//------------------------------// // The Draconequus' Worst Nightmare // Story: One Bolt, Spreading Harmony // by Boltsinger //------------------------------// Knocking permeated the cozy abode of Ponyville’s resident animal expert on a cool fall day. Fluttershy pulled herself from the preparations she was making, curious as to who it might be. She wasn’t expecting any visitors for some time, what with her least favorite celebration close at hoof. Her preparations had begun earlier and earlier as the years went on. Now the night in question was two whole weeks away, and she was hard at work. She gingerly approached the door, her hoof quivering as a low and sinister laugh eked its way in. “Um… Hello?” She greeted, pulling the door open ever-so-slightly. “Hello…” A deep voice started with an eerie cadence. The sheer amount of venom dripping from that one word sent an unpleasant chill down her spine. “I was wondering if Fluttershy was--" The malicious-sounding voice was cut off by the sound of a crying baby, pulling its owner away from his facade. “Ah! I’m sorry, Nova! Did Daddy scare you? I’m sorry. I was just trying to have a little fun with Aunty Fluttershy!” “Boltsinger?” The yellow mare guessed, opening the door to its full width. Her guess proved correct, as Boltsinger stood in the doorway, hugging his little colt tight. “Why did you do that scary voice? Are you planning something spooky for Nightmare Night again?” Boltsinger brought his face out of his nuzzle, smiling at his timid friend. “Just the opposite, actually.” He bounced the baby in his foreleg, bringing him front and center. “Twilight and I were talking about Nightmare Night, and we decided it was probably for the best that this little one not be in the castle around then.” “Why shouldn’t he be at the castle?” She wondered, reaching over and tickling the foal. “It’s so big and safe!” “And going to be busy.” He added. “Spike is having a Nightmare Night party, so the decorations are up in full force. And the town isn’t exactly any less festive.” Fluttershy sent Nova a warm smile as he reached for her. “And this little darling can be such a scaredy-cat sometimes…” She reached over and took the foal in her forelegs, giving him her undivided attention. “I would love to take care of you on Nightmare Night, you little cutie!” “Awesome!” The stallion exclaimed, pumping his hoof. “Then we’ll be here on the night in question!” “We?” She repeated, casting a curious look at him. “Aren’t you going to celebrate Nightmare Night with everyone?” Boltsinger shook his head in his best Big Mac impression. “Nnope! We figured one of us should come over with him. It’s already a stressful night, after all. Might as well provide some relief.” He looked over his shoulder at the world outside. “We had a race to decide who was gonna take the students out on their first Nightnare Night and who was gonna be here, and… Well, I lost the race,” He looked back at her with a wide grin. “but spending time with you is hardly a penalty.” Fluttershy’s heart skipped a beat as a distinct shade of pink found its way onto her cheeks. “Oh, well, I’d be happy to have you!” She stepped back, gesturing her wing in a beckoning manner. “Would you like some tea? The animals and I could use a break, anyway.” Boltsinger chuckled, bowing as curtly as he could. “That sounds lovely.” The night had arrived. Spider webs and pumpkins filled the streets. Ponies ran about in all manner of disguises, and games were set up in the town plaza. Laughter and screams filled the air, bringing no end of joy to the ears of the un-costumed Draconequus strolling through. He took in the noise like a breath of fresh air, flapping his ears with enjoyment. “Oh, how I love a good night of chaos! It’s refreshing to see everypony getting into the spirit of things for once!” He extended his arm outward, plucking a caramel apple from Granny Smith’s sales cart, earning himself a glare from the elderly mare as it was consumed. “But, festivities aside, it is a Tuesday! And that means one thing above all else!” He snapped his claws, flashing in a replacement for the apple he’d eaten while he ran in place, his legs appearing like wheels beneath him. “To Fluttershy’s!” In another flash, Discord was at the door of his favorite cottage. He raised his talon, making ready to rap at the entrance when a noise caught his ear. There was talking going on, but in a voice that didn’t belong to Fluttershy… “‘Don’t let him escape!’ yelled Gusty!” The voice sounded dynamic, dramatic, and deep. Clearly not the soft soprano tones of the filly he knew. He narrowed his eyes, phasing his head through the door. On the couch sat Boltsinger, with a copy of Gusty The Great in his hooves, an orange foal in his lap, and a number of critters surrounding him. Fluttershy snugly lay in the nearby chair, her forelegs crossed as she smiled at the sight with the most content face he had ever seen. Discord felt a savage boiling build up from within, quickly coming out of his ears in the form of a whistling steam. He brought his fingers up, plugging his ears as he took a deep, calming breath. “Hello, everypony! How are you doing this Tuesday?” Boltsinger looked up from his book, smiling at the Draconequus. “Oh! Hi, Discord! What brings you over here?” “Why, for tea, of course!” He replied, snaking up next to Fluttershy and wrapping his arm around her. “It’s a Tuesday, after all, and you know how Fluttershy and I are about our Tuesday teas!” “Oh! Was today Tuesday?” Fluttershy asked, looking over at her chaotic friend. “I was so  busy getting ready to have Boltsinger and Nova over tonight that… Well… I guess I forgot.” There was an audible thud as Discord’s jaw hit the floor, sending a shockwave through the creature’s long body that sent him reeling. “You forgot about Tuesday tea? How could you forget about Tuesday tea?! We do it every Tuesday! What’s so hard to forget?” He pulled up the fur on his lion arm, revealing an absurd number of wrist watches. “I set my whole schedule to it!!” “Really? But it’s Nightmare Night!” The stallion stated, pointing to the twilit sky outside. “There’s a lot of fun you could have out in Ponyville. Why not join the festivities?” He trotted up to Discord, playfully nudging the chaos spirit’s arm. “I bet you could spice things up in more ways than one!” The idea intrigued the Draconequus, instantly bringing to mind a slew of ways he could increase the scares on a night where that kind of thing is allowed. But he had more important things to think about. He looked over to the blue-eyed mare, letting his features visibly soften at the sight. “Perhaps, but I’d much rather have some tea with my best friend, if you don’t mind.” Fluttershy smiled at her funny friend, turning her attention to the foal on the couch. “I would dearly love to have tea with you tonight, but I’m not sure it would be a good idea right now.” “And why is that?” He asked, standing tall in a huff. “These two can easily go out tonight and let us have our tea!” Fluttershy rose from her chair, firmly walking over to Nova and picking him up with her wing. “Normally, yes, but tonight is Nightmare Night. There’s a lot of things out there that can scare a little baby!” She stepped up to Discord, holding the baby forward. “Do you remember what happened the last time Nova saw something that scared him?” Powdered stone flashed in Discord’s mind, followed by a black sky. “Oh, yes… Good point… Well, can’t we just all have tea?” Boltsinger slowly shook his head. “I dunno… You forgetting the last time you ‘helped’ to take care of Nova?” “Oh, come on! It was just a little foalnapping and an elaborate labyrinth of puzzles and traps!” Discord retorted, spreading his arms out. “It’s not like he was in any danger! I was in more danger, being skewered by that horn of his!” “Eeyeah… Something about ‘foalnapping’ doesn’t exactly paint a nice picture.” The bluenette deadpanned. “Listen, you’ve been doing well at learning baby care, but I think you should go ahead and celebrate Nightmare Night with everyone in town. I promise you’ll have a good time!” Discord tousled the foal’s mane, turning to the door with a growl. “Fine. I’ll go do the ‘Nightmare Night’ thing. Not like I’d been looking forward to tea all week or anything…” He reached for the knob, looking back at them over his shoulder. “You three have fun, now!” He pulled back on the handle, opening a rift in space instead of the door, and walked in, slamming the air back to normal behind him. “So, this ‘Nightmare Night’ is some celebration where you get candy from strangers just for dressing up in weird outfits?” Gallus inquired, walking with his friends and their head-mare through Ponyville. “Sounds like a pretty awesome holiday to me!” “It’s more than just that.” Ocellus corrected. “It’s a celebration to commemorate Nightmare Moon’s banishment, and her subsequent reformation.” “And who says you get to keep all the candy?” Sandbar added. He was wrapped in rudimentary bandages like a mummy, but was otherwise unmistakable. “Things are never that simple, you know.” Twilight, garbed in the golden armor of a Canterlot Royal Guard, stopped ahead of the group. “He’s right, you know…” She looked over her shoulder at her students, a devious grin on her muzzle. “Princess Luna may be back to normal, now, but that doesn’t mean the danger has passed…” “Danger…?” Yona began with a chattering of her teeth. “What pony mean by d-d-danger?” Behind the Yak popped a pink Hippogriff. Silverstream raised her forelegs, twinkling her claws dramatically. “Niiiiiiiightmare Moooooooooooon!