ever think of looking under a cardboard box for the enemy?"

Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike stared at me as if I had just acted like Pinkie Pie, but Twilight held a hoof to her chin as if pondering something. "Now that you mention it... That IS a clever disguise! I mean, really! Put it over you, stay against a wall, and nopony will even think that it's out of the ordinary!"

Spike then snidely spoke, "Now we just need a situation where that technique will actually come in handy." The ponies glared at the dragon, prompting him to raise his hands and ask, "What?" I suppose he does have a point though. Equestria does not seem like a world that would require any act of espionage to protect its people. Come to think of it, has there ever been a war here? Probably better to not ask.

"Well, as awesome as that costume is, we need your help with something, Twilight." I spoke up.

Rarity then levitated the sketch of my costume out of my grasp, which I had all but forgotten about, and showed it to Twilight. "So sorry to trouble you with this, darling. But I simply did not have enough time to even get started on James' costume. If you don't mind, could you use your magic to convert his attire into what I have on this parchment?"

Twilight scanned the paper for a moment before smiling, "Oh, this shouldn't be too hard! And I'm sure he'll look great in this! Oh, what...is that? Is that a sword?" She clearly must have noticed the rapier hanging off the belt at the waist.

"Indeed, it is. James requested it, and I must say it truly compliments that attire quite well." Rarity replied with a smile.

Twilight nodded, "Yeah, you have a point. I look at it and it just seems to say 'this works well with these clothes' to me. But... I need something to use as a medium for the spell."

"That's what this is for, Twi." I said as I held up the mop handle Rarity had given me.

My unicorn friend snickered, "I guess that will do. Now, hold that at the spot where you want it to be." I did as I was told and held the mop handle to the left side of my hip. However, she then grinned, "Also, I'm flattered you're wearing my colors today, James." I smiled sheepishly, knowing she was referring to the colors on the t-shirt I was wearing.

After glancing at the sketch again, Twilight focused her attention on me. "Don't move, James. And stay focused on what you need changed." She then turned the sketch towards me. Twilight closed her eyes as she began to focus as her horn was coated in a hot pink billowing aura. I too looked closely at the sketch, focusing on the boots. Seconds after my eyes stared at them, I noticed a flash of light below me and glanced down. The simple black shoes I had been wearing had become shiny black leather boots complete with brass buckles.

"Jeez... This stuff really works." I muttered, admiring the result of Twilight and Rarity's efforts.

"Eyes on the prize, James. We both need to stay focused until the spell is set." Twilight spoke up, causing me to redirect my gaze at the sketch again. My eyes focused on the pants this time, causing my pair of blue jeans to become a light shade of gray with the material swapping the denim out for a more sophisticated fabric.

My gaze settled on the elegant red jacket next. Seconds later, my mostly purple shirt was engulfed in a brief flash as it became a red jacket with long coattails fit for a noble. It even came complete with a pair of white gloves. However, I was also quick to notice that there was a pair of emblems on the jacket's sleeves that depicted the elegant white designs of my cutie marks.

All that remained was the sword. I focused my gaze on the drawing of the rapier. A few seconds later, the mop handle at my side suddenly felt heavier. I glanced down and found that the mop handle was now a sleek straight sword contained in a black metal scabbard that was hanging from my new belt. The hilt was a swept hilt design, a thick metal wire curving around the grip while connecting the crossguard with the pommel. "Wow... And it's that easy?"

Twilight smiled as the aura around her horn vanished. "I had some help from Spike in perfecting it. How do you like your new look?"

Before I could get a word in, Rarity barged in as she observed my outfit. "Like it? He looks simply SMASHING! I knew the design was flawless, but I could never have expected just how amazing you would look once wearing it, James!" She then turned to Fluttershy and asked, "Fluttershy, doesn't your beloved look simply marvelous?!"

I watched as my girlfriend extended her head from her costume, a noticeable blush on her face. "He looks...um....smashing?" I smirked, amused that Fluttershy could not properly sum up her opinion of my appearance. But judging by that blush, she more than likely was liking what she was seeing.

Just before anyone could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. "I got it!" Spike said as he ran to it. But the instant he opened the door, he yelped in surprise as a trio of fillies all spoke in unison with a very familiar tempo and tone.

"Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!"

I had to bow my head while snickering. The way they said those words was identical to how one would say the famous Halloween 'creed' back on Earth. Twilight approached the door as Spike reached for a large bowl filled with candy. "Happy Nightmare Night, everypony! Great costumes too!"

As Twilight and Spike tended to their guests, I looked down at Rarity and Fluttershy. "Should we be going now that we're all dressed up?" Fluttershy asked as she ducked her head back inside the bush she was wearing.

"I say we should. And I can hardly wait to show off this masterpiece to everypony!" Rarity replied with some excitement in her voice.

I dropped down on one knee and took Rarity's hoof in my hand as I began to speak with the same noble accent as earlier that day. "Indeed it is, Lady Rarity. It is a pleasure to wear your outstanding designs." I then brought her hoof to my lips as I kissed it softly in a courteous manner, prompting a giddy giggle from the beautiful unicorn.

"Oh, James... I never knew you could be so...gentlemanly! That voice goes so well with your attire!" Rarity spoke as she began to blush heavily.

I then smiled as I tried to keep the act up. "If I may be so bold to ask, may I request the honor of being your knight for the evening?" I think I heard a giggle from Fluttershy. She seemed to be enjoying the show.

Rarity seemed rather flustered at my voice as she replied, "Oh my... My knight? You're quite serious?" When I nodded, she smiled giddily, "Well... It would seem I have no choice but to take you up on your offer. It is a pleasure to have you by my side, Sir James." She then surprised me by placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

I felt Fluttershy tap me on my back before I could stand up. "James... I mean Sir James? May I also stay close to you?"

Doing my best to keep my performance up however I could, I faced Fluttershy and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It would be an honor, Princess of the Meadow."

Fluttershy blushed deeply, "Oh... Well...I don't know about that... Do I really seem that regal?"

Rarity spoke up, "Why, of course you are! You exude the grace and subtle flair of any princess!" The two friends shared a brief embrace while I heard a child speak up at the door with a cockney accent.

"Pipsqueak the pirate, at your service! It's my very second Nightmare Night!" The boy spoke. I decided to take a peek, but the smaller-than-desired doorway prevented me from seeing past Twilight and Spike very well.

"I know! But shouldn't you have worn a different costume? I thought you were a pirate last year." Twilight replied to the boy...I mean colt.

"I couldn't decide on what to go as this year, so I went with one I already looked good in. But what are you this year?" He retorted.

I noticed Twilight roll her eye as I slunk over to her left. "I really don't know. One of my friends called me 'Solid Sparkle' and a grizzled stealth soldier. Spike here convinced me to wear it."

The baby dragon added, "And I'm her back-up. But...uh...does that mean I should be called 'Solid Spike' now?"

Just before I could get a look at the boy, he spoke, "Well, thanks for the candy, Solid Sparkle! I'll see you around!" I heard the light clopping of hooves as he galloped away.

"Pirates, eh? I hope I don't get into a duel with one." I spoke as all of us stepped outside.

"I don't think you have to worry about that, James. The kids are usually on good behavior." Fluttershy spoke behind me.

"I wonder what kind of costume Rainbow Dash will be wearing tonight. She said she had something utterly amazing to... Wait, what was that?" Twilight spoke. I heard it too. We were all facing each other, my gaze being directed towards Twilight's house.

"Caaaaaaandddyyyyy... Must have....caaaandddyyyyy...." I heard a familiar voice moaning from right behind me. "Give me caaaaandddyyyyyy...."

I recognized the voice immediately. "Heheh, nice one, Pinkie Pie. What exactly are you dressed... Uh... Ah..." I froze as I turned to face my friend. Pinkie Pie... What in the world... Oh no..... They got her.

Pinkie Pie's body seemed to be much darker and grimier than the last time I saw her and her mane and tail's coloration was very dull and filthy. Her coat was matted in grime as if having gone years without bathing, although her cutie mark seemed unchanged. But what shocked me the most were her eyes. They shone like a pair of stoplights, constantly giving off a hellish red glow. The only other ponies I had seen with these characteristics are.....the zombified ponies of Sunny Town. "Jaaaameeesssss.... I know your head is full of caaaandddyyyyy.... Let me open it to see what kiiiiind....."

The sheer horror of realizing what my friend had become was only impacted by the fact that she now had developed the typical zombie craving of flesh. "No.... NO!!! YOU'RE NOT GETTING ME!!!" I shouted as I fled from my undead friend, my mind overrun with fright. I was not going to let her spread the curse to me.

"What the... Hey, James! Where ya going?! Is my costume really THAT convincing?!" I heard Pinkie Pie's voice call out as I ran away from her, sounding strangely normal at that moment. However, I soon noticed I was not making any progress despite my legs still running as quickly as I could make them. It then occurred to me that I was surrounded by a hot pink aura as I was being held in place by a levitation spell.

"Come on, James! You're overreacting! That's just Pinkie Pie in costume!" Twilight called out as I was turned around. I think I nearly suffered a panic attack as I saw the undead earth pony trotting over to me.

"Stay back! I'm armed!" I yelled as I quickly drew the rapier at my side. Its blade was slender with sharp edges and a pointed tip. Despite being transformed from a wooden mop handle, it seemed that the sword was made entirely of metal.

Pinkie Pie came to a stop a good distance from me. "Yeesh, I wasn't trying that hard to scare you, James!" She then.....raised her goggles? "See? It's just me!"

Pinkie's big blue eyes stared at me, being completely unchanged since the last time I saw her. And resting against her forehead was a pair of goggles that seemed to have red lenses. It seemed that the glow does not occur when they are up though. "Pinkie... If you're gonna wear something like that, let me know right away so I know it's really you. Please?"

My friend nodded, "Oki doki loki! But wow, I never expected anypony to freak out like that! Especially someone as levelheaded as you!"

The rest of our friends approached us as Twilight released her magic's grip on me. "You freaking out like that was the last thing I ever would've expected outta you, James. What's wrong? Have you seen real zombies before?"

I averted my eyes, knowing that my reply would only be met with ridicule. "Would you believe me if I said yes?"

Before anyone else could speak, Spike raised his voice as he tapped Twilight on the leg. "Aha! I told you! Unlikely, but POSSIBLE!"

Twilight sighed, "Puhlease, Spike. James just probably saw too many horror movies. Zombies aren't real."

If only she knew the truth. I know what I saw. The second night in the Everfree Forest two months ago, I came across a village that was full of them. The very memory of all those glowing red eyes still chills me. Well, what they do not know will not hurt them. And I strongly doubt my friends will ever cross paths with those monsters.

