Equestria's Phantom

by RayRox360

Chapter 9: Nightmare Night Fright

Chapter 10: Nightmare Night Fright

"Tw-Twilight . . . what are you . . .what?!"

The teen could barely form a sentence as the mare walked down the stairs, into view. She was wearing a tattered brown coat with an old rope keeping it secured around her shoulders. On the sides, two pockets could be seen, holding a red quill and a few scrolls.

She glanced at the teen, mildly confused. "You don't know what this is for?" She asked.

"TheHobo Convention?"

She slammed her hoof into her face and let out a loud sigh. "No, little moron. This is my costume for Nightmare Night. I'm Clover the Clever."

Danny let out a loud groan and pulled at the bags underneath his eyes, not even caring enough to ask her who the hell Clover the Clueless was. "Ugg, don't tell me this isanotherstupid event. What's with this town? That's like the third event in a month!" He complained, pouting on the floor like a toddler. "What even is thisNightfright-whatever thing?"

Twilight furrowed her brow. "You seriouslydon'tknow what Nightmare Night is?"

"Yeah, cause this is the face of someonein the know."

She rolled her eyes and walked over. "Nightmare Night is an annual holiday right before the transition into winter where ponies dress in costumes and get candy to appease the dark spirit of Nightmare Moon." She explained, Danny quickly perking as he heard her explanation.

"Oh, so it's like Halloween?"

"What'sHallo-ween?"

Oh, it's just this holiday we celebrate back home where we dress up in costumes to hide from the demons, monsters and spirits that roam the earth attempting to consume our souls while we give food offerings to appease the evil creatures . . . . kids love it."

Twilight blinked at him for a moment before slowly clearing her throat. "Alright . . . . well I guess this iskind oflike that." She said offhandedly before turning back to the teen. "I still don't know how you haven't heard of it. Ponies around town have been setting up for tonight for a week now."

"Twilight. I'm a fourteen-year-old teenageboy.We're not the most observant bunch."

" . . . touche."

"So what do you plan on doing tonight?" The teen asked, following Twilight into the kitchen. "Anything exciting? Ooo! You gonna egg someone's house?" He asked, reaching into the large bowl of candy on the counter before pulling out a large mound of sweets.

Twilight scrunched her nose and glanced up in thought. "Hmm . . . something like that."

---

"Twilight, why does everything you force me to do make me want to drown myself in a pool of pudding?!"

"Thank you!"The group of fillies called as Twilight finished placing the candies into their bags. The mare turned her head towards the teen sitting next to her, giving him a weird look of her own. "You havesucha way with words." She muttered.

The pair was currently sitting in two side-by-side chairs next to the front door in the castle foyer. For the past hour, they had merely been passing out candy to children. The ordeal seemed enjoyable to Twilight, though her companion had other ways of describing it, including but not limited to: trauma enduing andI'd-rather-eat-my own-eyes-with-a-spoon'boring.

The mare merely rolled her eyes. "Alright, well most of the children in Ponyville look forward to coming to the castle the most, so someone has to be here to give them candy." She muttered, watching as Danny continued to flop around on the floor like a dying fish.

Suddenly, he stopped as his head perked up off the floor. "Alright then." He called, turning a devious smirk towards the mare. "But how's 'bout we make this more interesting." He asked, rising up to his hooves.

A sudden knock on the door made Twilight perk up. "And how do you plan on doing that?" She asked as she grabbed the bowl of candy, only for Danny to take it from her. "Just watch." He smirked, the mare staring at him quizzically as he opened the door.

"Nightmare Night!
What a Fright!
Give Us Something Sweet To Bite~!"

Danny glanced down at the group of kids staring eagerly up at him before reaching into the bowl of candy, grabbing a handful. Twilight gasped, her eyes widening as instead of placing it in their bags, the teen raised his hoof and hurled the candy over the kids heads, the sweets landing on the grass a little ways away.

"CRAWL FOR IT!"

Instantly, the kids shot off the porch, diving into the pile of candy. Dirt and dust began to billow out into the air as the group fought tooth and hoof for whatever pieces they could touch. Danny smirked as he leaned up against the doorframe, Twilight slowly walking over next to him, both simply staring in silence at the display.

"Wow. Just . . . wow." Twilight breathed as she watched the sweet children turn into terrifying gremlins. Something in the back of her mind told her to scold the teen next to her, saying it wasn't right to make children hunt like dogs for candy, but she had to admit, thiswasa lot more interesting than her usual method.

"What else ya' got?"

"Hehe . . . . watch and learn."

---

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

"Nightmare Night!
What a Fright!
Give Us Something Sweet To Bite~!"

Danny smiled down at the pair of kids smiling up at him, bags tightly clutched in their hooves. "Hey, kids. Bet you want some candy, huh?"

"YEAAHHH!"

"Well here ya' go. Some for each of you . . . ." He said, dropping a few pieces of candy into each of their bags. " . . . and here's the bill." He handed them both two small slips of paper.

"Abill?"

"Yeah. What? You think candy comes cheap?"

---

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

"Nightmare Night!
What a Fright!
Give Us Something Sweet To Bite~!"

