You Call That A Costume?

by Eddy13

Adventures of a Cowbell and a Southern Belle

The pair of girls raced down the street as fast as they could, the rainbow-haired beast still hot on their heels.

"Quick!" Rarity instructed while pointing ahead to an upcoming alley "Let's hide down there!"

Escaping the wolf's sight for a moment, the pair turned into the alley and ducked behind a dumpster.

"You can't possibly expect a refined person like myself to hide behind this putrid...hmmph!" Applejack's tirade was cut off as a hand came over her mouth.

"Shh!" Rarity ordered with a whisper "Don' make a sound. Here it comes!"

Sure enough, the vicious brute appeared on the scene. Looking in all directions, the transformed Rainbow Dash couldn't see any sign of the ones she had been chasing. Giving up on looking, the wolf let out a 'Aroo!' before running off.

A few moments later, Rarity poked her head out to make sure the monster was long gone.

"Is it safe yet?" Applejack asked with anxiety while still ducking behind the dumpster.

"Yah, it's gone now" Rarity replied as she looked around for any sign of the beast coming back "Ah don' see hide nor hair of tha' wolf thin' anywhere".

"Whew" Applejack said as she caught her breath "Thank heavens that's over. I was so worried that dreadful beast would get us, Rarity".

"No kiddin'" Rarity agreed while leaning against the brick wall with relief "Ah have no idea where tha varmint came from in tha first place, Applejack".

"Well, now that we've gotten rid of that vile thing" Applejack sighed "Let's get back to Sunset and the others. They must be worried out of their minds about us".

"Uh, tha might be a bit of a problem, Applejack" Rarity said slowly as she took in their surroundings for the first time "Ah have no idea where we are. Tha brute chased us into parts Ah haven' seen before".

"Oh, my!" Applejack gasped "You mean to tell me we're...lost?!"

"Now calm yer horses!" Rarity ordered "It's not tha bad! We can just ask somebody fer directions back tah our neck of tha woods".

"Rarity, are you crazy?!" Applejack shrieked at the top of her voice "We can't just ask the ruffians around here for help!"

"Yah got a better idea?" Rarity inquired with a raised brow,

Applejack sighed in submission. "Oh, very well. But if anything happens to us, I'm holding you responsible!"

"Fine" Rarity huffed as the pair walked out of the alley.

Stepping out back onto the street, the duo looked around for anyone that could tell them where they were. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be anyone around.

"Well, Ah guess tha makes sense" Rarity groaned "Tha overgrown flea-bag must've scared everyone who was on the street".

"Terrific" Applejack moaned "What are we going to do now?"

"Wha else?" Rarity shrugged "We find our own way back. Come on".

With that, the pair made their way down the street, trying to see if they could find any indication as to what part of town they were in.

"Hmm" Rarity thought outloud as she surveyed the area "If Ah had tah guess, Ah'd say we're downtown".

"Downtown?!" Applejack cried "I've never set foot in this smog-filled part of town before in all my life! It's too rough for a delicate lady like me!"

"Aah, quit yer whinin'!" Rarity retorted "It's not tha bad here! 'Sides, we should be able tah get out of here easily".

"Well, well" came a voice from an alleyway, causing the pair to turn to see a man with greased-hair, a leather jacket, and chains around his neck and wrists "What do we have here? A couple of ladies who lost their way? Heheh. Don't you know that these streets are dangerous on Halloween?"

"Are you actually trying to intimidate us, you hoodlum?!" Applejack gaped at the greaser "I will not stand here and be threatened by someone wearing one of the most repulsive outfits I've ever seen in my life!"

The man sneered. "Oh, yeah? Well, I'm not going to take lip from a dame who thinks she's too good for my neck of the woods!"

"DAME?!" Applejack screeched at the top of the lungs.

"Uh-oh" Rarity moaned to the man "Probably shouldn' have said tha".

"Why?" the greaser joked "What's she going to do? Kick my butt? Set me straight? Give me a makeover?"

"Exactly" Applejack said simply with an even voice. Before the man who could even react, the primp young lady leaped right at him with a 'Yaaah!'.

Ten minutes later, the young man was walking down the street with his hair washed and combed, his leather outfit replaced by a tasteful suit, and his arm in a sling while sporting a big black eye.

"Well, that's that" Applejack said while dusting her hands off while she and Rarity walked down the other end of the street.

"Hmm, not a bad job there, Applejack" Rarity commented as she looked back at the new gentleman.

