//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Costumes // Story: Nightmare Night // by Dreadnought //------------------------------// In the Cutiemark Crusader Clubhouse, the three founding members gathered in eager anticipation of the night's festivities. Apple Bloom cheered, "Ah cain't believe it's finally Nightmare Night!" Scootaloo added, "We've been waiting all year. Parties and super sweet treats that will give us sugar highs!" Sweetie Belle addressed the group, "Okay girls, before we lose focus, let's go over our checklist. Apple Bloom, do you have our candy baskets?" "Right here!" she said, raising three extremely large decorated baskets. "And did you bring your scooter for hauling all our candy?" Scootaloo eagerly nodded, "It's parked outside." Sweetie Belle raised a map. "And I created a timetable and map to hit the best houses in town and maximize our haul!" Apple Bloom laughed, "Are you sure you're not Twilight's sister?" "Great! All we have to do now is to get into our costumes." The three fillies stared at each other. "So Sweetie Belle, when is Rarity coming with our costumes?" asked Scootaloo. "Rarity!" gasped Sweetie Belle. "Apple Bloom said her family had a lot of leftover costumes from previous Nightmare Nights!" "Y'all wanted our old costumes? Ah think we're using 'em all fer scarecrows at the corn maze." "Wait," interjected Scootaloo, "are you saying that we don't have any costumes for tonight!? What are we going to do? We can't go out on Nightmare Night as ourselves!" Knock! Knock! Apple Bloom trotted over and opened the door. "Are you three in need of some help?" asked Discord. "It's Nightmare Night and we can't go trick or treating!" cried Scootaloo. Discord grinned. "You're in luck! I can help you with that." He produced three vials of a bubbling green liquid. "Drink this." "What's that?" asked Apple Bloom. "Oh just a potion that will allow you to go out tonight for trick or treating." The three fillies eyed him suspiciously. "What's the catch?" asked Sweetie Belle. The draconequus was taken aback. "Why, I was just trying to help out some friends, but if you don't want to enjoy yourselves this evening - " "Give them here!" declared Scootaloo. The three girls paused for a moment, then popped the corks and downed the liquids. They stood there, waiting for something to happen. "What's supposed to happen?" asked Sweetie Belle. "Ah feel kinda funny," said Apple Bloom, clutching her barrel. Suddenly, they let out piercing shrieks. Apple Bloom became orange, with black stripes appearing while her hooves changed into paws. Sweetie Belle turned gray and grew a second horn. Scootaloo lost all her limbs but gained scales and a forked tongue she flicked about the air. "Now you can go trick or treating!" said Discord. "Well, Ah guess this will work. Let's go!" declared Apple Bloom. The three girls struggled to move. They glanced over to the mirror and let out new screams as they saw they had been transformed into a chimera. Sweetie Belle sighed, "I know the three of us are close, but this is ridiculous!" In the background, Discord chuckled as he altered the sign to read: Cutiemark Crusader's Clubhouse of Horror.