//------------------------------// // A Scree in the NIght // Story: A Scree in the Night // by Severith //------------------------------// A Scree in the Night The white luminescent moon shown down upon the dark night in Ponyville. Costumed fillies and colts wandered about the town on this special night. Some of the adults accompanied the younger ponies as they danced the night away. Cobwebs and spooky ghosts adorned the normally docile surroundings of Ponyville. Dark colored tents were set up to sell goodies. On the edge of the town, a peculiar figure wandered out of the forest. Its black, holey legs cautiously trotted into the moonlit streets. Its bright blue eyes gazed at the scenery and dressed up ponies, and its translucent wings fluttered anxiously. “Wow! Nice costume!” a mare dressed as a bee exclaimed as she approached the new visitor. “You look just like a changeling!” The creature chirped lightly and tilted its head. Then in a flash of green fire, it transformed to mimic the mare. Also dressed as a bee with antennas on her head, the changeling curiously stared back at the original pony. “Nice costume!” the changeling repeated. “Ah!!” shrieked the bee mare. She jumped in the air before fleeing. The changeling bee mare frowned. It changed back in another flash. Then it continued deeper into the town. In the distance, a group of costumed fillies giggled to themselves as they compared their buckets of candy. An adult halfheartedly supervised them as they headed for another house. “Hi!” the mummy all of a sudden turned around and noticed the changeling. “I like your costume! Are you by yourself? You should trick-or-treat with us. Here’s a bucket.” Quickly, in one breath, the filly invited the changeling and extracted a bucket from nowhere. The changeling skeptically took the bucket with its mouth. Then it gladly followed the misfit costumed candy crusaders. With a squee of excitement and a broad grin, the changeling joined the happy group. The adult pony barely noticed the addition of another participant since the changeling was the same size as the children. The group with the newcomer continued to their next victim’s house. At the door, the lead filly knocked on the door. All of the fillies stifled their laughter as they waited. As soon as the door opened the group of fillies yelled, “Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!” The resident of the house jumped a bit as she saw the ponies. “Oh my! What scary costumes you have!” said the mare. She then levitated a bucket with lots of candy into sight. One by one, she gave a sweet to each of the patient fillies. “Let’s see, we have a mummy, a princess, a zombie, an astronaut, and a…” The mare paused as she gaped at the newest member. It chirped and offered its bucket. “Oh Celestia! A changeling!” she shrieked and slammed the door. “What was that about?” the astronaut questioned the group, looking back at the changeling. "You're not really a changeling, are you?" the princess asked. The changeling cocked its head to the side, but remained silent. It frowned, glancing down at its empty bucket. Everypony else shrugged. “Onto the next house!” suggested the mummy. “Whee!” cheered the others. The all sped off into the night, laughing and singing amongst themselves. The changeling hesitated before following the silly fillies. Meanwhile in the middle of Ponyville… The costumed ponies danced to the beat of the music in the light of the moon. Others bobbed for apples, tossed spiders, or played other games. A few attempted to scare their friends. Suddenly, a black pony-like creature with translucent wings and a carved black horn swooped down into the middle of the festivities. Her green, evil eyes scanned the scene of shocked ponies. Everypony froze. They all gazed, horrorstruck, at the new arrival. “Oh no! Is that…,” murmured a mummy pony. “It can’t be!” whispered Applejack. “Queen Chrysalis!” shouted Twilight Sparkle as she jumped to the forefront. With hardened eyes, she glared at her former foe. “What are you doing here? You are not welcome in Ponyville! Leave at once!” Queen Chrysalis merely chuckled. “Oh, I know I don’t belong here. Besides, your pathetic little town is not nearly good enough for me and my changeling army, but there is something I need.” “And what is that?” Twilight asked. Back with the group of fillies… “Yay! Look at all the candy!” the princess filly said, digging through her bag of candy. “Yeah! This is the best Nightmare Nights every!” commented the mummy filly. The changeling still happily followed the excited group. It had acquired several pieces of candy, too, from the last few housed. It nibbled on a chocolate as it walked behind the fillies. The group rounded a corner and headed to the center of town. They continued to excitedly chat about their candy loot. “Where is my changeling?” bellowed Queen Chrysalis in the distance. The changeling in question screed and charged around another corner to reach the center of town. Then it charged straight to its worried queen. Chrysalis heard the sound, turning her head just as her changeling appeared. The two reunited with a bug hug. The ponies around the town square gasped and gawked at the two odd creatures. Nopony dared to interrupt the changelings. The changeling happily showed Chrysalis the bucket filled with candy it had received. Its wings flittered cheerfully with a smile spread wide across its face. Chrysalis smiled back. Then the two flew away into the night. Behind them in Ponyville, ponies slowly began to resume their previous activities. Some still stared after the two, frightened of the repercussions of the queen’s visit. “There was a changeling in Ponyville?” a pony wondered out loud. “And it was trick-or-treating with little fillies…,” another pony added. The trick-or-treating fillies waved their goodbyes to their recent friend. Then they went back to counting and swapping their candy. The adult supervising them sat back on his haunches with wide eyes gawking at the two departing changelings. Nopony else said anything for a minute. After the long silence, Twilight said, “Well that was weird.” The End