Nightmare Night is drawing near and Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo couldn’t be more excited. The same can be said for any other little filly. They all look forward to the night when they can dress up as creepy ghouls or creatures going door to door to receive treats. However, they’re stuck in their desks at the schoolhouse. It could be worse, they could have an assignment to have their heads buried in, but since it’s a Friday Miss Cheerilee decides to go easy on them for the day. They merely have a simple worksheet to fill out based on the short fable they had just read in class. The sweet sound of the school bell pierces the silence of the classroom sending all the students jumping out of their seats and galloping out of the room. “Have a good evening class!” Shouts Miss Cheerilee as her students leave her classroom.

“Hey girls want to meet up at the clubhouse?” Scootaloo asks as she and her friends trot through the schoolyard.

“Why sher!” Applebloom says excitedly. They continue to trot down the walkway toward the exit of the white wooden fence surrounding the schoolyard. Just as they are about to leave out from the bushes two ghouls jump out and surprise them. They jolt and scream, but the ghouls suddenly start laughing. Very quickly they realize that they weren’t at all ghouls, just two bullies picking on them. “Can’t you two find somethin’ else ta do besides botherin’ us?” Applebloom asks frustrated.

“Yeah Diamond Tiara, can’t you and Silverspoon just leave us alone?” Asks Sweetie Belle.

“Why would we? That was just too rich!” The two bullies remove their masks to reveal their innocent faces with their smug smiles, but Applebloom and her friends find their faces anything but innocent. They’re always up to no good bullying the three of them endlessly it seems. No matter what they do or what they say Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon will not stop their little games.

“You two are just too easy to scare!” Silver Spoon adds.

“You should call yourselves the Cutie Mark Fraidy Cats!” Diamond Tiara mocks.

“We are ‘not’ Fraidy Cats!” Scootaloo argues.

“Face it, you three are so easy to scare!”

“Well we’re braver than you two!”

“Oh really? Then why don’t you prove it?”

“How?” They ask simultaneously. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon smile at each other deviously, worrying the three crusaders.

“If you really think you’re brave, then we dare you to spend a night in the old Abenine House?” Diamond Tiara suggests.

“Tha house’a what?” Asks Applebloom.

“You’ve never heard of the Old Abenine House?”

“No, why?”

“It’s on old abandoned house that still stands in the Everfree Forest. Legends say that the owner of the house used to be a murderer. He would lure unsuspecting ponies to his house, and chop them up into pieces!”

“. . . R-Really?”

“Of course, it’s only a legend. But, they say they can still hear the screams of ponies from the inside of the house. Some have even seen somepony through the windows staring out at them through the curtains. . . But this doesn’t scare you three does it?”

“O-Of course not!” Scootaloo protests, yet she and her friends are already trembling with fear.

“Good! Then you three should have no problem ‘surviving’ a night.”

“Come on! We dare you.” Silver Spoon taunts.

“We accept!” Scootaloo shouts.

“What?!” Applebloom and Sweetie Belle shout pulling Scootaloo away before huddling up.

“Scootaloo what are you doin’?!” Asks Applebloom.

“Are you crazy?!” Sweetie Belle adds.

“Girls we can do it!” Scootaloo claims.

“Ah’m not goin’ in there! Did ya hear what she said?”

“She’s just trying to scare us! We can’t just turn down a dare. Besides if we can make it through the night then maybe they’ll finally leave us alone?” Applebloom and Sweetie Belle ponder about Scootaloo’s idea, and eventually they all come to terms.

“Alright, Ah’ll go.” Applebloom exhales.

“Me too.” Sweetie Belle agrees.

“Alright! . . . Hey, I think I’ve got an idea!”

“Huh?”

“Just follow my lead.” The three of them return to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon who are still awaiting their answer with their smug faces. “Okay, we’ll go . . . but we dare ‘you’ to come into the house with us. Right girls?”

“Uh-Uh yeah! Unless yer chicken?” Says Applebloom.

“Us? Ha! Very well, we’ll go in, and whoever leaves the house first will be the loser.” Says Diamond Tiara.

“And considered the biggest chicken in Ponyville.” Silver Spoon adds.

“We’ll meet here during sunset, and then we’ll go out into the forest. Unless, you’re too afraid to show up?” They both chuckle as they hold their heads up high walking away.

“. . . What did we just get ourselves into?” Asks Sweetie Belle.

“Don’t worry about it girls! It’s just one night in an old house, I’m sure they’ll be running out before us.” Scootaloo assures. The three of them leave for their clubhouse where they usually discuss their club ideas or plans, but this time they only worry as they watch the outside through their window. The lower the sun gets, the higher their anxiety grows. None of them really say a word, but they already know what’s on each other’s minds. Scootaloo notices their lack of confidence, and she tries her best to keep their spirits afloat. The sun is nearing the horizon, meaning it is almost time to meet the two bullies near the schoolhouse. Scootaloo rises anxious to leave, but her friends are still glued to the wood floor. “. . . It’s almost time, are you ready?” Scootaloo asks.

“I-I don’t know.” Says Sweetie Belle worryingly.

“Come on we have to go, we already took the dare.”

“Ah’m not too sure either Scootaloo.” Says Applebloom.

“I thought you two were ready to go through with it?!”

“Well . . . w-we’re just too scared to go.”

“But that’s what they’re counting on! If we don’t go then we’ll never hear the end of it.”

“I’m sorry Scootaloo, but . . . Ah don’ think it’s worth it.”

“That’s it? You two just quit?” Neither of them answers, leaving Scootaloo to come up with her own answer. “Then . . . I’ll just go by myself.”

“What?!” Sweetie Belle exclaims.

“No way yer goin’ out into that house alone.” Says Applebloom concerned.

“Then let’s all go together!” Scootaloo tries one more attempt to boost their energy, but they are reluctant to reply. Their faces express their doubt, and fear. “. . . Whatever happened to the Crusader Code?”

“. . . A fellow crusader will always follow their sister. . .” Says Applebloom.

“. . . And will always be by her side, no matter what.” Sweetie Belle continues.

“We swore we would always follow that code. . .” Scootaloo then lowers her head in sadness.

“. . . She’s right; we can’t let her go on her own. We’re Crusaders, an’ we should stick together.” Says Applebloom rising from the floor.

“Scootaloo, if you’re really gonna go. Then count me in.” Says Sweetie Belle now standing with the group.

“Me too!” Applebloom adds confidently. “Let’s go to this house and prove Diamond Tiara wrong!”

“Yeah!” They all shout in unison.

“And what are we afraid of crusaders?!” Asks Scootaloo.

“Nothing!” They all burst out of the clubhouse towards the school, filled to the brim with strength.