The trio of fillies blinked in surprise as they watched Danny open the castle door, dressed in a waiter's outfit, complete with a cloth over his lifted hoof, slicked back hair and a curly fake mustache.

"Good evening, ladies." He said in a posh voice before handing the girls three restaurant menus, each holding a long list of different candies.

"Umm . . . "

"Would anyone care to take a look at the wine list?"

---

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

"Nightmare Night!
What a Fright!
Give Us Something Sweet To Bite~!"

The group blinked in shock as the door quickly swung open and Danny marched outside. He was dressed in a camouflage suit and had war-paint smeared on his face. "What is this?!" He shouted at the group. "Why are you slimy, slack-jawed, twinkle-toed, idiots standin' outside my door?!" He snarled.

One filly glanced behind her at her friends before liftingher hoof. "Uhh . . ?"

"TEN HUT!"

Instantly, the group formed a line and froze in place. Why they did was beyond even them.

Danny glared down at the kids as he began to march back and forth in front of them. "Now, before any of you little urchins go off to war, you gotta be ready. Now, give me ten push-ups!"

"Exsuce me, what are you talking about?"

"Make it twenty push-ups!"

"Umm . . . why do we-"

"PUSH-UPS!"

---

"The kids around town keep saying weird things are going on around Princess Twilight's Castle."

"Really? I wouldn't take the princess as one to really pull anything, even on Nightmare Night."

"Ehh, maybe they're just pulling our legs."

"Probably. One of the girls even said they gotbilled."

"What?"

"I know, but let's just che-"

SPLAT!

"Ahh! What was that?!"

"I don't k-"

SPLAT! SMASH!

The two ponies gasped as a large chunk of slimy orange goop splattered onto their faces. Blinking in shock, they lifted their heads towards the castle.

On the grass outside the front door, a large wooden catapult had been set up, large orange pumpkins sitting on the base.

"PULL!"

Twilight sighed and yanked on the lever, the large structure swinging the fruit up into the air, where it smashed onto the ground in front of the couple. Danny clicked his tongue before turning back to Twilight. "A little more to the left!" He called.

"AHHH!" The couple screamed before turning tail and fleeing back down the road.

"This is such a bad idea, Danny!"

"Quit whining and find me another target!"

---

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

"Nightmare Night!
What a Fright!
Give Us Something Sweet To - - Ohh!"

The two colts paused as the door opened and Twilight and Danny stepped out.

The mare was dressed as an indian, a long red feather pinned in her newly braided hair, paint smeared on her face and a long robe tied around her while Danny was dressed as a pilgrim, including a large black hat with a white sash and buckle around it.

In Twilight's hooves, she carried a basket filled with fruits and leaves.

The pair stared down at the colts in confusion before Danny reached behind him, pulling out a calendar as he began to flip through the pages.

---

The large group of ponies warily began to approach the castle. Word around town had it that the castle inhabitants were going bonkers. Well, they were going to see for themselves!

No way Princess Twilight was doing anything weird.

Well . . . . first time for anything.

In front of the castle door, there was a large golden throne, lines with red velvet pillows. On top of the throne sat a large orange pumpkin, a crown placed atop the giant fruit. On either sides of the throne stood Twilight and Danny.

The princess wore knight's armor, the window on her helmet open so that the crowd could see her face. Danny was dressed as a jester, complete with a fools hat, the bells jingling whenever he moved his head.

"Umm . . . what are-" One mare asked, only for Danny to bonk her on the head with his golden staff.

"OW!"

"Silence, peasant! All will bow before the Pumpkin King! Then we shall discuss the matters of candy!"

"What?! We aren't bowin' to no-"

"KNEEL BEFORE THE PUMPKIN KING!"

"Okay! Okay!"

Ponies passing on the street could only watch with open mouths as a large group of ponies suddenly began to bow to what looked like . . . . apumpkinsitting on a throne wearing a golden crown?

Alright . . . .

---

"Twilight! Danny?"

The five mares glanced at each other as Applejack knocked on the door once more, only to receive no answer once again. "Umm . . . we heard there was quite a commotion goin' on over here last night. Are ya'll okay?" She asked through the door.

She turned back to the others, who each shrugged their shoulders.

Turning back to the door, Applejack gently pushed it open, the group slowly walking in.

"Whoa!"

"Holy chaulpa!"

"Sweet Celestia!"

The castle was a mess. Different costumes lay strewn about, bowls were overturned, props of every kind were scattered and candy wrappers were everywhere.

In the center of the room, Twilight was lying on the floor, cuddling what looked to be a pumpkin wearing a crown as she snored while Danny was curled up in what appeared to be a giant catapult. Each had bars of candy hanging out of their mouths.

The girls stared at the scene in front of them with open mouths before Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. "Well . . . . this is . . .new."She breathed out, unsure of what else to say.

Rarity shook her head. "How many times has this castle needed to be cleaned in the last two months?"

"Twel- -ehh . . . thirteen times."

"Better make it fourteen."

Comments

[jen_lee_hattie]

In front of the castle door, there was a large golden throne, lines with red velvet pillows. On top of the throne sat a large orange pumpkin, a crown placed atop the giant fruit. On either sides of the throne stood Twilight and Danny.

Nightmare before Christmas anyone?