Nightmare Night: The Rest of the Time

by sgamer82

Chapter 3

Fortunately for the Crusaders, Rarity’s boutique was close to the edge of town. They didn’t want to get too deep into Ponyville proper, where everypony else was, if they could help it. Staying on the outskirts should keep down how many other ponies they run into.

“Any sign of the zombies?” Apple Bloom asked as they moved through back alleys. Scootaloo looked behind them.

“Nothing. It doesn’t look like they followed us out of the boutique.”

“That’s a relief. Now we just need to get outside of town and head towards Fluttershy’s cottage.”

“And then what?” Sweetie Belle asked. “There’s a big bubble shield around it. How will we get through?”

“Dunno yet,” Apple Bloom admitted. “But no point worrying about it ‘til we get there, anyway. For now, just keep an eye out for anypony. We don’ know who’ll be friendly right now.”

As if to punctuate that statement, a loud honk blared behind the Crusaders. The fillies jumped and looked behind them. The Mayor of Ponyville stood before them. A bicycle horn in her mouth, which she was honking enthusiastically.

“Shh!” Scootaloo told her. “You’re making too much noise.”

The Mayor complied and stopped honking her horn. She began performing cartwheels. This wasn’t much better, as the Mayor’s costume included squeaky clown shoes. Scootaloo covered her face with her hoof.

“Let’s just get out of here before something nasty shows up,” Sweetie Belle urged.

“Too late!”

The girls looked up at the voice they had heard. The Mayor simply ran for it. Two of the Crusaders quickly realized that was probably the smart move.

“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo cried happily.

“That’s the name, kid,” Rainbow Dash replied, as she floated down to street level. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle saw a number of other pegasi still on the rooftops watching them. Scootaloo, however, only had eyes for Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, Rainbow Dash, I’m so glad to see-”

“Scootaloo, get away from ‘er!”

Apple Bloom’s warning came too late as Scootaloo suddenly found herself thrown to the ground and pinned under Rainbow’s hoof.

“I’m not sure just what’s going on here,” Rainbow Dash began. “But everypony’s acting crazy and so far you’re the only ponies other than ourselves who aren’t being affected by it. The Princess will definitely want to see you.”

“Princess? You mean Princess Celestia?” Sweetie Belle asked hopefully. Rainbow Dash snorted.

“Hardly. I mean the true Princess of Equestria. Our lady Nightmare Moon.”

The pegasi on the rooftops reverently chanted Nightmare Moon’s name in unison. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom huddled closer together.

“Nightmare Moon?” Scootaloo asked. “You mean Princess Lu-oh no…”

“Yes,” Rainbow Dash confirmed. “Our lady arrived in Ponyville only a few short minutes ago. She’s managed to be untouched by this madness, but for her subjects she’s determined to figure out its source.”

“It’s Discord!” Sweetie Belle yelled out.

“Discord? Oh, I should’ve known. Cloud Kicker! Report this to the Princess, let her know we’ll have more information as soon as we finish interrogating these fillies.”

Interrogating? The Crusaders thought in unison.

“Rainbow Dash, you don’t need to interrogate us,” Scootaloo said from under Rainbow’s hoof. “You already know Discord’s behind this. Why not let us go?”

“Kid, I like you and all, but you gotta understand. I’m Captain of the Shadowbolts, the greatest fliers under our Princess of the Night. I can’t just say it’s Discord and leave it at that. Not with the holiest of her majesty’s nights on the line. You obviously know something about this, and I’m gonna find out all of it. You’d best answer honestly, because if my duty to my Princess means I gotta get rough, that’s what I’m gonna do.”

“YEAH!” a voice boomed from the roof. Scootaloo was starting to panic. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at one another and nodded. This could be their chance.

“Okay, we’ll tell ya,” Apple Bloom said. “Discord’s kicked up some kinda spell turnin’ everypony into their Nightmare Night costumes. We wanna stop him, and he found it so funny he gave us a hint t’do it.”

“We gotta get to Fluttershy’s house,” Scootaloo finished.

“Fluttershy?!” Rainbow asked in surprise. “Hm… that actually makes sense. She does exert some control over him. Very well. Blossomforth, get these fillies someplace out of the way. The rest of you ponies, we’re going to Fluttershy’s.”

“Wait, don’t send us away!” Sweetie Belle cried.

