Fallen Eagle

Chapter 28: Silence of the Fillies

NEW COVER, NEW COVER, NEW COVER!

Before I get onto ANYTHING else, I really hope you guys have checked out the new and final cover for the story. Back in March, I asked a good friend of mine in Tennessee if she could possibly draw Cougar for me and she said yes. Well, back on Sunday, May 31st, she emailed me the final version (which I added the tagline and title to) and I was blown away. I really hope you guys like the cover and the fact that Cougar now has a face. And I understand that the F-14 was never used by the Air Force, my friend did not know this but it's so trivial and unimportant that I didn't care to tell her.

mlp brony fifer: I'm glad you liked the story Cougar told and the ending. It took me awhile to come up with who should tell Cougar about the similarities between call signs and cutie marks.

Random Guy: Thank you sir; I hope you enjoy the future chapters

Dixie Darlin: Trust me, writing in the fillies and colts (especially ones we rarely get to see) was so much fun. I just used Button's personality from the fanimations I've seen on YouTube. And it was really good to write about Reaper again, that was fun.

Sassymouse: The best part of waking up would be a cute filly like Applebloom bouncing on your chest lol. I couldn't pass up using Derpy when using Dinky, that would be a crime and I would've had to punish myself. And I'm glad you enjoyed your OC!

adhdluke: Hey man! Haven't heard from ya in a long time. Good to see you're still enjoying the story. And I'm really glad you say this is your favorite chapter. If people are saying that with how many chapters I've written, I must be doing something right!

litestardt: I wouldn't have found it realistic if Cougar had mastered the jetpack right away, so I decided to have him bust his ass a few times lol. Also, FALCON IS AWESOME! Cougar teaching classes would be awesome, but alas, he doesn't have the proper certificates for that. And I think we can agree both Xbox and PS4 are better than the Wii U...

bronywells: Good to see some new fans here. I'm glad you like my story and hope you like what I have planned for the future! The backstory I was saving for a perfect flashback opportunity and having Cougar teach the kids was the best chance I had.

caleb200888: Bookmarked? That's awesome that you keep re-reading it bro. If you like CouJack, then stick around for two more chapters for that confession you've desperately wanted to see.

CorvusYT: Thank you good sir.

Okay people, this message is for all the fans that want to see Cougar and Applejack admit their feelings. I'm here to say it WILL happen, there's no secret about that. The confession is just merely two chapters away. I've been tinkering with a few things like what SONGS characters will sing and other ideas leading up to the inevitable confession. I'm going to work as hard as I can to bring you loyal readers the confession chapter that you all deserve! -Captain Alaska, out

---

(Late October. 3rd Person POV)

Things had pretty much went normal for the few weeks after Cougar's stint as substitute teacher. Nothing of importance was going on in Canterlot that needed the Mane 6's or to a degree, Cougar's, help. There were no problems going on in Ponyville that required Cougar to lend his hand to fix, nor was there many chores for the Apple family to do since the nights were becoming longer and with Winter around the corner, most residents were trying to get a jumpstart on preparations. Speaking of Cougar, now that he had a little more free time on his hands, the Air Force pilot was taking advantage of the spare time by heading up to the Wonderbolts Academy to further sharpen his flying. But, every time Cougar sent Applebloom off to school or walked with her and the Crusaders, he had to admit he did kind of miss subbing for the class despite it only being for four hours.

Although a good majority of the colts and fillies in Ms. Cheerliee's class (even Silver Spoon to some extent) enjoyed having Cougar as their substitute teacher, they were more than thrilled when Cheerilee returned only the next day, all cured up and healthy from Fluttershy and Big Mac helping nurse her back to health. The students prepared their own welcome back card that they all signed quickly when Ms. Cheerilee allowed for a quick recess outside while she went over the worksheets Cougar had the students fill out during his subbing. Eventually, the rut that Ponyville found itself in completely filled up when the final week of October rolled around. Almost all over the town, horrifying decorations were strung about, featuring bats, spiders, skeletons of ponies and different frightening images. With the help of Big Mac, Ms. Cheerilee had turned the schoolhouse into a haunted schoolhouse for the week leading up to one of Ponyville's most favorite holidays: Nightmare Night.

Bon Bon and Lyra worked day and night for days on end to make extra candy for the citizens of the tiny town to purchase and hoof out for the children on the night of the holiday. The amount of profit that the candy would bring in was the leading factor for Bon Bon to continue making candy, no matter how late into the night she worked or how tired she grew, that and she enjoyed seeing happy colts and fillies running about. And not to mention, several different ponies had contacted Rarity to make them new costumes or to request she help touch up or repair older costumes. Nightmare Night wasn't a major bit making holiday for Rarity, but as an owner, every little bit helped keep her business afloat and popular. Normally, the seamstress would be creating away in her boutique, possibly with Sweetie Belle or Spike lending their time to assist her, but Rarity, along with the rest of the Mane 6, Spike and the Crusaders, was sitting down in Applejack's living room at Sweet Apple Acres. They were currently watching a movie on Cougar's iPad that he allowed Applebloom to borrow. And thanks to Spike's memory of watching the iPad with Cougar and Celestia at the castle, Twilight was able to replicate Celestia's spell to make the iPad as big as an actual projection screen.

A piece of parchment was floating in the air near said seamstress, her blue aura engulfing its edges as she took notes on everything everypony mentioned about the movie that was displayed in front of the group. Thanks to the movies, the Mane 6, Spike and the CMC had spent all day watching several of them, from morning until late afternoon and early evening. "Sweetie Belle," Rarity cleared her throat, "are you certain you and your friends want these to be your costumes?" The white unicorn moved the parchment out of her way to get her little sister's confirmation.

"Heck yeah Rarity!" Scootaloo quickly turned around and shrieked, surprising Rarity so much that a huge black streak of ink now appeared across the front of the parchment when she jumped. "Hehe, oops," the orange pegasus chuckled nervously, "sorry Rarity," she apologized.

"Rainbow Dash?" Rarity questioned the cyan pegasus whom was completely enthralled with the current movie on the screen. Grumbling, Rarity set the parchment down on a nearby table and called Rainbow's name again, only be replied with a rude 'shh.' The white unicorn then hit pause on the screen of the iPad, only to be met with a resounding groan from everypony.

"Hey! We were watching that!" Rainbow turned around from the paused screen to glare at Rarity.

"You mentor Scootaloo and spend time with her more than anypony else, haven't you taught her what an inside voice is?" Rarity asked the rainbow maned pegasus pony. The Wonderbolt glared at the seamstress, flapping her wings to float above her friend, attempting an intimidation effect. Rarity, on the other hoof, wasn't the least bit threatened. "Now look, I have to restart my list. Nine hours wasted, and I have to start from scratch!" The unicorn whined.

