The sun was just beginning to set as ponies left their houses dressed in elaborate costumes, ready to spend the evening having fun on Nightmare Night. Star and Bolt, both now 11 years old, were waiting downstairs dressed in their costumes; Bolt was wearing a Wonderbolt jumpsuit and Star was dressed as a vampire, complete with false fangs. They were currently waiting for their parents to come down in their own costumes, but Bolt was getting impatient as he tapped his hoof on the floor.
“Come on guys! If we don’t leave all the candy is going to be gone!” he shouted.
“Hold your horses Bolt, we’re coming,” Clay said as he made his way down the stairs.
Clay was dressed as his favorite fictional character Doctor Whooves - he wore a green neck tie and a large flowing brown coat, and just to make it complete he had a replica sonic screwdriver in his coat pocket. Firefly on the other hoof was dressed as Daring Do; save for her coat and mane she looked exactly like the heroine from the books.
“You guys look great!” Star said excitedly.
“Thanks, you guys look good too,” Clay replied.
“Yeah, yeah we all look good, now come on! Nightmare Night is starting!” Bolt said excitedly as he ran out the door.
“Bolt. I want you to stay with your sister tonight, do you hear me?” Firefly warned.
“But she’ll just slow me down!” Bolt whined.
“Bolt…” Clay said in a low tone.
“Fine… I promise to stay with Star this year,” the colt replied, slightly irritated.
“I won’t be a problem Bolt, I promise,” Star said as she walked over to her brother.
“And remember: no talking with strange ponies! Come meet us at the party when you’re both done getting candy,” Clay added.
“Sure, now let’s go before the other ponies get all the candy.”
“Bye Mom, bye Dad!” Star shouted as she ran off with her brother. Clay looked on silently as the two ponies vanished round the street corner.
“Honey, are you all right?” Firefly asked.
“They’re growing up so fast.” Clay sighed. “I remember when Star and Bolt were just foals and I had to walk them from house to house until they got too tired to walk any further. And now…” He paused. “Now they don’t even need me with them on Nightmare Night.” Clay lowered his head slightly.
“I know it’s hard sweetie, but you knew they couldn’t stay foals forever.” Firefly said as she nuzzled him slightly.
“I know… I just… I just wish I had more time; because pretty soon they won’t need us for anything anymore,” he said glumly.
“Well, we still have them for a little while longer. Now stop moping and let’s go have some fun, all right?” Clay nodded and followed her to the center of town, where the adult ponies would gather while the kids went door to door. As Clay and Firefly joined the festivities they met up with Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash.
“Hey, look who decided to join the fun!” Rainbow said to the others.
“Howdy Clay, hey Firefly!” Applejack said, waving them in.
“Hey girls,” Firefly replied.
“What are you supposed to be, Mom?” Clay asked.
“I’m a worker at the rainbow factory, see the color stains?” She wore a white coat that was speckled with colors of red, yellow, green, and orange.
“That’s not scary,” Clay stated.
“Well it’s about this old myth that if a pegasus doesn’t pass a flight test, they get sent to the rainbow factory.”
“Why there?”
“Ever wonder how the rainbows are made?” Dash said with a slightly wicked grin.
“Mom that’s… dark,” Clay said, slightly disturbed.
“It’s just a story Clay, relax! Nopony gets made into a rainbow because of a flight test!” she scoffed as the conversation shifted.
“Did the kids go get candy already?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah, they left a few minutes ago. We told them to stay together and to meet us here when they’re done,” Firefly answered.
“Where are the others?” Clay asked, looking around the group.
“Pinkie’s with the foals taking them around so they can get candy, Rarity wasn’t interested, and… well, you know how timid Fluttershy is on Nightmare Night,” Rainbow replied.
“So who in the hay are you supposed to be Clay? Some kind of noir detective?” Applejack asked.
“No, I’m Doctor Whooves.”
“Still the same after all these years,” Rainbow chuckled.
“Says the mare that still reads Daring Do,” Clay retorted.
“Well you can be my doctor any time,” Firefly said, giggling slightly.
All of a sudden a clap of thunder rang across the otherwise-clear sky, signalling that the guest of honor had arrived.
“Looks like Princess Luna has finally joined us!” Twilight said excitedly.
Sure enough, a large dark blue alicorn with a starry mane approached the crowd of ponies. Ever since her first arrival on Nightmare Night, Princess Luna had made a point of attending the town’s celebration each year.
“Citizens of Ponyville!” she said in a loud regal tone. “The Princess of the Night has arrived! Let us celebrate another year of fun and frights!” The crowd cheered as the nearby band began to play its traditional Nightmare Night theme.
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Some time had passed as Bolt and Star trotted through the streets, carrying their bags full of candy. Star looked around to see that all the houses that had been giving out candy now had their lights off.
