The time read eight-o-clock and the sun had set long ago blanketing the entire town in a layer of darkness which caused much joy and giddiness amongst various young ponies.  Thunderlane and the gang were currently situated outside Scribes house looking rather impatient.  Colgate was dressed as a mad doctor, Vinyl wore zombie make up and rigged up one of her records to look like it was going through her head.  Flitter and Cloudchaser were dressed as twin nurses who had on a LOT of make-up.

Thunderlane was dressed as skeleton as he knocked on Scribes door for the sixth time, “Come on Scribe, you’ve been in there for HOURS!”

The door opened to reveal Scribe dressed in a tattered black dress clothes with an equally tattered top hat on.  He had a black wig on that gave the illusion that his mane was longer and unkempt and it obscured his face slightly.  He had also painted his coat a mossy green and put black circles around his eyes and had a fake shovel on his back along with a lantern that was shaped like a skull attached to his flank.

All of his friends stared wide eyed as Scribe raised an eyebrow, “What?”

Flitter looked him up and down, “Who ARE you?”

Scribe smiled in satisfaction, “I’m The Gravedigger.”

All of his friends were silent as Scribe rolled his eyes, “It’s from a book I read.”

They all nodded in understanding and proceeded through town.  All of the ponies were up and about enjoying the festivities.  Scribe glanced around at the various ponies having their fun and smiled.  Canterda had Nightmare Night before, but he never really attended due to…reasons.  He stopped at the bobbing apples booth and witnessed a pony drop into the tub out of clumsiness.  He shared a laugh with the other ponies as the pony in question exited the tub and walked off.  Thunderlane nudged him as they glanced upwards and saw Rainbow Dash dressed as a ninja leaping from rooftop to rooftop and pouncing on unsuspecting ponies.

Scribe stopped walking when he noticed the sky darkened for a moment and then a fierce wind kicked up, “What’s happening?”

His friends smiled as a voice was heard behind him, “Salutations Cryptic Scribe.”

Scribe leapt two feet in the air and yelled in surprise and turned around to reveal Princess Luna, “Please don’t do that.”

Luna chuckled, “Apologies, I forgot you are new to the town.”

Scribe raised a hoof, “It’s cool.”

Flitter smiled as she approached the princess, “Good evening Princess.”

Luna looked at the sky, “Yes, it Is a good evening isn’t it?”

Colgate nodded, “One of your best.”

Luna waved a hoof, “Nonsense.”

Scribe looked at the princess, “So how’s things?”

Luna rolled her eyes, “Atrocious, me and my sister are buried in a preverbal mountain of paperwork.”

Scribe looked to the side, “I know how that feels.”

Flitter was staring at the far side of town, “Hey.”

Cloudchaser looked at her sister, “What’s up?”

Flitter pointed, “Who’s that?”

Standing at the far end of town was a pony cloaked in a black hooded…cloak.  The pony was glancing around and seemed to be taking in his surroundings with medical precision.  What freaked the ponies of the town out more than his sudden appearance was the fact he seemed to literally appear out of thin air.  Luna tilted her head slightly as an ominous wind blew the pony’s hood off to reveal a dark purple stallion with a rose red mane that had a white streak in it.  He had calm gold eyes which fixed on the ponies staring at him.  Scribe and Luna smiled at the pony’s face who also returned the smiles.

The pony approached the group as Scribe bid him hello, “Nocturne, I didn’t know you were in town.”

Nocturne tilted his head and spoke with a faint English accent that could only come from Trottingham and its other countries, “Nor I you.”

Luna approached the stallion who bowed in respect, “Ah, Princess Luna. It is an honour to see you again.”

Vinyl was really confused, “uh, who is this?”

Scribe realizing his mistake grinned as he walked next to Nocturne who was a few inches taller than the Pegasus, “Everypony this is Nocturne Sable, an old acutance of mine that I met when I stayed in Trotronto for a few months.”

Thunderlane walked to the stallion who removed his cloak revealing he had a silver cross as his cutie mark, “Hey, names Thunderlane.”

Nocturne smiled as he shook the Pegasus hoof, “Charmed.”

