Zecora, the zebra shamaness has lived in the Everfree Forest for some time, but has never gone beyond except for the sake of finding roots and herbs for her potions that her woods cannot supply. But upon making friends with young Apple Bloom and later Twilight and her companions, she has taken it upon herself to travel beyond for a time. Stopping at Sweet Apple Acres for a minute to speak with Applejack, she catches the eye of Macintosh. The stallion falls for Zecora at first sight and then does something very poorly thought out to prove himself to her...

The Princess of Equestria,

The Dayruler Celestia

Ruled the sun and the moon for untold years

She spent all this time on her own

Solitude being all she'd known

And then one night somepony new appears...

You know Vinyl Scratch. Everypony knows Vinyl Scratch: Cocky, sure of herself, parties all night and likes her music loud and the beats louder. And talking about herself in the third person.

What? It's fun.

Okayokayokay... so anyway, you're wondering how I first met my better half, right? (And don't tell her I called her that - she'll rib me about it me all day.)  

Well, the whole thing kinda began somewhere you'd never expect to find me: The opera house.

I kid you not.

It is Nightmare Night. The annual party - hostessed...ed(?) by Pinkie, naturally - is in full swing. There's dancing, games, snacks, happy ponies... the whole nine yards. Possibly even TEN yards. While touring the crowd, Pinkie sees a strange glow and hunts it down, finding somepony dressed in the most realistic ghost costume she'd ever seen (if she'd ever SEEN a ghost, that is - odds are it would probably look a lot like this if she had).

When midnight comes and all the costumes drop, who will this mysterious figure end up being?

Spike has loved the beautiful and graceful Rarity with all of his young dragon heart from the moment he had first laid eyes on her. The problem was that Rarity barely noticed him. One day he decides to make his intentions known to her, only to find that she has her eye set on the handsome Baron Summersday and his quest may have already come to an end.

Meanwhile, Rarity - after the disastrous event of the Grand Galloping Gala - has been in contact with a stallion named Baron Summersday via mail, as the finale of the Gala prevented him from meeting her in person. After several missives between themselves, he invites her to his mansion for the weekend as an honored guest. Rarity sees this as the possibility of her dream of finding the one from her finally becoming a reality.

But is this really a dream, or a nightmare instead?