~” She moaned, attempting to sound as spooky as possible. Yona jumped, letting out a shriek as she fell to the ground with her forelegs over her head. “That… not… funny!” “But she’s right!” Twilight continued, facing the students with a dramatic splay of her wings. Her horn flared to life, with a magical mist seeping out. “The dark power that created Nightmare Moon still lurks, waiting for its moment… On this, the darkest, most evil night of the year, it takes the form of Nightmare Moon!” The magic swirled into a single point, creating a magenta image of a sleek, armored Alicorn mare with wings that curved like a blade. Her misty mane and tail seemed to flow without cease, and her pupils were little more than slits. “On this night, she searches… aaaaall around…” The image flapped its wings, lifting off into the air above the group and raising a foreleg above its eyes. It moved from student to student, creating a number of yelps among them. “But if she doesn’t see anyone, she’ll move on. We have to be crafty in order to hide from her…” Smolder, wearing a poofy blue dress with yellow trim, put her claws on her hips. “So that’s why you had us put on these stupid costumes?” Gallus looked back at the orange dragon, hiding his beak as he laughed. “You know, you didn’t have to dress up!” Smolder recoiled a little, finding some redness in her cheeks. “Yeah, well… I… didn’t know that, and I was already in the outfit, so I just came out anyway!” The Griffon shrugged. “Whatever you say.” “”But hiding from her sight still isn’t enough…” The Princess continued, twisting her head to move the image of Nightmare Moon. It flew ahead of them, taking a wide stance with a fanged grin. “Like it or not, Nightmare Moon is still a Princess, and you’d do well to pay her the proper respect!” The imagestepped closer to the group, growing larger and looming over them. “You must pay a sweet tribute to sate her hunger, or else…” The students stared up at the looming mare, their pupils shrinking with each step it took. “And… w-w-what if we don't have a t-tribute?” Silverstream wondered, raising a defensive wing. Twilight’s smile widened as more power flowed from her horn. The image of Nightmare Moon reared back, rising to the air. “Oh, that’s not a problem…” She stated. “If you don’t offer the tribute…” The image dove at the students, opening its maw. “YOU BECOME THE TRIBUTE!!!” The students each gave off terrified screams, covering their heads as the magical construct enveloped them. It dispersed into a magenta magical mist as the professor that created it went into hysterical laughter, soon joined by the other pony in the group. Yona, Gallus, Silverstream, Ocellus, and Smolder raised their heads, looking to the laughing ponies. A mild glare came from the dragon as they all stood up. “That was supposed to be funny? I was terrified!” The reptile spat, putting her claws on her hips. “That’s part of the fun of Nightmare Night!” Sandbar explained. He stepped up beside his draconic friend, putting his hoof around her. “We get to go around and get scared, but there’s no real danger! Everyone is safe, and we all have a good laugh afterwards.” Smolder pushed the hoof off of her, turning her back to the Earth Pony. “That’s not how dragons do fear. We’re used to fear only when our lives are in real danger! No dragon would ever pull a stunt like this!” “Maybe that’s because no dragon can pull a stunt like this!” Ocellus suggested. She brought her hoof forward, waving it in the magical mist around the group. “This spell is really impressive, though. Does magic normally linger like this?” Twilight looked at the mist, her curiosity taking hold as she repeated the Changeling’s gesture. “Now that you mention it, I’ve never had magic do this before… Usually, when I’ve finished a spell, it just goes away.” The mist began swirling around them, moving to the edge of the group farthest from the Princess and returning to the form it had initially taken, keeping its back to them. Its mane flowed in a wind that didn’t exist, showing an air of cool confidence. “Are you… Nightmare Moon?” Different words at varying pitches came at them from all directions at once, each showing playful laughter or mocking. After a few moments, they began to coalesce in the image of Nightmare Moon in a tone that ran familiar in Twilight’s ears. “I wouldn’t be so sure about the Moon part…” It looked back at them, revealing itself to have Discord’s head in place of the one Twilight had initially given it. “But I can certainly give you some nightmares if you’d like!” “What the…?” Twilight jumped back, the mere sight of the Draconequus betraying her expectations. “Discord? What are you doing?!” “Having a little fun, of course!” He trotted to the middle of the group, sneaking a look at his misty magenta haunches. “Be honest, does this color make me look fat? I’ve always loved it, but it doesn’t do a thing for me!” Twilight’s hoof made almost immediate contact with her face as Silverstream flew over to Discord. “You’re that creature that was messing with the school during the scavenger hunt, right? Discord?” Discord gave the Hippogriff a broad smile. “Why, yes! But your teacher is beginning to look annoyed, so I’d best be off. Toodles!” He gave Twilight a fond wave putting his hoof in his mouth and blowing into it. His head began to inflate like a balloon, his eyes, horns, and fangs bulging out until there was a loud pop and a white flash, leaving small wisps of the magenta magic in an otherwise empty space. Twilight groaned with exasperation, performing her well-practiced calming breath. “You all go enjoy the celebration. I’m going to go make sure Discord’s ‘fun’ doesn’t hurt anyone.” She gave them a farewell wave of her wing, lighting her horn once more and vanishing in a flash of her own. Gallus shrugged, giving his friends a cocky quirk of the eyebrows. “So, we gonna get some candy, or not?” The golden-armored Princess galloped through Ponyville, looking around for any signs of something amiss. Finding herself in the town plaza, she settled into a walk. A thought of whether or not she was overreacting had begun to furnish in her mind. Too often before had she assumed the worst of the chaos spirit. Just because Discord was in town on Nightmare Night, that didn’t necessarily mean he was planning to cause mayhem. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Plus, now that she had set her students loose on the holiday, she found herself with an abundance of free time, and in the best possible place to capitalize on it. “Okay, so where do I start?” She trotted on with a spring in her step, eagerly looking at the various games. “Hey, Twilight! Wanna bob for apples?” Pinkie Pie’s squeak called from the crowd. The Alicorn looked around, laying eyes on a gray-coated Earth Pony mare in a blue dress with a black belt. She had a straight, uniform-cut, purple mane and tail, and had blue eyes that were accented by black eyeliner and eyeshadow in the same color as her mane. She stood next to what looked like a patchwork boulder, completely expressionless. Twilight trotted over to the mare, waving a greeting wing. “Oh! Hi, Maud. Did you just hear Pinkie Pie? I could've sworn I just heard her.” Maud hid her muzzle behind her hoof, a quiet giggle coming from behind it. Twilight pursed her lips, eyeing the mare with a furrowed brow. “Maud? Are you okay?” Another giggle sounded from the Pie sister, her eyes clenching shut as it intensified. “Is she in the… Is that a boulder costume?” Twilight investigated the patchwork rock, looking over the stitching to see if she could find an opening. Finally, a great guffaw exploded out of the usually stoic mare, her voice giving away her identity in an instant. “I can’t take it anymore! Twilight, it’s me!” She removed what Twilight had perceived as her mane, the classic poofy Pinkie mane inflating outwards from within as her expression returned to its default state. Twilight recoiled, giving her friend a second, then a third, look just to be sure. “Pinkie?! You mean your costume is…” “It’s Maud!” She finished, throwing her forelegs aside as the wig fell back into place. “She and Rarity helped me put it all together!” She turned around, pulling up the skirt of her dress to reveal a rock mark. “They even did the Cutie Mark!” “... Pinkie…” Came a muffled, slightly annoyed voice from inside the patchwork boulder. A flap opened up in the side, letting a head identical to the one Pinkie was disguised as. “Don’t go pulling up skirts like that…” Twilight facehoofed, magically lowering Pinkie’s skirt and turning to the genuine Maud. “Sorry about that. I like your costume! What kind of rock are you?” Maud slowly blinked, bringing out a hoof that held a rock that looked similar to her costume. “... Boulder. Do you see the resemblance?” She held her pet up, letting the Princess examine it. Admittedly, the features of the costume were remarkably accurate to the source material, save for the openings that allowed the wearer inside. Maud brought the rock back over, holding it close to her flat face. “... Twinsies.” “Technically, you’re not really twins, as you weren’t born at the same time.” Came another muffled voice from within the costume. The corners of Maud’s mouth turned up slightly at the correction. “But, as we do look just like him, it is appropriate terminology.” Twilight jumped back a few inches, walking around the costume to try and find the source. “Was that… Mudbriar?” Maud returned Boulder to its usual spot, standing up with her legs poking out under the costume. Her legs were quickly joined by another set in a lighter shade of gray. “... It’s a two-pony costume.” The Alicorn blinked, moving from a confused gawk to a smile. “Oh. Well, it’s good to see you!” She turned to what she knew now was Pinkie Pie. “Now, you said soemthing about bobbing for--” Her sentence was cut off by the scream of a pony near the apple bobbing, drawing her attention to the location with wide eyes. “... --pples?” At the source of the scream, there was a pony in a Daring Do costume leaning over the tub of apples, slowly beginning to back away. “There’s… worms… Weird worms in the apples!” The mare shouted, scrambling her hooves to turn and run. Following her, a giant earthworm crawled out of the tub with an oversized apple around its midsection. It made its way towards the mare, growing a pair of eyes and smiling maliciously. “You win! You win! You win!” It repeated, followed by more worms of the same ilk crawling out after other ponies. The laughter from before quickly turned into screams as ponies began running away in panic. “On second thought…” Pinkie began, looking at the screaming throngs. “Maybe we shouldn’t bob for apples…” Yet more screaming pierced