//------------------------------//
// 5. Nightmare Week 
// Story: One year 
// by PonyFromSpace 
//------------------------------//

5. Nightmare Week




Tidy. That was how the shop was to be described. Not like the work area. No, Rarity always kept her workspace messy. Messy, but she knew where to find everything. She couldn't imagine having to tidy everything up all the time. At least not her work area. The clients didn't have to see her raw materials. No, the shop had to be clean, tidy and most importantly: dazzling. If not everything sparkled, then the mop would have to do overtime. 

Tonight was an important night and she could not risk messing this up. Only one week to Nightmare Night and she had a lot of work to do. As the town dressmaker, she was asked to do most of the costumes. She would make them fabulous! But she didn't want clients to think she was just another careless cloth sewer, no, she was a lady and she'd show it. She watched the clock. It was opening time. Just in time, she had just removed the last non-shiny spot. She walked behind the counter. Now it was time to wait. It wasn't long at all before her first client showed up. A pegasus mare opened the door, followed by a young colt. No wings, so that would be an earth pony.

"Greetings," the mare said.
"Hello and welcome to the Carousel Boutique," Rarity replied.
The colt blew his inch-too-long hair out of his eye, only to have it return to the exact same spot.
"Hi, I'm Storm and this is my son, Stride. We're here for a Nightmare Night costume. Do you make those here?"
Rarity chuckled, ladylike of course.
"Well of course I can, darling. Let's get that hair of his done too, free of charge."
Storm beamed.
"Well thank you! That's very generous of you."
"Generosity is what I'm known for," she stuck out a hoof, "Rarity's the name."

Stride looked up excitedly.
"Rarity? Are you Sweetie Belle's sister?"
"Well yes. Now you mention it, the name Stride does ring a bell."
Storm smiled.
"They're good friends. He's a crusader."
Rarity contorted into deep thinking.
"Of course! The tree kid! I can tell you, you'd really get along with Applejack."
Stride frowned.
"The tree kid?"
Rarity noticed he had not taken that well. Better to change the subject.
"So, what do you want to be dressed up as? Mare Do Well is a fun costume."
Stride shook his head.
"Mare Do Well is a bit commercialised nowadays. She showed up for a few days and just disappeared. All that's left is merchandise. No, I'd rather dress up as something else."
"As what?"
"Freedom," Stride said, leaning in a bit.

"You want to be freedom?"
"Capitol F," the young colt added.
Rarity stepped back. She didn't quite understand what he meant.
Storm saw her look.
"Freedom is a pegasus warlord from the past. He is said to be the first and actual Pegasus, but nothing proves that theory."
Rarity nodded.
"So big wings?" she asked.
Storm nodded.
"Big wings and a helmet with a comb."
Rarity noted it down.
"Room for creativity?"
"Feel free, just keep it stallion like."
"Okay. Let's get started then."





The fashionista had to find the perfect materials. If this Freedom person really was as important as he sounded, it was imperative that Strid would look intimidating. She first thought of using red for the cloak, but noticed how it would conflict with his already red mane. Instead, she picked blue. The bright blue went perfect with the bronze plating. She cut Stride's mane shorter, but not too short, so the comb would still work. 
When she slid his hair through the opening in the helmet, it stood up straight. He looked downright intimidating. Just some more flash necessary. He was the warlord. Storm had also cleared out Freedom was half of a demonic creature, so he couldn't look like a normal general. He needed some flair. 

She used bronze and obsidian material to set the sides of the cloak. It was dazzling. Now what was missing? Wings of course! She quickly constructed a rig. When measuring his chest, to see how big the rig should be, she noticed something strange.

