Chapter 3
Because nopony knew exactly when Celestia was going to arrive, only the date of the Gala, several of the Ponyvillagers had taken to waiting around at night for her to arrive. Obviously, this included Twilight Sparkle and her friends. However, she noticed that somepony she'd expected was missing. “Where's Midnight?”
Pinkie Pie responded. “Last time I saw him, he was talking to me and asking what my favorite food was, so of course I told him, 'I like CUPCAAAAAKES,' and then he said, 'Good, that's all I needed, thank you,' and then he went into his house and then I came over here and you asked me where Midnight was, and I said–”
“Thank you, Pinkie Pie.” So Midnight was asleep, or working on something. She turned to look at the ice sculpture. Midnight had a point, the cool light of the moon complemented ice much better than the warm sunlight.... not that she'd ever tell him that. She didn't want to hurt Rarity's feelings, and she still felt slightly bitter about how snippy he was.
Fluttershy noticed something and began edging away from it. “Um, I don't mean to interrupt, but where's all that smoke coming from?” As her friends turned to where she had indicated, they saw a thick curtain of smoke billowing out of an alley. They quickly prepared themselves for danger.
Part of the smoke cleared, and a black-and-white figure stood framed by the clouds. It was a pony of indeterminate type and gender, garbed in an outfit that alternated black and wihte with each article of clothing. A fedora crowned its head, a cape with a high collar covered its body, and its face... the pony wore a mask. The left side was white, with a black grin. The right half was black, with a white frown.
The figure deigned to speak; the voice was deep, powerful, and clearly male. “Bonne Nuit, ma belle-dames. You may call me Zebra Mask.” The figure suddenly moved; in a trice he was alongside Rainbow Dash. “My only wish is to entertain you. You all look simply delightful. Hm, although you could stand for a new hairstyle...” As he spoke, Mask repeatedly vanished and reappeared around Twilight and her friends. “...and some glasses would go perfectly on that face!” He continued chattering to a disinterested audience of six. “And if I could just give this charming damsel a scorpion necklace...”
Twilight had enough: she let out a shockwave of magic that knocked those present head over tail. However, Mask, instead of tumbling, collapsed. Twilight knew without needing to investigate that the costume was empty; likely a puppet controlled by a somepony elsewhere in Ponyville. “Come on girls, this thing is a puppet. Let's find the puppeteer!”
Rainbow Dash thought she'd be the first to find Zebra Mask, as she traveled far more quickly than her friends. She saw him standing on a rooftop and immediately charged at him; she was disappointed when she simply ploughed through another floating costume.
Pinkie Pie simply bounded along through town, meeting Mask at odd turns and attempting to talk to him. However, each time she moved toward him, he simply vanished into thin air; there was no trace that he had ever been there.
Fluttershy stayed where she was, being afraid of the dark and simply not wanting to be alone and wandering through Ponyville at night. Zebra Mask appeared to her a few times; she backed away each time, and each time Mask simply slid off elsewhere.
Applejack ran through Ponyville, her method of searching being roughly the same as Rainbow Dash, though earthbound. She met much the same results, however, the first Mask she found simply had no physical form. She passed right through it, feeling nothing but air.
While all six of them combed the town through most of the night, they could not find the real Zebra Mask, only more illusions and empty cloaks. They met up in front of the library, ascertaining that none of them could find him. Twilight was frustrated that somepony had outwitted her, and judging by the looks on her friends' faces she wasn't the only one.
“Oh well... it seems like we'll have to try to find him another night.”
“Find me another night? Oh, what a wonderful game! Although I am disheartened that you are so easily discouraged.” Zebra Mask appeared before them again; Twilight and her friends were too exhausted to try and seize him. As well, they believed it yet another apparition.
Only Rainbow Dash had the energy left for a response. “Heh... bite me.” Mask's eyeholes seemed to widen. “Please, milady, I have no wish to. Until tomorrow night...” He moved forward; he lifted Pinkie Pie's hoof and pressed it to the mouthhole. “...adieu.” They had just enough time to register that the real, corporeal Zebra Mask had just been there before he vanished again into the darkness.