The long-awaited date of the Nightmare Festival is fast approaching, and all of Equestria seems to be preparing for this night full of horror.
While the mayor and a number of ponies help decorate the town on both sides, the rest of the inhabitants are either busy with their costumes or preparing for the harvest of the youngest ones who will be knocking on their doors.
No doubt, everyone is preparing for it, even the Apple family has been able to get a head start with the help of the elements of friendship to get a few days off. Everybody is smiling in these festive times, and it's not about to leave anytime soon.
Our friends meet in the middle of the market to make their choice of disguise and style, except for Rarity, who has carefully made her outfit out of fabric. But as they exchanged ideas, Rainbow Dash, who already had her costume from last year ready at home, noticed something on the hill in front of the market.
At the top of that hill was an entrance to Everfree Forest, so no one was going that way, but the opposite might be possible. And that's exactly what happened right now. From the top of the steep slope, the Pegasus saw six silhouettes slowly walking down the hill, casting their gigantic shadows due to the inclination of the sun.
Their shadows darkened the whole road, making them hardly notice the other ponies, and soon the whole market was staring at the strangers.
It is difficult to describe them physically from a distance, and in addition to the six of them wearing a black coat that looked like it was made of leather, they also had a variety of different shaped suitcases hanging from their necks.
"Who are they?" asked the princess without taking her eyes off them, their presence was both heavy with her attire, but as intoxicating as possible.
They continued their steady steps, and couldn't distinguish anything from the ends of their bodies. They all had a colourless mane of grey and white, surely a colouration to show their connection, though their coats varied between the darkest black and the most sparkling white. But once they set foot on the ponyville ground, all eyes were on the stallion at the head of the line.
His coat covered by his visibly heavy coat seemed almost golden, impossible to see his beauty mark like this. On the other hand, there was one thing that did not go unnoticed in him, his eyes, those cyan blue pupils similar to the clearest sky made us want to dive into it.
Damn, the day of the lovers had long passed, but that did not prevent most of the mares present from wanting to jump on the foreigner with the captivating look. Rarity smiled and her eyes shone without her being able to stop, only Pinkie pie and Applejack seemed to keep their usual smiling faces.
And admiring the lack of reaction from the locals, he was the first to speak up.
"Well, we must have made a big impression to cut you off like that!" exclaimed the stallion, smiling and raising an eyebrow, running his head slightly.
Realizing only now, Twilight was forced to shake his head frantically to get back to her, he found her cute.
"Uh yes... welcome to Ponyville, where are you from?" Asked the princess as she stood by her friends.
The stallion reacted to get closer and closer to her interlocutor, noticing her slight blush and her fleeting look. He appreciated it.
"From different places." he replied. "We are moving musicians who feast and our road has brought us here in these festival times." he said, raising his hoof, each mare following him with her eyes. "Would you be interested in a few pieces? "
The stallion's proposal could only have one possible answer, of course no one was going to refuse such an atypical and intoxicating band. But every lip remained closed, waiting for the Princess' answer, having started the conversation.
"YOU ARE A MUSIC GROUP, THAT'S SO COOL!" Unrestrainedly released the cyan pegasus, causing the stallion to take a little more interest in her.
He passed in front of Twilight who had to hold back from falling, damn it, her smell was just the opposite of the Everfree forest he had just passed through, sweet and intoxicating. He passed his hoof over the neck of the cyan pegasus, pulling her against him, she let him, he appreciated more and more this town.
"If you give us enough encouragement, maybe I'll let you sing with me!" He said, followed by a wink to him, many a mare dreaming of being in the place of the cyan pegasus.
She was also blushing, he didn't even appreciate it at this stage, he was seriously thinking of settling here and living a life of debauchery, between total harem and invigorating passion. Until he felt a hoof resting on his coat, touching the garment with passion. He turned around and noticed a white unicorn admiring the garment's workmanship.
"Did you do this?" she asked without taking her eyes off this work of art, as she had never seen such material before.
"He's our drummer, you can ask him, but before that." he said as he left the contact of the two mares, returning to his group. "We're gonna give you the best night of your life!" he says with conviction.