"What in the..." she poked Stride's back. He jumped up and screamed.
"That hurt," he said.
Storm pushed his cloak aside. Two little bumps had formed on Stride's back.
"What is that?" Rarity asked.
Storm turned at Rarity, worriedly.
"He fell. On his back. It's still a bit bruised."
Rarity raised a brow. Strange injury for falling, and strangely symmetric too.
"Okay then. I'll try to keep that for account."
She placed the rig higher up, and moved the wing area a bit, allowing the fake wings to be in the same spot.
"There, that's done!" Rarity said. They stepped back to watch Stride. He was nervous.
"A bit more in role, darling, like you can take on the world," Rarity said.
Stride nodded. He thought of how Scootaloo always looked. Tough, strong. He tried to imitate her posture.
"Perfect!" the two mares gasped.
"That is Freedom!" Storm added.
Stride smiled. Storm was glad to see him smile again. He used to do it a lot, but since the bath tub incident, he rarely did. 





When Storm and Stride had arrived home, Storm lifted the cloak again. The two little bumps, barely visible, remained.
"The doctors said this would happen, so don't worry about it. It'll go away soon."
Stride nodded, "but it will be sensitive?"
"Yes, honey, it will. Be careful!"
"I will."





"Cutie mark Crusaders Costume Comparers!" Sweetie Belle shouted.

It had gone dark outside. Time to start Nightmare week, as they called it. School was out, due to a weather accident caused by Rainbow Dash, so the crusaders had decided they'd gather up for a survival week in the clubhouse.
Apple Bloom frowned, hardly visible due to her broad sunglasses.

"You can get a cutie mark for that?"
Sweetie shrugged.
"You never know."
Sweetie was dressed as a witch. She had a black cloak and fake eyeballs in her mane. Apple Bloom was a Follower. Those creepy ponies who are always in black tie and wear sunglasses. Her bow was no longer in her mane. It looked strange, Apple Bloom with no giant pink bow.
They looked around. They were still alone. The place looked empty with just the two of them.

"Do you think Stride and Scoots got stuck in the grass again?" Apple Bloom asked.
Before Sweetie Belle could answer, they found out. Stride walked in, his blue cape behind him, it's dark glass stones reflecting the light of the burning candle in the middle of the room.
His eyes shined red in the shadow of his helmet, his face invisible by the darkness cast.
"Wow, that is one fine costume," Sweetie said.
"Thanks! Your sister made it," Stride answered.
"Where's Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom asked.

Stride didn't know. Where was she? They looked outside, but saw nothing. It was dark already. If only nothing bad had happened. Stride couldn't imagine what he'd do if Scootaloo got robbed or foalnapped. 

As time passed by, the crusaders became more and more worried. Stride even refused to participate in the games Sweetie and Apple Bloom played, trying to kill time, so he could look outside every seven seconds whether Scootaloo was coming yet. She didn't. His worry took over. He paced back and forth in the room, wasting his energy, he couldn't take it anymore.

"We have to go look for her," he said.
Apple Bloom didn't agree, "Stride, Scoots has been late before. I'm sure she got caught up in training with Rainbow Dash or got slowed down by Pinkie again."
Stride wasn't convinced.
"It's the middle of the night. I don't think she'll still be training."
Sweetie Belle nodded at that. Apple Bloom shrugged.
"Both of them are rather impulsive. Scoots can take care of herself. Nothing to worry about."
Stride gazed out the window again.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah!"
"Okay then..."
Apple Bloom took off her sunglasses.
"We should probably get to sleep. She'll be here by morning."

Only half convinced, Stride lay down and closed his eyes. Fatigued by the pacing around, he quickly fell  asleep. Sweetie Belle had fallen asleep already as well.
Apple Bloom took a peek outside. 

The wind ruffled through the last leaves that were bravely holding on to their home branch. From time to time, a sinister object would rise from the floor, turning out to be just another leaf. The moon shone on it all with a grin, summoning the ghosts in every pony's mind. The young Apple wondered where Scootaloo was, what was taking her so long. She was worried. Of course, she had to keep Stride calm. It was pretty clear to her he really liked Scootaloo. Not just like a friend. No, he like liked Scoots. She didn't know for sure if Scootaloo felt the same for Stride. Scootaloo was a lot harder to read, since she'd always pretend she could handle anything.

