One evening at Twilight's castle, Accel was sitting on a couch with Sonic, as if waiting for something. He was excited though, for tonight was a event the ponies of Equestria called Nightmare Night.
Flashback
"Nightmare Night?" Accel asked Twilight and Spike.
"That's right." Spike answered.
"So what's that holiday about?" the speedster inquired.
"Well, you did read up on the battle between Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah. After Luna went all psycho crazy on her sister."
"Well, this holiday celebrated the banishment of Nightmare to the moon, but after the girls and I purified her it's now more of a fun festivity. The old tale of it is we put on a disguise to keep ourselves safe from the eyes of Nightmare Moon who flies through the air to gobble ponies up, but by pleasing her with candy as an offering she'd spare us." the princess of Friendship explained.
Accel processed all she said and looked understanding, "Cool, it's just like Halloween."
"Halloween?" The two asked.
"Yeah, a holiday in my word similar to Nightmare Night."
"And what's the tale behind this holiday?" Twilight asked.
"Well it's based on the ancient Feast All Hallows Eve. It's the one night of the year where the spirits of the dead can return to the earth. We also put on costumes to blend in and protect ourselves from the spirits."
"That's really fascinating." Twilight admitted.
"You still get candy on Halloween?" Spike asked.
"Oh, yeah. That was one of my favorite parts on Halloween. And if this world has a holiday like that, then I'm gonna be catching up on three years of fun," Accel said, "Of course, I'll a costume."
"Don't worry, Rarity can help you with that." Twilight said.
"Well, if she's not too busy I'll zip over and ask." Accel said, as he took off.
Flashback end
And so Accel was not only waiting for Rarity to deliver his costume, but for Spike and Twilight to finish getting into their costumes as well. When the two came down, Accel and Sonic saw they were already in costume. Spike was dressed as Humdrum of the Power Ponies comic book and Twilight was dressed as Masked Matterhorn.
"Well, Accel what do you think?" Spike asked.
"You two look good, though I though you despised Humdrum, Spike. What with him being mere comical relief."
"I used to think that, but I realized it's not the powers that makes one a superhero. It's the other way around." Spike answered with a smile.
"A very important philosophy for heroes to know." Accel nodded.
"And since Spike wanted to dress up as Humdrum I figured I may as well join him as the pony hero I became when we were all sucked into his comic." Twilight admitted.
"That look does look good for you, Twi." Accel said.
"Thanks."
Suddenly their was a knock at the entrance. Twilight answered it revealing to be Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo, who were all in costume.
Scootaloo was dressed up like a heavy metal rock star with her mane done up like a mohawk, and face paint on her face while wearing a leather vest. Sweetie Belle was dressed as a figure skater minus the ice skates so she could actually walk, Applebloom was dressed as a gypsy dancer, and finally Rarity was dressed as a western showgirl complete with a feather in her hair and fishnet stockings.
"Nightmare Night, what a fright, give us something sweet to bite!" the three fillies announced together.
Twilight and Spike smiled, "Happy Nightmare night, girls." Twilight said, as she dropped some candy into their sacks.
"Good evening, Twilight, and you Spike." Rarity greeted her friends.
"Evening, Rarity." Twilight greeted her back.
"Your costume looks amazing on you." Spike said, while fighting back his salivating.
"Why thank you, my little hero." Rarity giggled, as she nuzzled her face with Spike's.
"Hi, Accel!" the CMC greeted him.
"Hi, girls. Don't you all look good this evening."
"Thanks."
Accel turned to Rarity, "So, Rarity, is it finished?" he asked hopefully.
"Of course. I have it right here." she levitated a box to Accelerator, who opened it and pulled out a red jumpsuit.
"Awesome, the detail looks a hundred percent accurate." Accel said.
"I'm glad you think so. Why don't you try it on?"
"Don't mind it I do." Accel tossed the outfit up, and he spun like a Tasmanian devil. The suit was absorbed into his spin cycle, and the speedster stopped dressed in the costume making him look like the Flash.
"Wow." the fillies gasped.
"How do I look?" Accel asked the group.
"Very smashing." Rarity answered.
"Cool." Spike added.
"I think it looks great." Twilight nodded.
"Yeah, but, uh, what are you supposed to be?" Scootaloo asked.
"I am the Flash, the fastest human alive!" he explained, as he ran around the castle before stopping back at his starting point.