"Come on, it's not like you can't read what we chose!" Rainbow tapped her hoof on the page of the parchment, "just copy what you wrote down before and keep quiet; we're still watching this!" she exclaimed, ending her mini-rant with a raspberry in Rarity's face. Her white cheeks turned red momentarily as she suppressed her anger that threatened to boil over in a shouting match between her and the pegasus.

"Be that as it may Rainbow Dash, your sister should learn to keep her voice down indoors," a new piece of parchment levitated in front of Rarity while her red glasses floated back onto her face and a feather scribbled down the contents of the previous list. "Ahem, so you girls are pleased with this particular choice of group costumes?" Rarity questioned while Spike hit play on the screen, resuming the movie.

"You bet!" Sweetie Belle responded with an excited yell and an extremely cheesy grin.

"Yeah, group costumes are the best!" Applebloom agreed, propping her head up with her elbows while lying belly down on the wooden floor, "'specially ones as cool as these!" her orange eyes expanded in utter glee. The purple maned unicorn scribbled down the Crusaders' choice for their Nightmare Night costumes and sighed happily, sitting down on a chair and mentally patted herself on the back, proud of a job well-done and glad to begin a new order for all of her friends.

"When did this place turn into a movie theater?" A male voice asked, surprising everypony that didn't hear him enter the room.

---

(Cougar's POV)

I had just arrived back from another hard training day at the Wonderbolts Academy and was eager to relax with a cold shower and eat supper with the Apple family. My jetpack was stored inside my shack before I trekked over to the farm house to let AJ and Applebloom know that I was back. There were a few new things I had discovered about my jetpack: One was I could get quick bursts of acceleration by bringing my arms forward and swinging them back quickly, sort of like an olympic swimmer. Another part of my jetpack that I had found out about was I could have the engine on without the arm braces and I wouldn't hover, but pumping my arms up and back would automatically snap the braces into place, allowing me to be prepared to fly quicker.

Walking into the farm house, I had a cocky smile on my face and expected to see Applebloom and possibly Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo watching something on my iPad while AJ was reading a novel or something. But what I didn't expect was to see all three of the Crusaders, AJ, Spike, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash all sitting in the living room, watching my iPad that I suspected Twilight enlarged for all of the group to enjoy. What was even stranger was Rarity was studying the movie and talking with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle while writing down what I guessed was their responses on a piece of parchment. "Ahem," I softly coughed, trying to get somepony's attention.

"Yeah, group costumes are the best!" Applebloom exclaimed, completely ignoring me standing in the doorway. Looking at what movie the group was watching, I quietly chuckled to myself, knowing that Ghostbusters was indeed a movie that grabs one's attention. "'Specially ones as cool as these!" she added, clapping her yellow hooves together as her orange eyes expanded. The white unicorn then scribbled down something else on her parchment and sat down on an empty chair, sighing contently. Finally, I wanted to say hello to my friends and spoke up.

"When did this place turn into a movie theatre?" I joked, causing everyone else in the room to whip their heads around in my direction.

"Cougar!" Applebloom cheered, getting up from the floor and ran towards me, leaping up into my chest as I caught her. "How was yer day at the academy?" She asked after nuzzling my chest.

"Well, I'm busting my ass less and less, so that's something," I kissed her forehead before setting her back onto he floor. "I see more ponies and a dragon than I anticipated are enjoying my movies," I cracked a small smile.

"Oh, sorry Cougar," Twilight apologized, "it's just, one by one we all showed up for different reasons and became intrigued with your movie playing machine," she explained to me, gesturing to my tablet with her hoof.

"iPad," I corrected the alicorn, "and it's no big deal as long as you guys don't accidentally delete any of my movies." The group shook their heads, telling me that they were careful in selecting which movies to watch. "Let me guess, you guys were hypnotized by the pretty colors right?" I said in a smart aleck voice.

"I admit color movies are awesome!" Rainbow shouted, "but you know, that wasn't everything we liked about the movies you have," she insisted.

"And I wouldn't say hypnotized either," Rarity rolled up her parchment and stuffed it into one of her triple diamond embroidered saddlebags. "Though some were very thought provoking and at times, very intense." Placing my hands together and cracking my knuckles, I walked further into the living room, stopping in front of the 35" iPad screen.

"So, group costumes huh?" I turned to the three little fillies in the living room. They nodded as if they were bobble head dolls springing back and forth. "Any particular reason you guys need group costumes?" I questioned.

"Nightmare Night's comin' up soon Cougar," Applejack explained to me, sitting up from her haunches and walking over my way. 'Nightmare Night? That sounds vaguely familiar, where have I heard that before?' I mentally asked. "'N we were all thinkin' 'o dressin' up as some 'o yer favorite movie characters ta make ya feel a bit more comfortable fer yer first Nightmare Night," the orange mare explained further.

"Is that the holiday you guys told me about on our camping trip way back?" I asked, thinking that's where I first heard of the holiday.

"Yep," Sweetie Belle smiled, "and you said that it reminds you of your own holiday Halloween," she reminded me. Right, now I remembered that Nightmare Night was exactly the holiday I was told about from the camping trip.

"Sweet, free candy. Only a complete moron would pass that up," I chuckled, prompting Pinkie Pie to squeal and give me a bone crushing hug, again.

"That's the smartest thing I've ever heard anypony say!" She complimented me as she squeezed me tighter. Right before I could turn blue and start gasping for air, the pink hyperactive mare released me and dropped me to the floor. "Hey that reminds me, have you been planning your Nightmare Night costume? I bet it's something so spectacularly scary or amazingly awesome or greatly gross!" She exclaimed, counting off ways she could describe a costume.

"Um, no Pinkie I haven't," I coughed, "you guys just reminded me about Nightmare Night; I can't come up with a costume that quick," I snapped my fingers. Pinkie gasped and grabbed my shoulders, shaking my head violently.

"Then we need to start planning! Come on, you've got oodles of movies on this thing; we'll find you the bestest costume that your people have come up with! And I'm sure it'll wow everypony in town!" She clapped her hooves with glee.

"Woah there Pinkie," I put my hands up and out, "I'm gonna need a little time to think about it; I don't work very well just being thrust into choosing something, unless the situation is dire enough," I explained.

"And picking the perfect costume for your first Nightmare Night isn't a dire enough situation?" She countered with a questioning stare.

"Now Pinkie," Fluttershy began, "I'm certain that if we give Cougar enough time, he can pick the best costume all on his own. I know I'd hate it if it were me being put on the spot for picking a costume," she admitted. I stroked Fluttershy's pink mane like a dog as a thank you for getting Pinkie Pie off of my back, though if that pink mare can rake in enough candy to feed an army, she can annoy me all she wants.

