Halloween Nightmare Night
It had finally come. After weeks of waiting and preparation, Nightmare Night had finally come for Ponyville.
Pinkie smiled blithely as she looked out the window of her room. The town was covered in spooky decorations and foals were already running about, laughter escaping them as they warmed up for one of the most fun nights of the year.
She couldn't wait to join them.
But, alas, she couldn't. Not yet, anyway. Sally was still working on the finishing touches for her costume, and, despite Pinkie being happy with how the costume was already, Sally still wasn't satisfied. It reminded her of Rarity's need for perfection.
"Pinkie Pie?"
Pinkie jumped a little and she frantically searched for who called for her. She eased up when she saw it was just Rarity. Seeing her made Pinkie wonder if Rarity could sense that she was thinking about her.
"Darling, what are you doing staring out your window?" Rarity questioned aloud, arching a brow in confusion. Her eyes widened after a moment of inspection. "And where is your costume?"
A wave of heat fell onto Pinkie's cheeks. "Uh... Still putting some finishing touches on it! Wanna make sure it looks extra... costume-y!"
"Really?" Rarity furrowed her brows in worry. "If you'd like any help, I'd be happy to offer it!"
Pinkie waved her hooves rapidly. "No, that's OK! I... I gotta go sew something real quick!"
Before Rarity could question her again, she slammed her shutters close and pressed her entire body against it. After a moment passed, she peered through them and saw Rarity drudging through crowd, her expression pensive.
'I really hope I didn't hurt her feelings...' Pinkie thought, her eyes drifting downwards. She jumped once more as the clock tolled off in the distance, reminding her of the hour. It was growing closer and closer to nightfall, which meant it was only growing closer to the festivities. She really hoped she wouldn't be late.
"We'll be there right after we finish up in Halloweentown," Sally had told her. She even Pinkie Promised it. Still, she had her worries, considering that Jack himself wasn't even able to come since he introduced Sally and Zero to her. The town had been in a panic because of the pumpkin smashing incident and, even though Pinkie had replaced them, every monster and ghoul was on edge. There were even times where Sally had to send Zero with a message to re-schedule their meetings.
"I hope they're doing OK," she murmured to herself. She shook her head. "Maybe I should help out the Cakes... That should help me pass the time!"
She galloped down the stairs, where she was greeted by a crowd of costumed ponies. Seeing all her friends dressed up while she was still her usual self made her feel a little strange, but she couldn't help but grin at all the fun costumes that graced her eyes. She recognized a few of them as Rarity's work.
Pinkie maneuvered her way through the crowd and into the kitchen, the saloon doors swinging behind her. Mr.Cake, already in costume as the monster of Frankenstien, was holding a tray of spooky themed cupcakes. Despite his green complexion and spooky prosthetics, he was hardly monstrous-looking with Mrs.Cake's apron wrapped around him.
"Hello, Pinkie," he greeted, his nice tone clashing with his scary demeanor. He did a double take. "You're not in costume?"
"No, but I will be!" It was more reassurance for herself than it was for him. "Need any help with anything? Decorations? Candy? Anything?"
He raised a brow at her peculiarity, but he didn't question her. "We got everything covered already, Pinkie. Why don't you go get ready for tonight?"
"Right now?" she stammered.
He frowned. "Is that a problem?"
She shook her head quickly. "Nope! I just, uh, don't want you working alone is all!"
He chuckled. "That's very kind of you, Pinkie, but like I said, we got it covered. Come on, go get ready."
Pinkie glanced at the clock that was perched on the shelf. As the second hand ticked by, she felt her anxiety rise. "OK... I'll... I'll just go get my costume, then!"
As soon as she was out of the kitchen, terror clenched her heart. She ducked down behind the counter to hide from the prying eyes of Ponyvillians. 'What am I gonna do? I don't have a costume to wear!'
She peered over the counter and caught sight of the activity through the open window across from her. A crowd was already making it's way towards the center of town, where the festivities were no doubt about to start. She sank back down and put her hooves over her face in frustration.
'I can't go out without a costume,' she thought miserably. 'And I absolutely refuse to wear one from last year. Pinkamena Diane Pie does not take the easy way out.'