"He's your favorite superhero, right?" Spike asked.
"Correct." he nodded.
"And as you've also requested, I made a little outfit for Sonic as well." Rarity levitated a small costume up.
"Good," Accel took the costume, and looked to his monkey, "Oh, Sonic."
"Uh, oh." Sonic said in his monkey sound, as Accel ran to Sonic and put him into the costume quickly.
Sonic was now dressed in a yellow and red jumpsuit with red goggles to boot, "Ponies and Spike may I introduce you to my sidekick, Kids Flash!" Accel announced as Sonic did a little pose.
"Wonderful, it fits him well." Rarity clapped her hooves.
"Come on, Rarity. We don't want to be late for the festival." Sweetie Belle said, as she and her friends were looking impatient.
"Ok, Sweetie Belle. Come along we mustn't dilly dally." Rarity said, as they group exited the castle.
"So is everypony going to be at this festival?" Accel asked.
"Yeah, well, except Fluttershy." Twilight explained.
"Fluttershy?" Accel asked, as he started seeing why she wouldn't be present, "Doesn't she know that everypony's in costume?"
"Oh, she does, but you know Fluttershy is very sensitive to frightening things." Rarity explained.
"Say no more. I understand."
Suddenly the ground they were walking on started sparking which was scaring the group and making Twilight and Rarity dance around while trying to avoid the sparks, "What is this?!" Rarity shrieked.
Accel looked down and saw they were snappers, "Snappers?" he looked up, "Very smart, you two!"
They looked up seeing Pinkie Pie was in a tree dressed as a parrot and Rainbow Dash was dressed as Daring Do. Pinkie jumped down from the tree, while Rainbow Dash flew down, "Happy Nightmare Night!" Pinkie cheered.
"You should've seen the look on your faces!" Rainbow started laughing up a storm with Pinkie Pie.
"Really, Rainbow Dash. There is more to Nightmare Night than pranks." Rarity said with a huff.
"She's right, it's about candy!' Pinkie cheered, while holding the CMC close.
"No respect for history." Twilight rolled her eyes.
"Evening, Pinkie, Rainbow, love the costumes." Accel greeted them.
"Thanks, Accel, love yours as well." Pinkie said admiring his costume.
"Though, what're you supposed to be?" Rainbow looked around him.
"I am Flash the superhero of Central City, and with me is my sidekick, Kid Flash!" he introduced him and Sonic, as the monkey jumped.
"Looks awesome." Rainbow admitted, as she admired his costume.
"Well, come on everypony let's go to the festival!" Pinkie cheered, as they continued on.
When they arrived in Ponyville square, they saw everypony in town dressed in costume and enjoying dozens of festivities. Accel looked around as if flashing back to his younger days during Halloween night.
"Oh, wow. So much to do I don't know where to start!" Accel cheered.
"Why don't we see Applejack, first?" Twilight suggested.
"Yeah, I'd like that." Applebloom answered.
"Best place to start by me." Rainbow admitted.
"Then let's go." Pinkie said, as they trotted over to where Applejack was working.
When Rarity saw Applejack was dressed in a beautiful dressed and had her hair done up nicely she was having an embarrassing flashback of the last time she saw her country friend look like that, "Applejack?" Accel asked in confusion.
"Just call me Applejewel, sugarcube," Applejack winked at him, and Accel quickly shook it off as Applejack chuckled, "Just teasin' ya. Glad yall could make it."
"Thanks, so whatcha runnin' here?" Accel asked.
"I'm running a bobbin' for apples stand. How about yall try it?"
"You bet." Scootaloo said.
"Yeah." Sweetie Belle added.
"Count me in." Applebloom put in.
"Me too." Accel said.
"Me three." Spike finished.
"Well, step on up." Applejack said, as the four approached the tub of water with apples in it.
Accel had gotten down on his knees so he could put his face in it, and removed his mask so not to get it too wet.
"Ok, everypony, when I count to three, yall stick your faces in the water and try and grab an apple with yer teeth. If you get one you're allowed to have it. on three." Applejack instructed, "One... two... three!"
And so the CMC, Spike, and Accel dunked their faces into the water fishing around for apples. After a minute, the five pulled their faces out with an apple in each of their mouths. Twilight and the girls applauded them on their success.
"Looks like yall got one." Applejack said.
"But you five look like drowned rats!" Rainbow laughed at their wet faces.