"Thanks Fluttershy. Speaking of costumes, what are you guys going for Nightmare Night?" I asked, "what movies did you guys watch all day?" I added. The entire group rubbed the back of their heads before shaking them back and forth.

"Sorry Cougar," Applejack apologized, "but we decided we all wanted ta keep them a secret fer a nice surprise fer ya," she said. "Ah hope ya understand; we want ta make ya as welcome as possible ta Nightmare Night," she grinned wrapping her arm around my waist in a hug, which made my cheeks heat up for a second or two.

"Well, that makes sense, and makes me feel a little special," I cracked another sly smile, "though I'm not sure how you're gonna get famous movie costumes perfect in just a few days," I intentionally got Rarity riled up. The white unicorn gasped and marched up to me, sticking her head up and glaring at me through her red glasses.

"Do you have any idea what pony you're talking to? I've made half a dozen gala dresses in a matter of two days and an entire new fashion line in 45 minutes!" She said as a matter of factly. "Simple little Nightmare Night costumes are filly's play darling," she said teasingly, flicking her tail across my nose in a slap I'm guessing. "Even if you took until an hour before Nightmare Night festivities began, I could create your costume with my horn broken in half!" She declared.

"That reminds me Rarity," Applebloom spoke up, "do ya think you could sew our name patches on our Ghostbuster costumes instead of the movie characters' names? I can take care 'o the backpacks they wear 'cause Ah know a pony who can loan us a few Twittermite vacuums," the yellow filly asked and explained. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle gasped and groaned at Applebloom accidentally revealing their costumes.

"Applebloom!" They both exclaimed, "there goes our surprise," Scootaloo kicked her hoof on the floor.

"Guess we'll have to to go with a different group," Sweetie Belle tapped her chin. Applebloom blushed in embarrassment and looked sad for ruining the surprise they had set in store for me. I bent down and lightly petted her head to comfort her.

"Come on girls, go as the Cutie Mark Ghostbusters," I encouraged, "you already picked it and I think you'll be awesome as the only Ghostbusters in Equestria," I said, lightly pushing all three together. "I can imagine all of you shouting 'Cutie Mark Crusader Ghostbusters!' all over Ponyville on Nightmare Night, getting insane amounts of candy for having original costumes."

"Ya still want us ta go as our original idea even though Ah ruined the surprise?" Applebloom actually looked like she might cry from embarrassment. I chuckled again and scratched under her chin with my index finger, tickling her.

"Well, there wasn't much of a surprise Bloom," I revealed, "you girls left the movie on and you were mentioning group costumes and pointing at the screen when I came in," I motioned to the iPad in the living room. The screen was still paused, but it showed a scene with all four Ghostbusters in action.

"Hehe, oops," Sweetie Belle blushed and hid her face behind her hooves.

"As for the rest of you guys, I look forward to see what tickled your fancy enough to be your costumes," I turned to the older members of the group. Apparently not believing me, Rarity added a lock to her saddlebags to prevent me from ever seeing the list of ideas. "Um Rarity, don't you need pictures of the costumes to replicate them?" I crossed my arms.

"Two steps ahead of you Cougar," Rarity laughed, "Applejack allowed me to borrow her family camera and I took pictures of the movies on pause to get the images I require for creating," she flicked her mane with her hoof.

"I guess that settles all of that then," I placed my hands on my hips, clicking my tongue. "Tell you girls and guy what," I winked at Spike, "whenever I find out my costume, I'll keep it a secret too, except from Rarity of course since I need her to make it," I turned to the seamstress whom nodded in approval.

"BELCH!" Spike burped as a massive ball of brilliant green fire erupted from his mouth. I will probably never get used to that; I had my arms up in front of my face, ready to attack nothing. A scroll with a dark blue ribbon tied around its middle landed in his claws as he opened it up. "It's from Princess Luna," Spike announced before clearing his throat. "Dear Twilight Sparkle, whenever you receive this message, please relay it to Cougar, for I require his audience tonight after I raise the moon. There a few matters that I wish to discuss with him and they are of the utmost importance. He is not in any trouble and neither is anypony else, but I must speak with him as soon as possible. Yours truly, Princess Luna of Equestria." Spike ceased reading and looked up at the rest of us.

"Hmm, the moon is going up be raised fairly shortly," Twilight looked outside to see Celestia's sun getting lower and lower on the horizon in the far distance. "I wonder what Luna wants to talk to you about?" She pondered to herself.

"Aww, I don't mind going to see Luna, but I just got home and wanted to relax a little," I groaned, sitting down on the floor with my back to the wall. "Not to mention I'm starving too," I added, my stomach grumbling loudly.

"Ah'll save ya some leftovers Coug, don't ya worry none," Applejack patted my shoulder. "Are ya gonna fly, or are ya gonna take the train?" She asked me. I stretched my arms and back a bit, popping my muscles in the process.

"Train," I replied standing up, "I'm still getting used to using my muscles with my jetpack," I explained.

"Well you better hurry Cougar," Spike informed me, "the last train leaves in ten minutes," he urgently said. Sighing, I took off my red and black cap, running a hand through my hair and tapping said hat against my leg. I didn't mind having long hair like an 80s hair band, but it was starting to get a little long.

"Rarity, before I go, do you think you can set me up with a barber or something for my hair? It's getting a little long for me," I asked politely. Grinning, Rarity produced a pair of red scissors from her saddlebags and in a few strokes around my head, all my long hair was lying on the ground and my head felt a little lighter. "Oh, thanks," I smiled, looking into a nearby mirror. "I'll see you guys as soon as I can," I waved to AJ and Applebloom.

"Wait Cougar!" Twilight's aura yanked my arm back, "I just have one question regarding this Ghostbusters movie," she said.

"And that would be?" I asked, holding the door open with my hand as I didn't want to miss the train.

"Were ghosts this much of a problem in your world? I know that this is just a movie, but is it based on actual fact?" She asked me. My left eye sank and my right eyebrow raised itself up to about my new hairline.

"Uhhhh, nooooo," I said slowly. "Ghosts aren't real Twilight," I laughed at her question before leaving the farmhouse and heading to the train station.

---

(3rd Person POV)

Right as Cougar left, pretty much everypony that didn't live with the Apple family decided that it was time to return to their respective homes for supper, but not before Applejack had something to ask of Rarity. The seamstress' blue aura surrounded Sweetie Belle, lifting her off the floor and onto her back to carry her home. "Hey Rare, can Ah speak ta ya fer a quick second?" Applejack requested.

"Oh of course Applejack," Rarity smiled. "What do you need darling?" She asked. Intrigued, Sweetie Belle put her forelegs on Rarity's shoulders, standing up closer to better hear what her older sister and Applejack had to talk about. "Sweetie Belle, what have I told you about eavesdropping?"

