The Nightmare Tree

by The Ancient Wyrm

Chapter 1

The Nightmare Night Tree

It was a small town by a small lake, down a small river, south of the Canterlot estate. There was not so much wilderness you could not see the town, but by the same token, there was not so much town that one couldn’t smell nor see the wilderness around. And the town was a hustle and bustle with the joyous cries of young colts and fillies as they prepared costumes, and parents decorated the houses in preparation for the most celebrated and beloved of all holidays. Better than Hearts and Hooves day, and yes, even better than Hearths Warming Eve; Nightmare Night.

Just outside the newly bedecked town square, the overly decorated Carousel Boutique was bearing witness to the occult transformation of the local nightingale. A pristine white filly with two toned lavender mane was now draped in a midnight robe trimmed and belted by amethyst. Pointed shadow was crowned upon her head, with the skyline brim propped just behind her little horn. Sweetie Belle paused looked from left to right of the reflective doppelgangers before her, whilst a bedraggled ghost of Rarity nervously gazed from behind.

“Well, Sweetie Belle, how is the dress?” Rarity nervously inquired.

Sweetie Belle turned herself amongst the three mirrors, brow furrowed and eyes peering at every possible angle she reflected back. The moment dragged with the subtlety of a held breathe, until Sweetie Belle turned upon Rarity and fell into a tight hug of sisterly love. “Absolutely amazing, Rarity! This is the bestest costume you have made yet!” Sweetie Belle squeaked through her jack-o-lantern grin. “Why, it’s even better than the vampire cloak from last year!”

Rarity sighed with relief at another satisfied customer, and in this case a special and important one. “Thank you for being patient with me darling, I did try to sneak your order in earlier, but there were so many other orders before you that I couldn’t finish yours until today. I’m more than happy that you are happy with it.” The two sisters smiled to each other for a moment before Sweetie Belle pulled away and began for the door.

“Thanks again Rarity, see you later!”

“Don’t forget to be careful with the fabric dear, it may tear if you are rough with it!” Rarity exclaimed towards the now shut door and deaf Sweetie Belle. She stiffened slightly before sighing, remembering when she went trick-or-treating years ago, and how much fun her sister would have tonight.

Within a two story house nestled between now orange and red apple trees, a little off yellow filly with fiery red mane was busy spinning a cloth wrapping about her, with the aid of an orange scarecrow and red mysterious stallion of course. “Jest a liddle more ahn my right hoof, Applejack. An’ maybe a liddle more ahn mah left shoulder, Big Mac. Thar! Parfect!’ the cocooned Applebloom enthused from her trappings. “Oh, an’ sorry about taken all yer gauze fer mahself.”

“It’s alright sugarcube.” Applejack smiled as she tied the last of the gauze about her sister. “Ah jest hope tha nopony needs it ternight.”

“Eeyup” nodded Big Mac.

“Heheh” smiled Applebloom, “Ah can’t wait ‘ter show Zecora! She gave me the whole idea an’ all.”

“Ahm sure she’ll love it, now off with yah, yer liddle whippersnapper! Don’t want to be late fer yer first trick-or-treat on yer own now do yah?” Applejack teased.

“Ah ponyfeathers!” shrieked Applebloom as she lunged for the porch. Big Mac and Applejack just snickered for a good minute as the little shadow of their sister scuttled along the twilight sky towards Ponyville.

Off to the East side of Ponyville, far in a small, squat house with wilted lilac gardens, a beast was prowling through the halls. It was hunched and horrid, with ragged pelt of tawny brown, charcoal mane, framing horns, and thick snarling lips engulfing lavender candlelight’s. “Rahargh! Ar ar Rar!” snarled the Scootaloo turned beast at the bathroom reflection. “Yeah! That’ll scare the gang! I bet I could even scare Rainbow Dash like this!”

“Dear!” called a soft sing-song voice from downstairs, “Can you come down now? I’d like to see you before you leave.”

“Coming mom” drawled the deflated monster. Slowly the furred terror skulked down the stairs to the ultimate embarrassment any foal could endure; a doting mother.

“Aw there you are little Scoots!” the chestnut earth pony squealed, scooping the little monster up into her hooves for a great bear hug.

“M-mom!” protested the now blushing beast, “Y-you’re gonna ruin my costume!” Scootaloo squirmed free of the vice grip her mother held and helicoptered to the ground where she began to take toll of loses.

“Sorry” murmured Hazel, “but you were adorable” as her lavender eyes slid sideways to the window, ears flattened in shame.

“Mom!?!” shouted Scootaloo, blushing furiously at her, eyes then softening to little flickers of sparks when she noticed her saddened mother. Slowly she worked up to Hazel’s side, and then began to nuzzle her leg, “I’m sorry, I just want this to be perfect, for my friends.”

Hazel smiled and turned to her child, “I know, and am sorry for doing that. I just want you to know how much I love you.” She sighed, pulling Scootaloo in for a small hug.

“I know mom, I love you too.” Scootaloo didn’t fight back this time, and returned the hug wholeheartedly.

“By the way, can I take a picture, for the scrap-book?” Hazel inquired.

“Sure mom, I can wait that long for you.” Scootaloo smiled.

Hazel produced a camera from behind her and took a couple quick shots of the hunched creature in front of her. “Oh, by the way, since Princess Luna is coming in to Ponyville again this year, your father will be in town as an undercover escort. Be sure to say hi if you see him”

“He is?” Scootaloo burst into a jack-o-lantern grin at the news. Hazel caught another picture of the jubilant bundle of a daughter as she began to flit in the air from joy. “Dad hasn’t been home for weeks! This is gonna be awesome!”

