//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Nightmare Night Beginnings // Story: Sunset Shimmer: The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well // by Joeycrick //------------------------------// Three months ago... "Come on!" Sunset angrily shouted, rummaging through her closet. "Just give me SOMETHING...!" "Sunset?" Twilight stuck her head through the doorway, watching Sunset toss stuff across the room in frustration. Twilight was already dressed up for Nightmare Night. This year, she was sporting a blue pointed magician's hat and cape, both containing a star pattern. "Pinkie Pie and Stray Wind's party is gonna start soon! Aren't you ready?" "GAH!!!" Sunset flopped down onto her bed and groaned. "I knew I should've asked Rarity for a costume!" Twilight entered the room and approached her student. "And why didn't you?" "I thought I could throw together a good costume with what I had, but nope! I got squat!" Sunset threw her hooves up in defeat. "Hmm..." Twilight thought for a moment, trying to find a solution to Sunset's dilemma. She grinned when she finally came up with an idea. "Hold on, I think I've got something for you." "Wait, wha...?" Before Sunset could respond, Twilight teleported away. Sunset picked herself off the bed and waited for her mentor. A few moments later, Twilight reappeared, levitating a small dusty chest. "Here's something from when I was Celestia's student," she said. "It's not exactly one of my proudest moments, but I think it'll work fine for your costume problem." Sunset grabbed the chest and opened it, coughing slightly as the dust flew upwards. Gazing inside the chest, she only had one word: "Whoa." Inside was a purple bodysuit roughly her size, and wrapped around the ends of each of the sleeves were dark blue bandages. A dark blue cape with a brooch styled with the letter "M" was sitting next to the suit, along with an identically-colored face mask, with a spot for a unicorn horn and light blue eye lenses. On top of the bundle was a purple, wide-brimmed fedora, also styled with dark blue bandages. Sunset reached into the chest and picked up the hat with her hooves. "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well," Twilight told her student. "A while back, Rainbow Dash's ego got out of control, so me and the other girls came up with Mare-Do-Well to try to teach her about humility." She sighed. "Looking back, it wasn't exactly a good idea. Yeah, Dash's ego has deflated a ton since then, but she didn't exactly appreciate how we went about it." Sunset stared at Twilight, holding the hat in her hooves. She glanced at it before spinning it around and placing it on her head. Perfect fit. "Heh, that looks pretty good on you," Twilight chuckled. "Don't get used to it," Sunset retorted. As she looked in the mirror, though, she had to agree that she looked rather stylish in that hat. "It's better than nothing, though." "I'll get out of your hair now," Twilight replied as she turned around to leave. "Meet you at the town square?" "Yeah..." Sunset replied as she took off the hat and began pulling the rest of the costume on. It took some time (and a lot of struggling) to get herself into the suit, but once that was on, the cape was no problem. She then took the mask in her hooves and pulled it over her head, adjusting it so the lenses were over her eyes. All that was left was the hat. Levitating it with her horn, she placed it on her head, making sure to secure it so it wouldn't fall off easily. Sunset took a glance at the mirror and gasped. If she didn't know any better, she could've sworn that the dark mare staring back at her was a completely different pony. Her reflection copied her movements. Sunset couldn't help but be amazed and excited. Whoa, that's really me under that mask? She giggled at the thought. Smirking, she goofed off for a few minutes, posing in front of the mirror and checking herself out. She even conjured up a small breeze that made her cape flow. Wow, I look GOOD. A rumble of thunder outside brought Sunset back to her senses. She ran up to her window and glanced outside. Nearby, flashing storm clouds were gathering around Ponyville, and an evil laughter pierced the sky as the silhouette of Nightmare Moon was made visible. In a panic, Sunset pulled her mask off, letting it hang behind her head. "Crap, I'm late!" she cried as she galloped out of the room and outside the castle. At a full sprint, she headed towards Ponyville. In the center of town, the festivities were going strong. Ponies dressed in all sorts of costumes were everywhere, participating in games and snacking on apples and pumpkin pies. The young fillies were gathered around Zecora, who was reciting the tale of Nightmare Moon as they screamed in excitement. Sunset