"Hey, you were the one who lifted me onto your back," Sweetie Belle pointed out. Rolling her eyes, Rarity then lifted her little sister off her back and set her down next to Scootaloo and Applebloom.

"Now then, what did you need to talk to me about Applejack?" Rarity politely asked her country friend. Applejack bit her lip, swinging one of her front hooves back and forth, clearly nervous about what was on her mind.

"Uh, ya know 'bout the costume Ah want ta wear right?" She said. Rarity replied with a nod, willingly listening, but curious as to why Applejack was reminding her of the costume choice. "Well, uh, do ya think you could also do my mane in the same hairstyle as in the movie? It's kinda important," She questioned.

"That shouldn't be a problem Applejack, but is there any special reason why this was an important request?" Applejack gulped, looking around and blushing, making sure nopony else could hear her while she whispered.

"Well, Cougar told me that's one 'o his favorite movies 'n Ah was hopin' that Ah could uh, get his attention a lil by dressin' exactly like her," she whispered as her cheeks continued to grow a more deep shade of red. "Stop lookin' at me like that," Applejack embarrassingly pursed her lips. Rarity had a cocky smirk on her face as she stared at the farm mare.

"Get his attention how Applejack?" Rarity teasingly asked.

"Ah'm not sayin' Ah wanna seduce him or anythin'!" AJ defended, trying not to raise her voice too loud, "Ah just wanna subtly let him know Ah'm interested 'n look maybe a little," Applejack paused, knowing what she wanted to say but felt a little too modest to say it until she mustered up the courage, "sexy fer him, can ya do that?"

"Sending signals eh Applejack?" Rarity grinned, "not the way I'd imagine you wanting to let him know of your feelings, but I completely understand how hard it must be for you to admit you have feelings for another species," the unicorn turned her gaze briefly to the purple dragon talking with Twilight, "I know how hard it was for Spikey to deal with his feelings," she said softly.

"Rarity, Cougar bein' a different species don't bother me, my feelin's come from knowin' how selfless, kind, carin', protective 'n well, handsome he is," AJ explained. "Ah love who he is, not what he is," she added.

"Aw, that's so sweet Applejack," Rarity hugged her friend. "Of course I'll help you look your best for him, you can count on me," she patted AJ's shoulder. The orange mare smiled and returned the pat.

"Thanks Rare, Ah appreciate you bein' there fer this kinda help," Applejack thanked as Sweetie Belle tapped Rarity's leg, letting her know that she wanted to go home. "It's time ta get supper ready anyway, nice seein' everypony!" She called to everyone that was leaving. "Applebloom, can ya please sweep up this hair 'fore helpin' with dinner?" she took off her cowpony hat and set it on a hatrack.

---

(Nightmare Night, Nightmare Moon Statue. Cougar's POV)

This was it, Nightmare Night had arrived and I was right: it looked exactly like Halloween had hit Ponyville. It brought so many smiles to my face to see little colts and fillies all excited and dressed up in so many different costumes that I lost count. Sure, there were the classics like mummies, zombies and vampires, but there were also interesting costumes like vikings, some Daring Do costumes and even a pony with a shark biting his ass. I'll give him props for creativity on that one. Luna had taken me on a quick stroll through the town to show me the different games that were setup along with all of the finalized decorations that looked badass.

I wasn't in costume yet, and neither was she, though I hadn't seen her costume at all because she wanted to save it for her grand entrance that she performs every year, although she told me the whole history of Nightmare Night and that she was Nightmare Moon over a thousand years ago. She was the also only one who knew what my costume was; I had to show her a picture of what I wanted on my phone during our chat about Nightmare Night. The word nightmare had sparked an interesting idea for my costume and Luna went above and beyond what I had expected: Instead of producing a costume for me identical to the movie character I wanted, she actually turned me into the movie character of my choice, albeit with my own voice because the character's voice was too gravelly and scary for the younger crowd.

So, here we stood in the woods near the Nightmare Moon statue, awaiting for everyone to hear the legend of Nightmare Moon and to sacrifice their candy all in good fun for a good scare. "Hey Luna, thanks again for helping me with my costume," I thanked, checking out the area again so we wouldn't miss our cues. "And for letting me in on the fun,: I added, nudging her shoulder with mine.

"Please, do not mention it Cougar," she smiled, quickly hugging me with her left wing, "I've always wanted to tryout a partner for my little Nightmare Moon stunt, and your costume will be perfect for the icing on the doughnut," she grinned.

"I can't believe you thought I would be afraid of you for your whole alter ego debacle from 1000 years ago," I chuckled, leaning against a tree, eyes still focused on the statue in the moonlight.

"Well, I'm sure it's not everyday you're told about a tyrannical alicorn that transforms into an evil alicorn bent on permanent darkness," Luna joked, blushing and rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, that's true Luna," I shoved my hands into my pockets, "maybe trying to overthrow your sister was a bit much, but you just felt unappreciated compared to your sister that was put on a pedestal, neither of you could help that," I pointed out.

"Yes, but my actions cost me 1000 years with my sister and subjects, something I regret with a passion," the alicorn looked back up at me. "Oh well, no use trying to change the past," she cracked open a quick can of Coltweiser. A twig snapped behind us, making us jump and turn around. "If thou are attempting to frighten us, thou do not know whom you are messing with!" Luna warned.

"Moon Pie, it's only me!" A voice called, waving his hoof.

"Checkered! What a wonderful surprise!" Luna threw her forelegs around her coltfriend. The Earth Pony champion chuckled and returned the hug before kissing Luna's cheek softly.

"This is like your second birthday Luna, and I wouldn't miss this for anything else," Checkered was rewarded with a nuzzle from Luna. It was really sweet to see how much Luna and Checkered cared for each other despite the fact that Checkered was a normal citizen of Equestria and Luna was royalty.

"And what are you dressed as?" Luna questioned, casting some more light over Checkered Flag. "Is that what I think it is?" She asked again. I noticed her mouth dropped open slightly and her wings started to quiver. The racing pony did a few poses for Luna so she could see everything about his costume which from what I could tell was a single piece of spandex.

"Do you like it Lulu?" he asked with hope, "I had a nice designer named Coco Pommel make this just for you. I'm pretty much the night sky Luna," he grinned. "See? I had her add stars, planets, galaxies, comets and a super nova or two. And finally, your moon, right here over my heart," the light grey pony took her blue hoof and placed it over his chest. "Do you like it?"

FWOMP

Luna's wings erupted from her sides, slicing two small trees in half, toppling them over as I dove out of the way. Both of the trees hit the ground with not a loud crash, but one that would definitely gain some good attention. "Geez Luna," I dusted off my shirt and stood up, "you're gonna put lumberjacks all over Equestria out of business with those things," I exclaimed jokingly. However, she ignored me and reassumed control of her wings, wrapping them around Checkered's body in a tight hug.