Apple Bloom stuck her glasses behind the black tie. She gave another look at the sleeping ponies, to make sure they weren't faking. After two minutes, she was convinced. She gently opened the door and walked outside. She had to find Scootaloo. Her friend had been late before, but this was not normal anymore. Ten minutes? Sometimes. Twenty minutes? Maybe. Three hours? No, not really.

The trees cast their  black shadows, making the bottom of the orchard slumber in an impenetrable darkness. Apple Bloom was way out of her comfort zone. The bottom crackled under her hooves. The sounds echoed through the trees, reassuring her she was in fact alone. Alone, yes. Completely fine, nothing to worry about, no serial killers on the loose in Sweet Apple Acres. 
That theory was broken by the hoots of an owl.
Fine, there was an owl. Owls aren't serial killers, right?

She heard her own heart pumping and her breath becoming heavy. She was alert now. Her eyes jumping from one side to the other. It was cold, but the costume did help keep her neck warm a bit. Now she just had to find Scootaloo. Where was that silly filly? She could be anywhere, for all Apple Bloom knew. She felt something on her shoulder. A hoof? Quickly, she turned around and punched straight forward. The redhead before her shrieked and covered his muzzle.

"What'd you do that for?!"
"Sorry! I thought you were a serial killer!"
Stride lifted his hooves, then put them back again.
"I'm bleeding," he said, "first my leg, now my nose. What will the crusaders break next?"
He had a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"I'm so sorry!", Apple Bloom squealed.
Stride waved away her apology.
"Nah, don't worry about it. Who needs noses anyway?"
The two took in their pitch black surroundings.
Stride turned at her again.
"Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"
"Notice what?"
"You sneaking out!"
"Oh, of course."
Stride sighed, "Let's just go look for her."
Apple Bloom nodded.
"I think she had flight training with Rainbow Dash today, she might still be at the training grounds."

Stride pondered the idea. Then, he realised something.
"Rainbow Dash is in Cloudsdale! Scootaloo told me Rainbow had to go there today to explain why she dropped a cumulonimbus on the school."
Apple Bloom's eyes widened.
"Then where is Scootaloo? Where do we even start looking?"
Stride dropped his head.
"I have no idea," he raised his chin again, "but I will not rest until we find her."
To enforce his statement, he pointed his hoof at the moon, like he was challenging Nightmare Moon to a box match.

"Ooh, sounds like somepony has a crush," it sounded behind the colt.
A creature in a dark cloak approached them, hundreds of fluorescent eyes watching them in disgust, and two green eyes watching them in joy. Sweetie Belle jumped out of the shadows.
She pointed her hoof at Stride.

"Stride likes Scootaloo, Stride likes Scootaloo," she teased.
Apple Bloom gave her an angry look.
"Sweetie Belle, that's not nice!"
Sweetie grinned, "But it's true! You have to be blind not to see that!"
Apple Bloom nodded in agreement.
"You have a point back there," she said as she stood next to her witch friend.
"Stride likes Scootaloo, Stride likes Scootaloo!" they laughed.

Stride merely lifted a brow.
"True, but there's something else you have to be blind not to see."
Sweetie Belle frowned, "What then?"
Stride grinned, "Sweetie Belle likes Button Mash, Sweetie Belle likes Button Mash!"
He was quickly joined by Apple Bloom.
"Sweetie Belle likes Button Mash, Sweetie Belle likes Button Mash!"
Sweetie Belle stuttered her way out, "well, Apple Bloom, uh, Apple Bloom likes, uh, who does Apple Bloom like?"
Apple Bloom shrugged.
"Why should I like anypony?"
In response, Sweetie shook her head.
"Everypony needs a better half!"
The yellow filly sassily wove her hoof through the air.
"I need no better half. I am complete!"
Stride scratched his helmet.
"We're getting off topic here. Where do we find Scootaloo?"
"We could go to town? The biggest chance of finding her is there," Apple Bloom responded.
Sweetie shrugged.
"Let's go then!"