Shimmer made her way to the center of Ponyville, spotting Twilight speaking with Pinkie Pie (dressed as a clown) and her Nightmare Night party partner, a pink brown-maned unicorn named Stray Wind. She was donning a Batmare costume, one of many different costumes that she made herself. As Sunset approached, the three ponies glanced in her direction and waved. "Sunset!" Twilight exclaimed. "I thought you decided not to come!" Sunset shrugged. "Nah, it just took forever to get into the suit." "Is that the Mare-Do-Well suit?!" Pinkie Pie gasped, pointing her hoof at Sunset. "Uh... yeah?" "You. Look. AMAZING!!!" Pinkie shouted as she jumped into the air. Sunset chuckled. "Thanks, Pinkie. You guys all look great, too." "Thanks!" Stray Wind responded, gesturing to her costume. "I'm surprised I managed to finish this in time with all the party planning I helped Pinkie with." "Looks like you two really outdid yourself this year," Twilight said as she looked around at the excitement around her. "Come on Twilight, you know how much Stray Wind LOVES Nightmare Night," Sunset replied, nudging Twilight with her forearm. She spotted two more ponies behind Pinkie and Stray Wind. "Hey look, here comes Applejack and... uh..." Applejack made her way to the group, once again wearing her scarecrow costume. There was somepony grumbling behind her, but Sunset couldn't figure out who it was. "Howdy, y'all," Applejack greeted as she tipped her hat. "You guys enjoyin' yourselves?" While everyone else nodded, Sunset said, "Just got here. Got held up with my costume. It was a last minute thing," she added when Applejack opened her mouth. "Uh, who's that behind you, Applejack...?" Applejack turned to the pony behind her. "Aw, come on out, Rainbow Dash." Rainbow Dash stepped out from behind Applejack. Twilight and Stray Wind tried their best to stifle their giggles. Sunset and Pinkie, on the other hoof, couldn't hold it in and fell over, exploding into laughter at the sight of the mare in front of them. Said mare looked NOTHING like Rainbow Dash. She was wearing a long, fancy light-blue dress adorned with crimson gemstones. Her mane and tail were cleaned up and dyed to match her magenta eyes, now curved at the lashes and accompanied by small amounts of makeup. Rainbow Dash looked absolutely stunning and beautiful... ...except for the fact that she was wearing a massive scowl on her face. "Ha ha ha, go laugh it up," she muttered angrily at Sunset and Pinkie before glaring at Applejack. "I'm so getting you for this." "Rainbow...?" Stray Wind wheezed, trying her best to contain her laughter and failing miserably. "Why are you...?" "Me and Dash here had a bet," Applejack said with a smirk on her face. "Whoever manages to eat more pumpkin pies in a minute gets to decide what the loser's costume is." She glanced at Rainbow Dash and smiled mischievously. "She passed out halfway through her fifth one. Decided to have her all froufrou'd up." "Well, Rainbow," Sunset giggled in a mock posh accent. "You look positively radiant, darling!" At that last word, she lost herself again, uncontrollably pounding her forehooves against the ground. "You're lucky I can't move around that well in this dress, Sunset," Rainbow snapped. "Otherwise, I'd be kicking your flank right now." She took a quick glance at Sunset's Mare-Do-Well costume, looking it over for a minute. "Wanna trade?" Her friends burst out laughing. "You sure this is a good idea, Applebloom?" Sweetie Belle asked as she followed her fellow bunny-costumed Crusader through an eerily quiet part of Ponyville. "C'mon, where's the harm in tryin' to get cutie marks in ghost catching?" Applebloom replied. "Or maybe monster hunting!" Scootaloo added, jumping excitedly. Sweetie Belle still felt uneasy. "I dunno..." As they passed by a nearby alleyway, a clattering sound was heard. The Crusaders froze and turned towards the alley. "Y'all heard that?" Applebloom asked quietly. "Uh, girls? I think we should go now," Sweetie Belle nervously replied, backing away. "What if there's a ghost or monster there? We can try to catch 'em!" Applebloom told her. "And how exactly are we supposed to catch them with just bunny costumes and our Crusaders' capes?" "We'll just improvise, right Scootaloo?" No response. "Uh, Scootaloo?" Applebloom called out. "Here, guys!" Her voice was coming from inside the alley. "This way!" she gestured. "Wait for me, Scootaloo!" Applebloom shouted, running in after her. "Hey! I don't think it's a good idea to go in there!" Sweetie Belle called out. Both of her friends ignored her and continued on, eventually vanishing into the darkness. "Ugh..." Groaning in frustration, she took off after them, lighting up her horn as she went. Several minutes went by, and not a ghoul or