//------------------------------// // Chapter 15: Final Night; Nightmare Night // Story: Between Bassdrops and Bowstrings // by Quillian Inkheart //------------------------------// Chapter 15: Final Night; Nightmare Night [v] Shadows clung over Ponyville as Nightmare Night began. Vinyl and Octavia had been otherwise indisposed when the holiday swept over Ponyville last, bringing with it the Princess of the Night. Fiddlesticks had given the pair of mares a particularly detailed account of the terror that night had spread over Ponyville, much to the delight of the thrill-seeking ponies who experienced it. Vinyl had been greatly disappointed that she’d missed out. This time, Vinyl decided, would be different! So, she had sent out a personal invitation to Princess Luna herself, determined to get the Lunar Princess here for the festivities. The Princess had been mysteriously absent during the chaos in Canterlot, something that bothered Vinyl to no end, and when she did finally arrive, Vinyl had been too wrapped up in her work to actually speak to her! This, she hoped, would be the big chance to finally learn the truth about the princess’ supposed infatuation with her music. “Come on, Tavi! Let’s go! Time is candy and we're wastin’ time!” Vinyl shouted at Octavia’s door, decked out in her costume. She was a vampire, dressed in a flowing black cape and accented with fake blood and fangs. She even had her glasses off for the day and was wearing a pair of red contact-lenses. “Vinyl, do I really have to? This all seems so… childish…” Octavia sounded reluctant. The eccentric mare just laughed. “Pinkie Pie’s been doin’ this for years now!” There was a long pause. “I rest my case…” Octavia replied, but the door opened. Vinyl had chosen her costume; she was a werewolf, her mane and coat elongated with various accessories and highlighted in certain places with makeup. She had fake sharpened teeth in, which made it hard to speak sometimes. “How do I look?” “Spooky,” Vinyl answered, winking. Octavia gave a doubtful little smile, but her eyes twinkled all the same. “Did you hear back from the Princess?” Normally, Octavia had been mortified at the idea of appearing before a Princess dressed as she was. However, Vinyl had brought up a very good point; this was Luna’s holiday, so it would be rude to not dress up for it. “No, nothing.” Vinyl sighed, shaking her head. “But I get the feeling she wouldn’t write back. She’ll either show up, or she won’t.” Octavia agreed. Very little she knew about the Princess of the Moon, but her anti-social behavior was common knowledge. “Well, Fiddlesticks is hosting a ho-down at the town square. Why don’t we go enjoy her company while we wait?” Octavia said idly. “Great idea! I’m interested to see you dance.” Vinyl smirked, showing her fangs. She clearly saw the moment where Octavia realized she'd gotten herself into a bad position and snickered, nudging her friend towards the stairs. “Come on! No ifs, ands, or buts about it! After all, you’re the one who suggested it!” Octavia groaned. "I hate my life." Octavia loved her life. The party was lively and she was fairly certain she hadn’t seen her sister this happy in ages. The fiddling mare was dressed as the Headless Pony, wearing a carved pumpkin for her head. She played her fiddle with a certain stylistic grace only she herself could manage, and Vinyl had found not dancing to be impossible. Octavia watched, but her hooves were tapping and she could barely contain the urge to dance. She was however, robbed of the decision, as Vinyl swept her up into the mix, grabbing her hoof and pulling her into the dance with her. “You ain’t sittin’ on the sidelines tonight, Tavi!” Octavia was glad for her makeup, which did a decent job hiding her blush. She danced with Vinyl, feeling her face heat as the two of them touched. Sure, it was like dancing with a creature from another planet, but her lack of coordination aside, Vinyl’s eyes were shining with happiness. She felt a surge of happiness all her own as she spun with her friend. Vinyl was more used to the crowded mosh-pits her concerts attracted and lacked the subtle grace of actual dancing. Her motions were far too erratic and, more than once, she smashed into somepony nearby, sputtering apologies as she tried to keep her footing. Octavia was, on the other hoof, nearly as bad of a dancer as her friend. Having never really danced all that much, Octavia was as nervous as can be. She was far too slow, worried about every step and not wanting to make a fool of herself. The air of caution had the opposite effect, making her into a hazard for the faster ponies all around her. The pair of mares were an absolute dance floor disaster. And neither of them - dancing side by side or holding the other so close - really seemed to care. “I saw you two out there.” Fiddlesticks giggled, trotting towards the two once her segment was over. “You were like a pair of pony-shaped wreckin’ balls, tied together with