Pinkie stole a glance over the counter again and was delighted to see the crowd had dispersed a bit. They had probably seen the crowd of ponies as well and decided to make their way to the town square. With extreme care, she sneaked around the counter and towards the door. As soon as she was on the other side, she broke off into a sprint into a nearby alley.
All she had to do was get to the Everfree Forest, then she'd make her way down to the crypt. Pinkie didn't care if it took all night; she was going to get that costume, even if it was the last thing she'd ever do.
Nightmare Night Halloween
The air in Halloweentown was fraught with apprehension and excitement as the townsfolk meandered about, exploring familiar and new terrors alike from their fellow monsters. All the tension that came with the smashed pumpkin mystery seemed to dissipate into thin air for the time being and all the monsters that once hid away in terror were out and about. It was enough to bring a frightful grin to every monster’s face.
Well, except for the white-stricken face of the Mayor, who was still too wound up to delight in anything. The smashed pumpkins had yet to leave his mind, and not even Jack's attempts at comfort were enough to ward away the foreboding feelings.
A gaggle of witches flew overhead, cackling as they tossed down a couple hex bags onto the unsuspecting citizens. A couple of monsters let out shrieks of terror and retreated away from the crowd to avoid the onslaught. The mischievous trio Lock, Shock, and Barrel looked as though they were about to do the same, but Shock spared the bags another look and rolled her eyes. "They're just goodie bags, you morons!"
The witches cackled again as some of the monsters returned to the square sheepishly. Barrel took to grabbing as many spare bags as he could and waddled after Lock and Shock, who had already started off into one of their squabbles. Still, not even the frightened looks on his fellow monsters' faces was enough to ease the Mayor's growing apprehension.
“Has anyone seen Jack or Sally around anywhere?” he questioned aloud.
The excitement died down a bit as the residents scanned the area and saw that neither Jack nor Sally were anywhere to be seen. A passing witch on a broom hovered over to the Mayor, her protruding nose wrinkled. “Betcha they’re out in those woods again, doing Death knows what.”
A series of snickers flooded through the group, but the Mayor was not amused. “This is no laughing matter! Besides, I don’t believe Jack would be too happy to hear you all sharing a laugh at his expense.”
The laughter died down immediately at that comment.
“That’s better,” the Mayor affirmed, his face threatening to turn into a grin. “Now, when was the last time any of you saw Jack?”
Before the Mayor could reply, a loud shriek broke through the crowd. Everyone jumped collectively and they all searched the immediate area for the source. When the town began to murmur in hushed terror, a white streak came tearing through them all, forcing the crowd open like a parting of the seas.
“Zero?” The Mayor’s eyes widened as the ghostly canine flew towards him. “Dear boy, what is it?”
Zero let out a terrified howl, which only brought on more horrified whispers. The Wolfman appeared, his expression forlorn. “Great screaming pumpkins, he says something happened to Jack and Sally!”
The witch who had made the snide comment earlier put her warty hands to her face with dismay. “That can’t be so!’
Another howl from Zero brought a new wave of shock on the Wolfman’s face. "He says that they’re down that way!”
The Wolfman pointed down to the pathway that led to the graveyard. It was a sacred area in the town and was typically only occupied by Jack, who commanded the very hills to move with each step he took. No one in town had the same sway over the place like Jack did, so many stayed away whenever he went in there. None of them ever thought that something bad could happen to him there.
Almost as if they were one, the town’s residents rushed down to the cemetery, which looked especially dreary as the sun began to disappear off into the distance. The gates screeched open as all the monsters came tumbling in, screaming frantically. Witches soared above on their brooms while the vampires took to the shadows, both groups frightful of what they might find.
"Great, screaming pumpkins!" cried out a scraggly witch.
"What did you find?" a scaly monster exclaimed.
The witch pointed to the dip on the other side of the spiral hill. "PUMPKINS!"
The townsfolk exchanged confused looks with one another, but some broke away from the crowd to go to the valley. Many followed after and stopped at the edge of the hill, completely aghast by what they found.
In the middle of the valley, spotted throughout the weathered tombstones, were bright, orange pumpkins. Some were so big that they overtook the grandiose tombstones and crypts that littered the graveyard. The dark cemetery was set aglow by multiple candles that glowed within and around the pumpkins, making the entire area look like a large candlelit memorial.