Scribe was ecstatic, “I’m so glad you’re here! What happened, you never wrote me.”

Nocturne nodded apologetically, “Sorry, I have been busy with certain matters.”

Scribe nodded, “I understand. Nocturne I’d like you to meet my friends,” he then pointed in turn with each pony, “You’ve just met Thunderlane. That’s Vinyl Scratch, Flitter, Cloudchaser, and Colgate.”

Nocturne nervously smiled, “It’s nice to meet you all.”

Vinyl approached Nocturne, “Same here dude, anypony whose friends with Scribe is cool in my book.”

Pinkie Pie was behind Nocturne who slowly turned to stare at the pink mare, “Greetings…strange one.”

Pinkie Pie looked to the side then back at Nocturne.  She then screamed and ran off.  All the ponies were immensely confused as Nocturne quickly put his cloak back on and put the hood up.  

Flitter looked after Pinkie Pie, “Sorry…she does that.”

Nocturne shook his head, “It’s understandable. I sometimes have that effect on ponies.”

Thunderlane tilted his head, “Why have you come to Ponyville anyway?”

Nocturne sighed as they all looked at him, “In truth, I have come here to…retire in a way.”

Colgate was confused at this, “What do you mean retire; you look like you’re in your prime.”

Nocturne started walking, “Well that’s just it, I am in my prime.  It’s just that I am SO very tired of everything.”

Luna and Scribe nodded in understanding while the rest of the group didn’t understand.  Soon they all came to Ponyville Park as Nocturne sat down and sighed once more as he stared into the pond.

Thunderlane whispered to Scribe, “Why’s he so down?”

Scribe gestured to the water as all the ponies followed his gesture and what they saw made them all become pale.  Nocturne’s cloak could be seen in the water, except Nocturne’s reflection was nowhere to be seen.  Thunderlane rubbed his eyes and looked again with a squinted look only to yelp in surprise and fall backwards.  Luna merely glanced at them and approached the stallion that stood.

Luna stared at the group, “Yes, Nocturne is not a normal pony.  He is one of the last of his kind.”

Nocturne looked at Luna, “I think I may be able to make the point better.”

Nocturne took a step forward as his eyes became blood red and his pupils became slits, “I am a vampony.”

Scribe smiled with a slight smugness, “He showed me around Trotronto and gave me inspiration to write some books.”

All of Scribe’s friends were slightly nervous as Vinyl pointed at Nocturne, “Does that mean you drink-“

Nocturne waved the comment off as his eyes snapped back to normal, “Rarely, I drink a substitute composed of herbs and specific food juices.”

All the ponies exhaled in relief and caught themselves when Nocturne raised an eyebrow, “Hmm.”

Colgate chuckled, “We mean no offence.”

Nocturne dismissed it, “Your relief is understandable.”

Scribe got an idea, “Hey since you’re here, why don’t you join in the celebration.”

Nocturne nervously paced, “Well…I wouldn’t want to be a burden.”

Scribe and Luna grabbed him, “Nonsense.”

Nocturne was slightly nervous and a little agitated, “There is no objection to this scenario is there?”

Both Luna and Scribe nodded and said in unison, “Yep.”

Nocturne slumped as he was dragged toward town.

*

After that, Nocturne himself was very reluctant at first to partake in any activity.  He mostly avoided Pinkie Pie who seemed to make it her personal duty to spy on him.  Scribe and his friends however would not be deterred from letting him enjoy himself.  They first brought him to a blindfold race through a haunted hedge maze which he saw no interest in.  He was none the less blindfolded and thrust into the throng of the maze as he weaved through it.  He evidently came out second, but Scribe and friends applauded his effort which caused the vampony to smile slightly.  Next was the spider toss which Luna personally took him to.  It took Nocturne several tries before he got the spider in the center; he raised an eyebrow as ponies applauded his game.  Nocturne looked from side to side and nervously smiled.

After more games and events he finally sat down with Scribe and smiled, “That was…fun.”

Scribe nudged him, “See I told you.”

Nocturne raised an eyebrow, “No you didn’t.”

Scribe smiled, “I was thinking it.”

All the ponies laughed.  Flitter however looked at Luna, “How do you know him anyway?”