ghost did they stumble upon. Scootaloo groaned in frustration. "Well, that was a huge waste of time," she muttered. "There's nothing here!" "Can we please go back now?" asked Sweetie Belle, looking around nervously. "This place gives me the creeps." "Good idea," Applebloom replied. "I don't think our sisters would like it if they found out we wandered-OOF!" She and the other Crusaders fell over as they bumped into something... or somepony big. "Well well well..." a low, rough voice muttered. "What do we have here?" The fillies looked up at the large, burly earth pony in front of them. He was carrying a large sack behind him, and Applebloom could've sworn she heard struggling coming from inside. Sweetie's horn lit up the stallion's rough and unpleasant features, including a greasy mane and a 5 o'clock shadow. The fillies slowly backed away, only for him to chuckle as he approached. "Think you can outrun me, huh? Not a chance," he said quietly as he extended his forehoof. Eyes widening in fear, the Crusaders screamed. "LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED, YO!" Vinyl Scratch yelled into the microphone as she dropped a record onto her turntable and cranked the volume up. Being the DJ didn't stop her from dressing up for the occasion: she was wearing fake vampire teeth and red-tinted shades. As her techno rock song picked up speed, ponies gathered in front of the stage and started dancing wildly. Even Princess Luna seemed to get in on it, showing off her thousand-year old dance moves with the crowd cheering her on. Sunset and her friends (except for Rainbow Dash, who was sitting at a nearby table with a frown on her face) also joined in, rooting for the Princess of the Night. After a few songs, Sunset stepped out for a minute to rest, making her way to the punch bowl. Gulping down her drink, she was joined by Spike, donning a puppy costume. "Hey, looking great, Sunset," he said as he sat down next to her. "Thanks, Spike. You look great as well," Sunset replied. "Enjoying yourself?" "You bet! Look at this year's haul!" Spike held out a massive sack of candy. Sunset did a double take. "Whoa, that's a lot!" she exclaimed as he grabbed a couple pieces and tossed them into his mouth. "Uh... you might wanna slow down so you don't get sick." "Come on, I'll be fine," Spike responded, holding out a few pieces for Sunset. Sunset grabbed one of the candies with her magic. "You sure about that?" she asked as she popped it into her mouth. Spike didn't respond, continuing to devour the sack's contents. "Suit yourself," Sunset said, looking out at the dance floor. The spotlight was on Princess Twilight as she did her "crazy dance," and Applejack was trying to drag the dolled-up and grumpy Rainbow Dash onto the floor. "Poor Rainbow Dash," said Spike as he watched the two friends struggle. "You gotta admit, though, that mane color looks incredible on her." Sunset nodded in response. Just then, her ears perked up. She thought she heard a faint scream coming from behind her. She ignored it at first, just assuming it was fillies sacrificing their candy to Nightmare Moon to avoid becoming pony chow. However, she heard another scream. This time, it didn't sound like an excited scream, but a more fearful one. Sunset turned around, glancing at the dark street. "Hey Spike?" "Huh?" "Did you hear that scream?" "It's Nightmare Night, of course ponies are gonna scream." Sunset shook her head, pointing her hoof in the direction she was looking. "No... it's coming from over there. It didn't sound like an excited scream..." "Come on, don't worry about it." Sunset stood up, adjusting her hat. "No Spike... I've got a bad feeling about this. I'll go check it out." "Eh, whatever," Spike replied, holding the sack of candy over his head and pouring the whole thing into his mouth. Sunset took a deep breath, and stepped into the dark street. She slowly made her way through, keeping her eyes and ears open for anything suspicious. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. A few minutes passed as Sunset checked around the area, but she didn't see or hear anything out of place. She stopped at a nearby lamp and sighed. "I think Nightmare Moon's getting to me," she muttered. Just as she was about to make her way back to the party, she heard a scream pierce the sky. Sunset spun around, a sense of dread coming on. "What the-?!" She looked around frantically, spotting a faint light coming from a nearby alleyway. Sunset galloped over and peered around the corner. She gasped, holding her forehoof to her mouth, shocked at what she was witnessing. "Sweet Celestia..." she murmured. Inside the alleyway, a massive, ugly-looking earth pony was holding Applebloom in his grasp, trying to stuff her into a large sack. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were attempting to escape, shouting at the top of their lungs. "SOMEPONY HELP US!!!" Sunset watched in horror as the stallion caught up to the fillies and scooped up Scootaloo. "Scootaloo!!!" Sweetie Belle cried out. "Let go of me, you-!" Scootaloo shouted, pounding her tiny hooves on the stallion's to no avail. "Or what?" the earth pony mocked. "Gonna go all wide-eyed and adorable with that bunny costume?" "Just wait until Rainbow Dash finds out about this! You'll be sorry!" Scootaloo growled, trying to bite the stallion's forearm. "Yeah, I'll be long gone by the time she finds out," the stallion chuckled as he shoved Scootaloo into his bag. Only Sweetie Belle remained. Sunset couldn't watch any more. She was about to run back and call for help, but she stopped when she heard a grunting sound coming from the alleyway. A quick glance confirmed her fears: Sweetie Belle tripped and fell on the ground, tears falling from her eyes as the stallion moved in for the catch. I can't go back, there's no time! I have to do something! Sunset looked down at her costume. The costume of a former Ponyville savior. It was a crazy idea, one that could possibly end badly for her. But she couldn't think of anything else. Celestia help me... Pulling the mask over her face, she took a deep breath and stepped into the alleyway. "HEY YOU!" The stallion and Sweetie Belle looked in the direction of the voice. Sweetie's fearful expression turned into one of joy when she saw who was there. "Mare-Do-Well?!" she cried out. Underneath the mask, Sunset couldn't help but smile. Heh, she thinks I'm actually Mare-Do-Well... The stallion looked confused. "What the heck are you supposed to be?" "I'm the mare that's going to beat you senseless if you don't release those kids right now," Mare-Do-Well replied coldly. The earth pony chuckled. "Heh, good one. How 'bout you hand over that small fry unicorn and you go play hero somewhere else?" He started to reach out to Sweetie Belle, but Mare-Do-Well teleported in front of him, shielding the young Crusader and glaring menacingly. "I don't think so. You want her, you'll have to go through me." The stallion shrugged. "Fine, guess I'll do just that!" He raised his forearm, preparing to strike the masked mare. Sunset's eyes widened. Time seemed to slow down for her as she saw the stallion launch his attack. Without thinking, she grabbed Sweetie Belle in her arms and dove to the side, narrowly missing the brute's blow. The two girls landed on the ground, Sunset slightly groaning from the impact. Shaking her head, she quickly took a glance at Sweetie. "You okay?" Sweetie gasped and pointed her hoof past Mare-Do-Well's head. "Behind you!" Mare-Do-Well turned around and froze when she saw the stallion charging at her, his bag tied up and slung over his shoulder. She quickly pushed Sweetie Belle aside and rolled away as the stallion smashed into the wall. Looking up, Mare-Do-Well saw the stallion grabbing his head with his hoof, and right next to him was Sweetie, looking at her savior in shock. "Get out of here!" Mare-Do-Well shouted, snapping the Crusader out of her trance. "Go and get help! I'll hold him off!" "B-but...!" Sweetie stammered. In front of her, the earth pony was coming back to his senses. "GO!!!" Mare-Do-Well yelled, causing Sweetie to jump back. Not needing to be told twice, she fled the alleyway just as the stallion recovered. He glared at his opponent. "You shouldn't have done that," he growled through gritted teeth. Sunset gulped, looking around frantically for something she could use. Spotting a trash can lid, she quickly grabbed it with her magic. She managed to shield herself just in time as the earth pony swung his forehoof at her, the impact pushing her back slightly. He took another swing, which Mare-Do-Well narrowly sidestepped. As she tried to block and evade her opponent's attacks as best she could, only one thought ran across her mind: What have I gotten myself into...? Twilight looked around, trying to locate her student amidst the massive crowd of dancing ponies. She spotted Spike sitting next to the punch table, rubbing his stomach as an empty sack lay next to him. "Ugh..." he groaned. Twilight approached the baby dragon, shaking him with her hoof. "Spike, have you seen Sunset Shimmer? It's been ten minutes since she took a break from dancing, and she hasn't come back yet." Spike slowly sat up, still feeling woozy. "She-" *belch!