"I love it, and you Checkered," she planted a kiss on his nose, getting a chuckle from him in reply. "This is the best surprise I've gotten in over a thousand years," she added. "So, I take it you are here for the free candy?" She asked, finally releasing him from her wing hug.

"That and to see you of course Moon Pie," Checkered winked. "And it's good to see you too Cougar," the stallion stuck out his hoof which I graciously shook. "So, not meaning to sound rude, but shouldn't you be with your friends?" He asked me.

"I should be, but Luna helped me pick out my Nightmare Night costume and she liked it so much that I'm now apart of her Nightmare Moon act," I explained. "And I don't mind anyways; I like hanging out with Luna from time to time and I enjoy giving friends a good scare," I winked at the pony. He smiled and nodded, understanding what I meant and explained. Luna offered him a sip of her beer which he accepted and finished off since there was literally only a small gulp left.

"Luna, is there a set time that the kids are supposed to arrive?" Checkered asked his marefriend.

"Hmm, no, I just usually wait until they're close and I get into position, why do you ask?" Luna turned to Checkered. The light grey stallion shrugged and gave the empty can of alcohol to Luna whom made it disappear.

"They're probably hitting a few houses on a test run for candy before heading out here," I guessed. "Remember, Pinkie Pie of all ponies is with them, so they probably have the sacrificial candy plus extra candy for themselves," I reminded the blue alicorn. She nodded in agreement and squinted her eyes. The three of us stayed quiet while crickets chirped away and the occasional bat for Nightmare Night flew by. Things stayed pretty silent until something happened.

"Come on guys, we can't keep Princess Luna, I mean Nightmare Moon waiting forever!" A squeaky British-like accent announced off in the distance. Luna and I easily identified it as none other than Pipsqueak leading the charge of the group of fillies, colts, the Girls and Spike as they were prepared to give up their candy.

"Oh, places everypony!" Luna quickly blurted out to myself and her coltfriend. The stallion quickly tapped his hoof on Luna's wing, prompting her to turn around to face him.

"I thought I was just waiting in the woods until your little stunt was over?" Checkered asked, confused about what Luna wanted him to do.

"Of course you're not Checkered," she pecked his cheek, "you get out there and go along with the crowd until the show is over and then you can come with us as we get candy," she explained.

"Sounds good Moon Pie," Checkered returned the kiss and trotted out of the woods towards the group that was busy dumping candy at the foot of the statue.

"Luna, I'm no expert in relationships and I've never been in one, but I can tell you that you and Checkered work better together than any couple I've ever seen," I placed my hand on her shoulder. "I really hope you two have a long future together," I complimented the alicorn. Luna's blue cheeks blushed and she turned away, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Hey, Checkered Flag!" We both heard Applebloom exclaim happily, "did ya come here ta spend Nightmare Night with Princess Luna?"

"Th-thank you Cougar, and I hope you find your special somepony someday too," she replied to me, checking back over at the group to not miss her cue. "You'll make a mare very happy one day, I guarantee it," she grinned. "Now, are you ready for your transformation?" She asked as her horn glowed. "Once you hear the children scream, slink your way over and behind the statue," she ordered while I shut my eyes and nodded, not saying a word as her magic coarser through my body. The sensation was still fairly indescribable, but I guess I could say it felt like an under skin massage with a tickle in my spine. Just as soon as it began, the spell was over, and my transformation was complete. Opening my eyes, I could see Luna was gone and the wind picked up around area with the boom of a thunderclap and flash of lightning.

Even with the added light of the Moon surrounding the area, I decided to not pay attention to the costumes of everyone to keep them a surprise. My eyes peered around the tree I was hiding behind as Luna's Canterlot Voice boomed around the tiny clearing. "CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE, YOU WERE WISE TO BRING THIS CANDY TO ME! I AM PLEASED WITH YOUR OFFERING, SO PLEASED THAT I MAY JUST EAT IT, INSTEAD OF EATING YOU!" Luna's statue exploded into a million pieces with her new form standing on its hind legs, barring her fangs, growling and with her wings flared. I had not a second to admire her different form as the children screamed and ran away as the older ponies laughed at the little ones' fear.

I took my cue as Nightmare Moon turned around and gave me a wink while the others were distracted. Pushing aside the tree with my clawed hand, I sprinted behind the base of the statue and crouched, waiting for the group to return. "Princess Luna, you were perfect again!" Pip said to Luna.

"Yeah, I know it's all in good fun, but it's still pretty scary," Sweetie Belle agreed, standing close to her coltfriend as I peered around the corner. "Aren't you going to eat your candy Princess?" She questioned.

"Oh yes," Luna returned to her original form, "just, let me gather it all up," she tapped the statue with her hoof.

Screeeeech

"What the hay was that?" AJ asked while the four claws on my right hand scraped across the back of the base and a few sparks flew off the concrete and onto the ground. Getting into the character, I jumped up onto the back of the statue while Luna used her magic to lower the lighting. I'm not sure if they realized it was me at first (they should have since nothing else here looked liked me) or if they were too surprised and scared to notice. Standing as tall as I could, I extend my four claws and spoke.

"How sweet, rainbow meat," I cackled like Freddy Krueger.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" The children screamed and turned to run as well as a few of the older ponies. Luna zapped me with her magic again, transporting me in front of the ponies that were trying to run away.

"I've heard my children have been naughty," I scraped my claws together and grinned, showing off the bloody fangs inside my mouth. "And I'm here to punish the naughty children!" I announced, grabbing Applebloom with my non-clawed hand by her mane and hoisting her up in front of me. Her little legs flailed around in the air, trying to run away. Bringing her closer to my face, my glassy, pale eyes peered into her orange ones that were about the size of peas from her frightened state. My mouth opened up and my upper lip curled to show off more of my grotesque teeth.

"Lemme go!" Applebloom still squirmed and struggled within my grasp.

"Happy Nightmare Night Bloom," my claws took off the brown hat atop my head for a big reveal. Moving her down to my chest, I moved my hand to her little vacuum on her back and held her close for a hug.

"COUGAR!" She screamed at me and hit my chest a few times with her hooves. "Ya scared the apples outta me!" she shrieked.

"Out of all of us to be honest," Scootaloo was visibly shaking. Most everyone stood in pairs or groups of three, but they were still shaking from the shock and surprise of my addition to Luna's Nightmare Moon stunt.

"Sorry guys, I just wanted to have a hand in making Nightmare Night a little scary," I apologized, putting my brown hat back on my head. Luna and Checkered Flag stood next to me with smiles on their faces from my stunt. Applebloom stopped hitting my chest and finally returned the hug, looking up at me with her orange eyes.