"What in the name of Hallow's Eve is going on?" screamed the Mayor, who was waving his arms around frantically.
"A good question, Mayor!"
The town collectively gasped as Jack cartwheeled into view and landed on a large pumpkin in the middle of the gathering. He was wearing a well-tailored suit that rivaled his typical one, a silk top hat perched on his head. His typical monotone color scheme was brightened up by a brilliant shade of purple that laced the inside of his coat and vest. Lace cuffs hung from his wrists like ghostly wisps of air, light and flowing. The same lace was peeking through his purple vest and was adorned by a deep, amethyst broach.
"You see, dear citizens," Jack proclaimed, clasping his bony hands together. "I don't believe we can really celebrate Halloween without any pumpkins."
The silence that captivated the town was broken by cheers. Monsters came flooding into the cemetery's valley and began to dance around the pumpkins gleefully. The witches took to shooting fireworks from their wands in celebration while the Wolfman and his fellow werewolves broke off into proud howls. Everyone was totally enraptured by the appearance of the pumpkins; everyone, except for the Mayor.
"Jack, what is the meaning of this?" he demanded, marching into the clearing. The Mayor stood in front of Jack, who remained perched on his pumpkin. "How long have you had these? Where did you find them? And how did you get so ma--"
Jack raised his hand up. "Now, now, I can't take credit for this. You see, I was not the one to find all of these pumpkins."
The crowd began to murmur suspiciously, their expressions dubious. They were silenced when Jack raised his hand again. "And, I must be frank... These are not all of them."
More whispers cut through the crowd, but they died down with just a single look from Jack. "Ladies and gentlemen, monsters and demons, spirits and ghouls... I give you, the Pumpkin Queen!"
At that moment, in the middle of the clearing, a large puff of smoke appeared. The citizens backed away and began to cough from the sudden explosion of smoke. However, all shock was completely topped over when they all saw what had shown up in the place of the smoke. A large pile of pumpkins sat in the middle of the crowd, placed in the formation of a pyramid. Standing at the top was none other than Sally Finkelstein, who was also dressed out of her normal attire. Her dress was similar to her typical day-wear, but it was more elegant than what the town had ever seen from her. Her red hair was curled into beautiful waves and atop her head was a black fascinator that held a black feather that matched the one Jack wore on his own top hat.
"Happy Halloween!" Sally exclaimed, laughing mirthfully.
The monsters below began to cheer and clap excitedly, to the point where nothing could be heard over it. Jack pounced onto the pumpkins and landed beside Sally at the top. He took her hand and began to escort her down to the cheering crowd, who parted to allow them into the gathering.
"That was fantastic, Jack!" applauded the lake monster.
"Where did you get those pumpkins, Sally?" yelled a snake-like creature.
"We love you both!" praised a young, mummified monster.
Sally's lips pursed together, but the smile on her face showed that she was anything but upset about the cheers. She exchanged a look with Jack, who smiled adoringly down at her. They looked as though they were about to share a kiss, but they were interrupted by the Mayor cutting into the middle of the crowd.
"Bravo, Jack!" the Mayor exclaimed, clapping his stubby hands together in delight. "Good show!"
Jack, though mildly irritated, smiled at the Mayor. "Thank you, but I couldn't have done it without the help of Sally. Not only did she make these costumes for the both of us, but she managed to find a whole grove of pumpkins just in time for tonight."
Sally sheepishly grinned when the town began to chant her name and waved her hand nonchalantly. "I can't take all the credit. Jack was the one who made the reveal so much better. He's always been better at the theatrics of things than I have."
"You both rock!" shouted a small monster from the back of the crowd.
"We love you, Sally!" chimed in another monster.
"And I love you, too, random monster," Sally replied, laughing a bit.
The Mayor chuckled. "Well, I believe I can say without a doubt that this was one of our best Halloween's yet! And it's all thanks to our Pumpkin King and Queen, Jack and Sally!"
The crowd broke off into cheers once again and the celebration went into all-time high. Monsters began to howl with delight and scare each other silly, the night air filled with the sounds of terror and laughter.