With no reason to be on guard, I sheathed my sword. "Yeah... Sure... Not real..."

Rarity then spoke, "Darling, that little scare must have given you quite the appetite. Shall we hurry over to the town square for some refreshments?"

I nodded, "OK... But for the love of Cloudsdale, please keep those goggles off unless you WANT to scare someone, Pinkie."

My friend nodded with a smile, "Oki doki loki!" With nothing else to do, we all began to head towards the town square. That is probably where the majority of the festivities are taking place.

"I have to agree with James on your costume, Pinkie Pie. It looks far too real..." Fluttershy muttered. I am rather amazed that she did not panic and run off with me.

After a short walk with the forest nymph, the giggling zombie, the princess, the legendary stealth soldier and her version of a mini me, the six of us arrived in..... Oh fine, I will drop the puns about my friends' costumes. But really, I can keep this up all night.

The town square was now very lively, with stalls being lined with various foods, pumpkins and squashes scattered everywhere for decoration, and plenty of ponies walking around in various costumes. However, three little fillies were walking by that seemed rather.....familiar to me. "What the... Excuse me for a moment." I spoke as I hurried away from my friends.

One of the fillies, a unicorn, was wearing what seemed to be a black overcoat that looked like part of a tuxedo with a white rose on her collar. Another, an earth pony, was...Applejack? Strange as it sounds, one of the little fillies was identical to my honest friend. However... It seemed that her hairstyle, while matching in color, was not quite the same. She remembered to wear Applejack's favorite hat though. The last one, a pegasus, bore the look of... Now I know who they are. The pegasus was colored as Rainbow Dash. I stood in front of the three fillies as they looked up at me. "Happy Nightmare Night, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle."

Sweetie Belle spoke first. "Happy Nightmare Night, James! And...whoa! Really nice costume! Did Rarity design it?"

I smiled, "You bet she did. Only Rarity could whip up something this sweet. And what are you girls going as?"

Apple Bloom spoke next. "I'm goin' as my big sis, Scootaloo's goin' as Rainbow Dash, and Sweetie Belle is goin' as a priest! Or...was it a matchmaker?"

Sweetie Belle replied, "They're pretty much the same thing in this case."

Wait... Applejack and Rainbow Dash with...a matchmaker? What in the world could this possibly mean? "Um... And what do these three roles have in common?" I asked, very curious of what the three fillies were up to.

Scootaloo grinned mischievously, "Just wait and see. You'll find out once we find them!" The other two girls giggled in unison. Somewhere in my gut, I knew that this stunt would only end in laughter. And maybe some embarrassment for the real ponies.

"You girls out collecting candy?" I asked, sure that they all have a sweet tooth.

"You bet we are! Once we're all done, we'll meet up here with all the other foals for the main event!" Scootaloo replied with a grin. However, she then asked, "Oh, would you like us to get you anything?"

I smiled, "Well, anything that doesn't have almonds or pecans, coconut, or anything spicy. Pretty much anything else I like."

"You got it! We'll bring ya somethin' yummy in the end! See ya'll later!" Apple Bloom replied before the three of them trotted away.

Rarity spoke up from behind me, "James? Were those who I think they were?"

I turned to face my friends, who were all gathered behind me. I still jumped slightly at the sight of Pinkie Pie's glowing red goggles staring at me. "Sure were. Ponyville's famous trio up to their old tricks."

Pinkie Pie giggled, "I can't believe Scootaloo and Apple Bloom went as Applejack and Rainbow Dash! Speaking of which... Where are those two?"

Twilight pointed to her right, "Well, Applejack's right over there."

The six of us walked over towards the friendly farm pony, who had a wooden tub set up near a pair of...old-fashioned medieval catapults? What I found especially awkward was that they were not even as tall as me. A prop for some form of entertainment?

Upon seeing us approaching her, Applejack turned and smiled. "Howdy, fellas! How's Nightmare Night treatin'... Whoa, never thought I'd see ya wearin' that getup again, Twi! Ya'll didn't get obsessed with yer schedule again, did ya?"

Twilight rolled her eyes, "Har har. Spike talked me into wearing this costume. Although I have to admit it's a bit easier to move around in than that Star Swirl the Bearded costume I have."

"Mmhm! And I think it turned out really cool too!" Spike added while snacking on a pile of candy he was carrying in one arm that was just as tall as him if not larger.

Applejack then turned to Pinkie Pie and took a step back, "Land sakes, Pinkie! What in the hay are ya supposed ta be this time?!"

My silly party animal friend replied, "I'm a zombie! And these goggles glow whenever I wear them! Even James got spooked by it!"

At the mention of my name, Applejack faced me. "Spook you?! Since when do ya get..." She paused for a moment while apparently examining my costume. "Whoa nelly, James! Ya'll look like yer already decked out fer the Grand Gallopin' Gala! That one of Rarity's designs?"

Rarity spoke with a hint of pride in her voice, "It most certainly is, Applejack. And I do say it is one of my finer designs for human attire."

Applejack smirked, "That's Sheriff Applejack ta you!"

Ah, I completely forgot to describe her costume. Applejack was wearing a black Stetson hat and a blue vest with a silver star on one side. She was also wearing a red bandanna around her neck. While the costume was somewhat basic compared to the ones my friends were wearing (with the exception of Spike as he was wearing a single piece of clothing) the overall costume suited the farm pony quite well. All she needed now was a peacekeeper and she would be the genuine article.

I tried to use a southern accent as I grabbed Applejack's hoof and gave it a shake. "Well then, keep up the good work, sheriff. I'll letcha know if I spot any trouble in town."

Applejack chuckled, "I gotta admit that accent just don't suit ya with that getup."

I then spoke with an English accent, "Well then, does this voice suit me more?" As if on cue, I heard Rarity whimper as if on the verge of fainting in joy.

"Oh, that voice just makes me melt..." Rarity muttered as I saw Twilight trying to keep her from falling over.

Applejack chuckled for a moment before she looked to my right. "Hang on... I don't remember that bush growin' there a minute ago."

I smiled, "That's Fluttershy, AJ."

At my words, my girlfriend stuck her face out of the bush. "Hi, Applejack. Did you only just now notice me?"

Our friend chuckled, "Well, if yer tryin' ta keep a low profile, it's actually workin' fer ya." Fluttershy smiled happily in response. I suppose she was trying hard to make herself less noticeable.

Applejack then asked, "Say, James... That sword at yer side. Is that real?"

I too was uncertain if it was, so I turned to Twilight. "Good question. How real is it, Twi?"

She replied, "It might have been made from a wooden handle, but it's a real metal sword now."

Applejack then smirked, "Mind if ya show us?"

Rarity added, "Oh, please do! Let us see your elegance with that delicate blade!"

This sort of attention was rather flattering, so I decided to grant my friends what they desired. I gripped the scabbard with my left hand while I drew my rapier with my right. Pinkie Pie exclaimed, "Ooh! That thing is long! Are all swords that big where you come from?"

I replied, "Well, this is the average size of a rapier from Earth. I think sabers are the same length too."

Rarity then asked, "I adore how the moonlight shines along the blade like a delicate needle. Would you mind striking a pose worthy of such an elegant appearance?"

I smirked as I raised my sword high. "Is this pose to your..."

What happened next is a blur to me. My senses went utterly haywire as I felt a sharp pain shoot through my body for no more than a single second. Once I regained my senses, I felt rather dazed. My stance was unsteady as I swayed somewhat. However, I then heard Rarity shout, "Rainbow Dash! How dare you strike such a gentleman with lightning!"

Lightning? I had just been zapped by a bolt of real lightning and lived?! However, I heard Twilight also call out angrily, "What were you thinking?! That could've killed him!"

I heard a familiar voice speak quickly from somewhere above me. "Oh man oh man oh man, I'm so sorry! I didn't think you were gonna raise your sword when I punched the cloud!"

Applejack then spoke, "Anypony could've told ya that metal stuff acts like lightning rods, Rainbow... Whoa. Gotta admit I almost didn't recognize ya fer a sec."

I heard Rainbow Dash land beside me before asking, "Uh... James? You OK? You're not...dead, are you?"

As I regained my bearings, I felt a great deal of disgust towards my brash pegasus friend. Striking me with lightning? Is she insane?! I looked down at her, my nerves still frayed. "OK, Rainbow, that was going too... Uh..." I cocked my head to one side. "Who're you?! No, wait. Better yet, what're you even doing here?! Ponyville doesn't have any relics for you to find, Daring Do."

At my words, Daring Do burst into laughter. "Bwahahaha, that's a good one! It's me, James! Rainbow Dash! I colored myself to look like Daring Do for tonight!"

I recognized Rainbow Dash's voice right away. However, no one would ever guess that she was not the famed adventurer just by looking at her. I have seen the covers of some of the Daring Do adventure novels, so I came to remember her appearance. Physically, Daring Do is identical to Rainbow Dash. They even share the same eye color. She was wearing an olive drab t-shirt that seemed fitting for a jungle explorer, complete with a pith helmet on her head. Her coat was a mustard yellow while her mane and tail were dyed to a rainbow of grayscale stripes. The only thing that gave away Rainbow Dash's disguise was the fact that she did not bother to cover her lightning bolt cutie mark.

I crossed my arms while looking down at my friend. "OK, I get it. Now, just WHY did you trigger a lightning strike right above us?"

Rainbow Dash sheepishly grinned, "It was just to make a loud sound to spook you. You know, a harmless prank?"

I felt a twinge of anger at the mention of the word 'harmless'. "Harmless my foot! That lightning strike could've made my heart stop!"

My friend seemed rather nervous, not that I can blame her. "Falling on me out of nowhere and throwing a salad in my face might be forgivable, but attempted manslaughter? No way. There's gonna be some compensation for that." I cracked my knuckles as I tried to think of a proper punishment for her.

Rainbow Dash seemed to be taking my frustration in good humor, probably because she knows me well enough to know I would never physically harm her. "OK, I get it. So, whatcha want? An autographed jersey from the Wonderbolts? My first pair of flight goggles?"

I decided to throw her for a loop as I smirked wickedly. "I want....." I then held the tip of my sword to the base of her lower jaw. "You in my cupcakes."

Pinkie Pie burst out laughing, "Heeheehahaha... Wait, what?"

Rainbow Dash gave me a rather alarmed stare. "Hang on... What did you say?"

I replied while very slowly dragging the tip of my sword along the underside of her jaw until it was touching her chin. "I'm gonna chop off your wings, cleave off your cutie marks, and then bake your meat inside some special cupcakes I came up with."