"That was pretty fun Cougar, ya make a good horror monster or whatever," she nuzzled my chest before hopping down and rejoining Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle in their Ghostbuster costumes. "What are ya by the way?" She questioned.

"I'm Freddy Krueger, a horror movie villain that kills kids in their dreams," I explained to the absolute fear and horror of the ponies in front of me. "Kinda makes Nightmare Moon look like Fluttershy huh?" I asked.

"Hey," Fluttershy said meekly.

"Your skin is, quite, icky Cougar," Rarity held her mouth with her hoof.

"Well, Krueger was burned alive by angry parents, but that's besides the point Rarity," I actually looked at everypony's costumes for once instead of trying to frighten them. My six friends, the Crusaders and Spike all stood in sort of a semi circle in front of me as the other children stood off to the side. "Woah guys, nice choices!" I complimented.

"Why thank you Cougar," Rarity touched up her mane which was now blonde. She also had on a familiar white dress that showed off her curves pretty well that any stallion would be a fool to not take a quick peek. "I thought that Marilyn Monroe was the perfect choice for me. She seemed to be quite beautiful to the men in one of your movies and I couldn't pass up the opportunity," she bragged, popping a few poses.

"I'm glad you didn't either," Spike's eyes never blinked as they followed Rarity's every move. Twilight smacked him upside his head to teach him not to ogle mares. I did a double-take once I glanced at the dragon and alicorn. Twilight's mane was dyed a silvery white and frazzled up with different hairs sticking up in every direction and a white lab coat adorned her torso with obvious holes for her wings, looking like a spitting image of Doc Brown. She even had the injury on her forehead right below her hairline. Spike on the other hand was wearing jeans, a black and white button up shirt, a jean jacket and a red vest to look like Marty McFly.

"Woah, I didn't expect you guys to like Back to the Future," I said to the duo.

"Oh please, Doc Brown was a scientist Cougar," Twilight waved her hoof, "and although he was a tad eccentric and the science wasn't accurate, he was also brilliant and caring for his friend, so how could I not go as him?" She asked rhetorically.

"We also wanted to do a mother/son group costume, so that's why I chose Marty," Spike explained, "that and he's a pretty cool underdog, like me," he crossed his arms over his vest.

"Princess Leia, Fluttershy? I kind of expected you to go as a flower or an animal," I asked her.

"Well, at first I was going to go as a breezie, but after watching a few scenes from Star Wars, I think, I loved how fearless and independent Princess Leia was and how she cared for her cause and wasn't afraid of oppression from anypony else," she said. Her mane was styled just like Princess Leia's buns from A New Hope and she also had on the long white robe that she wore throughout the film. "And Rarity did excellent work on my mane," Fluttershy added, prompting Rarity to nod in pride.

"Just so you don't have to ask," Rainbow Dash floated into the air, "I thought you'd enjoy seeing an action explorer," she produced a whip from her side and grabbed some candy from the pile in front of the statue, whipping it back into her bag.

"Nice, I expected you to like Indiana Jones Rainbow. What with how similar he is to Daring Do," I grinned.

"Similar? More like an exact ripoff!" Rainbow glowered, "sure Indiana Jones is pretty cool, but it's clear whoever made the movie didn't have to work very hard on the character," she rolled her eyes.

"I doubt George Lucas has ever heard of Daring Do Rainbow," I muttered and wanted to see who AJ was going as when a pink hoof slapped my face, causing me to stumble backwards. "Hey, Pinkie, what was that for!?" I demanded.

"That's for scaring us like that you chowderhead!" She shook her hoof in my face, "I've got half a mind to bop you with a hammer," she added. The only thing she had on was a different mane style, she was pretty much Pinkie as she wore nothing over her torso.

"Moe? You chose Moe, really?" I asked.

"Yeah!" Her mane poofed back into its normal state, "I saw a few episodes of the Three Stooges and they were so funny!" She danced around, "I mean Moe had to hit Larry and Curly for every dumb thing they did! It was like, bop, smack, 'Move it knucklehead,' 'Why I oughta!' And I thought since Moe was their leader, I could do the same thing and slap you guys for pointing out the obvious or doing something stupid!" Her mane poofed back to Moe's hairstyle. I'm not going to question how the hell she was able to do that; she's Pinkie, that's it.

"What do ya think 'o my costume Cougar?" AJ's country voice asked me. Turning away from Pinkie, I froze in my spot, taking in AJ's costume. The only way I could even tell it was still AJ was her orange fur and her accent; she looked different other than that. Her mane wasn't the tied up pony tail with the curl up front, instead it was all curled and bouncy. She also had on red lipstick and she was wearing a black suit jacket, a white blouse and a black skirt. "Ah thought you'd enjoy seein' Charlie from yer favorite movie," she winked her green eye at me.

I'm sure I looked like an idiot just standing there, just staring at Applejack and not speaking a word. But how could I; she was so beautiful in that outfit, and the fact that Kelly McGillis was already attractive in that outfit didn't help how I felt. "You look exactly like her AJ," I complimented, "if she were orange, standing on four legs and four feet tall," I joked, lightly brushing my hand on her shoulder.

"Hehe, Ah'm glad ya like it Cougar," she put her hoof in my hand. "Ah like yer costume too, pretty scary 'n, authentic," she grimaced at my burnt flesh. "Are ya ready ta get some candy?" she snapped me out of my trance from looking into her eyes.

"Y-yeah, of course!" I exclaimed, releasing her hoof from my hand.

"Well then, just stick with me," she bumped her shoulder into my leg, "'n we'll take ya ta the best houses ta get candy, then we can play some games like bobbin' fer some Sweet Apple Acres apples," she listed off the activities for the night, not moving away from me.

"Sounds like fun AJ, who's ready for some candy!?" I asked the group, getting back into my normal mood. A pink hoof slapped me again, causing me to rub my arm in pain.

"What kind of stupid question is that you lunkhead? It's candy, everypony is always anxious to get some candy," Pinkie Moe asked me and trotted away with her bag.

---

(Trick or Treating. Cougar's POV)

We had been trick or treating for about 45 minutes now, and our bags were almost full, but there were two houses in particular we had yet to visit. Pinkie wanted to save these two for last because she claimed they gave out the best candy. "Remember Cougar," Twilight cocked her head to me after we knocked on the door of a house, "the chant is: Nightmare Night, what a fright, give me something sweet to bite," she reminded me, "you don't have to say it, but it would be nice to get into the spirit a little bit more."

"Can I just say the chant I grew up with?" I replied. Before anyone could ask, I just repeated it for them. "Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something sweet to eat," I recited. Everyone awkwardly looked away from me, apparently embarrassed that they had to hear that.