rubber bands.” Vinyl shared in Fiddle’s mirth, laughing right alongside Octavia’s half-sister, while the were-pony in question struggled to not whimper and hide. “Were we really that bad? Wow, that’s a new record, I think.” Vinyl said between chuckles. “What’s next?” Vinyl asked Octavia, drawing her mind from the embarrassment. She just shrugged in response, unsure. “How about some games?” Fiddle looked between the two of them, her eyes settling on Octavia. “The Pumpkin-Pult is as fun as always.” She nudged her head towards Vinyl while she wasn’t looking. “You two should go have some fun. I might see about getting back on stage for a while longer.” Octavia caught a wink as Fiddle turned to leave. She smiled, both in pride and happiness. Fiddle had grown quite a bit since the Discord incident. She didn’t cling to Octavia quite as tightly now and had started to become her own mare. Perhaps what Fiddle had needed more than anything was to see that her invincible sister could be just as fragile as she assumed she herself was. Turning to Vinyl, Octavia motioned her towards the games. “I would say bobbing for apples, but with our fangs…” Octavia opened her mouth and growled slightly, laughing along with Vinyl at the playful action. “How about the spider toss?” Vinyl pointed to the game, wagging her hoof like an excited child. “Or maybe we could get something to eat! Or go gather some candy!" She paused, then brightened. "Or we could pull some pranks!” Vinyl hopped at her own suggestion, a wild grin spreading on her face. “I don’t know, Vinyl…” Octavia shook her head, giving her friend and uncomfortable look. “I’d rather not cause trouble for anypony.” “Trouble? Pranks are a huge part of Nightmare Night! Come on, it’s all in good fun! You just need to pick your targets wisely. One time, I scared Fluttershy on accident and felt like a total… Well, you know what I mean.” Octavia nodded, deciding that, as long as she was with Vinyl, she didn’t care what she did. Silently, she scoped out possible targets. Out of the crowd, she noticed Lyra and Bon-Bon. Lyra was dressed in odd, restrictive clothing that looked impossible to get out of. It was segmented at her torso, and each part was made up of a different fabric. Obviously, she was dressed up in ‘humans’ clothes, from her fanciful tales. She even had little ‘hands’ on her hooves, gloves with little digits sewn in. Bon-Bon was, interestingly, dressed in what looked like rather authentic armor. From where Octavia was, it was styled to look like it was made up from various monster parts and hides. She wasn’t really sure what to think about the armor, but it certainly looked nice. “Well… perhaps we can do some pranking. But only a little bit.” Octavia consented, already planning what to do. “That’s the spirit!” Vinyl shouted, losing her fangs in the process. She was quiet for a few seconds as she cleaned off the false teeth and popped them back in place. “Who should we go for? I’m thinkin’ maybe the Mayor, personally. Or Spike. He’s always a good laugh.” “Lyra and Bon-Bon.” Octavia suggested, feeling mischievous. “They should be fair game. Maybe we can even rope a few other ponies in. I’ve got a real big idea for the prank.” Vinyl chuckled, smirking as she spoke. “Alright, Vinyl. So, what do you have in mind?” Octavia asked. Vinyl looked back to the stage, where Fiddle had once again started to play. “I’m thinking we might need a hoof from a certain headless pony.” “And you’re both sure about this?” Fiddle asked, looking between the two pranksters. Octavia was feeling an odd thrill from all of this. Perhaps Vinyl’s craziness was finally starting to rub off on her. Maybe, just maybe, it had done so a long, long time ago. “We’re pretty sure.” Vinyl nodded to Fiddle, who looked to Octavia for confirmation. The were-mare smirked and nodded with Vinyl. “But the Everfree Forest? You know how dangerous that is.” Fiddle frowned, shaking her head. “Well, that’s the point.” Vinyl gave that vampire grin again. “Nopony will be scared if it happens in the town. And what most ponies don’t seem to get is that it’s only dangerous deep in the forest. There are a few small things that wander around the edges, but nothing we can’t handle. You feelin’ me?” Fiddle was very clearly not feeling her. However, as she looked to her sister’s eager face, then back to Vinyl’s excited one, she gave a sigh of defeat. “’Kay, you got my help.” She pulled her pumpkin mask off, obviously glad to be free of it for a few seconds. “So, what do you want me to do, exactly?” Vinyl rubbed her hooves together like a mad genius. “Just go to the spot we talked about and wait for our signal. Once our victims come along, you jump out and scare the tails off them. It’s simple, clean, and effective.” As Fiddle nodded, Octavia felt that same rush of excitement she had been feeling all night. Yes, she was certain now, Vinyl was certainly affecting her judgment. And she loved every second of it. The Everfree