* "-said she heard screaming coming from over there and...ugh...went to check it out." He gestured at the darkened street behind him. Twilight raised her eyebrow. "She does know that ponies screaming on Nightmare Night isn't unusual, right?" Spike nodded. "Yeah. Said she got a bad feeling about it th- uh oh." His face turned green as he reached out for a paper bag. Twilight sighed. "You gobbled up all your candy, didn't you? We're having a talk about this later." She turned around, about to head back to the dance floor and ask around for Sunset's whereabouts. But a panicked voice coming from behind stopped her. "PRINCESS TWILIGHT!!!" Twilight turned around, spotting Sweetie Belle running towards her at full speed. She stopped in front of the princess, sweating and gasping for breath. "Sweetie Belle! What's going on?" asked Twilight. Suddenly noticing that Rarity's sister was alone, she added, "And where are the other Crusaders?" Sweetie Belle was still out of breath, but she managed to get some words out. "Large pony... Applebloom... Scootaloo... other fillies... ponynapped... Mare-Do-Well..." Twilight already felt uneasy at the first five things, but her eyes widened at that last one. "Hold it, did you just say MARE-DO-WELL?!" Sweetie nodded as the crowd fell silent and ponies began murmuring to each other. The princess's face went pale. "Take me to her, now!" Spreading her wings, she let Sweetie Belle jump onto her back before zooming towards the dark section of town, the crowd following behind her. What the hay are you doing, Sunset?! Mare-Do-Well ducked, the wagon wheel her opponent tossed smashing against the wall above her head. Diving to the side to avoid another swing, she grabbed a cardboard box with her magic and threw it at the stallion. It somehow landed on top of his head, blinding him momentarily. "What the-?!" he yelled, trying to shake it off. Seizing the opportunity, Mare-Do-Well charged at the stallion and tackled him to the ground, knocking the sack loose. She quickly untied it with her magic, and as soon as she did, Applebloom and Scootaloo's heads popped out. They stole a glance at their savior, and their jaws dropped. "Mare-Do-Well?!" Applebloom shouted. "Yeah! Kick that guy's flank!" Scootaloo cheered, pumping her hoof in the air. More fillies climbed out of the bag, joining the two Crusaders in their cheering. Mare-Do-Well pointed at Applebloom and Scootaloo. "You two, get them out of here! It's not safe!" she ordered. "Aw... I wanna watch!" Scootaloo groaned before Applebloom nudged her with her forearm. "You heard her!" Applebloom shouted to the group. With the two Crusaders leading the way, the young ponies made a run for it, some of them turning their heads at their hero. In a few moments, they were clear of the alley. For a moment, Mare-Do-Well glanced at the exit where they vanished. She breathed a sigh of relief. Whew, they're safe now- Suddenly, she felt a hoof around her neck. Her eyes widened, her heart thumping rapidly against her chest. No...! NO!!! The stallion ripped the box off his head and stood up, pinning the masked pony to the wall. He was fuming. "You little punk," he seethed as he tightened his grip. Gasping for air, Mare-Do-Well kicked and pounded her hooves in an attempt to break free, but it was no use. "Looks like this'll be your last Nightmare Night." Can't... breathe... Mare-Do-Well frantically looked around for anything that could help her escape. Her eyes fell on a pile of concrete blocks and a long rope, next to the alley entrance and a street lamp. Her horn lit up, but before she could do anything, the stallion shook her violently, causing her to lose her concentration. "I don't think so," he growled. Sunset's vision slowly began to fade as she struggled weakly. Please... she silently pleaded. Please don't let it end this way... *SPLAT!* Something struck the back of the stallion's head. He and Mare-Do-Well turned around to find Sweetie Belle levitating an apple with her magic. Behind her was the rest of the townsfolk, including Princess Twilight and her friends. All of them were glaring at the stallion. "You leave her alone!" Sweetie Belle shouted, flinging another apple towards the hulking brute. It struck him in the face with a loud SPLAT!, the impact causing him to reel back a bit. That was the opening she needed. Lighting up her horn, Mare-Do-Well grabbed one of the concrete bricks and slammed it against her captor's head. He stumbled and released his grip, dropping Mare-Do-Well to the ground. She jumped to her hooves and quickly shook the stars out of her eyes. Now's my chance! Refusing to hesitate, she grabbed the rope with her magic and wrapped it around the still-dazed stallion, tying him up. He struggled to break free, but the rope was made of a sturdy material that refused to unravel. Grunting, Mare-Do-Well brought the rope over the street lamp and pulled, hoisting the earth pony into the air like a piñata. Some of the citizens, especially the fillies, put on blindfolds and grabbed some sticks, approaching Mare-Do-Well's