"Smell your feet? How abhorrent Cougar," Rarity sneered, "what does smelling feet have to do with receiving candy? You humans are such strange creatures," she muttered. Sweetie Belle shushed her older sister as the door opened.

"Nightmare Night, what a fright, give us something sweet to bite!" Everypony, myself, Luna and Checkered Flag included, chanted to Bon Bon.

"Hey guys!" Bon Bon greeted, "woah, sweet costumes!" She looked over everyone in the group.

"Thank you, I made them all myself," Rarity bragged.

"And, what are you three supposed to be?" Bon Bon asked the Crusaders suspiciously, "you look like janitor ponies," she giggled. The trio raised their 'Twittermite Vacuums' as Applebloom put them and aimed them at Bon Bon's pile of candy in her forelegs.

"Cutie Mark Crusader Ghostbusters!" They declared, switching on their vacuums and sucking in the entire pile of candy.

"HEY! One piece per pony," Bon Bon growled, "do you know how long it takes to make this candy?" She asked, holding out her hoof for the majority of her candy back. AJ and Rarity glared at their sisters, their expressions were more than enough to tell them to fork over the candy. Rainbow Dash however, just snickered and moved her Indiana Jones fedora back over her head.

Doing as they were told, the Crusaders spat the candy back into Bon Bon's arms whom then proceeded to hand the candy back out to all of us. "Thank you," she told the three fillies. "And, who or what are you supposed to be Cougar?" she asked me.

"Human equivalent to Nightmare Moon," I quickly replied, not feeling like explaining the whole A Nightmare on Elm Street again.

"Interesting, and nice to see you Princess Luna," the candy making mare bowed to the blue alicorn. Luna bowed back, graciously accepting the piece of candy from Bon Bon. "And, Checkered Flag! I'm a fan sir, you're the best racer ever! Here, take all the candy you want," she dumped half of her load into Checkered's bag.

"You're too kind Bon Bon, but thanks for the candy," the polite stallion thanked.

"Are you supposed to be Luna's night sky?" Bon Bon asked. Checkered replied with a nod as Luna's wing wrapped around his torso. "Oh my Celestia, that's so sweet!" the mare gushed before a voice behind us shouted.

"Hey, move it or lose it! We want candy too!" A pony dressed as a tennis player demanded. Putting her bag down, Pinkie Pie trotted over, picked up a rock and bonked the stallion's head with it. "What's the big idea?!" He asked, rubbing his head in pain.

"Don't you know you're talking to ladies, an Earth Pony racing champion and especially Princess Luna?" Pinkie Moe asked, "where's your respect and manners smart guy? Get outta here before I really lose my temper," she kicked the stallion in the butt, prompting him to run away. Applejack tapped my arm, wanting to get my attention.

"Do ya think she's gettin' a little carried away with this costume Cougar?" AJ asked me worriedly.

"Maybe, or this is the funniest thing you'll ever see in your life," I clicked my tongue, nudging her with my elbow. Pinkie Pie trotted back to us, grabbed her bag and took the head point of the group. The next stop on our trick or treating tour was Sugar Cube Corner, or the Cake's house which was above the cafe anyways. Twilight took the liberty to knock on the door for us as everyone opened their bags.

"Are you sure they're not asleep from having a business to run and twins to take care of?" I asked Applejack.

"Ya'd think, but fer Nightmare Night, they love ta stay up 'n hand out candy ta friends 'n kids," she explained. I nodded in understanding just as the door opened up and the familiar jingling of the store bell rang over our heads, or in front of my face. We all recited the chant and received not candy, but cookies, muffins, doughnuts and cupcakes wrapped in cellophane to keep the frosting on the sweets.

"Oh my, Princess Luna, such an honor to have you at our store," Carrot Cake started to bow before Luna stopped him.

"I can see all of you put in a lot of effort for your costumes, especially you Cougar, I almost thought you were actually burned for a moment," Cup Cake's hoof traced over my non-clawed hand.

"You can thank Luna for that Cup Cake," I replied, laughing as her hoof tickled my hand a bit, "she actually turned me into my costume, I didn't put this on," I said as her hoof let my hand and dropped an extra cookie in my palm. I thanked the pony and dropped the cookie into my bag as she in turn dropped sweets into the other's bags.

"Pinkie Pie, don't worry about coming in tomorrow," Carrot Cake said as he dropped in extra goodies for the mare, "I know how much you love to binge sweets tonight, so you can just rest tomorrow," he smiled at his best helper.

"Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Cake, just leave me lots of play time for the twins tomorrow after work!" She exclaimed. A few ponies trotted by, drawn to the music from the string quartet that had gotten over their flu from last month, and the games that AJ told me about earlier.

"We've got enough candy here to feed an Army for three months," I scanned the contents of my bag and everyone else's. Rainbow Dash reached into her bag and pulled out a hoof-full of candy, shoveling it into her mouth.

"Yeah, the ponies around here know how to give out candy," Rainbow Dash munched on some chocolate. "And cookies," she added, tossing a chocolate chip one into the air and catching it in her mouth. "Hey squirt! Outta my bag!" Rainbow yanked her candy away from Scootaloo's vacuum as she attempted to steal her elder sister's candy. Blushing that she had gotten caught, the orange pegasus innocently whistled and backed away with her vacuum behind her back.

"Ooh, this way!" Rumble pointed his hoof at a house near the end of the street, "Button's mom loves to give out candy!" He exclaimed.

"Especially with how much Button stashes near his NeighStation," Featherweight agreed. "I think his mom uses Nightmare Night as a way to ditch his load of candy," the pegasus pondered.

"Makes sense ta me Featherweight," Applebloom trotted closer to her coltfriend. "Not that Ah mind that he smells like peanut butter cups in class," she giggled. I had to admit that sitting next to someone that smelled like peanut butter cups sounded awesome at first, but then after a week or two the smell would be ruined for me forever.

"Sorry AJ," I apologized after accidentally bumping my arm into her side.

"No problem Cougar, just lost track 'o where Ah was headin'," she responded almost instantly. Thinking nothing of it, I followed the rest of the group up to the final house on our list. The six little colts and fillies raced to the front of our pack and ferociously pounded on the door of our final house.

"Yes?" Ms. Mash opened the door for us. Behind her, I could see the faint glow and hear the sounds of somepony playing a video game system. The presence of such technology here perplexed me when the ponies' most complex form of public transport was a steam train. "Oh, you're Button's classmates!" The mother exclaimed happily, "good to see you! Button, get out here and say hello to your friends before we leave for the festival!" She shouted into the house.