It took them five minutes to get lost. Apple Bloom knew these orchards very well, by daylight. She barely ever went out during the dark and it was no wonder she didn't find any landmarks. Where to find those in a carefully planted tree orchard where you can't even see the trees properly?

"My legs hurt," Sweetie Belle complained.
"Quiet, I need to think," Apple Bloom snapped.
Stride looked up out of the cover of the trees.
"Does anypony know in what direction the moon is?" he asked.
Sweetie Belle pointed at it.
"That direction."
"Up," Apple Bloom added.
Stride folded his cloak around his boy to keep the warmth inside.
"I mean what point of the compass? The town is west, right?"
"I'm not sure," their guide replied.

The three of them sighed.
"Perhaps we should try and find her tomorrow, when Celestia has risen the sun?" Sweetie suggested.
Apple Bloom agreed, but then facehoofed.
"I don't know the way back, guys. Has anypony paid attention?"

The chilling night carelessly continued its stroll, ignoring the horrified foals searching their way through the orchard. The unbearable silence only disturbed by their pumping hearts, raging breath, hesitant hoofsteps and the hoots of an owl. They reached the top of a hill, hoping to get a better view. Alas, the trees still blocked their sight.

"I'm really starting to distrust that owl. Shouldn't he be asleep by now?" Apple Bloom said.
"Aren't owls creatures of the night?" Sweetie replied.
"Creatures of the night? Why do you have to be so poetic about it? It sounds scarier."
"Sorry, just saying."

Suddenly, Stride, who was out front, desperately trying to find their friend and neglecting the idea of going back to the clubhouse, stopped. He raised his ears.
"Shh," he shushed them.
They instantly went quiet. Not moving another step.

Crunch. Crunch.

Somepony was stepping in the leaves. They watched each other, but none of them had lifted a hoof.
"We're not alone," Stride whispered.
They kept silent, surveying the darkness surrounding them.
A shadow passed through the few spots of light the moon dared cast on the orchard's bottom.
Two sets of fluorescent eyes appeared in the dark, watching them hungrily.

The trio backed up, slowly pacing away from the eyes. Soon, they found their backs against a tree.
The eyes had now gone farther apart, so they were surrounded. Stride braced himself for a fight, seeing the creatures in the unknown sliding closer. It became more and more notable how the set on the left was a lot closer to the ground than the set of eyes on the right.
Two beings in ragged black cloaks appeared, the eyes still locked on their targets.
Step by step, closer and closer. Did Scootaloo run into them too? 

Suddenly, one of them shuddered, only to burst into laughter. The dark creature didn't utter a demonic laugh, an evil laugh or even a mad laugh. Stride recognised the laughter from his welcome party, the second week after he had arrived. Pinkie Pie laughter.

"Hahaha! You should see your own faces! hilarious!" she shouted.
The other one started laughing as well. Stride knew that laugh. He had never been more relieved to hear that laughter. He jumped forward.

"Scootaloo!" he cheered.
Her hood fell back when he jumped her.
"Aaah!" she screamed as they rolled off the hill.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" he said.
"That doesn't mean you need to crush me," she squealed from underneath him.
He was standing on top of her, his hooves restinf on her chest. He was awkwardly close.
"Oh, uh, sorry," he said whilst jumping away.

"Were you out here all this time?" Apple Bloom asked with an angry tone.
"Yeah! Pinkie sure knows how to pull a good prank!" Scootaloo said.
"Where is Pinkie anyway?" Sweetie asked. Where Pinkie had just been, there was now only a void.
"Pinkie Pie?" Scootaloo exclaimed.

She hadn't noticed the tense feel in the air just yet, the darkness' unrevealed secrets. It was finally seeping in how scary the orchards actually were, when something grabbed her tail.