It seemed that my threat was working too well. Rainbow Dash backed away from me rapidly. A few tears streamed down her face as she pleaded, "No, please! I already had a nightmare like that once! I'll do anything! Just please don't eat me!"

Seeing my friend in tears was actually a little hard for me to take. So I decided to go with Plan B. "Ooorrrrrr you can just go back up to that cloud and stay there and we can forget this ever happened."

Pinkie Pie raised a hoof, "I say choice #2! Pony-flavored cupcakes sound absolutely awful!"

Rainbow Dash did not need to be told twice. She went airborne and flew right up to that cloud without a second thought. "Sorry again!"

Once Rainbow Dash's form was hidden by the cloud, Twilight spoke up. "Really, James? Turning Rainbow Dash into cupcakes? That's one of the most disturbing things I've ever heard you say."

I then replied, "Would you have preferred pie?"

Pinkie Pie hopped a few times as she grinned, "Ooh, I never thought of that! I'm a Pinkie Pie, so Rainbow Dash could be Rainbow Pie! Ooh, and then we could have Flutterpie, and Twilight Pie, and Apple Pie, and..." Rarity interrupted her by placing her hoof over Pinkie's mouth.

"I would rather not think any harder about that, darling." She muttered with a rather disgusted tone.

However, as I looked up at the cloud, I still felt a desire to get back at my friend for nearly killing me. I glanced over at the tub used for applebobbing and got an idea. "Mind if I borrow one of those apples, AJ?"

The farm pony nodded, "Go right ahead, pardner."

I took a red apple in hand before gauging the distance between myself and the cloud above me. It was very close to the ground and Rainbow Dash was likely just waiting for me to walk away. It seemed to be right above the tub too. While certainly a bit malicious, it would definitely get my point across to Rainbow Dash. And it would probably look hilarious in the process.

After a moment to check my aim, I hurled the apple straight into the cloud. I saw the apple immediately bounce off of something, clearly marking a direct hit. "Whoa! Hey! Waaaa!!!" Rainbow Dash shrieked as she fell headfirst out of the cloud and right into the tub of apples, creating quite a splash in the process.

"What in tarnation... James, yer nuts!" Applejack shouted at me. She seemed rather soaked by the splash since she was standing right next to the tub. However, I noticed that Derpy Hooves had her head dunked into the tub, probably having shown up without me noticing. What happened next baffled me. She pulled her head out of the tub, pulling up Rainbow Dash by her shirt's collar. Her mane had returned to its usual rainbow-stripped color pattern, the gray dye having likely not been waterproof.

"Huh?! Whoa! I never knew you started using zap apples, Applejack!" The wall-eyed pegasus spoke while looking at the 'sheriff'. For one reason or another, Derpy was clad in an actual postman's uniform. Something I have never seen her wear before despite being a mailmare. Was it her costume for the evening?

"I didn't." Applejack replied dryly, likely still irritated from getting wet out of nowhere.

Rainbow Dash seemed slightly dazed as she sat in the tub for a moment. She then asked, "I deserved that, didn't I?"

Before any of us could retort, I heard Big Macintosh pass by while muttering, "Eyup."

In hindsight, the spectacle of bopping Rainbow Dash with an apple and knocking her into a tub of water only to have the local derp fish her out of it was truly an amusing sight. However, even though she certainly deserved it for almost killing me, I felt bad about my actions for some reason. I truly felt like I had hurt Rainbow Dash. Even though we definitely bump heads more often than with any of our other friends, I could never bring myself to harm her. Until now.

I could not even bring myself to apologize to Rainbow Dash. I just turned and walked away with my sword sheathed and my head hanging. However, I then heard Rainbow Dash call out, "Hey, James! Where ya going?"

I paused as I heard my friend walking up behind me. "Sorry... I think I went too far..."

To my surprise, Rainbow Dash flew up in front of me and smiled. "Are you kidding?! That was awesome! Nopony's ever knocked me out of a cloud before! And what a landing too! I know that was just a way to get back at me, but I kinda had fun too!"

I sighed, "Then why do I feel like I did something terrible? Friends shouldn't seek revenge against each other. I feel like I hurt you..."

My friend placed her hoof on my chin so that I was looking right at her. "Hey, don't beat yourself up. I did a lot more damage to you than you did to me. I totally had that coming. I was actually expecting you to go farther. Are you sure you don't wanna mess with me some more?"

I frowned as I looked away, "I'm not like that, Rainbow. I hate hurting my friends..."

I then felt Rainbow Dash embrace me tightly. "Me too... I'm sorry... Do you forgive me?"

This time, I truly felt like her apology was sincere. I threw my arms around the brash pegasus and held her in an embrace of my own. "Yeah..."

After a brief moment, we heard a voice beside us. "Is it safe to come out now?" Fluttershy was right next to us, remaining still in her costume to act as a normal bush.

"Uh... You OK, Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked, that thunderclap from earlier having more than likely scared my girlfriend off.

I whispered into Rainbow's ear, "No more thunderbolts. You scare her off and she'll never want to celebrate Nightmare Night again."

"Ooh, I gotcha." Rainbow replied quietly.

Fluttershy peeked her head out of the bush, "I don't know if I want to stay here if that happens again..."

I let go of Rainbow Dash and held my girlfriend's hoof. "It won't happen again, honey. I promise."

"OK... Well, now that we're all here, should we get something to eat?" She replied, seeming rather famished. And I do not blame her. The last time we ate anything was at breakfast and now it was nightfall.

"You lovebirds go ahead. I'll be right back after I dye my hair again." Rainbow Dash replied before flying off at breakneck speed.

Fluttershy reached out and rested her head on my shoulder. "I saw you get struck by lightning. Are you all right?"

I nodded as I stroked her mane. "I'm still feeling a tiny bit sore, but it should be gone in a bit. But come on, let's get back in the groove and have a good time." I then asked, "Come to think of it, how has your disguise been holding up?"

She smiled, "Very well. Nopony even notices me while I'm standing still."

"James! Fluttershy! Come over here!" Rarity called out to us while waving her hoof by what seemed to be a table that held a bowl that seemed to be full of fuzzy toy spiders of green and purple hues.

The two of us approached the table, finding our friends lined up in a row with Twilight holding a spider on her upturned hoof at the front of the pack. Ahead of her was what seemed to be a very large spider web strung between two beanstalks. "This a target toss kind of game?" I asked as I took a toy spider in hand.

Applejack smiled, "Sure is. Try ta land it in the center."

Twilight tossed her spider, causing it to land in the web but missing the middle just slightly. "Ooh, almost! Your turn, Pinkie Pie."

As Pinkie Pie stepped forward, I began to toss the spider I held into the air repeatedly while catching it in my hand when it came back down as a means to pass the time. Rarity then looked back at me and seemed to watch for a moment before asking, "You have some impressive hoof...I mean hand-eye coordination, James."

I realized what she was referring to as I noticed the spider rising and falling with each toss. "Oh... I wasn't even paying much attention."

Our conversation was interrupted as Pinkie Pie cheered, "Woo! Bull's eye!" As she claimed, the spider she tossed landed right in the middle of the web.

"I would expect no less from somepony who can win 35 games of tic-tac-toe in a row." Rarity spoke as she stepped forward. Her aim was true as the spider landed directly in the center of the web. As expected from someone with her level of precision. And before you ask, Twilight would use her magic to remove each spider before placing them back in the bowl.

"Perfect as always. Your turn, Fluttershy." Rarity spoke as she turned to face my girlfriend.

"I'd like to, but...um...this costume doesn't let me raise my forelegs very well. And I don't want to take it off. Could you go ahead for me, James?" Fluttershy replied, her eyes looking up at me from the bush.

As I tossed my spider up in the air one more time, I snatched it out of the air using the same hand. "OK then." I then stepped forward and took aim. I do not have the most accurate throwing arm at times, but my aim was accurate enough to land the spider just above the center of the web.

"Very close, James." Fluttershy spoke as she probably smiled at me.

Before anything else could happen, I noticed the three Cutie Mark Crusaders approaching us. "Don't look now, AJ. But here comes your clone."

Applejack chuckled heartily as Apple Bloom trotted over to her. "Well, I see I've been havin' plenty of shenanigans t'night, huh?"

Apple Bloom replied with a grin, "No foolin'! Lotsa ponies have been mistakin' me fer you, sis! They even started callin' me Appleteeny!"

The mention of that name made Applejack wince for some reason. "I thought I told ya ta never bring that up again..." The three fillies laughed in unison at her response.

Before anything else could be said, I noticed Daring Do....I mean Rainbow Dash flying towards us. "All right, I've got a fresh layer of dye and am ready for... Whoa."

Scootaloo grinned, "Hey there, Daring Do! I'm Rainbow Dash! Your #1 fan and the fastest flyer in Equestria! Can I have your autograph?!" Yeesh, she was doing a fine job of imitating her idol, I must admit.

The real Rainbow Dash chuckled with an uneasy expression, "OK... That kind of admiration is flattering...and kinda creepy..."

Scootaloo chuckled, "Oh, come on, Rainbow Dash! I'm just having some fun here! Just like you!"

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah, you're right. As for autographs, I'd give you one, but I forgot to bring a quill!" The two pegasi laughed in unison.

Once the rest of our friends had gone back to having fun, I decided to catch up on my fellow Crusaders' plan. We huddled around each other as I asked, "So, what's the REAL reason you two are dressed up as other ponies?"

Scootaloo snickered, "Well, Rainbow Dash and Applejack are right there. So why don't we get started?"

Apple Bloom nodded, "You just watch and learn, James. This is gonna be good."

Whatever these three little scamps had in mind was probably going to be very entertaining to watch. "OK then. Show me whatcha got."

Sweetie Belle then smirked, "All right, girls. Operation AppleDash is a go."

I was naturally curious of what they meant by 'AppleDash', but decided to just watch and see what would happen. The three fillies put themselves behind Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who were at the apple tub. Rainbow seemed to be trying to grab apples that were floating on the surface of the water without getting her hair wet.

Sweetie Belle faced Scootaloo and Apple Bloom and cleared her throat. "We are gathered here today to bear witness to the union of these two amazing mares."

I smiled as I saw what Sweetie Belle was doing. It was an enactment of a wed.... Wait... A wedding? Between two women?! Ooooh boy.....

Applejack must have heard Sweetie Belle since she turned to face them. "Aww, ain't that sweet? They're gettin'....." Her expression of adoration turned to a look of shock. "Wait... Wha.... What?!" I then saw her tap Rainbow Dash on the shoulder. "Rainbow, I think ya should see this."