Forest; a place that had gained infamy for its disharmony. The weather controlled itself, the plants grew in unusual ways, and powerful monsters and animals roamed the wilds ~ vicious and territorial; many of them powerful enough to endanger anypony who got too close. It was a dark and forbidden place where nopony dared to tread lightly. It was also where Vinyl and Octavia were leading their hapless victims. “A treasure hunt?” Bon-Bon asked, looking to Lyra, who looked at Rainbow Dash, who looked at nopony in particular. Vinyl and Octavia had managed to rope her along with the promise of a contest, while they hooked Twilight with the riddles in the scavenger hunt. For some reason, Twilight seemed overjoyed at the concept. Vinyl would have dragged the whole Twilight party along, but Applejack was helping run some games, Rarity and Pinkie Pie were both busy leading the Cutie Mark Crusaders out trick-or-treating, and Fluttershy was… Fluttershy. Vinyl wasn’t about to subject that poor mare to two of her pranks in one lifetime. “Yup. The rules are easy,” Vinyl said, shifting in her vampire cloak. “Me and Tavi have hid a bunch of treasure in the Everfree. We gave all of you a clue where to find the first bit of it, and the next hint; ‘Here in the forest, the clue does lie, resting in the place where Nightmares do fly.’ The clue was easy enough that they wouldn’t be too long figuring it out. The only place in the Everfree where Nightmares 'flew' was at the statue of Nightmare Moon, where fillies and colts dumped their candy offerings. “If you find them all and bring them to us, we’ll have a special reward prepared.” Octavia spoke clearly, drawing everypony’s attention. Not surprisingly, nopony expected foul play; after all, Octavia was going along with it, and she would never prank anypony, right? “Good luck, everypony!” Vinyl raised a hoof. “The hunt starts now!” As the group walked along the dirt path, Vinyl turned to Octavia and nudged her head to the side. With Vinyl hiking up her cloak, the two galloped to the statue before anypony could figure out the answer. Waiting in the Everfree was a sobering experience for Octavia. The prank had sounded like good fun, when she was surrounded by the buildings of Ponyville and all the familiar faces of its residents. Now, surrounded by the eerie dank of the Everfree Forest, it was hard to not be afraid. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all…” Octavia muttered to Vinyl quietly. Vinyl peered over to her, her red eyes seeming to shimmer in the faint moonlight. “Don’t worry. They’ll be here any minute, and we can get this show on the road.” The signal Vinyl had planned was a simple illumination spell, which she would cast onto the statue’s eyes, to make them glow. Fiddlesticks should be waiting in the bushes near the road, watching the statue and waiting for her cue. Silence dominated the night as Octavia waited, punctuated by the occasional chirp of an insect. Speaking of, within an hour, Octavia found herself cursing bugs everywhere. She'd be chewed up before this prank was over! She had developed an irritable itch on her hoof, but no matter how much she scratched at it, it wouldn’t go away. Idly, she wondered if she’d stepped on something she shouldn’t have. In short, Octavia came to the conclusion that nature was beautiful; but too much of it, as Vinyl would say, sucked. Voices – at first distant, but drawing closer – broke Octavia out of her brooding. She stood up as straight as she could, trying to see over the brush they were using for cover. The group had arrived, walking out of the tree-line, following the dirt path that lead between Ponyville and the statue. “You’re sure this is the first spot?” Rainbow asked Twilight, who was nodding. “The line ‘where Nightmares do fly’ is obviously referencing the statue of Nightmare Moon. What else could it mean? I can’t believe I didn’t solve it sooner.” Twilight chuckled as she approached. Lyra and Bon-Bon, not as accustomed to coming into the Everfree Forest as the other two competitors, were lagging behind, huddled together for comfort. Eventually, all of them reached the statue, splitting up to search for the non-existent clue. Vinyl smirked and, once nopony was looking, leaned her horn through the brush, firing her spell at the statue. For a brief moment, the statue’s eyes gave off a dark and foreboding blue glow, before flicking back to their usual stone grey. “Do you think she saw it?” Octavia asked, quietly. “Hope so. Or this whole thing is a bust.” Vinyl shrugged as she sat back. Together, they waited. And waited. Just as Octavia was about to give up, there was a sound – like a breaking twig, only louder. All of the ponies around the statue snapped to attention, looking towards the direction the noise had come from. A pony, perfectly cloaked in shadows, trotted from the trees; a pumpkin with blazing red eyes where its head should be. Vinyl whistled in appreciation. “Remind me to ask