"Boooh!" Pinkie shouted.
Scootaloo screamed like her life depended on it.
Pinkie fell to the floor and laughed for another twenty minutes.
"That one never gets old!"





"Rise and shine! Celestia sure told the sun the same thing!"

Stride rubbed his sore back. Sleeping underneath a tree is not as comfortable as it might sound.
Apple Bloom was excitedly hopping around. Perhaps she was glad she could finally find her way through the orchard, or maybe she had Pinkie fever. Her black tie was creased and her glasses blurred. Sweetie Belle had curled up in a little ball. The eyeballs were starting to loosen. She had lost four already. Scootaloo, still wearing her shadow costume, still lay fast asleep, about half a leg length from Stride. He suddenly felt very cosy.

"I know where we are! Wake up everypony, time to get back to the clubhouse!" Apple Bloom said.
Sweetie Belle lifted her head.
"Where's Pinkie Pie?" she said in between yawns.
Apple Bloom gave her the look. The 'really?' look.
"You still question that?"





The four ponies soon arrived at their base. Stride felt this strange urge. He had had the urge before and as usual, he gave in. He walked up to a thick apple oak tree. He put his hoof on the bark and began moving his hoof down the lines.

"He's doing that weird thing again," Sweetie Belle said.
Apple Bloom nodded, "almost as creepy as my sister with her favourite tree."
Scootaloo sighed, "Just give him a break, guys. Come on, let's go inside, he'll be busy for a while."

The colt indeed sat there almost like a rock, the only part moving was his hoof like a needle on a record. It looked even stranger with the big helmet on his head and the fake wings on the sides of his back.

The crusaders minus one entered their trusted little house. Sweetie Belle picked up a mirror and tried to rearrange the eyeballs in her hair.
"Let me help you with that," Apple Bloom said. She walked up to her and starting fixing the mane.
Scootaloo paced over to the window and looked outside, where Stride was thoroughly enjoying the silent music of the tree.
"Do you think..." she started.
Her friends turned around.
"Think what?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Ah, never mind," Scootaloo replied.
Sweetie Belle was curious now. Too curious to leave it be.
"What is it?"
She got an angry look from Scoots.
"I said it was nothing!" she replied.

Outside, Stride retracted his hoof.
Scootaloo pondered asking her question after all, but it was too late, as Stride walked in.
"So, what will we do today?" he asked.
"Costumed Crusading?" was Apple Bloom's answer.
Sweetie Belle hopped on top of the workbench.
"Cutiemark Crusaders Fruit Bat Catchers!" she shouted.
Apple Bloom frowned in response.
"Fruit bat catchers?"
"Of course! If we can catch vampire fruit bats, that means we're useful on the farm!"
"They have their own section, no need to catch them," Apple Bloom said.
Scootaloo took Sweetie's side.
"You said sometimes, bats would sneak into the other orchards and eat forbidden fruits, it's useful to catch those, right?"
"I suppose..."
"Come on, it'll be fun!"
"Okay then."





Scootaloo kept bragging about Pegasus Athletics School in Cloudsdale again. She had told it many times before, how she wanted to go to this fancy school for 'cool' and 'sportsmarelike' pegasi, and how she'd learn to be a professional flyer there. After that, she'd continue in the Wonderbolt academy. Stride was a bit tired of the story, but he enjoyed listening to her voice.

"Shhh, I think I've spotted one," Sweetie whispered, interrupting Scootaloo's monologue about sonic rainbooms and ponies in tights.
"Now how do we catch them?" Scootaloo remarked.
Apple Bloom shrugged, "You guys tell me, I didn't come up with this."
Stride joined conversation, "I know how to catch them."
The three turned their heads.
"You do? I thought you were from Manehattan!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.
"Last Wednesday, Cheerilee's class, netting techniques used by orange farmers?"
He received a blank expression from all three of them. Eventually, Sweetie Belle spoke.
"You actually paid attention in class?"
"Well, yes, that's what we're there for, isn't it?"
Again, their faces contorted into a blank expression.
"Ah just go ta school cause ah have to," Apple Bloom replied. Stride had noticed how her accent tended to fade from time to time. Was she purposefully forcing herself an accent, to sound more farmer like?