Rainbow Dash lifted her head and looked behind her at the three fillies with an apple in her mouth. "Whaddya.....Uh..." Her mouth dropped open, letting the apple fall out.

Sweetie Belle spoke as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo faced each other with sly smirks. "I pronounce you mare and..."

Before she could complete her sentence, Applejack snatched Apple Bloom up in one foreleg. "Don't you dare! My barn door don't swing that way!"

Rainbow Dash did the same to Scootaloo, albeit by just yanking her tail. "Not cool, Scoot! Not cool!"

However, despite the clear disapproval of the ponies they were imitating, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were just cracking up in laughter. I chuckled myself as I added, "But your reactions to the whole thing made it worthwhile." I then decided to throw in a little humor of my own. "And besides, don't you have a few copies of Playcolt somewhere in your house?"

I was joking, of course. But Rainbow Dash took my question surprisingly seriously. "Hey, I haven't bought one in months! I swear I grew outta that a long time ago!"

This revelation made me pause in silence for a moment. Rainbow Dash.....really is bisexual? "I....uh...didn't know you swung both ways, Rainbow..." I spoke as I turned to walk away.

However, I felt Rainbow Dash grab me. "Hang on! It's not like that! I could never really get into that stuff! The only reason I was reading that was because my old friend Gilda tried to get me into it!"

I have no idea who this 'Gilda' character is, nor did I really care at the time. Although this did make me ponder WHY she would try to make Rainbow Dash bisexual..... Ugh, the possible reasons make me shudder. "Then why are you holding onto them? If you still have some, that is."

Rainbow Dash sheepishly blushed while averting her eyes. "Sometimes..... Sometimes I look at them for reference for trying to make myself look hot. I get way too many guys thinking I'm a colt." I found that little information hard to believe. While she certainly is a wild woman, Rainbow Dash has always been obviously female to me. I always did like how she lets her mane hang low, which makes it look quite feminine.

"So, you're completely straight?" I asked, wanting to make certain.

Rainbow nodded, "Yeah... I really do prefer guys over girls." But as she walked by me, I felt her drag her tail over my crotch. "I also like the way you look down there too."

Wait... What? She has seen me nude before? When did... Oh, right. The day she found me at Zecora's hut on my ninth day in Equestria. So she DID peek in on me as I was dressing myself. I felt myself heat up as sweat trickled down my face. "Don't you DARE mention that to anyone..."

Rainbow Dash snickered, "Relax, I wasn't planning to!" Good lord, I really hope she was not lying right there.

Before anything else could happen, I noticed what seemed to be a large herd of ponies gathered in front of a stage that had been assembled in the middle of the town square. The curtains that spanned it looked like a star-filled night sky. And hanging above was a teal banner with what seemed to be Nightmare Moon's armored face with a pair of black bat wings extending from the sides.

"Thank you, everypony, and welcome to the annual Nightmare Night festival!" An earth pony mare spoke from behind a podium in the center of the stage. Her mane is a bright shade of pink that is not too far off from Pinkie Pie's natural colors. At least it was at the time. I doubt a pony with a tan coat and azure eyes would have a naturally cotton candy pink mane and tail. However, her mane and tail were fluffed up and poofy, almost as if she was masquerading as Pinkie Pie herself. Since Pinkie Pie was in the crowd before her, I was able to compare their looks. She was also wearing a pair of half-circle glasses.

I decided to take a closer look as this was my very first Nightmare Night and I did not want to overlook anything. Before I did so, I checked to see if Fluttershy was nearby. She seemed to be lost in conversation with Rarity, so I decided to leave her be for the moment. Twilight Sparkle was at the back of the crowd with Spike standing at her feet. "Who is that?" I asked as I drew near.

Twilight replied, "That's the mayor. I think she's supposed to be Pinkie Pie tonight."

"Kinda hard to not recognize that poofy pink mane. I wonder how many ponies have offered her cupcakes or asked her to sing a song." I retorted in an attempt to throw in some humor. It seemed to work as Twilight snickered while covering her mouth.

The mayor continued to speak. "Now then, all the little ponies who have been out collecting sweets should follow our friend Zecora to hear the legend of..." She then began to speak in a creepier tone. "Nightmare Mooooon!" She then cackled amusingly afterward.

"Gotta admit the spooky voice works a little better now that she's not wearing that rainbow wig from last year." Spike muttered to me and Twilight with his hand raised near his mouth to prevent others from hearing him.

I smirked, "There's more to that cotton candy hair than you think Spike. In Soviet Russia, cotton candy eats YOU." Even though Twilight seemed baffled by the mention of a nation she had never heard of, Spike seemed deeply disturbed as he looked back at the mayor while saying nothing. "That probably gave him some food for thought." I muttered to myself.

The mayor extended her right foreleg to her right, a plume of light green sparkling fog erupting on the stage. A few seconds later, I recognized the face of Zecora emerge from it. Her Mohawk hairstyle had been let down to form long light gray hair, giving her the appearance of what I believe was a witch. Stuck in her hair were a few small black toy spiders for additional effect. She was also wearing a dark slightly ragged cloak, lending her a rather creepy, yet alluring form.

My nomadic zebra friend spoke with her deep powerful voice, "Follow me and very soon you will hear the tale of Nightmare Moon."

With a swish of her cloak, she began to walk off the stage as the entire gang of colts and fillies in the crowd followed her. Twilight and Spike did so too, so I decided to follow them as well. Whatever Zecora had in store for us would likely prove to be interesting.

After a walk west, Zecora led us along a path into the Everfree Forest that I had never noticed before. It was quite wide and felt much safer than any path I had walked along in the forest. She eventually led us to a clearing with a fantastic view of the night sky and the full moon. But what caught my eye the most was a stone statue just ahead. "That's...Nightmare Moon?"

The statue depicted what seemed to be Nightmare Moon standing on her hind legs with a truly angry expression on her face. Her appearance was very close to the illustrations I had seen of her in books. Zecora stood near the statue and raised a hoof to it. "Listen close, my little dears. I'll tell you where you got your fears."

She then suddenly approached the group of children and held out her hooves as if to spook them. "Of Nightmare Night, so dark and scary..."

Zecora then reached into her cloak and pulled out a small mound of glittering green powder, which she then blew high into the air. "Of Nightmare Moon, who makes you wary."

The dust suddenly turned into an equally glittering and green fabrication of Nightmare Moon herself. She then suddenly descended with....fangs bared? I rolled my eyes at this. Oh please, even I know that Nightmare Moon was never carnivorous. Regardless, this sudden event clearly spooked the children as Nightmare Moon dove into them, bursting into a cloud of the same dust. And I will admit I was mildly startled myself.

A pair of creepy eyes looked through the fog with a large sharp toothy grin, the face right behind Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. "Every year we put on a disguise. To save ourselves from her searching eyes." The two fillies let out a shriek once they noticed the face and ran away from it. Just afterward though, Zecora emerged from it with a sly grin. I suppose even she was having a good time with us.

Scootaloo ended up running right into the base of the Nightmare Moon statue, clearly too frightened to pay any mind to what was in front of her. "But Nightmare Moon wants just one thing..." Scootaloo began to back away from the statue while looking up at it, but ended up bumping into Apple Bloom, startling them both. "To gobble up ponies in one quick swing!"

Zecora then pulled out another serving of the green powder and flung it into the air, only for the powder to seemingly come to life and swoop towards a few of the children like a will-o-wisp. Among them was Sweetie Belle, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon. They were also dressed up for the evening, but I will go into detail on that later.

"Hungrily, she soars the skies." At those words, the imposter Nightmare Moon extended her head from the cloud with a hoof raised to her brow as if searching for someone. She did not seem to pay any mind to the kids right in front of her though. She suddenly compacted herself back into the wisplike puff of glittering dust and flew over to the other cluster of kids. Among them was Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and an exceptionally small pinto colt dressed in a red bandanna, eye patch, and jacket. As the fake alicorn glanced around, Zecora spoke, "If she sees nopony, she passes by."

The green wisp of powder began to rise high into the air. "So if she comes and all is clear, Equestria is safe another year!" At those words, the powder exploded as the false Nightmare Moon extended her forelegs as if to raise her fists in anger before fading away with the full moon behind her.

Once the children had calmed down, I shook my head. I know Nightmare Moon well enough to know she is certainly not a cannibal, let alone a predator. This little skit of Zecora's was only giving Nightmare Moon a bad name. "Gimme a break... She's not nearly that bad..."

However, Zecora seemed to hear my words. She smirked, "On the contrary, my dear friend, for Nightmare Moon you must not offend." The children backed away from her to an area just behind me. This made me feel wary of what Zecora was about to do.

The zebra blew some more of her green powder into the air, which materialized into the same false alicorn as before. Only this time, it began to slowly walk towards me with its toothy maw hanging open just slightly while her wings were spread wide. "Fill up her belly with a treat or two..."

I immediately felt I should prepare to defend myself, so my left hand gripped my sword's scabbard while my right hand gripped the hilt as I prepared to lash out from the draw. The rest of the ponies seemed to notice this too since they backed away further to give me some room. Zecora then called out, "So she won't return to come eat YOU!"

At the instant Zecora finished speaking, the fake Nightmare Moon suddenly lunged at me with its jaws opened impossibly wide with massive sharp fangs lining her maw. I instinctively drew my sword and struck the apparition with a wide horizontal slash. Even though rapiers are not designed for slashing, my thin sword cleaved right through it. I remember seeing the entity split neatly in two for a second before completely dissipating altogether.

"Whoa! Awesome move, big brother!" Scootaloo called out as she and the other children approached me.

Twilight smiled, "You know, you didn't have to attack that thing. It was just a prop, so to say." I think I may have blushed upon realizing that I may have overreacted. However, the famous stealth soldier.... I mean my wise unicorn friend then added, "But you really look like you know how to use that. I'll bet you could give a royal guard a run for their bits."

I chuckled as I sheathed my sword, "Well, it's not a good idea to carry a blade unless you can wield it. And I do have a penchant for swordplay."

Before we could converse further, the wind started to pick up. I glanced upwards to see that the clouds had become darker and were now swirling in a spiral above us while leaving our view of the moon unobstructed.

"This doesn't look good... Is it part of the tour?" I asked, not certain if this bizarre weather was a bad sign.

Twilight smiled as she looked on. "I think you're about to be reunited with a friend, James."