"Mayor," Sally began,
"Well," Jack whispered to Sally. "Are you ready to pay Ponyville a visit?"
"You know it," Sally whispered back. She pulled her satchel from behind her voluminous skirt. "I have Pinkie's costume right here. I'm sure she'll die from fright!"
"To her, that might not be a good thing," Jack observed. He took her hand and picked up the pace. "Let's hurry, before anyone sees us."
Sally nodded and she joined him in a strong canter. With the town completely immersed in the festivities, the couple sneaked away from the crowd and into the forest, Zero in tow behind them.
Halloween Nightmareween Hallownight You know what, it's in Ponyville
Sneaking through town was a lot harder than Pinkie thought it would be. Not even the darkest of alleys was vacant for her to walk through, many of them being occupied by holiday pranksters or by couples sneaking away from the activities.
"Sorry!" Pinkie exclaimed after catching a mermaid and a vampire in one of the alleys. She continued forth and slinked through the various carts and booths to avoid being caught. It probably wouldn't have mattered if somepony caught her, as long as it wasn't Rarity or, worse, Twilight, but she didn't want to take any risks. She couldn't let the others know that there was something going on with her.
'Just keep on going,' Pinkie reminded herself as she prepared to step out from behind a hay cart. 'Jack and Sally will be here soon. Don't worry. Don't worry. DON'T WORRY.'
"Hiya, Pinkie!"
She shrieked and cowered into a ball. "GAH!"
"Whoa, sorry!" came the familiar voice of Spike. "I wasn't going for a scary look this year, Pinkie!"
Pinkie looked up and she sighed in relief as she confirmed that it was Spike. Although, the frilly shirt, tight pants and blonde wig did make it a bit hard to truly think that.
"Sorry, you just startled me is all," Pinkie admitted, laughing a bit. She suddenly realized how many times she had done that to Fluttershy and immediately set out to apologize when she got the chance.
Spike shrugged. "It's cool. Didn't mean to scare ya, though." He blinked a bit as he looked at her, then arched a brow. "How come you're not wearing your Nightmare Night costume?"
Pinkie smiled awkwardly and laughed a bit tensely. "I'm, uh... on my way to go get it!"
"Oh, is Rarity doing it?" Spike questioned. He puffed his chest out proudly. "She did my costume for me, too!"
'Well, that explains that, then,' she thought. "Uh, no, someone else did my costume! A new friend of mine wanted to do something nice for me, and, well, she's still working on it."
"What's their name?" Spike asked. "Maybe Rarity knows them!"
"Uh, no, she doesn't! Actually, Rarity doesn't even know that my friend is making my costume, so--"
"She doesn't?" Spike blinked in confusion. "Why not?"
"Because... Because..." Pinkie sighed. "OK, I wanted Rarity and the girls to meet them later on tonight." She held up a hoof to silence him when he prepared to talk. "But it's supposed to be a surprise!"
"Really?"
"Really." Pinkie smiled. "Promise you'll keep it a surprise?"
"Well, as long as they're cool with you, they're cool with me, too," Spike told her, returning her smile. "Have fun getting your costume!"
"Spike!"
Pinkie felt a surge of panic when she caught sight of Twilight, who was making her way through the crowd with great difficulty. As she grew closer, Pinkie saw that she was dressed as a purple dragon, something she guessed Spike had her do in his stead.
"Gotta go!" Pinkie exclaimed, darting away. She left in a pink blur, leaving only a trail of dust behind her.
Twilight finally made it away from the cluster of ponies and sighed when she reached Spike's side. "Man, there's a lot of ponies out this year."
Spike's eyes tore away from Pinkie's departed form. "Yeah, there sure are."
Twilight's brows furrowed a bit and her eyes drifted to where Spike was looking. "Was that Pinkie you were talking to?"
"Nope," Spike replied, his eyes cutting to the side suspiciously.
"Really?" Twilight arched a brow at him. "Alright, I won't ask, then. Let's just get down to the town square. The girls are waiting on us."
Spike let out a small sigh of relief and followed after Twilight. He didn't quite understand what Pinkie was hoping to accomplish with her secrecy, but knowing her, he knew it was bound to be something worth the fuss. He just hoped it didn't have anything to do with her story about talking skeletons.