the ponies’ ears, drawing their attention to the pumpkin catapults. The pumpkins in question had obtained glowing eyes and jagged mouths. They began to cackle at the ponies around them, growing legs made of vines and bounding after them. Twilight’s features began to sour, getting an idea for what exactly was going on. Another scream caught her attention just a few seconds later, with sounds of whipping and screaming calling her attention. Spider webs had begun to form between lamp posts, with the spiders in question shooting webs at random ponies running about, pulling them into them. As one hit the middle, two of the spiders approached one another. Performing a high five as if they had just won a game. Twilight narrowed her eyes, twitching her ears every which way. One thing she had made sure to learn from her husband was how to attune her listening to find something specific. In this case, her target was laughter. Hysterical, chaotic laughter. It didn’t take her long to find the source, with a boisterous laugh coming from behind a stand of caramel apples. A particular eagle talon would frequently stretch around, plucking one of the treats from the display and momentarily interrupting the laughter. She trotted behind the stand, finding Discord, engorged on caramel apples and covered with sticks. “Having fun?” The Princess inquired, doing her best to rival Fluttershy’s Stare. Discord tossed away what remained of his latest treat, looking lazily at his Alicorn friend. “Oh, you have no idea, Twilight!” He strenuously sat up, looking over the stand at the chaos he’d caused. “What better way to play with games than to have the games play back?” Twilight flew to the point where she was level with the Draconequus’ face, motioning to the screaming masses. “How is this fun?! Can’t you see how terrified they are?” Discord smirked, sending her a coy glance. “But none of them are being hurt. Besides, isn’t having fun being scared the whole point of Nightmare Night?” The armored Alicorn’s jaw hung open, dividing her attention between the chaos and its representative. “You’re… not wrong. But this is still too much! Don’t you have something better you can do for Nightmare Night?” Discord’s paw rose to his beard, thoughtfully stroking it. “You know, there is one thing I wanted to do this Tuesday… I haven’t been able to do it, yet, though.” “Well, why don’t you see if you can go do that?” She suggested, bringing her hooves to her hips. Discord pulled back the fur on his arm, checking his many wristwatches for the time. “Well, I suppose it has been a while since I checked… I’ll go do that!” As the chaos spirit made ready to snap himself away, Twilight wrapped his paw in her magic. “Before you go…” A light flickered back on in Discord’s mind, forcing his gaze back to the frightened festivities. “Oh, yes, of course.” He snapped his claws, creating myriad flashes of light that returned everything to normal while he vanished from sight. Twilight wiped her forehead, letting out a relieved sigh. “Phew… Glad that’s over!” Discord appeared above Fluttershy’s cottage in his typical flash, sharply inhaling to take in the pleasant atmosphere. It had been some time since he was shooed away, and he was ready to hear their apologies for their blatantly rude behavior. He landed by the door, reaching forward to knock, but found himself lingering. A loud, familiar snore rang in his ears. He crossed his arms, poking his head through the door.. The source of the snoring became obvious, as a thoroughly passed out Boltsinger lay with an equally tuckered Nova draped over his barrel on Fluttershy’s couch. The owner of the home stepped up beside the couch, pulling a blanket along with her. “Oh, you two are just so precious, all tuckered out…” She draped the blanket over them, pulling it into place and planting a ginger kiss on the each pony’s forehead. “You’ve made this the very best Nightmre Night of my whole life!” A whistling went off in Discord’s mind. All of the anger he’d tried to keep down before had finally boiled over. He pulled his head back, turning from the door and stomping away from the abode. “The very best? Of her whole LIFE?!” He clenched his claws, holding them next to his head. “And what’s with the blanket and all the… the… smooching?! She’s never done that with me before! Why do they get that kind of treatment when I never have?!” A flash of orange entered his mind, turning his face a deep shade of red. “He wanted me to go and enjoy Nightmare Night, after all… Let’s go enjoy it, then!” He reared back, whipping the ground with his tail to leave a small crater beneath him. “I’ll give them a Nightmare Night they’ll never forget!” Twilight wandered through town, smiling at the fillies and colts running around and getting candy from the residents. There were a lot of spooky costumes, if not from the foals, than from the grown ponies guiding them. Ghosts, mummies, a few instances of Frankenstag’s Monster, with quite a few convincing iterations of Timberwolves. She brought her wing up over her eyes, scanning the horizon for familiar