her how she did the glowey-eye thing.” Bon-Bon and Lyra screamed first, darting behind the other, more capable ponies. However, even Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked terrified, shivering from head to hoof, but trying to hide it. It wasn’t every day you saw a nightmare come to life. The pumpkin-headed pony advanced slowly, swaying slightly, as if in a trance. Octavia was starting to grow worried; Fiddle was really hamming it up, and that wasn't like her. Maybe whatever she did to make her eyes glow made it so she couldn’t see through the eye-holes. Twilight stood in front of the others, obviously scared but not wanting to back down. As she braced herself to fight the terror in front of her, the nightmare threw its hooves up and then slammed them back down, fire billowing from the eyes, nose and mouth of the pumpkin. Octavia felt herself grow cold. Vinyl just tilted her head. “Huh. Wonder how she managed that one. It was pretty cool.” Vinyl wondered out loud. Octavia, however, knew. She knew there was no way Fiddle could have done that. The treasure hunters shouted at the horrifying sight, scattering in every direction before – under the guidance of Twilight, charging back towards town – screaming in fear. “Awesome! She did better than I could’ve ever hoped!” Vinyl shouted and jumped up from the bush before Octavia could stop her. Some nightmares are best ignored. “Hey, Fiddle!” Vinyl waved her hoof wildly, laughing. “Nice job! You scared them right outta their costumes!” The mysterious pony gave a low growl, a sound no pony should be able to make. Vinyl shifted a bit and laughed. “Heh. Come on, drop the act. They’re gone. Prank’s over.” The unknown pony stepped closer, fire licking out of the pumpkin head. Vinyl shivered, clearly starting to feel the same way as Octavia. “Tavi? C-Can you come out here and calm down your sister, please?” Vinyl asked, a tinge of fear in her voice. “That’s not my sister…” Octavia whispered, her entire body shivering. With a flick of its head, the nightmare pony reared back, before flinging the still flaming pumpkin at Vinyl. The DJ shouted, diving out of the way just as the flaming gourd striking a tree near Octavia and immediately setting it alight. Octavia scrambled out of the cover of highly flammable leaves, right into the clearing where Vinyl was now both trembling and petrified with fear. With the pumpkin gone, the two could see that the pony was indeed headless. Not a costume, but really, truly, genuinely headless. Octavia felt a scream trap itself in her throat, strangling her breath. Vinyl was just as terrified, scrambling to Octavia’s side. Now, Octavia found she couldn’t even run. Staring at that sheered-flat neck, fear turned her bones to jelly and her hooves to glue. It took Vinyl shaking her violently to snap her out of it. “We need to run! Run!” Octavia obeyed, hardly able to do anything but. She raced after Vinyl as the two dove into the woods, fleeing from the headless monstrosity behind them. They sprinted through the trees wildly, not looking where they were going, overcome by an immense, primal fear. Vinyl barely even noticed how she was almost tripping over her cape. Finally the two stopped to gather their breath. “You’re kidding? The Headless Pony is real?!” Vinyl shouted, gasping for air. She sat on her haunches, wrapping her cloak around her torso and tying it off so she wouldn't fall. “I have no idea! But you saw that, didn’t you?” Octavia was beyond calm, quiet speech. She trembled as she paced, her horror making it hard to think clearly. “What do we do? Go back to town?” She asked, with a shaking voice. “Town?” Vinyl jumped as she realized something. She jumped to her hooves, looking around frantically. “Oh crap! Where are we?” The two had abandoned the road in their flight and were now hopelessly lost. In the Everfree Forest. Very few stories with happy endings began like that. “V-Vinyl, can you do anything with magic?” Octavia grasped for straws, feeling defeated when Vinyl shook her head. “Nothing that won’t bring it to us.” Vinyl said in a shaky voice, eyes troubled. "We're helpless..." “Maybe it’s not chasing us. It didn’t chase the others.” Octavia was hopeful, but not very. Vinyl looked to her, then hurried to her side, worry written all over her face. “Tavi, you’re trembling…” So was she, but it was it was likely that she didn’t even notice. The vamp-mare frowned, hugging Octavia close. “We’ll get outta here. Just watch.” The logical part of Octavia’s brain shunned further hope. If it really was the Headless Pony, then they stood no chance of survival. But, deep down, a part of her gave into Vinyl’s words. Relief spread through her. Hugging her friend back, she rested her cheek against her the other pony’s. “I know, Vinyl… And we’ll play music together, every night. Maybe we can practice dancing too.” “I’d like that.” Vinyl’s voice was tinged with fear that she couldn’t hide. It stung Octavia to hear that