Hazel giggled over her little filly, “Well, don’t be too loud, and be sure to listen to him since he is working close with the Night Guard tonight. We don’t want him getting in trouble here at home. Now shoo, your friends are waiting for the best part of the show.”

Scootaloo gasped at the time and flitted to the door, only to hesitate, and then scurried back to Hazel to wrap her in another hug. “Thanks mom” and with that she was out the door, on her scooter, and rocketing into the streets at full speed.

Not too distant from the center of town, just within sight of Town Hall, and next to Timeturner’s Tinkering, a gangly white Pegasus with auburn mane was scavenging through a crate in his attic. “Where is that suit? I know I put it up here last year!” Featherweight scowled into the shadows. His face was lit up with a crooked smile when he noticed the article he had been questing for the whole time. “There you are!”

Fished from the abyssal shadows of the crate, a black full body suit decorated with green, phosphorescing femurs, and ribs, and vertebrae limply sagged from the colt’s mouth. Hurriedly, the colt frantically pulled himself into the old bones of yesteryear. At that moment a great cacophony of bells, gongs, whistles, and little birds were let loose from wooden and copper cages to belt out the hour; 8:00. “Oh no!” panicked Feathers, “The girls and Pipsqueak are gonna tan my hide if I’m late!” In a flurry of legs and wings the Editor in Chief of The Foal Free Press whizzed down the stairs of the attic, through the hall, and out the front door barking “Gottagomeetupwithmyfriendsandtrickortreatseeyoulaterloveyabye” to two parent shaped blurs in the living room.

“YEAH!!!” shouted an overly enthused, burly Pegasus reaper.

“SHH!” admonished his much smaller wife. “You don’t need to yell like that Snowflake dear.”

“Sorry, just showing some fatherly support.” The brawny pegasus smiled.

Signs, games, and friends from all around passed in a frantic streak of rushing joy as Featherweight sped past them. There went Berry Punch the monk, and Chowder the dragon, and Dinkie the astronaut followed by Ditsy the paper bag princess. Apple bobbing, hay rides, and countless other celebrations of the dark holiday sped past in a blur as the ivory streak made for the predestined meeting ground, just outside of Sugarcube Corner. As the door came into view, Featherweight could see that he was late. The CMC was already there, waiting expectantly for the other two members of the group to catch up.

The gale force bolt fizzled to a winded stop before the three girls, “Took ya long enough, where’s Pip?” demanded the monster.

“N-n-n-n, *huff* not *puff* w-w-w-with me” panted the lung less skeleton.

“Huh? Than whar is the liddle scamp?” inquired a wrapped up Applebloom, complete with bowtie.

“Do you think he’s back at his home still?” the twilight witch queried with upraised brows.

“You know, that sounds like the pinto bean. Betcha it’s some sort of trick, or his costume is so big it’ll take him forever to put it on!” The monster groaned. Then a wry smile slid across her inner face, “Hey, how about we go over and surprise him instead?”

“Great idea!” the since recovered skeleton cheered. “We’ll surprise him instead this year!” And with that the motley group began the trot towards Pipsqueaks little hovel.

Pipsqueak was a new colt, having moved to Ponyville from Trottingham barely a year ago, and was little for his age. Some say when he was born, that he was barely big enough to fit in your hoof. Pipsqueak made up for it with sheer courage and stubbornness, charging headstrong into any situation when called. This quality is what first attracted the CMC to him, and he was soon adopted into the group. As far as the CMC were concerned, Pipsqueak was something of a little brother to them all, learning what he could with gusto and high spirits.

The CMC and Feathers rounded the last corner to see the small cottage Pipsqueak and his parents lived in, only to stop in shock and surprise.

“Huh” went Feahters.

“Um” agreed Scootaloo.

“What’s going on here?” squeaked Sweetie Belle.

“What in tarnation?” exclaimed Applebloom.

“Where are the decorations?” inquired Feathers as he pushed his mask up.

“And the jack-o-lanterns?” demanded Scootaloo.

“And the lights along the porch?” Sweetie Belle intoned.

“An’ the corn husks Ah gave ‘em?” worried Applebloom.

As one the group began a mad dash around to the front of the house. “Pipsqueak should have decorated already!” Feathers said more to himself than anypony else. “He was so excited to see Princess Luna again and for his second Nightmare Night. What could…” and the next sentence died in his mouth, hung at the back of his throat like a dried leaf to a twig.

There, in front of the house a stretcher was being loaded into the back of an ambulance wagon, followed by Pip’s visibly worried parents. The vehicle then sped off with great speed towards the hospital.

“Oh no, Pip…” gasped Applebloom.

Comments

[Galaneth]

Talk about something from years past. This will definitely be something to pay attention to.

[Dominus]

scranton.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw302_1298830294413.png

[The Ancient Wyrm]

1452456

I am not permitted to comment on that, as it may or may not ruin the ending.

[Thorax]

1456760
Feel free to remove the original comment as I can't on my iPod, though I may be one of the few other people to remember that movie, don't want to spoil it for the rest.

[The Ancient Wyrm]

1456994

Thank you kindly, I would rather ask permission than just remove it. Too afraid i would seem a little mean.

[Thorax]

1457292
Completely understandable, I was running under a hunch.
(I grew up with YTV and Teletoon so I tend to remember the really weird movies as they happened each year.)