Stride facehoofed. Not because of them, but because of himself. He had always been quite keen on learning. The fact his friends were at school had been what completely convinced him to go too. How could he forget they weren't there because they wanted to?
"Anyway," he broke the silence, "if we can find or make a net, we can catch that fruit bat easily."
Scootaloo looked around.
"Does anypony see a net?"
"No," Apple Bloom responded, "but we do have twigs!"
Sweetie hopped up.
"We can make a net! Cutiemark Crusaders Net Makers, yaay!"
The sound of her voice was audible throughout the entire orchard, thus it was no surprise the fruit bat fled when she shouted.
The unicorn turned at the empty spot the bat had just been.
"Uh never mind."





They spent the rest of the afternoon crusading. When Luna raised her moon again, they decided to go back before even Apple Bloom would lose track of where they were. They were all a bit disappointed for not gaining their cutie marks, except for Stride. He didn't even expect he'd ever get one.

Before going inside, Stride went to the tree again.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle went over their checklist of things they'd do during Nightmare Week.

"We can do a torch stroll," Sweetie Belle suggested.
"Or roast marshmallows, we still have some stored here," Apple Bloom added, "Scootaloo, do you have any ideas?"
The orange filly at the window looked up and turned around.
"Uh? Sorry, I wasn't listening."
"Scoots, are you okay? You've been a bit... off, all day, Apple Bloom said.
Scootaloo looked down at the floor, then outside, then at her friends again.
"It's just, ehm. Maybe, ehm."
Sweetie encouraged her, "We're your friends, Scoots, you can tell us anything!"
"Do you, ehm, do you think Stride likes me?"
The room became silent. Scootaloo felt more and more desperate about what their reaction would be.

"Of course he does, he's your friend!" Apple Bloom responded, after a deadly dose of soundless minutes.
Scootaloo looked outside again, making sure he wasn't listening.
"I mean, do you think he like likes me?"
"Like like?"
"Yeah, like like."
Sweetie Belle smiled.
"He most definitely...", she got a kick from her yellow fellow crusader, "... has the possibility that he does, perhaps, maybe in fact might like you."
Scootaloo looked outside again.
Apple Bloom walked up closer to her purple maned friend.
"Do you mean that you do like like him?"
She dropped her chin on the window sill.
"I don't know."
"What do you mean, you don't know?"
Scootaloo's ears flopped down.
"Rainbow says there are two ways to like like a pony. Just an ending crush, or real lasting love."

Her two companions gasped. They had never expected a sentence like that to come from Scootaloo. 
Scootaloo, who had never shown any interest in colts whatsoever. Scootaloo, who was always so certain of herself. Scootaloo, who yelled 'yuck' at almost each and every love story, except for that time with Cheerilee and Big Mac, but they'd figured that was just the spirit of the holiday.

This couldn't be 'just a crush'. Apple Bloom knew enough about that sort of stuff to know that. Elseway, Scootaloo would be able to keep it from them a lot more easily. She was like that, Scootaloo. That made her so hard to read.

"I want to tell him, but I don't know how," the pegasus continued.
The cowpony pondered how she would help her friend out. She couldn't just leave her hanging, after all.
"We have a hole in our schedule on Nightmare Night," Apple Bloom said, "Maybe you can ask him out, go drink a milkshake. Then tell him the truth."

Scootaloo turned her lavender eyes at her friend.
Lavender, Apple Bloom was sure. Sweetie Belle had always claimed they were purple, but what did she know about colour? Sweetie didn't even know the difference between red and cinnamon. Apple Bloom felt really sorry for Rarity on that one.

"Do you think that'll work?", Scoots asked.
"Work for what? Just give it a try, see where it turns out!"
Scootaloo nodded. She reassumed her usual cool.
"Let's do this!"