tone in Vinyl’s voice. The two leaned away, letting fear grip them again as they began to walk through the Everfree. “Do you think it really was… you know?” Octavia asked, also not wanting to give a name to the thing that could be chasing them. “I don’t see how it wasn’t.” Vinyl answered, giving a shivering noise. “What do you think happened to Fiddle?” Octavia paused mid-step, upset with herself for not considering her sister before now. Vinyl, noticing this, moved back to her. “Hey. Listen. You know Fiddle even better than I do. She wouldn’t let that thing get the jump on her. She’s an Apple and the Apples are all hardcore.” The stupid pun made Octavia giggle, despite her fear. Vinyl’s humor was a bit dry and other ponies might groan when they hear a bad pun, but to Octavia, it always brought a smile or a laugh. She nodded a bit, looking around, hoping to see something familiar. “Vinyl, just in case we don’t make it back home, I just—" “Shh…” Vinyl tensed up suddenly, dropped down and pulled Octavia down with her. This close, Octavia could see just how tired and afraid Vinyl really was. “I saw something move.” Vinyl whispered. Octavia frowned and looked in the direction Vinyl was looking. The trees swayed slightly in the wind, a storm growing over the forest. Octavia genuinely hoped they were back home before that unnatural storm started. A twig snapped. A hoof clicked on stone. The Headless Pony came into view. It moved like a ghost over the landscape, every step filled with an unearthly grace that no other pony shared. It seemed to stare around, even without it's eyes, sending a chill of horror down Octavia’s spine. “Maybe we could sneak away?” Octavia whispered to Vinyl. “It can’t see us, right? It doesn’t have eyes.” Then, her mind answered, how did it see Vinyl to throw the pumpkin at her? Just as her thoughts confirmed this, Vinyl shook her head. They wouldn’t get away so easily. The headless gaze snapped to them and Octavia felt a wave of fear wash over her. “But it’s not real. It’s just an old mare’s tale…” Octavia muttered under her breath. However, the Headless Pony failed to agree with her epiphany. The very real monster took a step towards them and Vinyl jumped up. “Run!” She shouted, tugging Octavia hard to follow her. The two bolted into the trees, the sound of fast hooves chasing them. Octavia wanted to cry, but she knew the tears would only make running harder. She heard a shout of pain and quickly flicked her head to where Vinyl was. Or had been. Vinyl was several feet back, her hoof snagged on a rock, a small trickle of blood leaking from a cut the rock had given her. “Ow ow ow… Stupid cape!” Vinyl tried to stand, stumbled and fell, looking terrified. She looked up to Octavia with wide eyes. “Run, Tavi! Don't stop!” Octavia didn’t even think about it. She rushed back to Vinyl, using her side to push her friend up and hold her off her bad hoof. “Come on. We can’t be too far from safety.” It was an empty hope. Every part of this forest looked exactly the same to Octavia. They could be miles from Ponyville by now, for all she knew. The sound of hooves was fast approaching. Octavia doubled her speed, helping Vinyl along as best as she could manage, driven by an ever-increasing fear of the unknown that was closing in behind them. The two skidded to a halt, gazing up at a massive cliff-face, towering over them. “Which way?” Octavia looked to either side, along the face of the cliff. Vinyl leaned off her. “We should split up. That way, it can only chase one of us.” “No, Vinyl. And you can’t make me. It will either catch us together or not at all.” Octavia stood proudly, blushing at Vinyl’s smile. “Fine, fine…” Vinyl nodded, getting a blush of her own. Finally, they decided on going to the left; it was just as good as the right. As they began running, Octavia realized that it had been some time since they heard the sounds of pursuit. She didn’t, however, let that calm her down. Survival to her meant continued caution. “Tavi, slow down. I gotta get my breath, here.” Vinyl was panting as she spoke, hardly able to stand. Time had become insubstantial in the unforgiving night, and the two felt like they’d been running for ages. Octavia was forced to relent, slowing their pace to let Vinyl rest. Only then did she realize how tired she was herself. Panting, she collapsed beside her friend, resting her head on her for comfort. “We ain’t gonna make it, are we?” Vinyl sounded terrified and Octavia could feel her trembling. “Nopony knows we’re out here, except Fiddle… And we aren’t even sure if she’s okay.” Octavia placed a hoof on Vinyl’s side, at a loss for words. Even Vinyl’s boundless optimism was crumbling. She wasn’t sure if she could even convince herself they’d be okay, let alone somepony else. “Let me see your leg. I want to be sure it isn’t broken.” Much to Octavia’s relief, the wound wasn’t that serious; a light cut that had weakened the leg. If Vinyl had more energy, she would’ve