Fluttershy stared nervously up at the terrifyingly vast form of Stellactus. "I can't do this," she whispered to herself. "I can't..."
She thought of all her friends. She thought of all the animals. She thought of the princesses, of Sunset Shimmer, and even of Discord.
The world was counting on her.
Even if she wasn't a real princess...
The fate of Equestria was in her hooves.
She whimpered.
A whisper of sound in the distance became a roar...
An enormous spaceship roared out of the fields outside Ponyville. Fluttershy squeaked in fright and ducked low. The ship's canopy opened and two mares leapt out to stand atop it. One was a mint-green unicorn wearing a white bikini, with white boots on three hooves. The other was a cream earth pony with a two-tone mane, wearing a matching yellow bikini, also with boots on three hooves. The unicorn wore a white headband, holding her red-dyed bangs out of her eyes.
Each mare had an enormous cannon strapped to her back.
"Are you ready?" the unicorn asked.
"Let's do this!"
Both mares fired big, loud rockets at Stellactus. Their ship began firing twin plasma cannons. Explosions rippled across the immense stallion's hide.
"Keep 'em hot!"
"Don't gotta tell me!"
For seven straight minutes, the two mares unleashed an impressive and terrifying array of weapons of mass destruction at Stellactus. Fluttershy hovered below, watching with wide, terrified eyes.
They finally ran out of ammunition. Their ship's plasma cannons fell silent.
Stellactus raised an eyebrow. Seriously?
A lance of starlight bisected their ship, which exploded in a massive fireball. Fluttershy, screaming in terror, scrambled to catch the two falling mares as they jumped clear of the ship just before they could meet a fiery demise.
"Dammit, we just finished paying for that!"
Fluttershy conjured a pair of parachutes, which she attached to the two mares. As they drifted down to the ground, she flew up to face Stellactus, hooves on her hips.
Above, the moon showed the time as 11:53.
"What makes you think you can just go around bullying weak, helpless ponies?" Fluttershy demanded.
I do not seek to bully the weak, nor do I care for their plight, Stellactus said. I am driven by my hunger. My hunger is all. I must feed to survive. Nothing else concerns me.
"But why do you want to eat OUR world?" Fluttershy asked. "We didn't do anything to you!"
This world is rich in the energy of life. It will sustain me for decades.
"But...but we're all using it! We love our world very much, and we really don't want to die!" Fluttershy threw her hooves up. "There are so many creatures living here! Ponies, griffons, cows, donkeys, mules, zebras, giraffes, sheep, goats, minotaurs, Changelings, buffalo, deer, bunnies, beavers, mice, pigs, owls, phoenixes, chickens, parakeets, budgies, finches, sparrows, hummingbirds, mockingbirds, blue jays, red jays, yellow jays, canaries, doves, pigeons, eagles, hawks, falcons, buzzards, ducks, swans, geese, moose, chupacabras, Breezies, ants, bats, cats, rats, shoats, snakes, skunks, hedgehogs, anteaters, armadillos, opossums, dogs, frogs, hydras, dragons, lions, tigers, bears, otters, bees, butterflies, fish, dolphins, seaponies, seals, starfish, turtles, tortoises, alligators, crocodiles, timberwolves, cragodiles, sea serpents, river serpents, lake serpents, manticores, spiders, crickets, moles, voles, trolls, diamond dogs, walruses, chipmunks, squirrels, ferrets, foxes, platypuses, koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, monkeys, apes, chinchillas—"
ENOUGH! Stellactus massaged his temples. I get it. Lots of things live on this world. And I truly regret the necessity of their demise. But my hunger is absolute, and—
"I WAS TALKING! INTERRUPTING OTHERS IS VERY RUDE!" Fluttershy bellowed in the Royal Canterlot Voice.
...Sorry.
"Thank you," Fluttershy continued meekly. "Now, I understand that you're hungry, and I truly am sorry, and I'm sure if you just keep looking, you'll find a world nearby that's just as tasty as this one, and isn't as full of things that'll die a horrible, agonizing death in your tummy. But I'm afraid we're using this world, and we're going to be using it for a very long time, and it simply isn't acceptable for you to eat our world, so if you'd please just go away..."
The clock struck midnight. Wispy clouds passed across the face of the moon.
Everypony stopped in their tracks.
Stellactus vanished in a blink.
Ponyville returned to normal, every trace of the damage wrought throughout the night disappearing as if none of the night's craziness had ever happened.
Fluttershy blinked. "Oh...oh my..."
Her fake alicorn horn fell off, dropping to the ground below.
With a sigh of relief, she glided down to the ground.
* * * * *
Pinkie reached up and pulled off her Ink Blot mask, shaking out her poofy mane. "Whoa," she said. "That was the craziest Nightmare Night ever!"