"Do you really think so?" Applejack asked hopefully "I'm surprised how well it turned out considering it happened so fast".

"Still, don' yah think maybe yah went tah far when yah shoved the chains down 'is throat?" Rarity had to ask.

"I will admit that I may have lost my temper" Applejack replied as she held her head up gracefully "But the important thing is that young man is now on the proper path".

"Right" Rarity rolled her eyes "Yah do realize tha if yah had let me handle it, Ah could've gotten him tah tell us how far from Canterlot Avenue we are".

"Well, I am sorry" Applejack replied "But teaching that degenerate ruffian a lesson took priority" she looked up to see the corner they were coming up on "And besides, it looks like it isn't necessary anymore. Look".

Sure enough, there at the corner was a street sign.

"'Fillydelphia Street'" Rarity read "Hmm. If Ah remember correctly, Ah heard tha Fillydelphia Street is a few blocks away from Mane Lane. If we can get ther, it'll be a snap tah get back home".

"Well, let's hope you're right" Applejack commented as Rarity led the way left "I'd hate to trudge these putrid streets all night".

"Don' worry" Rarity replied "Shucks, if Ah'm right, we'll be back in our neck of tha woods by Midnight".

---

Practically racing through the streets, a dog and two girls who looked like a wizard and a demon looked around for any sign of their friends.

"Are you picking up anything that smells like them, Spike?" Sunset asked the dog.

"Nothing so far" Spike replied as he had his nose to the ground.

"Come on, Spike!" Sunset shouted frantically "We're depending on you to help us find the others!"

"Hey! I'm not a bloodhound, Sunset!" Spike retorted "I'm doing the best I can!"

Sunset sighed guiltily. "You're right. I'm sorry, Spike. I'm just worried about our friends".

"Don't worry" the dog said encouragingly "We'll find them".

Twilight, meanwhile, had her mind on something else besides searching for their missing friends.

That whisper she had heard while leaving Sunset's house had disturbed her. It had sounded just like Midnight Sparkle. Granted, she was currently in the form of Midnight Sparkle, so it's possible she was just hearing her own thoughts in her alter ego's voice. But then again, why would she think such a whisper?

Even though Sunset had said that she was a different person now and wouldn't succumb to Midnight Sparkle again, what if she was just holding out against the temptation for now, and it would eventually become too strong for her to resist and she gave in?

These worries filled Twilight's head as the trio continued their search.

"Twilight? Twilight!"

"Huh, what?" Twilight snapped out of her thinking and turned to see a concerned Sunset.

"You okay?" she asked "You looked a little worried".

"Oh, that?" Twilight said awkwardly as she fumbled for the right words "Oh, I'm still a bit worried about our friends, is all" she said with a sheepish grin.

"That's good" a familiar nasty voice said from deep within her mind "No need to tell them about our little secret".

Sunset, meanwhile, could tell that there something more going on with Twilight, but decided not to push it for now. "Don't worry, Twilight" she said with consideration "We'll find them before it's too late".

Twilight tried to look relieved as possible, hoping to make Sunset believe she had put her mind at ease. Deep down, however, her concerns still festered. Before anything more could be said, however...

"Hey, girls" a familiar voice cut in "I think I've got something".

Instantly, the two girls turned towards the canine standing in front of them.

"What is it, Spike?" Sunset asked anxiously.

"I'm smelling that brand of perfume Rarity usually wears" Spike replied "I recognize it because it makes my nose it-it..,Ah-Aah-Aaa-Choo!" he sniffled "itchy".

"That can't be Rarity" Twilight shook her head "The spell transformed her into a country cow girl, so she wouldn't be wearing perfume".

"No" Sunset said before her eyes widened "but Applejack transformed into a primp and polished girl would!" she turned to their tracker "Way to go, Spike! We're on the right track. Now follow that smell!"

"Alright" Spike said with a snuffle as he put his nose to the ground "But somebody will have to get me some nasal spray when this is over".

"Deal" Sunset replied.

With that, Spike lead Twilight and Sunset down the street, following the scent of the perfume.

"I just hope that Applejack and Rarity manage to evade Rainbow Dash until we can find them" Sunset said with concern "There's no telling what could be happening to them right now".

---

"Rarity".

"Yah, Applejack?"

"I thought you said that it would be child's play to get back home, even saying we'd do it before Midnight?"

"Ah confess Ah did say tha".

"Well, then..." Applejack's faux calm demeanor faded away as she started to shriek at high volume "Can you care to explain why we're more lost than ever now?!"