hostage and proceeding to whack him repeatedly as he yelped in pain, unable to fight back. Her adrenaline gone, the masked pony turned to the townsfolk staring at her. No one said a word. Though they couldn't tell, Sunset was wearing a nervous look on her face. "I... uh..." she stammered, rubbing the back of her head. Before she could say anything, the young ponies she rescued earlier pushed their way through and gathered around her, cheering happily. As it grew, so did the applause from the rest of Ponyville. Sunset Shimmer didn't know what to say. She looked at the fillies and their excited smiles, at the crowd of ponies cheering and stomping their hooves. At the front of the crowd, her friends were whooping loudly. "Yeehaw! Nice goin', sugarcube!" Applejack shouted. "That. Was. AWESOME!" Rainbow Dash (no longer sporting her dress and makeup, but keeping her magenta mane) cheered, jumping into the air with her wings outstretched. "WHOO!!!" Pinkie Pie broke out her party cannon and fired it, confetti and ribbons raining down on Mare-Do-Well. Sunset glanced at Princess Twilight. Her mentor simply smiled and gave her a nod of approval. Sunset looked around at the cheering townsfolk, before shifting her gaze back to the smiling fillies gathered around her. Thankful for the mask, she grinned sheepishly. Yep, definitely worth it. "You sure you want to do this?" "I'm sure, Twilight." "You'll be putting yourself in constant danger. You know that, right?" "If that means somepony gets to stay safe another day, I don't care. It'll be worth it." Back at the castle, Twilight looked at her student, still clad in the Mare-Do-Well costume, save for the mask and hat. The rest of her friends were gathered behind her. "Come on, Twilight, I want to do this," Sunset told her mentor, a serious and determined look on her face. Twilight chuckled and shook her head in amusement. "And to think your top priority when you first came here was becoming an alicorn princess. You've changed a lot since then." She looked up and nodded. "I'll allow it." A grin formed on Sunset's face as she ran up and hugged Twilight. "Thank you so much!" she happily exclaimed. "Hold on a minute!" Rarity called out. Everyone else looked at her in surprise. "Sorry darling, but I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to go out saving ponies in that costume." Sunset eyed the fashionista, an incredulous look on her face. "Wait a sec, what do you mean I can't-?!" Rarity held up her hoof, silencing Sunset. "You didn't let me finish. The costume you're wearing right now is not designed to handle the stress that frequent heroics can put on it. It's just for show, darling! If you're going to be a serious hero, you need something more suitable for the job!" Sunset looked down at her costume. "Fair enough," she replied. "Maybe some padding for extra protection, and a cape that can also function as a glider." "Exactly," Rarity pointed out. "Now, I believe you told Twilight that you had difficulty getting into the suit? I think she and I can come up with something to help you with that, plus some other enhancements to make sure you're a force to be reckoned with!" "And in the meantime," Twilight added, "I think it's best that you get some physical training as well. You can't always rely on your magic to help you out." Sunset remembered when that stallion she fought earlier shook her when she tried to use her magic. If Sweetie Belle hadn't been there... "Yeah, definitely." She looked towards Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. "You girls wanna help out?" The three of them nodded. "You bet, sugarcube," Applejack replied. "Y'all can help out with apple buckin' at Sweet Apple Acres to build your strength. Rainbow Dash can handle teaching you how to fight while Pinkie Pie helps out with your mobility. That okay with you two?" she asked Rainbow and Pinkie. "You bet!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Sounds like a great idea!" Pinkie squealed. "Then it's settled," Applejack finished. Fluttershy stepped up. "Um... if you get hurt, Sunset... you can always stop by my place... and I can fix you up," she stammered. Sunset grinned at the six mares in front of her. "Thank you, girls. I really appreciate this," she said. "GROUP HUG!!!" Pinkie shouted, pulling the six other ponies together in a tight embrace. "Gah, a... a little warning next time, P... Pinkie?!" Rainbow Dash grunted in pain, struggling to free herself. As Nightmare Night came to a close, Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes and smiled, thankful for such wonderful friends. Her mind was made up. No matter what came next, no matter the risks... She was ready to face it. As the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well.