Really? A friend? I watched the sky closely for any changes. There was a sudden flash of light before I noticed something descending against the bright light. As the light faded, I could make out a pair of pegasi pulling what seemed to be a chariot of sorts... Wait. Are they the Wonderbolts? Those uniforms certainly seem to match. Only...I believe the colorations did not quite match the ones I had seen in magazines and posters. They both seemed to be stallions, but their uniforms were a combination of purple and black while they wore goggles with yellow lenses. Their coats were gray while their manes and tails were blue. They seemed to be connected to the chariot via heavy chains. The chariot itself, from what I could see in the poor lighting, seemed to have a low center of gravity while appearing very gothic in design and was rather sinister to behold. Seated in the middle of the chariot was a cloaked pony. While I could not make anything out, I could only think of one pony in Equestria who would be pulled around in a chariot at night. "Princess Luna?"

Twilight nodded, "Yes! She stopped by last year too! She's probably on her way back to Ponyville to join in the festivities!" However, she then stared with a puzzled expression as the chariot passed overhead while following the path out of the Everfree Forest. "But why is her chariot being pulled by the Wonderbolts? Are they here to have fun too?"

At the mention of Princess Luna, the children became excited and began to run back towards Ponyville. I heard the pinto colt call out with his cockney accent, "Wait for me, Princess Luna! You're still my favorite princess ever!"

Zecora and Twilight trotted on ahead of me while I glanced back at the statue of Nightmare Moon. "Maybe next year, your highness..." I muttered, knowing full well that Nightmare Moon was still out there in the Everfree Forest. But as I ran to catch up with my friends, I pondered something I had noticed while Luna and the Wonderbolts flew overhead. Was Luna.....bigger than I remembered?

I ran as quickly as I could, hoping I could make it back to the town square before Luna made landfall. I arrived just in time to find all of the ponies present cheering as Luna descended from her chariot before it was pulled away. I chose to wait for her to remove her cloak before calling out to her. However... Something was not right. I got a good look at her body as she fell, even though I was too far away to make out any details. She was definitely bigger than I recall. Probably just as tall as Celestia. When did she have such a growth spurt?

I walked up behind Twilight and Applejack, who seemed to be conversing. "Twi... I've got a bad feelin' 'bout this..." The farm pony spoke while keeping her voice down. At that moment, Luna was approaching the center of the town square as everypony looked on in silence.

Twilight replied, "I know... I don't think Princess Luna could've grown that much since we last saw her. And why is she wearing... Oh no... Please don't let that be what I think it is..."

Wearing? I scanned Luna's body more closely. Her legs were exposed, allowing me to see her...shoes? No, those reached too high to be shoes. They looked more like blue metal greaves that almost reached up to her knees while using an overall similar design to her shoes. And that shade of blue was quite familiar to me.

Luna extended her wings shortly before coming to a stop. Her coat... No, now I am convinced that is NOT Luna. Her coat was almost as pitch black as the night sky. Her wingspan seemed larger than I recall too. At that moment, Rarity hurried over to us. "Twilight..... You don't suppose..."

Our wise unicorn friend muttered with an uneasy expression, "It can't be... The Elements of Harmony should have... It makes no sense..."

There was a sudden loud crack as a bolt of lightning struck the cloak, causing it to seemingly dissolve into dust. Once the pony underneath it was revealed, there was an audible gasp from all the ponies around me. I felt my jaw drop. And I felt my heart leap in a sense of relief. "My god... It's really her."

The pony in the center of the town square began to cackle wickedly, the ponies around her slowly backing away. I heard Pinkie Pie shriek, "IT'S NIGHTMARE MOON! EVERYPONY RUN!!!" Under any other circumstances, I would have thought she was being irrational. However, the proof was right in front of me. Nightmare Moon had returned.

The princess of the night wore what seemed to be a type of armor that matched what I had seen in illustrations of her. Her most defining piece of equipment was a blue helmet that reached down most of her neck with her long black horn sticking up out of it. Her cutie mark is identical to that of Luna's, only the dark blue night sky part of it was instead a vibrant purple. Lastly, her tail and mane are remarkably long, constantly billowing and moving just like that of Celestia and Luna. Each is a deep shade of blue and IS filled with shining stars like the night sky. In fact, her mane and tail looks more like the night sky than Luna's.

"Oh, my faithful subjects... To think that you went to the trouble of founding a holiday dedicated to my memory." Nightmare Moon spoke in a very bold and mocking voice. However, for some reason, it did not quite sound like the voice I heard whisper to me in the Everfree Forest's castle ruins several weeks ago. The tone certainly matched her appearance though.

Nightmare Moon approached the mayor, who was cowering before the armored princess. The alicorn then extended a hoof as she pointed at the frightened earth pony. "Mayor of Ponyville, I presume? What do you call this holiday?"

The mayor seemed to be doing her best to crack a nervous smile. "This is....N-n-nightmare Night, y-your highness. It only happens at n-n-night. And it is one of o-our most favorite and beloved h-h-h-holidays."

Nightmare Moon seemed to smirk, "Favorite holiday, you say? I never dreamed that my memory was so cherished." She then glanced around at the many ponies around her. "If it is so cherished, I shall make it so the fun never ends." She then reared up onto her hind legs and raised her forelegs high. "From this day forward, Nightmare Night shall last FOREVER!!!"

The princess of the night cackled madly, probably just out of excitement. However, the rest of the ponies seemed to be taking her claim seriously as they began to panic and scatter. And right behind me, my six closest friends had gathered. "I can't believe she's really returned... What should we do?" Fluttershy whispered.

"I say we rush her! We can handle her if we work as a team!" I heard Rainbow Dash reply.

However, Twilight retorted, "You know we can't match her power, Rainbow. We need to hurry over to Canterlot to retrieve the..... James, where are you going?! Get away from her!"

I had begun to approach Nightmare Moon with a smile. I knew full well just how Nightmare Moon really is. She is not a monster obsessed with bringing eternal darkness to Equestria. She merely wishes to be appreciated for her work as the bringer of the night. And now that she was here before me, I was eager to give her a hug and welcome her back.

"Hahaha...huh?" Nightmare Moon stopped laughing as I stood before her. "Um... Do you need something?"

She seemed rather puzzled by my calm approach. Perhaps she was not used to people not fleeing from her. I then smiled and bowed as gracefully as I could in order to stay in character with my costume. "It's been a while, Lady Nightmare Moon. Welcome back to Ponyville."

There was an awkward silence as the ponies in the town square had stopped fleeing. They were probably watching and wondering why I was not showing any fear of this supposedly mad tyrant. She then asked, "Why do you not fear me? Everypony runs in terror from Nightmare Moon!"

I smiled, "Oh, come on. You remember me! You watched over me when I... Oh wait, I never properly introduced myself, did I?" Of course. I never once told her my name at our previous encounter. I reached out and grasped her right hoof and gave it a shake. "My name is James, your highness. And I'm glad you're finally out here with us."

Nightmare Moon continued to gaze at me with a bewildered expression. "I...uh...see... I guess it's...um...a pleasure to meet you, James..." It was rather odd to see her bold bravado vanish so rapidly. Was she deliberately TRYING to seem imposing to those around her? Even the rest of the ponies around me were starting to draw closer.

I reached out and embraced my friend, prompting a gasp from everyone who was watching. "I missed you, your highness."

Nightmare Moon then whispered to me, "How are you this calm? You should be frightened of me and running for the hills!"

I honestly believed Nightmare Moon was just playing with me and wanted me to act like everyone else for the time being. This holiday WAS founded out of fear of her, after all. I pulled my head away and smiled, "Why should I? I know you're not evil. You're just... Wait a minute..."

As I looked into her eyes, I noticed an inconsistency. Her eyes did not look the way I remember. Where Nightmare Moon's eyes are varying shades of teal with catlike irises, the colors of Nightmare Moon's eyes now seemed normal with a white sclera and pale magenta irises. What is more is that her wings were not the same shape as in the illustrations I had seen, looking more like the wings of Celestia or Luna. "OK, who are you?"

I suspect that Nightmare Moon was aware that I was catching on to her ruse as she began to sweat while her eyes glanced around restlessly. "Wha.... Whatever do you mean? I am Nightmare Moon. The dreaded Mare in the Moon! Fear me, mortal!"

I stared at her for a moment while she looked me in the eye with a nervous toothy grin. I then smirked, "OK, now you're just coming off as desperate." The ponies around us began to chuckle in unison, prompting a very annoyed expression from the princess of the night.

"Halt! That's far enough, Nightmare Moon!" I heard a voice call out with a strong tone of authority to it.

I glanced around and saw a most unexpected sight. Standing at the edge of the town square was none other than Princess Celestia herself. I heard Applejack call out, "All right! Princess Celestia can handle Nightmare Moon no problem!"

Nightmare Moon seemed to have regained her composure upon seeing her sister. She smirked, "Ah, Celestia. Have you come all the way out here to humble little Ponyville to welcome your long-lost sister home?"

Celestia began to approach us with a determined expression on her face. "Of course not. Luna is my sister, not you. I am here to prevent you from harming my subjects." For some odd reason, her voice did not sound quite like I remembered it. What was up with Celestia? What was more, why was she..... Actually, read on. It will be more amusing to explain it as it happens.

Nightmare Moon snidely replied as she began to slowly approach the princess of the sun. "There's no need to get hostile, dear sister. I was merely about to partake in the festivities with our subjects." However, her eyes began to glow brightly with a white light. "Unless you would rather turn the festivities into a street brawl."

I felt a faint sense of panic fill me as I began to fear that my friend would get hurt. I held up my hand to Nightmare Moon's face. "Hm? What is it now?"

I spoke, "Hang on a second. Let me get a word in with her."

She stared at me with a bewildered expression. "Um..... OK?" I then turned and began to approach Celestia. During that time, it had become deathly quiet around me. You could probably hear a twig snap.

Once I was standing before Celestia, she spoke to me. "Please stand aside, James. I must deal with Nightmare Moon."

However, after scanning the alicorn for a moment, I replied, "Um... Your highness? Don't take this the wrong way, but...I don't remember you being so.....small."

She jumped slightly at my observation. "Small?"

Celestia stands just as tall as me, so I was naturally perplexed as to why she was now shorter than me. Her size seemed more along the lines of... Oh, you have got to be kidding me. "Also... I do not recall you having teal eyes, your highness."

These observations were clearly flustering Celestia as she began to nervously glance around as all the other ponies looked on. "Oh, this? It's...um...an offshoot of the pink eye disease. They call it...uh...teal eye. And my size... Well, I have been on a diet... And..." As she bantered, I noticed Celestia's voice relax somewhat. And I recognized it instantly.