Sure enough, the pair were facing a dead end alley within a part of town they never even heard of before.

"Hmm" Rarity said in confusion "Ah was sure that we needed tah turn left at Manehatten Boulevard".

"Oh, Rarity" Applejack said exasperated "That does it. I'm taking over getting us back home!"

"And how do yah plan tah do that?" Rarity asked.

Turning back towards the road, Applejack saw a car coming by. "I'll get someone to give us a lift" she replied confidently "Surely no man can ignore the cries of a lady in distress".

With that, she walked up to the side of the sidewalk and spoke. "Excuse me! You there! Would you be willing to assist two young girls in getting out of this dreadful part of town?!"

Instead of stopping, the car actually sped up, passing the girls at incredible speed. At the same time, the car deliberately ran through a puddle, sending it splashing upward with a 'Thwoosh!' and drenching Applejack in water and mud as it disappeared from sight.

Applejack was left sputtering and flabbergasted before finally managing to shriek "I GUESS MANNERS DON'T EXIST IN THIS FORSAKEN BRANCH OF OUR TOWN!"

"Well, points for effort. anyway" Rarity shrugged.

With an exaggerated moan, Applejack collapsed to her knees "Wonderful. We are lost, alone, have no way to know how to get back home, nobody is willing to aid us, I'm covered in mud and my shoes are getting scuffed from all that walking! Oh, what else could happen to me?!"

"Alright, put your hands over your heads and nobody gets hurt" came a gruff voice from behind the pair.

"Yah had tah ask" Rarity snarked.

Turning around, the duo saw a gruff looking mugger step out of the alley while pointing a gun at them.

"I'm going to say this once" he ordered as he pointed to Applejack "Hand over that jewelry you're wearing, young lady".

"What?!" Applejack said appalled "Never! These are genuine gems!"

"You heard me" the mugger growled "Give me that jewelry and I'll let you have it".

"Uh," Rarity interjected "Don't yah mean o-"

"I know what I said" the mugger snarled "I'm not leaving any witnesses" he cocked his gun "Now, this will be happening in any order, but I'd prefer there not be any blood on the gems".

"Oh, yah?" Rarity challenged as she got in the mugger's face "Yah really thin' yah can just up and mug us then shoot us? Ah thin' not!"

"Yeah?" the mugger threatened as he shoved his gun in Rarity's face "And what are you going to do about it, Toots?"

A moment later, the alley was filled with the sounds of punches, bones breaking, metal being twisted, and high-pitched screaming. After it stopped, Rarity and Applejack walked out of the alley, unscathed.

"Tha guy went tah far when he called me 'Toots'" Rarity grunted "He's lucky Ah went easy on him. Ah could made it tha they'd need a sponge tah get him up instead of a hose".

"I must say, that was incredible of you, Rarity" Applejack applauded.

Rarity smirked. "Yah spend yer whole life on a farm like Sweet Apple Acres, and yah can handle blokes like tha".

"Interesting" Applejack said "If I didn't balk at the idea of farmwork, I'd probably do it".

"Yah, right" Rarity snickered "Tha day yah work on a farm is tha day Ah run tha boutique of yers".

"Oh, don't even joke, Rarity" Applejack gasped "No offense, but you could run Carousel Boutique into the ground!"

"Ah admit tha might be true" Rarity shrugged "Ah don' really have a knack fer those fru-fru thin's".

"Yes, well" Applejack said as they looked around the unknown city they were in "If we don't find our way back to our neighborhood, Carousel Boutique might go under anyway!"

"Calm down" Rarity insisted "We'll find our way. We just need tah keep a cool head and stay optimistic".

"Are you sure that will be helpful?" Applejack inquired.

"Well, we can' focus on gettin' back if we run around like chickens with our heads cut off" Rarity replied.

"Yes, I suppose that makes sense" Applejack said "But I do wish we had something more to aid us. This whole affair has been murder on me. Why my poor-"

"Shh!"

Applejack looked offended. "How dare you dismiss my concerns?! It may not seem like much to you, but to me, it means every-"

"No, shh!" Rarity whispered. "Listen! Do yah hear tha?"

Applejack listened intently. "What is that sound?"

"It sounds familiar" Rarity said. "It almost sounds like..." her eyes widened.

"...a dog growlin'".

Applejack turned pale as she hid behind Rarity's back. "You don't suppose that horrific beast has found us again, do you?"

"Ah don' know" Rarity shook her head as she tried to find the source of the sound, which seemed to be growing louder.