"YIPI, IT'S A PARTY!" The candy-pink mare screamed into the crowd.
"It's more than a party, IT'S YOUR PARTY, PONYVILLE PONIES!!!" He shouted with motivation, raising his wings from his clothes on the ground and rushing into the village square.
His rapid flight could only be admired by Rainbow Dash, who had a look sharp enough to follow him as he flew right over her. Soon, her group followed, as did the rest of the spectators, forgetting their current task to focus on the newcomers. Arriving on the raised square that usually serves as the mayor's, she found herself in the crowd, asking for the show to begin like approximately everyone else, mare and stallion already acceding to them.
It was in a few seconds that each one took out a musical instrument, going from drums to portable piano, from violin to oversized bass, and of course to the conductor's electric guitar. They even had with them two sound amplifiers that the two unicorns of the band made appear on both sides of the stage.
The young Pegasus took a microphone out of his compartment, placed it at his height and began to speak.
"Stallions and Ponyville mares, thank you for your warmest welcome." he began with admiration. 3You offer us the comfort of your splendid living place, so we decided to thank you in turn. The sun is setting giving way to night but the calm of the place is far from returning now, because you are going to spend the best party of your life in our company." he said, clutching the hoof around the microphone. "WE ARE THE ROCKS, AND WITH US, EXPECT TO STAY AWAKE ALL THE WAY!!"
It was with this last speech that they began to synchronize and play at a hell of a pace. The stallion who always attracted all eyes still kept them, since in addition to playing on both hind legs, keeping his balance, he also sang wonderfully, the cheers never ceasing to rain down on him.
They were so unknown less than an hour ago, and now they are all together for an exceptional night. While Pinkie pie is preparing a very well organised last-minute buffet, the rest of the town is dancing and shouting at the band, as if they were known all over Equestria.
Some people particularly like the rock, and he soon noticed this rainbow-maned pegasus raging on the dance floor. In the middle of the track, he doesn't hesitate to throw a few random winks in the crowd, almost making those who notice him and think he's meant for them faint.
The party goes on and no one gets tired, especially not Rainbow Dash, eagerly awaiting the moment when she goes on stage. It is while thinking about it that she notices a free hoof above her, the stallion's one, looking at her intensely.
It's now, she thought. While others tried their chances, only the lucky Pegasus managed to catch the guitarist's hoof, bringing him to the stage with a jerk.
The rest of the show is with Rainbow Dash who manages to keep up with the lyrics, singing with him in the same microphone, giving him proud expressions of his choice.
Even in the night, he still notices his blush, damn, it's full of hot mares here, let him think as he finishes a new song and greets the crowd with passion. Rainbow Dash did the same to her friends at Pinkie's food stand, not hiding her pride at being here, next to a stallion hotter than Celestia's sun.
And as she turned around to look him in the eye once more, she was surprised by her new accessory. He was now wearing a gas mask on his muzzle, his expression seemed empty now, we could no longer see his smile.
Nobody understood this choice, how could he still sing with it on his head? some thought. Is the show over already? others thought. The second option was the right one.
Without giving explanations, he slammed his hooves against the stage as a signal, and the show was over. The band's drummer reacted to his partner's call, playing a note on his drums before finally putting on his own gas mask, followed by the other band members.
As soon as they were all protected, the two amplifiers on the sides of the stage seemed to open, revealing the inside to everyone. A pipe was stored in each one, and soon a deafening noise preceded a green colored vapor, escaping from the boxes and spilling into the air.
In less than ten seconds, the whole city was covered with an ominous greenish cloud, and the first ponies fell. The gas was powerful, and anyone who breathed it had no control over his body, paralysis awaiting them. Some choking followed once the bodies fell steeply to the ground, and soon the city became a cemetery in appearance, even the forest seemed more welcoming.
The last to fall was the pegasus on stage, the stallion catching it in his right arm, still standing on his hind legs.
"What the..." she tried to say...
Before continuing his request, he placed his hoof over her mouth, preventing her from finishing. And as she fainted, he closed his eyes as if out of compassion for her fate.
"These mortals will always make me laugh."