“Maybe we should find Mom and Dad Bolt. It’s getting late and all the ponies are stopping.”
“No way! We’re on a roll this year and I still have some room in my bag.” Bolt looked around for any sign that someone was still giving out candy. “There has to be one house that’s still giving candy,” Bolt grumbled as he began to think that his sister was right.
“Come on Bolt, let’s just go home,” Star pleaded.
“I’m not ready to go back yet! Nightmare Night only comes once a year!” Bolt shouted.
“Bolt please, it’s been fun but I just want to go home now.” Bolt turned to his sister.
“What’s the matter? Scared?”
“No!” Star shouted, making her voice crack.
“Yes, you are! You’re scared!” Bolt said, smirking.
“I’m not scared!” Star whined.
As the two ponies bickered they heard a sound that made them fall silent. The street they were on was empty due to all the foals and their parents going to the center of Ponyville to enjoy the festivities with Princess Luna. Despite that, they heard the unmistakable sound of hoofsteps approaching them. Bolt and Star looked behind them to see who was walking their way, but saw no one there.
“Bolt… maybe we should get back to Mom and Dad,” Star said fearfully.
“Yeah… maybe we should,” Bolt agreed as they began heading to the center of town.
They started at a slow trot, trying to stay calm, yet their hearts filled with dread as the hoofsteps behind them grew louder. The two foals walked slightly faster, trying to reach their parents, but with each step they took the sound of the approaching pony grew louder and louder.
“Bolt…” Star whispered.
“Y-yeah…?” He replied.
“Remember when I said I wasn’t scared?” Bolt nodded. “I lied, I am scared… I want to go home.” She sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
“Me too,” Bolt admitted as they began to walk faster. Still, no matter how fast they walked, the approaching steps sounded closer than ever, until it sounded as though they were mere inches from the two. Finally, not able to stand it any longer, both Bolt and Star stopped. They slowly looked back and immediately regretted their decision. Standing behind them was a tall, hooded pony with red eyes that stared down at them.
The two foals were frozen with fear as the hooded pony continued to calmly regard them, until finally Bolt shouted “Run!” Without a second thought the two foals ran as fast as their little legs would go. However, before Star could get too far, she felt something yanking her back. She looked over her shoulder and saw that her cape was being held by a blue aura, keeping her firmly in place.
“Bolt! Help me!” Star screamed as she realized that she was stuck. Bolt turned around when he heard his sisters cry.
“Get away from my sister!” he shouted, galloping as fast as he could and ramming himself into the hooded stallion. All he accomplished however was to make the pony give a cold chuckle before trapping Bolt in a blue aura and flinging him away as if he were a rag doll. Star watched as her brother fell to the ground with a thud and lay there unconscious; the sight caused something to stir within her and her horn began to glow red even as the hooded unicorn continued to chuckle.
“Don’t… hurt… my… brother!” she shouted as loud as she could before turning to the unicorn and striking him with a blast of raw energy. The unicorn was thrown back, screaming in pain as he landed on the ground, his cloak singed and burning. He slowly got up as Star approached him, her horn still glowing with power and an expression of anger on her face. The stallion’s horn also began to glow with power as he readied himself to take on the small filly, only to flinch as voices became audible.
The stallion glared at Star with his red eyes, and vanished in a flash of blue a few seconds before Princess Luna and other ponies rounded the corner. “We heard sounds of conflict as far away as the town square! What has happened?” she enquired loudly.
Star smiled slightly, realizing she had saved her brother, but it was short lived as she suddenly felt weak and collapsed on the ground, falling into unconsciousness.
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Star slowly roused from her sleep, looking blearily around her to find that she was back in her room safe and sound. She raised her head and saw that her brother was asleep in his bed across from her; he had a bandage across his right temple. Her parents were nowhere to be seen, though, and that slightly worried her. She got up from her bed and trotted over to Bolt, smiling as she watched him sleep.
“Thank you little brother,” she whispered as she kissed his forehead.
The tender moment with her sibling was short-lived as noise erupted outside the house. She rushed to her bedroom window and pulled the blinds up to see what was going on, but when she did… she wished she hadn’t. For outside was destruction and chaos; houses were ablaze, and ponies ran and screamed in terror from a threat that was beyond her vision. Star watched in horror as Ponyville was completely destroyed before her very eyes. The only thing worse was when she saw her mother and father come into view, both of them injured and bloody.
“Mom! Dad!” she screamed, pounding on the glass, but they didn’t even notice her. Firefly flew to Clay’s side as he struggled to get to his four legs, only to see his wife struck with a ball of green energy that struck her to the ground… lifeless. “Mommy!” Star cried in horror as her eyes began to fill with tears. The nightmare didn’t stop as her father slowly dragged himself to his wife’s body, only to be struck with the same ball of energy that left him writhing in pain. “Daddy! No!” she screamed, pounding on the glass.
