What a Fright
The time drew nearer and nearer.
It was almost that time, of that day: Nightmare Night
Where all the fillies and colts dressed up in costumes to hide from Nightmare Moon.
As the legends were told:
"Every year, we put on a disguise, to save ourselves from her searching eyes."
To save yourself from Nightmare Moon's wrath, you would have to offer her a share of your candy.
All of Ponyville celebrated Nightmare Night in every shape, way, and form.
Except for one pony: Fluttershy
The calm, shy personality of the pony would just make you think, she doesn't seem like the Nightmare Night type.
So, like always, Fluttershy stayed cooped up in her cottage with her animal friends usually every Nightmare Night. Keeping doors locked, and lights off.
While waiting for Nightmare Night to end, Fluttershy and her animal friends usually stay under the covers reading animal stories, eating popcorn balls, and playing Truth or Dare.
When Nightmare Night was halfway over she had to admit, it was probably one of her best so far. Then, from the front door, Angel started making noise. Fluttershy cautiously and quietly tip-hoofed to the stairs , then flying gently and slowly down the stairs where she met Angel in the living room.
His brow was furrowed and he kept beating his foot on the carpet. A clothespin was on his nose and he was pointing towards the door.
Fluttershy looked in the direction to which he was pointing and saw the trash bin.
"Oh my! I forgot to take out the trash," She turned to Angel. "Do you know what this means Angel?"
He shook his head.
"That I have to take out the trash on NightMare Night! Or..um.. tomorrow?" She hesitantly asked.
Angel shook his head once more and constantly kept beating his foot on the ground, still pointing to the trash bin.
"Sigh, I guess your right," Her face was contorted from the smell of the trash bin. She covered her muzzle up and spoke, "I might want to do it now before the cottage ends up smelling like tuna and mold."
Fluttershy nervously trotted toward the bin and tugged hard on the bag, placing it on her back, she turned around and said:
"Are you sure we can't just wait until tomorrow? Please, Angel." Fluttershy pleaded.
Angel joltingly shook his head, he started making stabbing motions towards the door, still with his brow furrowed.
Fluttershy sighed. She opened the door sadly and trotted out.
When she was outside, it was only her, the trash bag, and Nightmare Night.
She couldn't believe what she had seen.
It looked like an Equestrian Fallout.
The wind was light, the sky was a radiation orange, and everything around her looked as though it was burnt to dust.
Charred black.
Stunned by the picture before her, she turned around.
Her cottage was no longer there. Only burnt books, ripped charred furniture, and the weakened black wooden pieces from the cottage.
Her eyes widened, they filled with tears.
She collapsed in front of the burned down cottage when the trash bag fell off her back.
She sobbed.
"Wh..yy...Why! I don't understand!" She cried.
"Oh don't worry, Fluttershy," She felt a cold hoof touching her back, though the voice was familiar. "You won't have to feel pain much longer."
She finally realized who it was.
"Twilight!" She cried through tears.
Fluttershy got up and turned around, about to hug her friends, but they didn't look like her friends. They looked of zombie ponies, with matted manes and tails, dark eye circles, along with scars and bruises.
She backed up cautiously.
"What's that matter Fluttershy? Aren't we your friends?" Twilight cooed.
Fluttershy gulped. "N...N...No." she whispered shivering.
"What did you say?" Twilight had cornered Fluttershy against a tree.
"Squeak!" Was all Fluttershy could get out of her mouth. She slid down against the rough tree, lying in a ball, crying.
This is just a dream, just a dream, just a dream.....
Twilight and her friends started to laugh.
"How pathetic!" Rainbow Dash Shouted.
"Simply an embarrassment to pony kind!" Rarity flipped her messy mane and trotted near Twilight.
"Quiet now girls, Fluttershy just can't handle how big of a doormat she is!" Twilight yelled.
Fluttershy was in a fetal position sobbing, the trash bag lying a few yards away.
Thinking how she threw her life away on miserable tea parties and encouraging 'yays'.
She knew it wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare.
The mane five kept taunting and shouting at Fluttershy. Calling her offensive names.
Yet, she layed there and cried.
She couldn't think of a better way to put this, but she had no hope left.
Everything was gone.
Her hope, happiness, and friends and family.
She wanted to die right there, in her fetal position. Sobbing.
Until, bright blue light flashed and she heard:
"ENOUGH!" The boomed voice was familiar in Fluttershy's ears.
And then all the fears went away. Her "friends", the radioactive orange sky, and her burnt cottage.
Gone.
As the shadowy blue moon dust looking pony landed, she trotted towards Fluttershy.
"Are thou okay?"
It was Princess Luna.
Fluttershy got up and sniffled. She nodded.
"Good. We are dearly sorry for what thou has been experiencing. The Tantabus is on the loose again and we fear it has become stronger. Do sleep well tomorrow night."
Fluttershy nodded.
And with that, Luna disappeared into another dream.
Fluttershy awoke under her blanket with drool over her books, True or Dare cards scattered, and popcorn everywhere.
She lifted the covers to find daylight, she hopped off her bed and trotted toward her window.
She opened it up and breathed in the crisp Autumn air.
She thought to herself:
I can take on the pain. I can take on the names. I can take on the suffering. My nightmare made me loose hope, and my happiness, and my friends and family. But I survived through it. Sure I cried through it. But just remember: if we can't smile, laugh. If we can't laugh, cry. If we cry, than we have to keep trying, over and over again. We only have on life, so we have to live it