been galloping without a problem. The two sat in silence as Octavia tore some of Vinyl’s cloak to wrap the cut. “We need to think up a plan.” Octavia suggested, breaking the silence. “A plan? Against the Headless Pony?” Vinyl asked, her voice laced with doubt. “It’s not like a Timberwolf, where you just kick it apart and run away. It’s the Headless Pony, Tavi! A thing of, like… nightmares.” Vinyl shivered all over, dropping her head down to rest in her hooves while Octavia worked on her back hoof. “So that’s it then? We just roll over and perish? I think not, Vinyl.” Octavia stood up, offering a hoof to Vinyl. “You yourself taught me to go down kicking and make sure they remember your name.” Octavia smiled as her friend’s eyes lit up with her usual spark of life. “So, we need a plan. If it fails, it fails and we can go down with our dignity and pride still intact.” Vinyl was silent a moment, staring at Octavia with hopeful eyes. “You’re right.” She said finally. “But what can we do? If it catches us…” She trailed off, rubbing her hoof over her neck, as if in pain. “I have a few ideas. I don’t know if any of them will work.” Octavia trotted over to a nearby tree, snapping a heavy branch down and held it in one hoof, slinging it over her back like a club. “But I’ll be a foal if I give up.” Vinyl almost cheered, but quickly remembered to keep silent. The night seemed to last forever. Octavia began to ponder the possibility that perhaps they were in some kind of strange shared nightmare. When she offered this idea to Vinyl, the mare shook her head. “Nah. This cut hurts way too much for this to be a nightmare.” She had recovered enough to walk on her own, but galloping would still prove to be a challenge. The two had a few fleeting glimpses of the Headless Pony, but had managed to keep it from noticing them. That, in a way, was a huge relief. It didn’t know everything. It could be tricked. The pair of mares found themselves at the top of the cliff that had blocked them before, looking down at the treetops below. Octavia, insisting that she had an idea, had forced the long walk up around and up to the cliff. Once the pair of mares had reached the top, Octavia explained her plan. “And you’re sure you can do it? You’re not too hurt?” Octavia asked her friend, concerned. She pulled her weapon close to her; a large branch they'd found to use as a makeshift club. “I’m sure, Tavi. A cut on the hoof doesn’t do anything to my magic, you know.” Vinyl sounded confident and was wearing a wide smile. “This might just actually work…” Bolstered by Vinyl’s raised hopes, Octavia looked out over the Everfree Forest. From up here, the two could see Ponyville in the distance. They had gone quite a ways into the forest, and getting back unseen was highly unlikely. The cliff didn’t have much in the way of foliage, but it had enough for what Octavia had in mind. Vinyl hurried to the bushes, while Octavia dragged her impromptu club over to the cliff, taking a deep breath for courage. “Hey! You brainless buffoon! You eyeless freak! I’m up here! Come and get me!” She cracked her stick onto the rocks just off the cliff, making as much noise as she could possibly muster. It was only a matter of seconds before she heard the unnatural baying of the Headless Pony. As it walked from the foliage further down the hill, Octavia felt herself back towards the cliff, fear filling her body. Fighting back the terror, she envisioned Vinyl and Fiddlesticks and all of her friends back in Ponyville. She gripped the stick tightly as she focused on Beauty and Neon, on her ensemble and on Echo. She thought of the cello Vinyl had given her, and what a shame it would be to never get to play it again. These thoughts helped her stand her ground as the Headless Pony began to charge her. Seeming to have little regard for its own safety, the galloping nightmare barreled towards Octavia, seeming to not see the cliff right behind her. Perhaps it could stop on a dime and keep from falling. Octavia hoped to rectify that situation. Just as the headless creature was about to reach her, Octavia jumped and Vinyl used her magic, wrapping Octavia in a faint blue glow. The sensation scared Octavia at first. The last time Vinyl had used magic on her, she hadn’t quite been paying attention to just how the magic made her feel. There was a terrible sense of vertigo as she became weightless, soaring over the Headless Pony. She watched with some amusement as it passed under her, its neck turning, as if following her with an invisible gaze. It was impossible to not imagined that, if it had a face, it would have looked shocked right then. Just was she was about to touch down, Octavia swung out with her stick, aiming for the Headless Pony’s flank. There was a strange resistance, like hitting something made of very flexible rubber, but the effect was much the same as she imagined it. The Headless Pony lost control of its momentum, growling like an animal as it flew off