faces. “Applejack said she and the girls would be taking the CMC’s around here… I wonder what costumes they decided to wear.” From out of one house, a set of six ponies trotted into view. The foals were in full costume. One wore a primitive-looking brown vest with similar leg wrappings. There was a circular sheet of metal hanging from what looked like a belt. There were white head and tail bands around an orange mane and tail, but somehow the yellow coat and shield emblem Cutie Mark seemed a little off. Especially due to the fact that this was a filly with a beard. Another of the foals had something that looked like an artificial blowing in her mane, and wore a blue tunic that looked remarkably worn with a flower gracing the collar, again, the coat color and Cutie Mark threw her off, having a similar shield emblem and a pure white coat. Finally, the last of the foals wore silver armor with a red cape that had ample room for her little wings to poke through. She sported a helm with a red mohawk, and there was a bronze shield on her back, held tight by her wings. The mares accompanying them were more simply dressed. One looked like she belonged right at home in the Mighty Helm, with another looking like an old soldier. Finally, there was another in a gorgeous black dress with red trim and a thick black veil. The fillies turned towards the Princess, smiles lighting up their faces as their trot became a canter. “Twilight!” The Pegasus started, coming to a stop in front of her. She brought up the bag that hung from her neck, showing it to be filled to the brim with candy. “Check it out! Major haul, right?” Twilight smiled down at the treats. “Very impressive, Scootaloo! And I love your costumes! She looked over at what she knew was Apple Bloom, whose bag was likewise full. “We’ve got Rockhoof…” Looking at Sweetie Belle, her smile deepened. “Mistmane…” She finally settled her eyes back on Scootaloo, reaching out and shaking the helmet the orange filly wore. “And none other than Flash Magnus! Any better, and I’d have mistaken you for the real thing!” “I do pride myself on authenticity, after all!” The veiled mare bragged, magically pulling the facial obstruction away to reveal the radiance that was Rarity. “They got the approval of the genuine articles!” “And I take it you’re supposed to be Sable Spirit?” Twilight asked, pointing at her friend’s dress. “Quite right!” The Unicorn confirmed. “Much more appealing than a couple of soldiers, if you ask me!” The armored cyan Pegasus huffed. “I’m supposed to be Colonel Ironhead!” “An’ I’m… someone… from the Mighty Helm!” Applejack added, pointing at her helmet. “They were really important!” “Yes, yes, they all did wonderful things.” The fashionista admitted, starting back on her way. “But that doesn’t make them any more stylish, now does it?” Twilight, Rainbow, and Applejack simultaneously rolled their eyes, following the cocky couturier down the road. “Honestly, all of the costumes tonight have been impressive.” The Alicorn said, admiring the quality of the disguises. She pointed her hoof at a particularly wispy ghost costume. “I mean, look at that ghost over there! It looks so…” Upon closer inspection, she found that it looked entirely too… “... real... “ Her mind drifted to the worst case scenario as the parents around the street began to scream, the moon turning redder than Big Mac’s coat. “Not again…” A dark laugh filled the air as the ghosts swirled around a focal point. Timberwolves stepped up beside the coalescence, with the Frankenstag monsters taking a position to stand guard. “Let the true Nightmare Night…” The disharmonious voice called out in an off-putting minor chord. In an eerie black shadow that formed from a singular point, the shape of Discord came into being, wearing a dark red formal shirt under a pitch-black vest, his features more vicious and angular, and his eyes nearly as sinister as the day they first met. “... BEGIN!!!” Several of what was once a costumed pony walked past the group, converging on Discord’s location. Twilight ran over to one of them, a slow-moving pony mummy, grabbing onto its shoulders. She looked into its eyes, finding nothing staring back at her. “This… This isn’t right…” She spun around to face the Draconequus, ascending to the sky and putting on her warface. “DISCORD!!!” Discord snaked his way through the air to meet the Princess of Friendship. “Yeeeeees?” “Turning ponies into their costumes?! What the heck do you think you’re doing?!” “Didn’t you just say it? I don’t see why I should explain when you clearly know already.” The furious mare gave a furious snort, glaring into his eyes from less than an inch away. “That’s not what I meant!” Her horn flared to life, threatening to let its contents explode out at the chimera. “Why are you doing this?! I thought you were better than this!” “Am I, though?” He asked, letting his eyes glow. “I don’t seem to be good enough for my friends anymore!” He snapped his claws, vanishing into the distance with vampire batponies, ghosts, and other creatures all appearing between the two of