//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: What Will You Be for Nightmare Night? 
// Story: The Nightmare Night Fiasco 
// by Musical_theatre_demon 
//------------------------------//



It was a Tuesday afternoon and all of the fillies and colts in Cheerilee's class were excited about the Nightmare Night party at school tomorrow, especially Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. All the students were discussing who they would dress up as and how much candy they were going to get trick-or-treating. 

"Say, Apple Bloom, who are you gonna be this year?" Sweetie Belle asked. 

"I can't say I've given it much thought," Apple Bloom replied. 

"What!?" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle cried in unison, "Nightmare Night is tomorrow!" 

"I was thinkin' y'all could help me," said Apple Bloom. 

"I don't know," said Sweetie Belle, "I already know what I'm going as!" 

"And what's that?" Scootaloo asked. 

"A demon fairy!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. 

"You know Rarity would never approve of that," said Scootaloo.

"Dang!" Sweetie Belle said, "Then I guess a regular fairy!" 

"What about you, Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom asked, "Who're you gonna dress up as?" 

"Dang, beats me," Scootaloo said, "I guess I didn't give it much thought either." Then an idea hit her. "Those ghost stories that Rainbow Dash always tells around this time of year!" 

"What about 'em?" said Apple Bloom. 

"You know, I might as well be a ghost with a severed head!" Scootaloo said. 

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle shuddered. 

"Nice costume choice, Scootaloo," a filly said. 

The Cutie Mark Crusaders turned around to see who the voice was coming from. It was none other than Cozy Glow. 

"Oh, hey, Cozy Glow," Scootaloo said, "Thanks. Who are you being?" 

"Little Red Riding Hood of course!" Cozy Glow exclaimed. 

Apple Bloom, without thinking, trotted up to Cozy Glow. "I'm the only one who doesn't have a costume idea! It ain't fair!" 

"It's OK, Apple Bloom," Cozy said, "Do you want to be the Big Bad Wolf?" 

"Sounds like fun!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. 

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo shook their heads frantically in response. 

"What's wrong with you two? It doesn't matter what you dress up as," Apple Bloom said, "If Mom and Dad were still here, they'd bust your flanks! You can be anything you want on Nightmare Night and I'm not lettin' you tellin' me how to live my life!" 

Her friends sighed. 

"She's got a point," Sweetie Belle said. 

"No kidding," Scootaloo said, "It's not just her not knowing her parents for very long." Scootaloo's eyes welled up with tears. "Or in my case, not ever." 

Sweetie Belle hugged Scootaloo. "Don't cry, Scootaloo. It's gonna be OK."

Scootaloo sniffed, hugging Sweetie Belle back. "Thanks, Sweetie Belle," she said, wiping her tears with her hoof. 

"You're welcome," Sweetie Belle said. 

Then the bell rang a few minutes later, all the students racing excitedly out of the schoolhouse. After everypony had left, only Cozy Glow, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo remained. The four friends looked at each other in silence. Scootaloo was the one to break that silence. 

"Why don't you come over to Rainbow Dash's with me? I can't wait to hear some awesome ghost stories!" Scootaloo said. 

Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Cozy Glow shared a quick glance at each other, thinking. 

"We're good," they said eventually. 

"Suit yourselves, then," Scootaloo said, "I'm heading home." 

So she trotted to Rainbow Dash's house while the other three went their separate ways.