"Luckily, I'm prepared." Rarity said as she levitated some towels to dry their faces.
"Thanks, Rarity." spike said, as he dried his face.
"That was fun. I haven't bobbed for apples in three years," Accel said, as he took a bite out of his apple. Suddenly they were all startled by unexpected lightning flashes in the sky and a rumble, "Did the pegasi launch an unexpected storm?"
"Don't worry, Accel, that's not the pegasi." Twilight said, as they looked up at the sky seeing a chariot was being pulled by two dark coated pegasi wearing dark armor, and in the chariot seat was a figure in a robe.
"Who is that?" Accel asked.
"It's Princess Luna. She's here to celebrate the holiday with us all." Twilight explained.
"Last time she was here, things were a little off." Pinkie added.
Twilight sent her a glare, "Because somepony kept giving her the wrong idea without being clear to her."
"All in the past." Pinkie answered with a smile.
As the moon shined down onto Ponyville, the chariot landed gracefully, with Luna stepping off. When the princess removed her robe, the ponies bowed respectively to her. Luna looked around and smiled, "Good evening, citizens of Ponyville, you may rise," the ponies did so, "I've come to wish you all a very Happy Nightmare Night!" she announced in a less booming version of the Canterlot voice.
"Happy Nightmare Night!" the ponies returned the gesture with cheers.
"Now then, you may continue what you were doing as I enjoy the festivities myself." she ordered, as the ponies returned to the activities, while the princess approached Twilight and the others.
"Good evening, Princess Luna." Twilight greeted her.
"Good evening." the others greeted her.
"And a good evening to you, Twilight Sparkle and friends. But I insist you address me as Luna. I am here as one of you after all."
The ponies nodded, as Accel approached, "Nice to see you, Luna."
"And a joy to see you as well, Accelerator. What a very interesting costume you're wearing. You and Sonic."
"Thanks, we are Flash and Kid Flash, the fastest duo of Central City!" Accel declared, as he and Sonic posed.
"Well, I'm gonna find some more ponies to prank. Catch you later!" Rainbow flew off.
"Why don't we try Spider toss now?" Twilight suggested.
"An excellent suggestion, Twilight Sparkle." Luna nodded.
The group approached the stand where the Spider toss game was and spoke to the pony operating it, "Step right up and see if you can hit the mark!"
"Go on, Accel, give it a try." Applejack nudged him forward.
"Well, ok," Accel said as he was given some fake spiders to launch at a fake web. He tossed one and it didn't hit the web at all, "Bummer."
"Do not despair, Accelerator. It's all in the aim," she approached and helped motion his arm straight to aim in the right direction, "Now toss, but not too hard and not too light."
Accel nodded and gave the spider a toss before making it into the center of the web. Some of the ponies who were watching applauded on his success, "Wow, it worked. Thanks for the tip, Luna."
"My absolute pleasure."
"Here ya go." The worker dropped a bit of candy into his sack.
"Well, let's try it." Sweetie Belle said, as she and the rest of the Crusaders stepped up.
Applebloom launched hers and made it around the left side of the web, Scootaloo launched her spider that reached the top right corner, while Sweetie Belle's landed on the right side close to the center. Their sisters applauded them, as they received their candy prizes.
"Wow, I wanna win more candy!" Applebloom cheered.
"Me too. Let's try the Pumpkin Launch!" Scootaloo said with excitement.
"Yeah!" Pinkie cheered, as they went over to the event where they met up with Rainbow who had just finished pranking some ponies.
Soon Accel was already loading a pumpkin into the catapult, "Ok, need to aim right," he began as he motioned the catapult in the direction of the target, "And... fire!" he launched it, and the pumpkin smashed at the target.
The ponies cheered and Sonic was jumping up and down making excited monkey noises, "Way to go, Accel!" Rainbow congratulated him.
"Truly spectacular." Luna agreed.
"Thanks. Lucky shot I guess." Accel admitted.
"My turn!" Pinkie said, as she loaded her pumpkin that had a carved face on it. She was about to launch it until the carved face turned into a familiar pair of boggly eyes and the mouth had a single fang.
"Boo!" the pumpkin said.
Pinkie shrieked as she tumbled backwards, and everypony was confused. The pumpkin hovered out of the catapult and poofed into Discord who was dressed as a voodoo witch doctor with a top hat, and a skull face painted over his own, "Ta-dah!" he declared.
