TALES FOR NIGHTMARE NIGHT! A collection to read AFTER the lights are out!

by De Writer

Putting the BITE on Trottingham

The night was overcast and as near to totally dark as a night could be. The cold wind was whipping about young hooves and there was a hint of snow in the air. One foal, in a Diamond Dog outfit, looked up to the group’s escort pony, dressed as a somewhat sexy Goblin.

“Tell me again about how much fun Nightmare Night treat rounds are!” She shivered, and pulled a cloak tighter around her.

With a smile, the Goblin dressed mare pointed to lights ahead. “There is the Sweet Spot! Roe always has one of the best foal bowls in all of Ponyville!”

Crying out, “And it’s WARM in there!” a filly among the herd of youngsters led the charge!

They were gathered at the door in no time! Their Goblin mare reminded them, “Don’t forget your Nightmare Night chant when we go in!”

She opened the door to the jangle of spring bells. Foals in a (small) multitude of costumes boiled into the shop, calling in their best clear voices, “Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!”

Roe, the smallish cream colored unicorn who ran the Sweet Spot, grinned widely at the sudden giggles of the foals. He had a pair of obviously phony deer antlers on his head, held in place by a springy metal strip! The rest of his costume was a tan colored cloak with white spots and a phony short tail like what a deer is supposed to have, if stories about them have any truth at all!

Snickering at the reaction of the foals, one of whom was also in a deer costume, Roe hoofed over his justly famous foal bowl. While the foals were helping themselves, the Goblin dressed mare watched, a few tears at the corners of her eyes.

Roe looked up to her and offered compassionately, “Charlie was here in the morning three days ago. He ordered a candy box for you, Prilla. He hasn’t been back yet to pick it up.”

Swallowing hard, trying not to break down in front of the foals on what was supposed to be a happy occasion, Prilla replied, “He won’t be back. Charlie was killed at work, three days ago. Some stupid horseplay. He was up on a ladder. One of Sawnax’s delivery ponies kicked the ladder out from under him for a prank and he fell. He only lived a few minutes.

“At least the pony that killed him is in jail!”

Roe nodded sadly. “Charlie was often in here to buy you treats. He spoke of how much he loved you and of your plans for a home and family.”

Nearly bawling, Prilla replied, “What will I do now? He is gone! I still love him so!”

Roe reached across his counter and took her hoof. Switching the grip so that hers was on his, he said, “Oh dear! You have caught a wish granting Deer!

“Seriously, though, what do you want?”

Prilla smiled sadly at the byplay and replied, “I want Charlie and I to be side by side for the rest of my life. I wish that it could happen, it won’t.”

Releasing their grip, Roe shrugged. “It is Nightmare Night. Who knows what might happen? Take care of your little herd of foals and then come back here. We have some things to discuss.”

She gave Roe a sort of confused look, shook her head, and led the gaggle of foals on to the next shop.

Later, nearly at midnight, Prilla did return. She was almost surprised to find the Sweet Spot’s door still open and candles lit. Roe smiled at her and pointed to a door at the back of the shop.

“My quarters are back there. Go on in, while I close up.”

In only moments, Roe joined her in his quarters. He offered her a warm mulled cider and suggested, “Sit. Disregard whether it can happen or not. Do you still wish that Charlie and you could be side by side for the rest of your life?”

Carefully putting aside her cider, Prilla did break down. Roe let her sob her heart out. While she was crying, he put aside is silly false antlers and costume. The cream colored unicorn slowly faded. In his place sat a deer, his antlers totally real, his fur tan, and narrow, graceful legs ending in split hooves.

Gently, her reached over and took her into a hug. As a joke, he said, “Oh DEER, I have caught a PONY! What wish shall I make of it?”

Prilla actually giggled before she realized what sort of being was holding her. Dumbfounded, she shuddered, “Were you serious? How can you bring Charlie back?”

Releasing her, Roe sat back and candidly replied, “Technically, not even I can do that. There are two loopholes though. One is that this is Nightmare Night. It really is special. The other is equally simple. If Charlie cannot return to life, exactly, you can join him without being dead exactly.

“Tonight I can bring the two of you together. I KNOW that he wants it. Knowing that you will be, like him, a vampony, existing from the blood of the living, do you still want to be with him?”

Disturbed, Prilla asked, “What about all of those things that I have heard about vamponies? I mean, having to be in their coffin before sun up? The sun being deadly and all of that? What about being a blood lusting monster?”

Roe nodded, “Mostly wrong. To avoid having to explain this all twice, why don’t you go open that door to my back yard and invite him in?”

In spite of her earlier reluctance, Prilla nearly flew to the door! “Charlie! I was afraid that I would never see you again!” She paused and asked, “Why don’t you come in?”

Roe called, “Yes, Charlie, come in!”

With that, he did enter easily.

Roe watched them hug for a bit and then offered, “You both need to learn some things. You will have time enough for love if you manage things well.”

They surfaced from hugs and cuddles. “What do we need to know?”

Dryly, Roe retorted, “A lot. Most of what you know about vamponies is wrong. It has been spread by vamponies for self protection.

“Let’s start with the basics. You no more need to avoid the sun than I do. It will weaken you. You will be no stronger than an ordinary pony and will have all the same limitations. It is also a bit irritating but nothing serious.

“Return to your grave, coffin or ‘native soil’? Make me laugh. Being in a brightly lit place is disruptive of rest, that is all. You will do best on the night shift, trust me.

“Needing an invitation to enter somepony’s home? You just experienced it. That is real. At night. In the day? You are an ordinary pony.

“Ravening, Blood Crazed Monster? Why have you not already ripped out her throat? At night you can cloud a mind enough to drink from another pony without them noticing it. Do not fear that you will make them into a vampony. You won’t. If you take too much, you will weaken or kill them.

“To make another vampony requires that you drink from them on two nights in a row. On the third night, they must have some of your blood. They will appear to be dead soon after. On the third night after their 'death’, they will arise as a vampony.”

Charlie raised a doubtful hoof. “Didn’t have any of that happen to me. How come I am here?”

Roe nodded cheerfully. “Blame her. This is Nightmare Night. She had a perfectly real deer by the hoof and made a wish. Normally, I can’t do any wish that would raise the dead. Even on Nightmare Night, I can’t return you to the living, quite. Vanpony is the best that I can do. If you both agree, I CAN put you back into your grave, dead as a coffin nail.”

Both of the reunited lovers looked up, shocked. “NO! We are back together and do not want to be parted!”

Roe nodded happily, “Good! One last thing then, don’t stick around here where you are well known. Ponies that know that you died will see you and the hunt will be on! I would suggest Trottingham as being far enough away and big enough to make an excellent feeding area.”

With total trust, Prilla offered Charlie her neck. His bite was both gentle and brief.

The next day, Prilla hired a cart and shut herself in, packing and mourning her loss. On the morning of the fourth day after Nightmare Night, she and a piebald pony finished loading her things and took to the traces, pulling the wagon out of Ponyville.

Prilla stopped by the Sweet Spot for a moment. All smiles, she hugged Roe, the cream colored unicorn and declared, “No wish, this time, my friend. Your help and advice were just what I needed!”

With a wide grin that showed a pair of needle like fangs, she said, “Vam-Prilla and Charlie are off to put the BITE on Trottingham!”

~THE END~