'Grrr!'

Turning, the girls saw a pair of yellowish eyes in the shadows. From out of the darkness stepped a huge bulldog; not as big as the wolf that chased them, but still pretty good size.

Rarity gulped. "Nice fella. Good fella" she and Applejack slowly backed up "We don' want any trouble. If we're invadin' yer home, we don' mean any harm. Just let us leave and we'll be on our way..."

With a loud snarl, the bulldog charged.

"RUN!" Rarity screamed as the pair of girls took off with the bulldog hot on their heels.

"Oh, not again!" Applejack moaned as she tried to keep away from the dog.

"Just keep runnin'!" Rarity ordered.

Turning down an alleyway, the duo looked left and right. To the right was a wall, to the left was a high-wired fence.

"Quick! Over tha fence!" Rarity cried as she raced towards it, Applejack reluctantly following.

It was then that the bulldog turned into the alleyway, just as Rarity and Applejack were scaling the fence.

"Come on, Applejack!" Rarity was saying as she neared the top of the fence.

"Oh! I can't!" was the reply.

"Don' be tha way!" Rarity shrieked "Unless yah want tah be dog meat, yer gonna move like-"

"No!" Applejack cried "I really can't!" she pointed downward "My foot has gotten caught in this fence!"

Looking back, Rarity saw that the bulldog was getting closer.

"Gah!" she cried before quickly climbing down and helping Applejack get her foot free.

"Hurry!" Applejack said "That brute is almost here!"

"Yah don' have tah tell me tha!" the cowgirl retorted as she fumbled with Applejack's foot before managing to get it free "Got it!"

At that moment, the bulldog leaped forward and smashed into the fence, shaking it and attempted to cause the two girls to fall off.

"Hang on!" Rarity said.

"What else would I be doing?!" her fashionista friend shrieked.

Refusing to give up, the bulldog leaped upward at the pair.

"Quick! Climb!" Rarity said as the pair began going up the fence, the bulldog jumping again and again, getting higher each time.

"We're almost ther" Rarity gasped "Once we reach tha top, we jump over tha side and we'll be safe!"

"You actually expect me to jump?!" Applejack gasped.

"Yah have another way of escapin' tha mongrel?"

Applejack conceded "Fair point".

At the same time, the bull dog was getting closer and closer with his jumps, almost close enough to nip the hem of Applejack's dress.

"We're doin' good" Rarity said as they neared the top "Almost ther" she reached for the the edge. "Annnd" she grabbed it "Got it!"

Just then, the bulldog jumped again, managing to brush against Applejack.

"Aaah!" the debutante cried as the sudden motion caused her to lose her footing and began to fall off the fence.

Before she could fall too far, however, Rarity managed to grab her hand.

"Gotcha!" she said as she pulled her friend up to the top of the fence.

"Thank you" Applejack said as she grabbed the edge.

"Welcome".

Down below, the bulldog crouched his legs in preparations for his highest jump yet.

"Uh, Applejack?" Rarity said nervously as she saw the dog's motions "Ah think it's time to leave!"

With that, the girls leaped over the side of the fence just as the dog jumped upward, coming to the spot where they had been a moment ago.

Applejack and Rarity landed on the other side of the fence and turned around to see their pursuer. barking and growling as he latched onto the fence, still fruitlessly attempting to pursue them.

Needless to say, they still wasted no time in getting out of the alley.

"Whew!" Applejack said with relief as they finally came out onto a street. "That was a terrifying experience".

"On tha bright side" Rarity said optimistically "We're probably a lot closer tah Mane Lane now".

Looking up, Applejack's face turned into a nasty frown.

"Oh, you really think so?" she said grumpily as she directed Rarity's attention upward.

Looking up, Rarity's eyes widened in shock as she saw a nearby street sign. On it were two words that made her heart sink.

Fillydelphia Street

Grinning sheepishly, Rarity turned back to her still glaring friend. "Ah wonder how in tha world tha happened".

"Wonderful" Applejack moaned "Simply wonderful. We did all that walking, encountered horrifying thugs and vicious brutes of dogs, only to end up back where we started!"

"Now buck up" Rarity tried to sound encouragingly "Remember wha Ah said earlier about bein' optimistic. Problems were never solved by mopin' around. We just gotta hope tha this situation will improve".

"Oy!" came a voice from the shadows that got the pair's attention.

"So much for that" Applejack groaned as another greaser appeared in front of them. Before they could react, a whole gang of them came out of the shadows and surrounded them.