"I know who you are now." I spoke with a smirk. "But really? Dressing up as your own sister, Princess Luna?"

There was an audible gasp as the alicorn before me froze. But wait. If Luna was right in front of me... "Then that means..." I then pointed at Nightmare Moon. "Princess Celestia?!"

After a brief moment, the two alicorns burst into laughter. 'Celestia' then grinned, "Well, looks like you got us!" There was a bright flash as her horn was engulfed in a billowing light cobalt or maybe cerulean shade of blue. When the light faded, her head had changed to that of Princess Luna, as well as her mane. "I suppose we just couldn't pull the wool over your eyes, James."

"You still managed to fool just about everyone else in town though." I retorted as 'Nightmare Moon' approached us. Her horn was engulfed with a billowing golden yellow glow akin to her role of controlling the sun. She then lifted her helmet off as her head was also engulfed by a bright light. When I could see her again, Nightmare Moon's coat coloration on her head had become the bright white coloration of Celestia as her mane became the four vibrant colors of the princess of the sun.

"You were quite brave to stand up to me while I was in that disguise, James." Celestia spoke as she held her helmet in one of her forelegs. However, she then asked, "But how did you know we were not who we seemed to be so easily?"

I replied as all the ponies around us bowed in respect for their rulers, "Size and eye color inconsistencies. I also noticed that your wings don't match those of the real Nightmare Moon."

Luna then spoke, "I told you your wings would give your disguise away, sister. They look nothing like how mine did back then."

Celestia chuckled, "Well, can't blame me for trying, can we?" She then placed her helmet back on her head and returned her colorations of her coat and mane to those of Nightmare Moon. Luna did the same so that she was nearly indiscernible from her big sister.

The three of us turned to face my six closest friends as they approached us. "Wow, we weren't expecting BOTH of you to show up this year, Princess Celestia. But going as each other?!" Twilight exclaimed as she stopped a short distance away.

"It would be a fine way to spread a healthy dose of organized chaos for a little fun, if you know what I mean." Celestia replied with a grin.

"Basically, just to mess with everyone? Has anyone ever called you Trollestia before?" I asked, thinking that Celestia may be something of a tease.

Celestia seemed mildly flustered at my question as she merely replied, "Maybe?" Everyone present burst into laughter for a brief moment.

Luna then spoke to me. "Before I forget to mention it, that is a stunning outfit you have."

I regained my composure and replied with an English accent, "Why, thank you, m'lady. The beautiful Rarity weaved these garments for me." I noticed out of the corner of my eye Rarity swooning again. Pinkie Pie had to lean against her to keep her propped up.

Luna looked towards Rarity and Pinkie and chuckled, "I concur. That attire is..." She paused for a moment as her eyes opened wide. "What.... What are you doing out here?! Why aren't you in the Everfree Forest?!"

Pinkie Pie giggled, her goggles still glowing a sinister shade of red. "Don't be silly! Why would I be all the way out there when we've got a huge party going on in town right now?!"

"That voice... Oh, I see now. Miss Pinkie Pie. My mistake." Luna replied with a chuckle.

Judging by Luna's reaction to Pinkie Pie's appearance, she seemed to have some knowledge of the zombie ponies of Sunny Town.... Wait. The curse only takes effect at night, when Luna's influence is greatest. Surely the curse was her doing. But just what did they do to deserve it? I know Mitta claimed that they all had committed a grave sin, but she never went into any further detail.

After a brief moment, Celestia interrupted my thoughts. "Come to think of it, why were you acting like you know Nightmare Moon, James? She doesn't even exist anymore, so....."

I had to be careful of what I told them, so I once again donned my accent. "Oh, I met her once in a dream I had. Lovely princess she was. Even invited me to a spot of tea under the moonlight."

Celestia chuckled, "I'm glad it only was a dream."

However, I then asked, "Your highness, this is merely conjecture, but if Nightmare Moon did still exist, separate from Lady Luna, what would you do?"

Celestia gave me a puzzled stare for a moment, but replied calmly nonetheless. "Well... That certainly isn't possible. Nightmare Moon is gone. But.... If... If she did somehow came back, only separate from Luna... We would have to eliminate her right away."

I felt a subtle chill upon hearing those words. "I see... Thank goodness she will never return, eh?" I said with a smile. Our time together in the Everfree Forest may have been brief, but I still feel great sympathy for Nightmare Moon. Now that I know what her sisters will do once they find out she still lives, I must do all I can to hide her existence from them until the time is right. She will never be able to resist an assault in her current state. And I must remember to hide this entry once I finish writing it.

"Well, it is certainly grand to have you both with us, your highnesses. But I must say I am rather puzzled that you of all ponies would attend, Princess Celestia." Rarity spoke as she bowed before the princess of the sun.

Celestia smiled, "Well, I seldom attend to begin with. The reason I'm here now is because I finally had an opportunity to come along for the ride. And most importantly, I wanted to see how our newest friend would enjoy this holiday." She looked at me with a wink.

I smiled back at her, "This holiday has been nothing but enjoyable, your highness."

Applejack then spoke up, "How 'bout bobbin' fer an apple or two, Princess Luna? I know ya got quite a few last year!"

Luna smiled, "I will gladly take you up on your offer, Applejack." But as she walked over to the tub, Celestia walked alongside her while seemingly whispering something to her. Probably just friendly chatter between sisters.

Once everything had gone back to normal with the other ponies going about enjoying the festivities, I decided to grab myself something to eat that was not a type of candy. All I could really find close by were assorted vegetables with ranch dip. I stocked up on carrots, broccoli, and potato chips before going about with a plate in my hand.

One thing that caught my eye was what the catapults I had seen earlier were being used for. Lyra, who seemed to be walking around on her hind legs while wearing a t-shirt and shorts probably as a generic human costume, loaded a pumpkin into one of the catapults. She then pushed down on it and immediately pushed herself off, causing the catapult to launch. The orange fruit flew remarkably high into the air before going splat against a target ahead of it. "And I always thought pumpkins have hard rinds..." I muttered as I watched the pumpkin reduced to a pile of orange gunk.

No sooner than I had finished my plate, a herd of ponies came rushing in from the west in quite a panic. "ZOMBIES! REAL ZOMBIES!!!" I heard Zecora call out, temporarily breaking her rhyming habit.

Twilight chuckled, "Oh please, even Zecora's getting a little too into the spirit? There's no such thing as real zombies."

"Yeah! Unless you count me! Urrrrrgghhh!" Pinkie Pie retorted as I began to approach Zecora as the zebra took a moment to catch her breath.

"Pinkie Pie, get off me! And quit nomming on my head!" I heard Rainbow Dash shout from behind me.

As I neared her, I began to ponder what could possibly have spooked Zecora so greatly. She is one of the most levelheaded ponies I know of and would not be scared so easily. "Where did you see these 'real' zombies, Zecora?"

Zecora looked up at me and replied, "They shambled into Ponyville from the west. Their vile red eyes made me flee my best!"

My head jerked up as I heard the word 'west'. "From the west? The Everfree Forest? And red eyes..." I felt a great chill sliver down my spine. "No... Not them!"

I took off running to the west, my left hand grasping the scabbard of my sword in order to keep it steady in case I needed to quickly draw it. Droves of ponies passed me while moving in the other direction. I am uncertain how long I had been running, but when I reached the edge of Ponyville, I saw Apple Bloom cowering on the ground as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stood defiantly with their backs to her. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had only just begun running away from them, not that I blame them. The Cutie Mark Crusaders seemed to be trying to be brave, but I could see that they were quite scared.

Scootaloo shouted, "Didn't you hear us the first time?! She wants nothing to do with you freaks! Go away!"

I turned my head to see where they were looking and... Oh no...

Slowly shambling towards the three fillies were six walking rotting pony corpses, their eyes filled with a hellish red glow. I recognized the one with one eye hanging out of its socket as the pony known as Gladstone. The one at the head of the pack was likely Gray Hoof... Yes, I am not lying. The zombies before me were none other than the cursed undead ponies of Sunny Town. But how in the world did they manage to make it out of the Everfree Forest?!

For one reason or another, the six undead ponies seemed to not notice Scootaloo shouting at them. "Get outta here! We're not scared of you!" My little sister shouted as she clearly showed signs of fear. Apple Bloom covered her face with her hat in a desperate attempt to hide from the monsters. I suppose I should not be surprised that she was so frightened. She did encounter them once before. The zombies said nothing as they shambled toward the children. Why? Did their vocal chords decay too much?

As the zombies started to get too close to the children, I decided to intervene. We did part ways on good terms, so maybe they would listen to me. I ran ahead to the space between the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the approaching cadavers and drew my sword before performing two quick slashes to try to make them back away. "Back off! That's my little sister!"

The zombies seemed to listen since they took a few steps backwards. I seemed to have blindsided them, as they did not react to my presence until I was right in front of them. "Whoa! The way you just jumped in at the last second was so cool, James!" I heard Sweetie Belle exclaim from behind me.

I looked back down at the three fillies while keeping my rapier's blade held out to keep the zombies at a safe distance. Scootaloo grinned, "I knew you'd show up, big brother! Show those zombies how you handled Nightmare Moon's ghost!"

I smiled, "Will do, sis. Now, you three get away from here so I don't run the risk of chopping you by accident."

Apple Bloom climbed to her feet as she seemed to calm down slightly. "A... All righty then, James... Just don't let 'em touch ya! I think the curse is contagious!"

I nodded, "I know enough about zombies to make sure to never let them touch me. Now, get going." I did not take my eyes off of the three fillies until they were just inside Ponyville's border. And even then, they continued to watch me intently.

The six zombies continued to slowly shamble towards me, never speaking once. I tried to reason with them. "Gray Hoof, you and the others aren't welcome in Ponyville. Go home."

They seemed to pay no heed to my words since they continued to approach me without showing signs that they may have heard me. I spoke again, taking a step back while still making sure I had my sword's blade held somewhat laterally to parry any incoming lunges. "I know we parted on good terms, guys. But you need to get outta here." Gray Hoof's disgusting mouth began to slowly open at my words.

"I will defend myself..." I muttered as Gray Hoof seemed prepared to bite me.

At this point, I felt that any further attempts to negotiate were futile. I waited until Gray Hoof took three more steps towards me before I struck. I quickly swung my sword sideways, cleaving it through his neck as his body froze in place. About four seconds later, his head simply fell off and hit the ground with a thud while his body collapsed in a heap.

"Whoa! Looks like that one didn't have a good head on his shoulders! Go for the rest, James!" I heard Rainbow Dash call from the nearby rooftops. I glanced over towards the town and found that I had attracted quite an audience. But what caught my attention most was the grime and blood on my blade.