"Discord!" The ponies chuckled at his performance.
"Happy Nightmare Night, my friends." Discord greeted them, as he landed on the ground.
"Wow, you sure fooled me, Discord." Pinkie laughed.
"A prank worthy of me." Rainbow added.
"Why, thank you both." Discord said.
"Nice to see you join us, Discord, but I assume you are here not just to cause mischief?" Luna inquired.
"Of course, Princess. I only wish to join the festivities with all my friends," he looked around at them, but saw one missing, "Why where's Fluttershy?"
"She's kind of sensitive about this particular holiday apparently." Accel explained.
"I can imagine why. So sad she won't be joining us." Discord said with a pout.
"Don't worry, we'll have extra super fun for her." Pinkie lightened his mood.
"Yes, you're right." Discord smiled.
"Why don't ya take a shot at pumpkin launching, Discord?" Applebloom offered.
"Why don't mind if I do." Discord said, as he loaded a pumpkin and launched it at the target nailing it.
The ponies cheered, as Discord waved his hands around soaking in all the attention he was getting, "Thank you, thank you."
Later they were walking around with everypony carrying sacks filled with candy they won, "This is turning out to be a great Nightmare Night." Applebloom said.
"Ya got that right." Accel agreed.
Luna nodded before realizing the time, "Oh, I better get to my position soon."
"Position?" Accel asked.
"Yes, for you see I take on Nightmare Moon's appearance by the statue in Everfree when the fillies and colts offer me candy in exchange for not eating them. They do love a good fright."
"Sounds like a treat," Accel said, until an idea popped into his head, "Luna, Discord, how would you two like to help me with a little entertainment of my own?"
"Ooh, what do you have in mind?" Discord asked feeling intrigued.
"Yes, enlighten us." Luna added.
Accel gathered the two together and started explaining to them, while the girls and Spike were confused. When the three broke, Discord spoke, "If you'll excuse me, Accelerator and I need to prepare." he snapped his digits as the two vanished.
"And I must get to my post as well." Luna added.
"Wait, what're you three planning?" Twilight inquired.
"Don not worry, you shall find out soon enough." She flew off.
"What could they be up to?" Spike asked the ponies.
"Don't know, but I hope it's fun." Pinkie said hopefully.
"Well we'll find out during the offering." Rainbow said, as they decided to join the other fillies and colts for it.
Soon Zecora who was dressed as a skeleton was leading the school aged ponies to the statue of Nightmare Moon in the forest with the others, "Now then place your offerings to the statue, otherwise Nightmare Moon just might eat you." she smirked.
So the kids started placing candy offerings before the statue, until the wind started whistling. Appearing before them was Luna using her magic to make herself appear like Nightmare Moon, "Citizens of Ponyville! You were wise to bring this candy to me. I am pleased with your offering. So pleased that I may just eat it... instead of eating you!"
The ponies screamed in fright while Zecora, the girls, and Spike held in chuckles on Luna's performance. The princess continued, "And tonight I have brought with me a special guest. Behold the terror of chaos, Discord!"
Discord appeared next to one of the trees, "Welcome, young ones. For tonight not only have you pleased Nightmare Moon, but as a bonus for not disappointing her, she has called upon me to invite you all to a place where fear is real."
"What do you mean?" a colt asked.
"Well, I'll tell you. It was a long time ago longer than you can imagine. In a place that you may have seen in your dreams, for this takes place in the holiday worlds of old," Discord poofed next to some of the fillies, "Now you're probably wondering where do holidays come from? If you haven't then I think it's time you begun." he started leading the group further into the forest as music started playing all around.
As they walked they began seeing some tombstones in the ground and scary looking trees. What startled them were some shadows casting off the trees and ground that were singing to them. The kids saw as ghosts were flying all around them wailing, bats swarming, and all sorts of monsters, ghouls, and creatures rising up from the ground joining in the singing.
The ponies shivered from all the scary looking things, while at the same time were enjoying the musical number. Suddenly a nearby scarecrow came to life and started dancing around, before Discord lit it on fire. The ponies, Zecora, and Spike watched it dance around before plunging into a pond. Suddenly rising up from it was Accel wearing a black outfit over his costume and his own face painted like a skull.
"Welcome fillies and colts to the town of Halloween," Accel began in a spooky tone, "Where nightmares become reality and the monsters are real."