"A touch too strange for me, I fear," Zecora said, removing her sunglasses. "With Discord involved, I should have steered clear."
Pinkie tilted her head. "You were kinda really off your rocker there for a little while," she said.
"If I were you, I'd take that back. The pot should never call the kettle black."
"But you are black! And white."
Zecora sighed.
* * * * *
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked around in confusion. "Were we...just running away from something?"
"Ah think we were runnin' from Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom said.
Scootaloo's brow furrowed. "Hey, you're right!" She looked at herself. "Oh man! We just spent the whole night chasing her around shooting at her, didn't we?"
"We gotta find her an' make up!" Apple Bloom frowned. "Ah hope she ain't still...y'know..."
As they neared Carousel Boutique, their eyes bugged out at a bizarre sight: The town's one and only mule, body painted entirely lemon yellow, was limping away from the boutique with a ponnequin stuffed head-first up his ass. His eyes were bugged out and watering.
"THAT'LL TEACH YOU TO EAT FILLIES!" Sweetie Belle screeched after him.
"Uhh...maybe apologize to Sweetie Belle later?" Apple Bloom suggested.
"Yeah," Scootaloo agreed, eyes wide. "Come on, let's see if we can find some candy."
* * * * *
Mayor Mare stared around at the herd of costumed ponies in the center of Ponyville, all of whom were standing in place or staggering around in a sort of stunned, disbelieving silence.
With all that had happened over the course of Nightmare Night, it was little wonder.
Removing her luchador mask, she sighed tiredly and facehoofed. "Chingada madre."
* * * * *
"Gah! My hair, must fix my hair..." Brushes and hairspray floated out of the pouches on Rarity's costume as she set about the task of restoring her mane and tail to their proper state. "Oh, I just know I am simply ghastly-looking and filthy from all this nonsense..."
Rainbow Dash shook her head and ruffled her wings. "Now I understand why they stopped publishing Silver Soarer," she said. "Did I do anything but suck tonight?"
"Well, you did..." Rarity frowned. "No, there was..." She trailed off, tilting her head. "...no, not really," she admitted.
Rainbow sighed. "I shoulda gone as Daring Do..."
* * * * *
"So uhh..." Lyra said as she extricated herself from her parachute, "That happened."
"Yes, yes it did," Bon Bon said as she kicked her parachute away. "Where did we even get that spaceship from?"
"I have no idea, but at least we didn't manage to blow up Equestria..."
They looked at one another for a long moment.
"Wanna get drunk?"
"Only until I throw up."
* * * * *
Vinyl set Octavia down sheepishly. They had been half a second from a passionate kiss when midnight had struck. "Uhh..."
Octavia flushed. "This never happened," she said.
"Oh, get over yourself," Vinyl said. She grinned. "That was kinda fun."
Octavia wrinkled her brow. "Getting punched in the face and attacked by zombies is not my idea of fun," she said, tossing her mane and sniffing disdainfully.
"You don't come to nearly enough of my parties," Vinyl replied with a chuckle.
* * * * *
Applejack looked around at the dark, twisted trees of the Everfree Forest.
Her ears wilted. "Oh, Big Mac is gonna kill me if he finds out what just happened..."
She let out an impressive fart, spraying glittering sparkles of magic from her rear end which lit up her surroundings.
Her eyes shrank to pinpricks. "Whuh-oh."
* * * * *
Button Mash looked around at the walls of the spooky old castle, his amber eyes blinking owlishly.
He thought back over the last several hours.
He'd fought hordes of zombies, defeated wave after wave of flying Medusa heads, and even survived the dreaded Hall of Hooves. He hadn't quite made it to the Pony of Shadows, but...
He looked down at the chain whip which lay at his hooves. He grinned. "Best. Nightmare Night. Ever."
Several starspiders skittered across the floor. "Waaah! MOOOOOOOOOM!"
* * * * *
Derpy stirred, her crooked eyes spinning as she sat up. Beside her, the two rulers of Equestria sat up groggily. Celestia's mane and tail, still dyed green, began to ripple in a nonexistent wind. Luna stripped off her hat and mask, setting her own billowing mane free.
"Well," Celestia said awkwardly, "that was...truly an unusual night."
"You know, sister," Luna mused, "I do believe Discord was less bothersome when he was evil..."
* * * * *
Twilight looked down at the head of Flash Sentry, which was once again just a really disturbing plushie. She looked at the magical chainsaw, which had turned back into a silly plastic toy. She looked around at the array of ponies in their Nightmare Night costumes, all blinking stupidly at one another.
Her horn flared. In a bright magenta flash, Discord appeared.
The entire crowd stared at him.
Twilight turned him to face her. Her eyes were narrowed, and she was frowning.