"Well, well" the one in front, obviously the leader, said as he walked up to Applejack and Rarity "If it isn't the pair of ladies who messed up my little brother".

"Y-Yer little brother?" Rarity asked with a gulp "Who might tha be?"

"Oh, you know" the leader said in a nonchalant manner "The one that you roughed up and sent packing looking like a Sunday school kid".

"Oh, him?" Applejack asked sheepishly "Well, if you must know, he started that little encounter, and I was just defending myself".

"I don't care about that!" the leader said with a sneer "The point is that you ruined him! He's all pish-posh nonsense now thanks to you! And don't even get me started with the chains you force-fed him!"

"Pish-posh nonsense?!" Applejack said offended "I beg to differ! I felt he looked very smart, and seemed like a proper gentleman".

"Yeah?" the leader snarled as he cracked his knuckles "Well, let's see how you like being roughed up. Get 'em, boys!"

With that, the gang began approaching the pair from all sides, each one bearing a chain, brass knuckle, crowbar or wooden board.

"Any ideas, Rarity?" Applejack asked as she grappled onto her friend's shoulders as she hid behind her for protection.

"Only one" Rarity declared "We'll have tah fight our way out".

Applejack gulped. "Well, if we have no other choice" she stepped out from behind Rarity and braced herself "Let's do this!"

Before anything could happen, however, one of the thug's had their board yanked out of his grasp by an invisible force.

"What the?" he asked in utter confusion...right before he was struck in the head by the board.

"Hey, what the?" the leader asked in confusion as he and the gang looked around "Who's here?"

Just then, another greaser's crowbar began to glow. In a flash, the thug was holding a long, slimey green hissing snake.

"Aah!" he cried as he tossed the reptile away in fright.

"What is going on here?!" the lead greaser demanded.

Suddenly, the chain of another thug came to life and wrapped itself around him and another greaser wielding brass knuckles, right before it hoisted the pair into the air and throwing them at the others like a bowing ball hitting pins.

Scared out of their wits, the gang ran off down the street, yelling and screaming.

"Come back here, you cowards!" the leader ordered "There's nothing to be afraid of!"

At that moment, from out of a cloud of purple mist, a demonic creature appeared in front of the greaser.

"LEAVE. MY. FRIENDS. ALONE!" it roared.

"AAAHHH!" the greaser screamed as his hair turned white and stood on end...before promptly passing out from fright.

Sighing with relief, the demon turned to the awestruck girls "Applejack, Rarity, are you okay?"

The duo's eyes widened in surprise as they recognized the voice.

"Twilight?" Rarity asked in shock.

At that moment, a wizardly looking girl with a beard and a dog came around the corner.

"Thank heavens that we found you" the girl said with relief.

"S-Sunset?" Rarity asked with wide eyes.

"Good heavens!" Applejack cried as she looked back and forth between Sunset and Twilight "What in the world happened to you two?"

"It's a long story that we'll explain later" Sunset elaborated "The important thing is that you two are safe".

Rarity turned to Applejack with a grin. "Told ya thin's would improve for us".

"Yes, well" Applejack said with relief "Let's just get out of here and get home".

"Not yet" Sunset shook her head "We can't go home until we find Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy".

"Well, it can't be tha difficult tah find them, can it?" Rarity asked.

"More than you know, actually" Sunset sighed before turning towards the dog in their group "Spike?"

"I'm on it" he said as he began sniffing, trying to pick up the trail of the remaining three friends.

"By tha way" Rarity said to Twilight gratefully "Great job scarin' the pants off those punks".

"Yes, well" Twilight shrugged. "When I saw that you two were in danger, I knew I had to do something. And since I'm stuck in this form for the moment, I figured I'd put it to use".

"Well, let me tell yah, you certain were scary" Rarity said "Why, yah almost had me believin' yah were a real demon".

As the group went on, Twilight looked away anxiously. Rarity's words were not something she wanted to hear.

"You heard her didn't you?" a certain voice said, much stronger now "She thought you were a real demon. Why not make those thoughts accurate?"

Shaking her head, Twilight did her best to ignore the dangerous thoughts in her head, greatly looking forward to when she'd finally get out of that form.

She only hoped it wouldn't be too late.

Comments

[Super Ponyman]

" You heard her didn't you? " a certain voice said, much stronger now " She thought you were a real demon. Why not make those thoughts accurate? "

To quote the Markiplier, “GO AWAY! Noby likes you!”