the side of the cliff and out of sight. Octavia touched to the ground without any force behind her landing and peered over her shoulder towards the cliff, as the magic faded. With a relieved sigh, she hurried back to the bushes to meet up with Vinyl. “You did it, Tavi!” Vinyl rushed out from the bushes, beaming with joy. “That was awesome! You’re awesome!” Octavia chuckled as Vinyl half-tackled her, hugging her tightly. The two spun around once, ending with Vinyl’s back to the cliff, her face buried into Octavia’s coat. Octavia wrapped a forehoof around her friend, smiling. “Heh... We both did it, Vinyl.” She closed her eyes, letting out a relieved sigh. A low growl made her eyes snap back open. The Headless Pony was there, hovering off the edge of the cliff, basked in a shadowy glow, like the blackest part of the night, made physically real. Octavia’s throat tightened. She couldn’t scream, only tremble. She heard Vinyl ask her what was wrong, but she couldn’t answer. She could only stare and shake as the Headless Pony drifted back onto the ledge, its hooves touching down noiselessly. Vinyl turned, her eyes going wide and all hope draining from her. She started to run, but Octavia stopped her. “You won’t get far without it being distracted. And I know if I asked you to go on without me…” Octavia trailed off and Vinyl’s features softened. "Either together or not at all.” Vinyl moved back and wrapped her friend in another hug. “Thanks Tavi, for everything. You mean way more to me than I think you know.” The Headless Pony advanced. Vinyl closed her eyes, hugging Octavia tighter. As Octavia stared at what she was certain would be their end, she felt tears come to her eyes. There wouldn’t be any burst of magic to save them from this. So many things were left unsaid; so many things had been left undone. She shook her head to her friend’s words, but Vinyl couldn’t see. “No. I do know, I think. Because you mean even more to me, Vinyl Scratch.” Vinyl wasn’t dazed this time. Octavia really didn’t care. Just as Vinyl was about to ask her what she meant, Octavia shifted drastically and kissed the DJ forcefully, an action filled with equal measures of desperation and despair. While Vinyl was still stunned, Octavia dove away from the hug, charging the Headless Pony. “You won’t have her!” She was determined to buy Vinyl some time. She knew the DJ wouldn’t leave so long as she was still there, so… so Octavia would jump off that cliff and drag that headless monster down with her. That should buy Vinyl a few moments to run away. Even if the price was her life, no price was too large for Vinyl. Behind her, Vinyl rose to cast a spell. She couldn’t know what Octavia was planning, but she could have a good idea. Her horn shimmered with the last of her magic, preparing for the fight. Suddenly, time stopped for them alone. Able to move only their eyes, Octavia and Vinyl gazed at the Headless pony in confusion and horror. However, the creature wasn’t moving; it was just standing there, facing towards them, as if hesitant. “Oh… Oh dear, it appears We took this a tad too far…” The voice seemed to come from nowhere. “We had no idea you were injured or quite this frightened; We should have been more attentive. We... No, I am so very sorry for that.” The air around the monster distorted, a bright white light encasing its form. Once it faded, Princess Luna stood in place of the monster, a worried look on her face. “What…?” Octavia growled out through gritted, frozen teeth. The Princess merely giggled. “Well, when I saw you were playing a prank, I decided that I wanted to join in the fun.” Still frozen in place, Vinyl groaned, and then fainted. The walk back to Ponyville was demeaning, in its own way. The Princess watched over the two, guiding them back carefully. “When We arrived at Ponyville, we were told that you had hosted a treasure hunt in the Everfree Forest. Enthused, We went to find you. Upon arriving at the designated location, We found your sister,” Luna looked to Octavia and smiled, “Fiddlesticks, hiding in the bushes. She was scared to see Us and started explaining everything you had planned. Quite a good prank, if I do say so.” Luna giggled to herself, dropping out the 'Royal We' once more. “But I decided to prank the pranksters, and then some. Perhaps I got a little carried away.” “You think!?” Octavia snapped, but scrunched her face up when she remembered just who she was screaming at. “My apologies, truly. I hadn’t had much time to plan and what I threw together was rather… primal.” Luna had a small blush on her face when she finished. “I never meant to let things get that out of hoof. I should have changed back, right when you knocked me off that cliff, but I hadn’t yet realized how bad the situation had become.” Vinyl, who had been silent for quite some time, finally spoke up from her place at the back of the procession. “So, I’m guessin’ you got my invitation?” She didn’t look up from the ground as she spoke, making Octavia’s gut twist with worry. “Indeed. My sister was reluctant to allow me to go, as I have other duties to attend to, but when she found that it was you that invited me, she relented.” Luna gave a heartfelt laugh, a joyous sound that almost made up for everything that had happened. Almost. “So… What happened to Fiddlesticks?” Octavia asked, forcing a change of topic. She was still very worried about Fiddle, regardless of her desire to leave the current topic behind. “She was sent back to Ponyville with stern instructions to not ruin my prank.” Luna smiled a bit more. Fiddle had gotten off easy. Lucky her. “You know,” Luna started, looking over her shoulder at Vinyl and Octavia. “I hadn’t known you two were an item. Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch… I was genuinely caught off guard by that.” The makeup couldn’t really properly hide Octavia’s blush this time. She was really hoping that, with everything going on, everypony had forgotten about that kiss. “I-I…” Vinyl cleared her throat and lifted her head up to look at Luna. “We’re just roommates, your majesty…” Luna looked to Octavia, then back to Vinyl, frowning. “I… see.” She clearly didn’t see at all. How could Princess Luna ever hope to understand the strange happenings between the two of them? Octavia wasn’t sure how she felt about Vinyl’s reply. She wasn’t surprised, per-say, but she felt... something else. Perhaps hurt? What did Vinyl think about her now? Had she done something she couldn’t ever take back? She looked back to Vinyl as they walked, but her friend was back to staring at the ground. Though many wouldn’t understand, Octavia was far more interested in what might be running through her friend’s head, than the Princess who was walking just ahead of her and addressing her by her full name. Truly, it was an odd night. After several minutes of silence, Vinyl began probing the Princess for information, learning with much glee that Luna was, in fact, a giant fan of her music. “I own every album you’ve ever released,” Luna said proudly, grinning, “and several you didn’t.” She winked and chuckled. “Your producer was willing to share a few unreleased tracks for a royal favor; a few bits or a ticket to the Gala.” Vinyl laughed at that. "I'll be sure to scold him later. Or thank him. I have no idea which, really." “And your music,” Luna continued, looking to Octavia, who had been walking in silence ever since the discussion about her relationship with Vinyl. “My sister truly appreciates your music. It was why she called upon you to play for the Gala, even though it didn’t quite go as planned. The two of you are our favorite musicians in your respective genres.” The news was enough to shock Octavia out of her depression. Blinking, she stared at the Princess for even the slightest hint that this was untrue. “Princess Celestia likes my music?” She asked, absolutely astonished. " I thought I was hired for the Gala on my status alone." “Truly. Why would I lie about this? She says it’s filled with your heart and soul. In it, she says she can hear your love for music and everything that encompasses that love. She listens to a song every day, while she reads.” Luna giggled again, smiling as they approached Vinyl’s home. “Not a day goes by that one of your songs isn’t playing in the castle over in Canterlot.” Luna looked between the two musicians, and then gave a small sigh. “I am still very sorry. I never intended for anypony to be hurt, physically or otherwise.” The look she gave Octavia was rather pointed. “We know, Princess,” Vinyl said, waving her injured hoof dismissively. “It’s just a scratch anyway.” Luna looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded to herself. “Regardless, as an apology, I’ve a special gift in mind for you. I cannot give it to you now, but I promise, the two of you will receive it very shortly. And please, make me a promise, the both of you.” The two musicians leaned in, listening to the Princess’ next words. “Don’t stop doing what you love. Be who you are meant to be. You both make the whole of Equestria a better place with your music.” Ponyville was none the wiser for Vinyl and Octavia’s misadventure. A whisper was going around the small town about the Headless Pony, but most ponies didn’t believe it, no matter what anypony said they saw. But now, now the two musicians were home. Luna had departed and the night was over. As Vinyl closed the door behind her, Octavia found it hard to turn and face her friend. She felt Vinyl’s eyes on her, the unanswered question on her lips. Her lips… Octavia shook her head violently, forcing the thoughts away. Just as she was about to give in and turn around, Vinyl walked past her, levitating her cloak off. “Best. Nightmare Night. Ever!” She tossed her hooves up and cheered loudly. Silently, Octavia agreed. She touched a hoof to her lips as Vinyl vanished into the next room to remove the rest of her costume. Yes, she most certainly agreed.