"Discord," she asked in a flat, weary tone, "what the dick?"
I know this is kinda early to say this but, HAPPY HOLLOWEEN EVERYBODY!!!!! Or in pony terms, HAPPY NIGHTMARE NIGHT!!!!!!
So who were Lyra and bonbon?
Well, the epilogue's sure to be interesting.
Glad to see AJ isn't scarred by the night or anything. That was a concern.
5206041
animationaficionados.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/dirty_pair.jpg
5206041 The Dirty Angels (A Lovely Pair)
Wait. Strike that, reverse it. The Lovely Angels, World Works Welfare Association troubleshooters who cause massive destruction.... and it's never their fault.
what the dick indeed.....
Hope you had a good blast discord cause you sir are about to get one hell of an ass whopping!
Oh shit, Twilight swore! Now you know shit's gonna go down!
Oh Discord look out. Twilight is angry, and it looks like others are joining her.
I kinda hope discord gets asked to do it again next year at the end of twilights "conversation" with him
5206044 Apparently she gets to keep their souls? I mean shadows. MAGIC. Their magic.
Wait a minute...
Equestria has chupacabras!?
Nice Bilingual Bonus on the Mayor.
5206294 It's in the comics. Fluttershy isn't the least bit horrified by them either.
5206041 Kei and Yuri from Dirty Pair. BTW, a full list of all the costumes and references will be in the author's notes for the epilogue.
5206044 How was it ever a "concern"? It's only a "concern" for people who are reading WAY too much into this story and not taking it for the simple comedic farce it is.
5206100 Maybe, maybe not...we'll never know...
5206110 The plush was just part of the Juliet costume. Since Juliet has her boyfriend's severed head hanging from her belt.
5206466
Applejack made the comment of no stallion would touch her unless she wanted them to. Then the persona of the costume took over and she was eager for any touch.
It's the difference between choosing the costume so she could appear overly sexual and actually acting overly sexual...which is a rather big distinction and not one I knew where in the line AJ stood.
5206495 Still reading WAY too much into it. This isn't the kind of story where you're supposed to worry about shit like that.
That probably elicited more laughter from me than it should have!
The hell!?! Is AJ farting out the magic she ate?
Ponified Dirty Pair FTW!
5206439
Ah, thank you. Sadly, I haven't mananaged to read the comics yet...
"What the dick?"
Uh-oh. Discord got Twilight to swear. This will not end well.
5206572 Yep!
I still think it would make an interesting what if story if Discord screwed up and the TFs ended up being permanent.
5206648 But then it wouldn't be a fun, silly and ending-on-an-upbeat story!
5206620 As punishment, Twilight removes Discord's what-she-just-said.
5206788
Haw! Discord being Discord, what would it look like?
5206797 You don't want to know...
5206816
Inquiring minds want to know! Of course, knowing Discord, when Twilight severs it, it'll follow her around.
I'm not sure if I should be proud or ashamed that I knew nearly every costumed character in this story.
5206543
It's the very fact I'm not supposed to think about that which causes me to do so...especially since Discord's 'harmless' prank wound up far from harmless in other areas, and under the assumption that Discord suffering the fallout from his prank was supposed to be part of the comedy.
That and I don't know the full extent of your sense of humor in regards to this kind of story.
TIME TO NAME ALL THE COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENTS! #2SPOOFY4ME
Twilight: Julliet Starling from Lollipop Chainsaw.
Flash Sentry the Waifu Stealer: Nick Carlyle from Lollipop Chainsaw.
Spike: A Pimp Named Slickback from The Boondocks
Pinkie Pie: Rorschach from Watchmen.
Rarity: Wolverine from Marvel (Heh, "Badgerella" threw me off a bit there).
Rainbow Dash: Silver Surfer from Marvel.
Applejack: Apparently it's Morrigan Aensland from Darkstalkers, but I say that's arguable. They all look the same (This is not discrimination against succubuseseseses)
Fluttershy: Alicorn Fluttershy from things that Hasbro had nothing to do with.
Celestia: The Mane-iac from My Little Pony, supposedly inspired by The Joker from DC Comics, and Medusa and Doctor Octopus from Marvel.
Luna: The Mysterious Mare Do Well from My Little Pony, which is an ironic spoof on the phrase "ne'er-do-well".
Big Macintosh: Frankenstein's Monster from the book called Frankenstein. Jeez, people, get it right.
Zecora: Morpheus from The Matrix.
Applebloom and Scootaloo: Dr. Peter Venkman , Dr. Raymond Stanz, and/or Dr. Egon Spengler from
Spook SpankersGhostbusters.Sweetie Belle: Apparently it's Danny Fenton from Danny Phantom. Go figure.