Clay simply lay where he was, too weak to move; he slowly lifted his head and came face to face with his attacker. A grey unicorn with a black mane split by a red stripe and red eyes, wearing a black cloak, stared him down with no pity or remorse for the stallion. The unicorn smirked as he charged his horn and ended the earth pony’s life.
Star now had tears flowing down her face as she saw her parents killed before her, shaking her head in denial of what was happening before her.
“This can’t be real… this just can’t be…” she cried as she continued to stare out the window. The grey unicorn looked up and smirked as he saw her and her visibly heartbroken state. “This can’t be real… this can’t be real…. This…” Star repeated as she shut her eyes, wishing for it all to be over. But no matter how hard she tried the nightmare continued; she opened her eyes to find herself facing the unicorn that had killed her parents. His red eyes bore into hers as she stared at him in fear, before the unicorn spoke in a low menacing tone.
“Staaaaarrrrrr,” he hissed as he approached her.
“Get away from me!” Star screamed, running for the door only to find it locked.
“Staaaaarrrrr,” he hissed again as he drew closer to the terrified filly.
“Stay away from me! Stay away please!” Star begged.
“Staaaaaarrrrrr,” the unicorn continued as headvanced until he was inches from her.
“Stop!” She screamed, releasing a violent burst of magic that shattered the room around her.
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Star awoke, screaming in terror and covered in sweat. Her father startled at her abrupt outburst, and soon the bedroom door opened to reveal Firefly, looking like she was about to have a heart attack.
“Clay, what happened?!”
“I don’t know! She just started screaming!” Clay shouted as he ran to Star’s side. “Star calm down! It’s okay!” her father said, still shocked, as Star looked around franticly and only slowly started to calm down as she took shallow breaths. She saw that she was in her room once again, and just as in her dream her brother was in his bed with a bandage over his right temple. Star looked to her window and hopped out of bed to pull the blinds, only to see that Ponyville was intact, just the way she remembered it. Clay trotted over to her, looking concerned.
“Star, what’s gotten into you?” Star stared at her mother and father as she continued to breathe heavily. As she continued to look up at them her eyes began to glisten. “Star…?” Clay whispered as she broke into tears and hugged her dad as tightly as if her life depended on it. Firefly trotted over to Clay’s side, looking sadly at the crying unicorn.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Firefly asked gently.
Star trembled, fighting to speak through her hiccupping and tears. “I… I… had a nightmare ! Ponyville was on fire, and there was a unicorn hurting everyone… and then…” She took a moment to catch her breath as she continued to sob. “Then… then… then you both… died.” Large tears streamed down her face as she hugged her father.
“Oh, sweetie!” Firefly gave her daughter a tight hug. “That must have been a horrible nightmare.”
“It was awful, Mom!” Star sobbed, hugging her mother back. “I tried to get to you but… I… I couldn’t do it.” Firefly gently kissed the top of her daughter’s head.
“It’s okay sweetheart. It was only a bad dream,” she said, trying to comfort the distraught filly while Clay turned Star’s head to face him.
“Honey… did you see the pony who attacked you?” Star shook her head, then looked back at her brother.
“Is… is Firebolt going to be okay?”
“The doctor said that both you and Bolt are fine. He just has a small cut on his head,” Clay said reassuringly.
“Bolt’s just sleeping… he stayed by your bedside when he found out what happened, but eventually he just fell asleep so we put him into bed,” Firefly said looking back to her son.
“What about… the other pony?” Star asked.
“Uncle Sky and Luna’s guards are searching the whole town and even the Everfree Forest. If they spot him he won’t get away,” Firefly replied. Star was quiet for a moment, then looked to her parents.
“Mom, Dad… can we sleep with you tonight? I’m… I’m still scared.”
“Of course you can sweetie,” Firefly said softly.
Star stood up and followed her mother out of the room while her father slowly lifted Bolt onto his back and carried him to their bedroom. Clay placed Bolt in the center of the bed while Star climbed up and got in between Clay and Bolt as the two adults clambered up on their usual sides of the bed.
“Are you cozy?” Clay asked while Star nodded her head. “Now remember, me and Mommy are right here if you need us, all right?” Again she nodded.
“Good. Now let’s all try to get some rest.” Firefly yawned as she turned off her light.
As the room became dark Star took comfort in knowing that her parents were there beside her to make her feel safe, but the real comfort came from knowing that her brother was willing to protect her, even though he was clearly outmatched. She truly felt that she could count on her brother no matter what; she turned to face him and gently held him in her front hooves; softly kissing his head, she whispered very quietly, “I love you little brother.” She snuggled up to him and slowly shut her eyes, drifting off into a peaceful and happy sleep. The horror she had seen in her nightmare was completely gone from her mind… for now at least.