them. “Why don’t we play a little game? You catch me, and I’ll undo all of this and do whatever you want!” “What are you talking about?!” She shot forward, darting from side to side as some of the transformed ponies dove at her. “You’ve done so well over the years! Earned everypony’s trust!” “Then why don’t you let me care for Nova?” He retorted, waving his arms like a maestro while the un-altered ponies below screamed in panic. “Why can’t I be with Fluttershy tonight, on a Tuesday, for the get-together we enjoy every SINGLE WEEK?!” He raised his arms, directing the flyers to surround her. “That’s what this is about?! Because you didn’t get to go for tea with Fluttershy?!” She braced herself, searching her surroundings for an opening. Finding none to be seen, she lit her horn, beginning her spell. “Knock… it… OFF!!!” Releasing the magic, the ponies surrounding the Princess disappeared with a flash that lit up the sky like fireworks. Fluttershy sat in her cottage, reading a book on the floor next to her couch. Her wing was extended, in the grip of the baby nestled next to his father. She let out a smiling sigh, admitting to herself that it had been a long time since she had felt so content. It even felt for an instant that the room was awash with a kind of magical magenta light. A very… familiar… magical magenta light. “Wait a minute… Twilight?” She closed her book, running to the window to find the sky had turned red, with a purple streak flying around in the distance. “Oh my gosh!” She rushed back to the couch, shaking Boltsinger as forcefully as she could manage. “Boltsinger, wake up! Something’s happening to Twilight in town!” “Huh…? What about Twilight?” He replied, rubbing the sleep from his opening eyes. “What’s going on?” “I don’t know, but the sky is red, and Twilight is flying like she’s fighting something!” Boltsinger looked at the mare with a sense of disbelief. “You’re kidding, right?” He picked up the snoring foal, walking to the window and dropping his jaw. “Well, this has been a lovely visit, can’t wait to do it again sometime!” He draped the baby carrier over him, carefully putting Nova in place and running to the door. “I’ve gotta go! Happy Nightmare Night!” He made a quick wave of his wing, reaching for the knob. As he opened the door, Fluttershy stepped up next to him. “I’m going, too!” Another look of disbelief went from the stallion to the mare, his ears picking up several monstrous sounds in the distance. “Are you sure? It’s sounds like a Nightmare Night nightmare out there…” “That doesn’t matter.” She stated, stepping forward and digging her hoof into the dirt. “Twilight might need my help out there, and there’s no telling what happened to Discord!” Boltsinger looked into the eyes of the kindest pony he knew, finding a soft determination in the blue depths. If Fluttershy, of all ponies, was this determined, then he had no reason to tell her otherwise. “Okay, then. Let’s go!” He dragged his hoof on the ground, going to a gallop towards town. The Pegasi skidded to a stop at the edge of town, spotting ponies running and screaming with monstrous creatures chasing after them. “So… question…” Fluttershy swallowed a large lump in her throat, looking at the multitudes of monsters ahead. “Um… Yes…?” “Call me inexperienced, but… how often does Ponyville get monster attacks?” “I… um… I don’t know… It’s really only happened… maybe twice?” She brought herself low, holding her hooves up to her head. “I knew it was going to be frightening but…” Boltsinger put his hoof on her back, patting it gently. “The fact that you’ve come this far is plenty. I won’t ask you to do more than you can take. Except… one little thing.” He lifted Nova out of his carrier, holding him closer to the mare. “Could you keep an eye on Nova?” Fluttershy slowly nodded, taking the colt in her forelegs as his eyes began to open. “What are you going to do?” The orange Pegasus removed his saddlebag, turning towards the town and flaring his wings. “I’m gonna see what my wife is up to!” He leaped into the air, shooting off at the purple streak in the reddened sky. Fluttershy looked on at the streak the stallion had become, letting a mild flush onto her cheeks as a shadow began to loom over her. The dodge-fest in the sky continued, with Twilight proving just how deft she had become over the years. “Discord, please! Quit this stunt and listen to me!” “And why should I do that?” The Draconequus retorted, lazily waving a single claw as the creatures continued their routine. “You still haven’t won our little game!” The fury on the Princess’ face was beginning to stick as her horn lit up once more. “It stopped being a game when you started transforming ponies into monsters!” She rose up several feet, going into a swooping dive that dramatically increased her velocity. “What do you think Fluttershy would say if she saw what was going on?” Discord scoffed, sending more of his minions into the Alicorn’s path, only for them to be teleported to the ground before they could get close. “What does it matter? It’s not like she wants to see me or