Or rather, the lack of. There was none.

I had clearly cut right through a zombie, yet there was nothing on my blade that could have come from him. I felt no resistance when I made the cut either. It felt more like I had just swung my sword through air. Despite this, Gray Hoof's body clearly reacted to the hit. And now his glowing red eyes faded until only his empty eye sockets remained.

I did not have time to ponder this as the five other zombies began to converge on me. I would have to strike them quickly with few pauses between hits. After taking a moment to think about how I would carry out this assault, I acted.

I started with Gladstone, swinging my sword upwards while cleaving right through his skull vertically. Next was what I believe was a mare as I swung downward on an angle while turning to face her, my blade cleaving through her head as well, the top half of her skull just sliding off from the rest of her. Next was another mare, the last remaining stallion to my right. I decided to go for a double kill, performing a slash to my left to chop through the mare while turning and then driving my rapier's blade directly between the zombie stallion's glowing red eyes and through his entire skull.

In quick succession, the four zombies I struck collapsed in the order they had been attacked as the glow that filled their eye sockets faded to blackness. Only one remained. The audience was applauding and cheering as I moved to deal the final blow. I turned and prepared to strike the last zombie down when.....

I felt my fighting spirit fade instantly when I saw her face. The remaining zombie was an earth pony mare. She was not approaching me, but merely standing still while gazing up at me with her unholy red eyes. Her body, tail, and mane were in identical condition to how Pinkie Pie made herself look for the evening. Dark and grimy while showing no visible signs of external decay. I felt a relieved smile creep across my face as I sheathed my sword. "Mitta..."

She looked no different from when I last saw her. My friend, the only real friend I ever had in Sunny Town, was standing before me. I have no idea how she was able to find her way out of that forest, but I was still very glad to see her. The audience of ponies who had been applauding and cheering a moment ago were now eerily silent, probably watching and waiting in suspense now that I had put away my weapon while one of the zombies was still standing.

"How long has it been? Two months?" I asked as I got down on one knee. For one reason or another, she remained completely silent. "You came at a great time. I think you might even have some fun out here during Nightmare Night. You might even win the prize for 'Most Convincing Costume' with that look." Pinkie Pie, who looked remarkably similar at the time, would stand a good chance too. But that crazy party animal would never be able to replicate her rotting stench.

As we locked eyes, a thought occurred to me. If she was cursed, then surely someone with great magical strength could lift it. Maybe someone as knowledgeable as Twilight Sparkle. Or perhaps... Celestia or Luna. Yes, they can surely lift the curse. I mean if they can control the movements of the sun and moon, lifting an ancient curse from one pony would be child's play to them.

I reached out to my friend as I moved to place my hand on her shoulder. "There's someone I want you to meet. Well, OK. There are two ponies I want to show you to. I'm sure they can lift the....." I paused as my hand made contact with her. Or did it? For whatever reason, it did not feel like I was touching anything at all. "Mitta...?" I tried applying more pressure only to make an unnerving discovery. My hand passed right through her body as if it was not even there.

"What is..." I muttered as I tried again to touch my friend. My arm extended right through her head, almost as if I was wearing her like an oversized armlet. My friend... "You're just a mirage."

My eyes glanced over at the audience. The first ponies I noticed were Nightmare Moon and Celestia... I mean Celestia and Luna. Celestia's... Dang it! I mean Luna's horn was engulfed by a billowing blue aura, a clear sign she was casting some form of magic. I felt a twinge of anger as I realized that it was Luna who was conjuring up these zombie apparitions. And it was making my blood boil knowing that someone would make a mockery of such a selfless mare's image just for thrills.

I stood up and walked over to Luna with my right hand clenched into a fist. "I saw everything, James. Just one left. Go ahead and deliver a coup de grace worthy of a finale."

However, I was not at all amused by her attempts to entertain the other ponies. "Get rid of the illusion, Luna."

The princess of the night seemed perplexed by my demand. "Illusion? You could tell?"

My patience was already running low. My right hand grasped the hilt of my sword. "Don't make me say it again. I'm not in the mood!"

There was a gasp as the ponies who were watching looked on, likely shocked that I was prepared to lash out against their princess. After a moment of silence, Luna nodded, "All right... I'll cease the spell."

The instant the aura around her horn faded, I turned to look at the six zombies behind me. One by one, they slowly faded away. The last to fade was Mitta. Our eyes locked, never looking away until she disappeared entirely.

Celestia asked, "Why were you so upset about them being illusions? You almost sound as if you've met them in person."

As I marched past the two sisters, I replied, "I have."

I returned to the town square without paying any mind to whomever I passed. Still in a very sour mood, I grabbed a bottle of hard apple cider and started to sip from it. "You deserve better, Mitta..." I muttered to myself as I sat on a bench.

I am uncertain how much time passed, but I heard the clopping of hooves approaching me before long. When it stopped, I glanced to my right without turning my head. Standing to my side was none other than Princess Luna. However, it seemed that she had removed her disguise. She had even swapped out Celestia's golden jewelry for her own.

"James... May I have this seat?" She asked as a bottle of apple cider floated next to her. I said nothing as I merely nodded. I was still quite disgusted with the fact that she tried to deceive me into striking down an illusion of a friend I had only met once.

Luna took a seat beside me and began to sip from her bottle. She did not say anything for a moment, probably trying to find the right words to break the ice. "So... How has your first Nightmare Night been thus far?"

I muttered, "It's been fine." I followed up my response with another sip of my cider.

A moment of awkward silence passed before Luna asked, "Do you...know of the creatures I conjured up back there? The real ones?"

I frowned as I replied, "You mean the ponies from Sunny Town? Yeah."

Luna showed a look of mild shock before asking, "But...how do you even know of that village? It's been quarantined for over a millennium!"

I asked, "Were you the one who cursed it?"

Luna sighed, "I am. It was a fitting punishment for their crime."

I decided to not ask for the details of the crime. "I don't know if you've figured this out yet, but that pony back there, Mitta, is a friend of mine."

The princess of the night asked, "How? Every last pony in that village is a monster. Even she..."

I glared at Luna as I retorted, "She SAVED me. If she had not warned me of the curse and escorted me outta there before nightfall, I don't think we would be talking to each other right now."

Luna was silent at my words. I then asked, "Is she going to be stuck like that forever? As a monster?"

To my surprise, Luna shook her head. "No. The curse will be lifted once they all come to understand the errors of their ways. Once they redeem themselves, the curse will vanish and they will finally be able to move on."

The curse is only temporary? Well, considering how friendly and likeable Gray Hoof and Gladstone were, I suppose the time of redemption draws very close for those ponies. At least I hope it does.

"Just don't ever do that again, your highmmph." My mouth was covered by Luna's hoof before I could finish my sentence.

"Please, James. Never call me that again. Refer to me as you would any of your other friends." She spoke with a faint smile.

I nodded once she took her hoof away from my mouth. "OK, Luna. But really, don't ever do that to Mitta's image again. She doesn't deserve that."

Luna nodded, "I shall. Can you ever forgive me for that?"

I smiled as I embraced my friend. "Yeah. I forgive you." The two of us stayed there for a moment, our arms wrapped around each other.

However, our moment of silence was interrupted by what felt like three fillies dogpiling onto me. "That was so awesome, big brother! You handled those bags of bones like a real zombie hunter!"

Luna and I looked at the three little scamps and found the Cutie Mark Crusaders all hanging onto me. "The way ya took out those four one after the other was so amazin'! Where'd ya learn how ta fight anyway?" Apple Bloom asked with her big eyes looking up at me.

In all honesty, I do not have any combat experience whatsoever. My knowledge of swordplay comes from extensive observation of various types of fighting styles from playing many different video games over the years and the subsequent study of different types of swords out of an increase in interest in the art. I replied sheepishly, "Would you believe me....if I said I never had a lesson in my life?"

Sweetie Belle giggled, "Don't be silly! You must've practiced with that before! Really, how did you do it?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "All I did was improvise. I really didn't have that much time to think."

Luna chuckled, "I'll just leave you to your little friends here. If you're looking for me, I'll be over at the Spider Toss range." I smiled and waved goodbye as Luna stood up and trotted away.

"Come on, girls. Give him some breathing space." I heard Diamond Tiara speak below me. She was wearing fairly little, but her appearance was quite regal. She was wearing a golden necklace, golden shoes not unlike those worn by Celestia and Luna, and a gold....crown? Tiara? Well, whatever it was, it seemed to have the shape of a tiny crown when viewed from the front, but was mostly flat. It had a purple orb on top with an equally purple diamond in the center. I also noticed a pair of false wings on her sides and a unicorn's horn attached to her forehead that was too large for her age.

"You went as an alicorn this year?" I asked, not entirely surprised that Diamond Tiara would try to emulate a royal pony. However, I did not recognize her attire at all as it did not quite match that of Celestia's.

The former bully smiled, "Yeah. Princess Cadence, to be exact. She's the niece of Princess Celestia."

Apple Bloom then spoke, "Yeah! Me, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were the flower fillies at her weddin'!"

I smiled, "That sounds like quite an honor. Who did she marry?"

Silver Spoon, who was right next to Diamond Tiara, replied, "That would be me. I mean, the pony I'm dressed as."

The gray earth pony filly had a white unicorn's horn attached to her head while wearing a red jacket. It had a gold collar and light blue straps crossed over the chest with an emblem in the center that bore the same purple six-pointed star as the one on Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark. I thought it looked familiar somehow before I asked, "Prince William?"

There was a moment of silence as the fillies glanced at each other as if to say 'Wait... What?' in response.

Silver Spoon retorted with a bemused tone, "Uh... No. I'm supposed to be Shining Armor. He's the captain of Canterlot's Royal Guard."

Well, that hardly surprises me. For one to be able to marry a princess, one would need the proper peerage. And being the commander of the royal sisters' security forces is certainly a fitting position.... Hang on. Why in the world are Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara dressed up as a husband/wife combo?

"Um... No offense, but are you trying to tell us something by dressing up as two ponies who are married to each other?" I asked.

Diamond Tiara blushed madly as she looked at Silver Spoon. "I told you we should've gone as the Flim Flam brothers!" This prompted laughter from the Cutie Mark Crusaders, plus a sheepish grin and blush from Silver Spoon as she tried to avert her eyes. I would have thrown in a joke about incest in response to the mention of brothers, but it would probably be too perverted for children.

After a moment of trying to shush the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Silver Spoon asked, "James? That last zombie... The one you didn't hurt. Was that... What's her name again?"