Button Mash: Simon Belmont, from Castlevania. The Pony of Shadows is also a reference to the episode Castle Mane-ia.
Unnamed Cross-Eyed Pony: Aang from Not-Tall-Blue-Aliens Avatar.
Mayor Mare: A luchador from
Mexicolucha libre.Lyra and Bon-Bon: Kei and Yuri from Dirty Pair.
Octavia and Vinyl Scratch: Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon.
Sunset Shimmer: Herself from Canterlot High.
The Only Donkey in Ponyville: Pac-Man from my childhood.
Unidentified Zombies #1-324: Zombies. From every zombie cliche. EVER.
Discord: A troll from the internet, the scariest thing ever.
I think I got all the characters that were named. (Will edit if someone points out I'm missing some.) No, Stellactus, based on Galactus, Devourer of Worlds, does not count.
DID I GET ANY OF THESE RIGHT?
5206755
And it HAS TO BE those things?
5206861 You get half credit on Button and AJ. AJ is specifically Morrigan Aensland. Button is actually Simon Belmont, from the original game. You're WAY off on Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle is Danny Phantom. Everything else, you nailed.
(The full list will be in the author's notes for the epilogue, BTW.)
5206861 Actually Sweetie Bell was Dannie Phantom from the nickelodeon show Danny Phantom. Sorry, no snazzy link.
I feel like Rarity should be the one to say that.
After filing lawsuits and restraining orders..
Not gonna lie. I lost every shit I had with this line.
That'd probably be my reaction too, but in English.
There's the payoff! And it's better because she's not Twilight Starling anymore!
5206861
Sweetie Belle was Danny Phantom.
The "unnamed cross-eyed pony" is Derpy/Ditzy, depending on your preference.
Also, a single wrestler is just luchador.
5206911
I don't buy that AJ was specifically Morrigan.
She didn't throw a single Soul Hoof and, if ChrisG is to be believed, that's pretty much all she's good for.
Plot twist: the real discord is tied up in chaos chains and that discord is eris in a custome
5206861 Sweetie Belle was Danny Phantom
5206861 LORD OF SHADOWS IS NOT CANON! Trevor and Alucard are completely different people in the actual storyline.
5207168
And there is nothing to say they can't find happiness after.
5206911
Dang. I was so close. I went back and fixed it. Can I at least get an honorable mention for getting most of it?
And congratulations,5206922 , 5206925, and 5207033 for being able to say the exact same thing as the comment below you. Also, it's Danny Fenton. Seriously, guys.
5206925
I call her "unnamed cross-eyed pony" as the merchandise-correct term.
5207120
I wouldn't know, I'm not part of the fandom. Sorry If I upset anyone.
5207182
Not basically. She was saying exactly that.
5207207
You prefer to call a character by a non-specific name instead of a name they've been given in the show and is entire syllables shorter?
Also, acting a dick isn't the best way to get on someone's good side.
Especially if one of the people you're talking to is the author of the story you're commenting on.
Yes.
Having the name Derpy on the show [Ditzy is canon, but never mentioned on the show.] was the exact reason MLP merchandise become sketchy with naming her, since some people found it offensive, which was also why the original episode where her name was mentioned was taken down. But Kudos to the MLP staff on keeping her on the show.
As for being a dick, is it any bigger of a dick than Discord was being? MythrilMoth is awesome, and I certainly wasn't trying to be a dick to him/her. I just have my own sense of humor, is all.
Oh, wait, I see the problem, I mixed up two names. Curse my lack of coordination.
Well, that certainly answers my question about Applejack. Also, big kudos to Fluttershy for saving the day. It may not have been flashy, but others had tried flashy and it had done diddly-squat.
Looking forward to the conclusion.
5207168
5206755
5206648
Correction: Only Fluttershy's costume is permanent.
Also, it has just occurred to me that if Discord can create things, and can take wings and horns from ponies, then it would stand to reason that he could supply a pegasus/unicorn/earth pony with the parts they need to be considered Alicorns...
As a mexican I found this part very, very very funny! HA.
Oh this fanfic was good, to bad the end is near.
Welp, it was epic!
....But Soarin' and Thunderlane sure are going to be around Aj hah
5207408 No it's not. Her horn fell off the moment the clock struck midnight.
5207408
I said WHAT-IF story.
I think I'm going to puke from how goddamn amazing your sense of humor is.
Great, but I got a few issues.
First, did Twilight say "What the dick"?
Second, did Applejack actually steal their magic completely, or was it returned to them via Discord magic?
And Third, Is the entire town just fucking decimated, or was that fixed as well?
DANG IT!!! I have to wait tomorrow to read the next chapter!! I was so into the story!!!
Freaking lost it.
THIS ISN'T HELPING!