“We need to see this through,” Scootaloo said.

“An’ Discord may’ve left somethin’ for us to use that you can’t.”

Rainbow Dash appeared to consider these words.

“Tch… fine. Shadowbolts, change of plans. We got ourselves an escort mission! Form up!”

The pegasi wearing Shadowbolt uniforms began to come down from the roofs and circle around the Crusaders, but before they could go any further than that a loud wail came from the air.

“Oh, great, not her again…” Rainbow Dash muttered. She turned to the fillies. “Hide somewhere. We got this. Shadowbolts, attack!”

The Shadowbolts took to the air. The Crusaders watched them and saw the white-scaled dragon they now knew to be Rarity.

“Run?” Scootaloo asked.

“Run,” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle replied.

They ran.

The white dragon, preoccupied with the Shadowbolts, didn’t pay them any mind immediately. Eventually it caught a glimpse of them getting out of the alley, getting into the streets proper, and changed targets. With a swipe of its long tail it swatted most of the Shadowbolts away and began pursuing the Crusaders.

“We gotta run faster!” Sweetie Belle yelled.

“No kidding!” Apple Bloom replied.

“What’s that up ahead?” Scootaloo asked.

Up ahead was another large creature, a large purple dragon was ahead of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It was coming right at them.

“It’s another dragon!” Sweetie Belle cried.

Caught between two dragons the Crusaders froze. The Rarity-Dragon was nearly upon them when the large purple one tackled her and began to hold her down. They struggled for a few moments before the girls heard it.

“Get out of here!” the large purple dragon said to them. Scootaloo was the first to realize it.

“Spike?!”

“There’s a root cellar two houses down and to the left. It’s safe there!” Spike said to them.

“But Spike, you-”

“I’ll be fine. Go!”

“Spike, that dragon is Rarity!” Sweetie Belle called. “Be careful!”

“All right.”

The Crusaders galloped away, leaving Spike to deal with Rarity. They followed the dragon’s directions and found the root cellar he had described. And next to it…

“Girls, over here!” They saw Twilight Sparkle beckoning them forward. With a sense of relief all three Crusaders charged into the cellar Twilight left open. Twilight went in next and closed the door behind her.

* * * * *

“Well, now, that’s new,” Discord muttered to himself.

“What’s wrong, Big D?” the smaller Discord asked, pulling himself away from watching the fight between the dragons..

“Well, Wee D, it seems as if I actually cannot see into that cellar those ponies just went into,” he pulled out an ear trumpet and held it against his head. “Can’t hear inside,” he vanished and reappeared in a moment, looking a little singed. “Teleport inside, either.”

“Twilight Sparkle?”

“No, I’ve had occasion to become familiar with her magic. Besides, she’s not Twilight Sparkle, she’s Daring Do. It’s not Twilight, but whoever it is is powerful nonetheless.”

“Princess Luna? There was a filly dressed as her.”

“Good guess, but no.”

“The real Princess Luna? She was supposed to come to Ponyville.”

“No, the magic I’m sensing belongs to neither unicorn nor ali-wait… did you say Luna was coming here?”

“She promised us last year she would,” the smaller Discord said, calling on his real identity’s memory.

“Well that’s just great! That may put an end to this whole thing earlier than I’d planned.”

“Not necessarily…” the small Discord said in a singsong.

“You know something, don’t you D Minor?”

“Last year she scared all the kids in town by dressing up as Nightmare Moon. She’d probably do the same this year.”

“She would, heavens know she’s not very imagin… she’s going to be dressed as…” Discord began to snicker, then laugh out loud.

“So we have the real Luna as Nightmare Moon in town? Y’know, I always wanted to meet Nightmare Moon. Couldn’t at the time though, bit of a rocky period for me, if you know what I mean.”

Discord’s counterpart nodded in understanding, then looked down and south a ways.

“Hey, what’s that?”

Discord teleported over for a closer look. In that area, he saw a grey pegasus with criss-crossed eyes draped in plastic shopping bags and laughing maniacally. Around her was a tornado of those self-same bags flying all around her and clinging to anypony who got close enough. The two Discords simply stared at this display for several minutes.

“I can honestly say I have no idea,” Discord responded finally, then he began to grin. “I love Nightmare Night!”

Comments

[Crack-Fic Casey]

i was half hoping Ditzy Do would have been the Doctor. Ah well.