The calm dark blanket of night lay peacefully over the land of Equestria, bestowing an atmosphere of calm and rest upon every pony in Ponyville who had bedded down for the night. Every pony, that is, except for a certain mint-green unicorn mare who had just been awakened by a strange noise coming from downstairs. Lyra lay still for several seconds, ears straining to pick up anything that could confirm that she hadn’t imagined anything. The sound came again, a rattling noise like something testing a locked door. “Bon Bon,” Lyra whispered, reaching for her partner in bed. Her hoof met smooth chitin instead of soft furred flesh and she sighed in frustration. If it’s not one thing, it’s another, she thought darkly and propped herself up on one elbow so she could reach the switch of her bedside lamp. She heard the rattling noise again as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the light, and then roughly shook the black insectoid pony until it snapped out of oblivious sleep and looked at her with bleary confusion in its blue compound eyes.
“Lyra?” it asked sleepily.
“Bonny, you’re shifting in your sleep again,” the unicorn said with some disappointment.
The changeling blinked, looked at herself, and then around the room until she spotted the alarm clock. “Lyra, it’s just past midnight,” she moaned, “What are you doing awake at this hour?” Rings of green light slid across her body as she changed into a cream-colored earth pony with a pink and blue mane, although out of tiredness or defiance her eyes remained a solid blue.
Lyra was about to answer when the rattling started up again, louder and more insistent. “That,” she said flatly when she saw Bon Bon react, “Any idea what that could be?”
“Not a clue,” Bon Bon replied, “Why don’t you go check it out? Aren’t you the big, tough mare-wolf of the house?”
“The full moon was two days ago hun.”
“Still…” Bon Bon sighed and climbed out of bed, finally getting her eyes set right. “Why don’t we both go then?” Lyra nodded and rolled out onto the floor. The two mares walked side-by-side as thy left the room and went cautiously down the stairs. They came to a sudden stop in the entryway to the den as they saw a translucent red pony head floating around the ceiling, rattling the small chandelier as it passed through. “What in Equestria?” Bon Bon exclaimed in a whisper. The ghostly head stopped in its path and turned to face Lyra and Bon Bon, its face a picture of blank surprise.
“Er…” Two ghostly hooves appeared and waved at Lyra and Bon Bon in poor attempt to look spooky as the head cried, “Bluh! Bluuuuh! I am the vampire ghost!”
“Vampire… ghost,” Lyra said, utterly unimpressed, “excuse me a second.” She walked up to the Fourth Wall and knocked on it.
Yes, yes, I know it’s lame. It’s from a dream. Work with me here, please?
“I’m going back to bed,” Bon Bon said, walking away, “come get me when you start taking things seriously, or if you want to re-start My Little Werewolf.”