Apple Bloom spoke, "Mitta. Right, James?"

I nodded with a sigh, "Yeah... That was Mitta."

Diamond Tiara spoke, "Huh... So that's what she looks like. She didn't look as scary as the others."

I smiled slightly, "That's because she has a kind heart. You be nice to her if you ever see her. All right?" The two fillies before me nodded in unison.

Just as I finished my bottle of cider, I heard Twilight call out to me. "James, come over here! We're taking a group photo!"

I nodded as I stood up. I then spoke with an English accent again as I glanced down at the foals around me. "Pardon me, ladies. Agent Sparkle beckons me." I then walked over to my friends, finding them lined up in a row. Celestia and Luna were present as well with Luna having swapped back into her costume.

"Everypony here?" Applejack asked while adjusting her hat.

Daring D... I mean Rainbow Dash grinned, "You bet! That's all ten of us!" I swear, even her own mother would not recognize her at first. She then went over to a camera that was resting on a tripod. "Hey, James! Get in the middle!"

"Like this?" I asked, placing myself between Fluttershy and Twilight.

"Great! OK, a little to the left, Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash replied while motioning with her hoof.

"Oki doki loki!" The zombified party animal replied as she hopped towards me.

"I meant MY left!" Rainbow shouted. Pinkie Pie was on my right, by the way.

"Well, why didn't you say so?!" Pinkie retorted with a giggle, taking two hops to her right.

"That'll do! Twilight, get yourself a little closer to the ground... Yeah, that's it! Looking good, girl!" Rainbow shouted as Twilight hunkered low to the ground, almost as if she was ready to lash out at some genome soldier with CQC. Of course, that would be pointless if that soldier was piloting a Metal Ge... All right, I will not go into anymore puns. But as I said much earlier, I can keep this up all night.

"Honestly, do I really look like some kinda soldier?" Twilight asked, looking up at me from my right.

"I'd say you do. And you look good in that getup too." I replied with a smile.

"And you thought you'd look like a joke. I told you nopony would be wearing anything like it!" Spike added while standing right in front of me. I am still convinced he was wearing a gimp suit.

"Fluttershy, get closer to James! And stick your head out so everypony knows it's you!" Rainbow Dash called out as Fluttershy inched closer to me from my left.

"Like this?" My girlfriend replied as she pushed her head out of the flowering bush she was wearing.

Rainbow nodded, "That's it! OK, Rarity. You get on Fluttershy's left. And then you move in on Rarity's left, Applejack!"

"All righty then, Rainbow." Applejack spoke as she and Rarity moved into view from my left.

"How is my hair? Is my pose just right?" Rarity asked as she tried to strike an elegant pose.

"Hold that pose, Rarity! Looks great!" Rainbow smiled. "OK, now it's your turn! Princess Luna, get on James' left! Princess Celestia should be on his right!"

I glanced to my sides as the two royal sisters moved in behind my friends. "How is this?" Luna asked as she stood to my left.

"That should do nicely, Luna. Just remember to spread those wings." Celestia replied from my left.

"OK, we're all set! Just... Oh, wait! James, draw your sword! Strike a cool pose with it!" Rainbow called out to me.

However, Rarity retorted, "No, a rapier is an elegant blade! James, take a more refined pose befitting that outfit."

I immediately thought up a pose. I drew my sword and held the blade vertically with my left hand tenderly cradling the blade near its tip. "How is this, Lady Rarity?"

My former landlord shuddered, "My stars, that voice gets me every time... As for the pose... Simply marvelous!" She then looked back at Rainbow Dash and the camera, "I do believe we are all set!"

Rainbow seemed to fiddle with the camera for a moment. "OK, hold those poses! We've got fifteen seconds and counting!"

In the blink of an eye, Rainbow Dash...well...dashed over to us and lined herself up to the right of Twilight. Ten seconds in, I heard her ask, "Hang on... Where's Pinkie Pie?"

The instant the camera flashed, I heard Rainbow Dash yelp. I then glanced to my right and saw Rainbow Dash having jumped back, Pinkie Pie reared up onto her hind legs with her forelegs raised while grinning as her goggles glowed that familiar hellish shade of red. "Where'd you come from?!"

Pinkie Pie giggled, "What?! Just wanted to make the picture extra special!"

I asked while sheathing my sword, "Well, how long until the picture is developed?"

Twilight replied, "It'll take a few days, but we'll all get a copy."

I chuckled, "Man, that makes me feel nostalgic. I can't remember the last time it took days instead of minutes for photos to be developed."

Applejack smiled, "Well, that just teaches us the value of patience, don't it?"

I suppose it would be unnecessary to go into detail what occurred during the remainder of the party, not to mention my wrist is really starting to get sore from all this writing. Almost seventy pages worth... Ouch.

Regardless, I had a splendid time with all my friends. Think of Nightmare Night as one big Halloween block party where everyone in town attends. Truly a holiday worth enjoying. Unfortunately, everyone had to get to bed eventually. I, in particular, had to call the party quits just after midnight. Scootaloo has school in the morning, after all.

I said my goodbyes to my friends, gave Luna a warm embrace, and headed on home with Fluttershy and Scootaloo by my side. "First Nightmare Night and I'm already loving it. What about you girls?" I asked as we trekked across the meadow that separated Ponyville from our cottage.

Scootaloo beamed at me. "It was awesome! Some of the other ponies even asked me for an autograph. It was pretty funny when they figured out I'm not Rainbow Dash." She was also wearing a sack around her neck. It was filled to the brim with assorted candies.

Fluttershy smiled, "That was very nice for my first Nightmare Night. I wouldn't mind doing it again next year."

"Did anyone prank you while we were out tonight?" I asked, knowing that Fluttershy detests being pranked more than I do.

"Aside from that accidental lightning strike from Rainbow Dash, it was almost perfect. I'm glad I went to the party." Fluttershy responded with her trademark timid smile.

Right when we were on the verge of going into the cottage, Scootaloo let out a yawn. "Hoo boy... I really walked a lot tonight..."

Fluttershy nuzzled her face, "You must be exhausted. Let's get you to bed." I then watched as Fluttershy lifted the bush off of herself and set it down. She then turned to me and asked, "James, would you please take this bush over to the right side of the cottage and plant it again? You'll see the spot where I dug it up."

I said nothing for a moment as I comprehended what she told me. "Hang on... Are you saying that you literally dug up a bush and wore it as a costume?"

When Fluttershy nodded, I chuckled, "I've heard of going green, but that's going waaay too far." All three of us laughed in unison.

I picked up the bush by its branches and walked around to the side of the cottage while Fluttershy and Scootaloo went inside. The moon was providing plenty of light, so I had no trouble locating the shallow hole in the ground where Fluttershy dug up the bush. I set its roots back down in it and used my feet to push the dirt back over them before packing it down with taps from my shoe.

However, just before I was about to head back over to the front side of my home, my eyes turned towards the edge of the Everfree Forest. My thoughts turned to Mitta, knowing she was still out there somewhere. But the one my thoughts turned to most was the one person I was hoping to see tonight more than anyone else. Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Night had been founded in her memory, and I know she still lives. I was certain she would have arrived to partake in the celebration. But even now, past midnight, there has been no sign of her. I.... I miss her. It feels like we did not bond as much as we could have during our brief time together two months ago. If I see her again, I will be certain to give her a warm welcome.

"Next year, Nightmare Moon. I know we'll see you here by then." I muttered as I headed back to the front door of my home.

Just after I stepped inside, I was engulfed in a sudden bright flash that only lasted a second. I then heard a wooden clunk to my left. "Whoa! What happened to your costume, James?" Scootaloo asked.

I glanced down and saw a familiar mop handle next to my left foot. My shoes did not look so fancy either. My clothes... Wait. "Did Twilight's spell wear off?"

Fluttershy nodded, "Um... It looks like it. The timing couldn't have been better though, right?"

I nodded as I snatched up the mop handle. "Yup. Now I just need to remember to return this mop handle to Rarity tomorrow."

My thoughts were interrupted by another yawn from Scootaloo. "Sorry... Really tired right now."

I smiled as I went over to her and scooped the little pegasus filly up in my arms. "Guess that means it's time for bed."

As I headed over to Scootaloo's bedroom, Fluttershy smiled, "I'll go get the shower ready for us, James. Come on up when ready." I watched as she started to go upstairs before tucking Scootaloo in her bed.

Scootaloo smiled at me as she placed her hooves on the edge of her blanket. "Did you like your first Nightmare Night?"

I nodded as I placed my hand on her head. "I certainly did. Nothing but good times back there. Well, almost nothing but good times."

My little sister yawned, "Is it all right if I wait until morning to get this costume off? I'm too tired to get outta bed right now."

I smiled as I stroked her rainbow mane. "That's all right. But until then, you'll be my little Dashie."

Scootaloo chuckled, "But I'll always be your little Scoot, right?"

The way we were talking to each other at that moment was not the way siblings talk. It felt more like we were talking the way a parent and child would. "Yeah. You'll always be my little Scoot."

When I removed my hand from her head and placed it on the blanket, I froze as I felt Scootaloo place her hoof on it. We locked eyes for a moment, her eyes showing both sleepiness and adoration. "I love you, big brother..."

I leaned in and placed a kiss on the filly's head. "I love you too, little sis." I remained by her side until I could hear light snoring. "Sweet dreams, Scoot." I whispered as I left the room and headed upstairs to wash up for the night.

Fluttershy and I are resting in bed, my girlfriend with her back to me. "I really liked your costume, James. What do you think you'll go as next year?" She asked me with a slight yawn.

"That's a good question. Let's wait until then before deciding." I responded while stroking her mane.

"OK. But.....hwah..... Let's go to sleep... I really stayed up later than I usually do on Nightmare Night." Fluttershy muttered with a yawn.

I kissed her on the ear in response. "Sounds good to me. Sweet dreams, honey. I love you."

Fluttershy smiled warmly as she closed her beautiful eyes. "I love you too, James... So much..."

Now that Fluttershy is fast asleep, I can focus on finishing up this entry. After spending around two months in Ponyville, the oddities of this world have become daily routine for me. I can no longer imagine living anywhere else. And the occasional holidays really spice things up. And now that winter is approaching, I have to wonder what will happen once the snow starts to fall.

Does Equestria have a holiday similar to Christmas? What other holidays or special events occur here? I will just have to wait to find out. But for now, I must sleep. Holidays may be fun, but they always leave you feeling exhausted.

I just hope that next Nightmare Night, I will be able to welcome the Mare in the Moon herself to celebrate with us.