anything! She’s with Bolt, doing things with the baby and having the best Nightmare Night EVER!!!” “Um… Discord?” A baritone began, tapping him on the back. “What’s going on?” Discord stopped cold, the monsters under his command dispersing about town. He craned his neck around, getting an eye full of the befuddled orange stallion looking up at him. “Bolt? You’re here?!” He put his claws on his shoulders, his angular features beginning to ebb as he looked hopefully at him. “Does this mean I can go have tea with Fluttershy, now?” Ever confused, Boltsinger tilted his head, his mane shifting with the movement and showing the softest of marks left by a mare’s kiss. The sight of the mark sent Discord’s eyes wide again, causing him to cross his arms and turn around in a huff. “On second thought, never mind! She probably doesn’t want to see me, anyway…” Twilight came to a stop just short of the chaos spirit, cocking her head to the side. “Bolt? What’s going on?” Boltsinger looked past the huffy magical Draconequus, smiling at his spouse. “Oh! Hi, honey! Great costume! And… Well, that was my question. I told Discord to try and enjoy himself tonight, but…” He looked down at the town. “I didn’t think he’d take it this far…” Twilight’s jaw dropped, raising her hoof to point at her husband. “You mean you… suggested… that he come out tonight of all nights?!” With a swift nod, Boltsinger looked back to her. “Yeah, Fluttershy was afraid he might scare Nova, and she had some solid reasoning. Besides, it’s not like we expected anything bad to--" A shrill scream pierced the ears of those in the sky, her voice unmistakable to those in the know. “FLUTTERSHY!” The three simultaneously shouted. With a flash of white, they were on the ground, where the mare in question was running from an enormous Cragadile, holding a crying Alicorn baby in her wings. Discord narrowed his eyes, snapping his claws one more time. With that one, simple action, the monsters had vanished, replaced with the ponies they were. One particular colt with a brown mane and a white coat that festured brown markings stumbled from the gallop he found himself in, tumbling a ways forward until he stopped against Discord’s reptilian leg. Cheers erupted through the town about how fun it was to be the costume, but he paid them no mind, grinding his teeth and turning to Boltsinger and rising to his full height against the now-normal night sky. “You… brought her… HERE?!” The stallion’s wings began to sieze up, snapping to his sides as he began to shuffle his hooves. “Now, I know this seems bad, but… She wanted to come and help everypony!” “And you didn’t stop her?!” Discord growled, bringing his glowing eyes forward to glare at him. Twilight stomped her hoof, stepping forward and putting her wing on the Draconequus. “Let me handle this, Discord.” She sent the chaos spirit a fierce glare. “You and I have lots to discuss, but first…” She turned her glare back to her cowering husband. “So, from what I gather, you started this whole thing!” Boltsinger’s shaking turned into a vibrate, slowly attempting to back away from the mare as she made her slow, deliberate approach. “Now, honey, I’ll have you know I did nothing wrong, here!” He sent her a weak smile through chattering teeth. “Discord was just… being Discord!” The approach continued, Twilight’s eyes boring into him like a dragon’s teeth through gems. His attempts at composure fell away, the fear turning him around to scramble away as the immobilization struck. “Please, don’t… Please!” Twilight turned around, trotting past Fluttershy. “Could you watch Nova for a little while longer? I need to have a talk with my husband…” Fluttershy nodded, patting the foal on the head. “Of course, Twilight.” “Thank you.” The Alicorn continued on, her frozen spouse’s hooves dragging through the dirt. “So, Fluttershy?” Discord started, drawing the mare’s attention. “I owe you a… Well… You know…” The Kindness bearer extended her hoof, placing it just above her chaotic friend’s nose. “I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have sent you off without thinking of how you’d feel about it.” She took a look around, remembering the scary visions she had seen with a shudder. “If I had known you’d be so upset, I’d have thought it over more thoroughly! I know you’re more sensitive than you let most ponies see.” She gave Nova a hug, getting a giggle out of him. “Just like this wittle guy here! You’re just a little softie, aren’t you?” Discord smiled at the sight before him, feeling an all-too-familiar warmth build up inside as he laid down on all fours. “So… Could I, maybe… hold the baby? Just this once?” Fluttershy ceased her nuzzling, looking in tandem with Nova at Discord. The colt gave the Draconequus a smile and a laugh, extending his forelegs out to him. Fluttershy beamed in kind, scooting closer and passing the foal along. “Of course you can!” All the while, a pained scream like none had heard before emanated from the castle at the edge of town, sending the townsponies back into the Nightmare Night spirit as the celebration continued.