"Uh, they won't hurt us, right?" A filly asked nervously.
"Not to worry, they won't attack unless they're ordered," Accel explained, "But forget that, come and join me little ones." he stepped aside revealing a campfire with logs used for benches around it.
The group took seats on the logs before the fire, as Accel spoke, Everypony comfy? Good, because I am here to tell you a tale of a creature whose legend dates back thousands of years ago."
"What kind of creature?" Pinkie asked.
"Gather around and I'll elucidate." Accel began, as he began telling them of the scary stuff that happens on Halloween Night.
Finally he began singing a tale of a notorious Halloween Legend about the Headless Horseman. As he sang the tale he mimed certain parts of the tale such as fake head chopping, while Discord and Luna were secretly providing special affects such as shadows manipulating into the legend and making the wind whistle as it blew, as Luna was throwing her voice all around as if the forest was singing with him.
When Accel finished the legend he spoke, "So when you go home tonight be weary for the Headless Horseman may be out there longing for a head."
The ponies shivered after hearing such a terrifying story, and suddenly they heard the sound of hoofs clopping, "What's that?" Sweetie Belle asked as she held onto Rarity.
"Maybe it's the Headless Horseman?" Applebloom trembled, while holding onto Applejack.
"Oh, please. You think that this made up legend is gonna pop out and grab us?" Rainbow asked, until the sound of the hooves were right behind her. She jumped and screamed in fright while clinging to Scootaloo. Every pony started screaming when Rainbow started, until Twilight looked behind them and saw a bunch of cattails were blowing with the wind and were pounding on a nearby tree giving off the clopping sound.
"Cattails, really scary, Rainbow Dash." Twilight said in sarcasm.
"Uh, yeah. I knew that!" Rainbow said, trying to preserve her pride, as the group started laughing at how silly they sounded when they got scared over a false alarm.
As they continued to laugh another laugh that was louder than there. They all froze and started trembling before looking in the distance and screamed as the moon shined down on the Headless Horseman himself atop a dark coated horse, while he wielded a sword and a flaming pumpkin head. The creature continued to laugh, as the ponies screamed.
"IT'S THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN!" Pinkie screamed in fright with Spike.
"What do we do?!" Applebloom cried.
"We must make to the bridge over yonder!" Accel pointed into the distance of a bridge.
"Everypony for herself!" Rarity screamed, as they began running.
The Headless Horseman took off after them, while swinging his sword around. They ran for their lives, until they reached the other side of the bridge, while the horseman stopped unable to cross it.
"We're safe!" Sweetie Belle sighed in relief.
"I don't think so!" Applebloom said, as they looked back, and saw the Headless Horseman throwing his flaming pumpkin head right at them.
They screamed, and covered their eyes until they heard an explosion. They uncovered their eyes to see the flaming pumpkin had exploded revealing a giant pile of candy for just about every pony, "Candy?" the fillies and colts asked on confusion.
They looked and saw the Headless Horseman poof into Discord and Princess Luna, "Happy Nightmare Night!" the two announced.
The kids seeing it was all a fun little joke laughed and cheered, "That was amazing." one of the kids said.
"Amazing and scary!" another added.
"Thanks, Princess Luna and Mr. Discord!" they thanked them.
"You're very welcome, children." Discord smiled.
"But we're not the only ones you should be thanking," Luna continued, "Accelerator, put this all together for you."
They looked to Accelerator who spun out of his dark attire and was in his Flash costume again, "Surprise!"
"Thanks, Accelerator!" the kids gathered around him.
"You're welcome. Now then let's get some of this delicious candy to take home!"
"Yeah!" they cheered, as they ran to the candy pile and began filling up their sacks.
Accel collected some of the candy to fill his sack up before joining his friends, "For my first Nightmare Night, this was awesome."
"Awesome for us all." Rainbow put in.
"It was very nice of you, Luna, and Discord to give these kids a good show." Twilight told Accel.
"Indeed it was quite a fright, but in the end it all turned out all right." Zecora finished.
"Yeah, well what's say we head back?" Accel asked, as they all headed back to Ponyville.
As they left the Everfree Forest, Rainbow suddenly heard the Headless Horseman's laugh come from the forest again. She looked back and saw nothing there. Dismissing the thought of her hearing it she turned back around and went after her friends.
While through the dark of the forest a flaming jack-o-lantern's face glowed through the dark before the flames went out.