"What?" Button replied, "we don't have a dog to feed mom!" he shouted. Ms. Mash slapped herself with her hoof and excused herself back inside the house. We all waited outside as we could hear the sound of a TV shutting off and some mildly raised voices. "Hey guys," the door opened wide to reveal Button Mash standing in front of his mother.

"Hey bro," Rumble greeted, "how goes defeating the zombie apocalypse?" He asked.

"I have a traitor in my presence," Button whispered, only to get slapped on the back of his head from his mom. "Anyways, sweet costumes guys! Where'd you get them?" He asked us.

"My big sister made them for us because she's sooooo generous!" Sweetie Belle hugged Rarity's leg, sucking up to her. I couldn't help but smile as Rarity cooed and hugged Sweetie Belle in return for the compliment. I knew Rarity loved her little sister, but I wish she could've shown it a bit more than she did.

"What are you guys supposed to be?" Button asked the Crusaders, "pest control, janitors?" He pondered.

"Cutie Mark Crusader Ghostbusters!" All three declared, turning on their vacuums and pointed them at Button Mash. Scootaloo's vacuum sucked up his green propellor hat, causing the brown pony to freak. The orange pegasus quickly hit reverse on her vacuum and spat the hat onto Button's face.

"I agree," Ms. Mash ignored what happened to her son, "those are some very well done costumes Rarity, and Princess Luna, what are you doing here?" She asked in astonishment .

"Just accompanying my favorite group of friends on our quest for candy," Luna replied with a warming smile. "You have a wonderful son Ms. Mash, I have had to protect him from nightmares before, but he is a loving colt with a bright future ahead of him," she winked at the Earth Pony.

"Why thank you Princess, I try my best," Ms. Mash bowed her head to Luna. As she turned around to give all of us candy, she noticed Checkered Flag standing behind Luna. "Oh, what a very authentic Checkered Flag costume," she commented, "he's my favorite racer too," she gave extra candy to Checkered.

"But, I am Checkered Flag ma'am," the light grey stallion corrected her.

"Of course you are," Ms. Mash giggled, "I love the dedication you have, especially the night sky outfit. You know, if you ever want to grab a cup of coffee or attend one of his races, I'm always available," she winked at the stallion. All of us held back our tongues as Checkered blushed and looked away from the mare in front of him. Instead of looking angry or threatening to behead Ms. Mash, Luna giggled and patted Checkered's shoulder.

"Come on Mom, I wanna go hang out with my friends!" Button pulled lightly on his mother's hair.

"Okay Button, just let Mommy lock up, and make sure you turn off your NeighStation," she rubbed the top of his head.

"Checkered, you're so adorable when you're confused and frustrated," Luna nuzzled his cheek to calm him down.

"Oh yeah, now we can PARTY!" Pinkie danced around with her sack of candy. As Button Mash and his mom joined us, our large group made its way over near town hall where the string quartet was playing a lively song, ponies were dancing and eating the goodies they had received and drinking punch that a purple mare with berries on her flank was serving.

"I bet I can beat you at the spider toss!" Scootaloo said to Rumble.

"Gimmie a break Scoots, you can't beat the master!" Her coltfriend replied, trotting ahead of her. Luna escorted Checkered over to the pumpkin catapult and coaxed him into giving it a try. Sweetie Belle and Rarity literally dragged Pip and Spike over to the stage where they danced merrily and drank punch together. Applebloom and Featherweight sat down at a table to talk and eat candy together, which looked adorable to me. Rainbow Dash rubbed her hooves together and flew up to the nighttime clouds, lassoing a few together and zapped ponies on the ass with lightning. Button Mash trotted away to play one of the arcade games set up at the festival while his mom went to converse with Derpy. Twilight spotted Cheerilee and trotted away for reasons still unknown to me. Probably to talk about lending her some new reading material for her class.

Pinkie Pie dragged Fluttershy over to a horror house which the Princess Leia dressed pegasus dug her hooves into the ground, refusing to go in while Pinkie was practically talking to herself. This domino effect left only AJ and myself standing alone together in the middle of the festival. We awkwardly stood next to each other as the laughter, screams and music flowed over us. "So, how long are ya able ta last like that?" Applejack referred to my costume.

"Luna says it'll disappear once I say a special phrase," I replied.

"'N what would that be?" She asked me curiously.

"She, actually didn't tell me, though I'm sure she'll remember at some point," I scratched my burnt chin with one of my claws. "Or maybe it'll wear off once Nightmare Night is over," I pondered.

"Any games ya wanna try out? Maybe bobbin' fer apples, or maybe the spider toss? That one's loads 'o fun," she offered. Scanning my eyes over both games, I didn't find anything that really grabbed my attention to go play. Sure it all looked like fun, but I just didn't have the spirit in me to play anything, but talking with Applejack was going along just fine.

"Sorry AJ, but I'm just not feeling it," I apologized.

"Aw, well that's okay Sugarcube. Normally Ah run the apple bobbin', but Big Mac volunteered ta run it after he's done givin' cart rides ta the little ones, so Ah've got nothin' else goin' on too," she responded. Casting my gaze over to the edge of town, I saw a tiny hill with a lone tree atop the crest. Luna's moon was high in the sky, but the hill offered front row seats to watch it move across the sky with Luna's help.

"You wanna go watch the moon and talk AJ?" I offered, "maybe split a beer while we're at it?" I added. The orange mare's eyes darted over to where my hand was pointing at the hill. She squinted her eyes to get a better view before a smile appeared on her muzzle.

"That sounds great Cougar," she replied and wrapped one of her forelegs around my waist, "Ah've got a cooler full 'o cider near the apple bobbin' game. 'N don't worry, we got a lock on the cooler," she eased my worry that colts and fillies would get into it. "Ah'll meet ya there how 'bout?" She asked. I nodded in compliance and hoisted my bag of candy onto her back which she offered to carry and set off for the small hill on the outskirts of town.

"I'll be waiting for you AJ," I called back as she was still trotting away. I sighed as I walked along an old dirt path that lead me up to the hill, kicking a few rocks out of the way while the silvery light of the moon lighted the way. "For me to tell you I love you," I added as I sat down with my arms folded across my knees and my back leaned against the trunk of the tree. A soft glow radiated from my body as my Freddy Krueger disguise vanished without a trace. I looked up to see Luna waving at me from a cloud and winking at me. I waved back to the alicorn before she floated back to the festival, just as the sound of a pop top broke into the silence of the night and Applejack sat down next to me.

End Chapter 29.

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I hope you guys enjoyed Nightmare Night. And thank you to everyone that voted to have Cougar go as Freddy Krueger for Nightmare Night. Join us next time for, drumroll please, COUGAR'S 24th BIRTHDAY!

For the fans wanting to see the confession. It's only two chapters away, and I promise you that it will be the best damn chapter of the story!