Luna looked to the stars in memory, “It was before my banishment.  We met one night under the full moon.”

Nocturne smiled, “Out of everypony in the kingdom, I was most grateful for the nights she brought.  I told her as such, she was grateful for my love of her craft.”

Luna nodded, “I even offered him a position as one of my honor guard.”

Nocturne turned his head, “I declined of course due to certain…reasons.”

As they swapped tales Pinkie emerged from a nearby bush which caused Nocturne to snort as he approached her.

Nocturne spoke in slight agitation, “Now, I am a very patient stallion.  But your consistent spying is beginning to grate on my nerves.”

Pinkie pointed at Nocturne, “I KNOW what you are.  And I won’t let you hurt anypony.”

Nocturne lowered his voice as nearby ponies turned their attentions to the two, “Listen, I have no intention of doing that.  I only wish to live peacefully and without being treated as an outcast.”

Pinkie was slightly confused, “But isn’t that what monsters do? Scare others?”

Nocturne got really close, “I. Am. Not. A. Monster.”

Pinkie and he began to banter back and forth as Vinyl looked at Scribe, “Why’s he so testy when he’s called a monster?”

Scribe sighed, “He wants to be seen as more than a monster.  Nocturne as you all saw isn’t really good at being in public, for years he’s been treated as a monster and an outcast by ponies because of what he is.”

Nocturne jabbed a hoof at Pinkie as she began to back up and he raised his voice unintentionally, “This is your last chance, leave me alone or else.”

A collective gasp emitted itself amongst the ponies.  Nocturne looked at them all and saw they were all staring at him; he turned his head and noticed he was standing in front of a large funhouse mirror.  Everypony saw a warped Pinkie Pie, but no reflection of the strange pony.  This coupled with the threat that was uttered caused a chorus of screams to rise from the crowd.  Nocturne looked around in panic.

One pony pointed and yelled, “IT’S A MONSTER RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!”

Nocturne stood there as everypony continued shouting in fear, his left eye twitched as he looked at the pink pony and saw red, “YOU!”

Pinkie bolted indoors and placed several cloves of garlic on the house.

Another pony pointed, “The monster is going to attack Pinkie Pie!”

Scribe came to Nocturne’s defence, “Wait! Stop!”

Nocturne smiled angrily, “FINE! YOU WANT ME TO BE A MONSTER,” Nocturne’s coat then became an unnatural white as his eyes transformed to his silted ones and a pair of bat wings unfurled followed by a pair of fangs growing in his mouth, “I’M A MONSTER!”

Nocturne yelled in anger as a massive swarm of bats erupted from behind him and swept through the town.  He looked at several ponies and spoke in a demanding tone, “Be. Silent!”

His irises flashed red as the ponies seemed to be transfixed then they obeyed.  He looked at a nearby booth and turned into mist and solidified atop it and roared unnaturally which caused all ponies to be silent and stare at the creature as the bat swarm circled him.

Nocturne glared at all of them and spoke in an unnaturally deep voice, “I only wished to live among you in peace, but it seems that I am denied that privilege.  So be it then.”

Nocturne was enveloped by the swarm and soon vanished.

Scribe shook his head as he and his friends ran out of town to look for the vampony.  Luna however was not amused.  She glared at all the ponies that transited from fear to shame as Luna began to berate them.

Luna walked to the center of town, “You should all be ashamed of yourselves! That pony only wished to live among you as an equal, not as the thing you merely perceived him to be.  The reason he did what he did was because of all of YOU, not because of his nature.”

Luna then turned to leave and assist in the search, “You of all ponies should know not to judge a pony by appearances.”

When the princess flew off all the ponies looked at the ground ashamed of themselves and their actions.

*

Nocturne sat under a weeping willow when he was found, his wings lay limp and he was saddened.  A bat on a branch screeched at the approach of intruders.

Nocturne looked up to see Scribe, Luna, and the group, “Leave me be.”

Scribe approached, “You were doing so well, and why did you go and lose your temper?”

Nocturne’s wings flared as he stood up in anger, “WHY!? Because of everything!”

Luna and the group looked at the vampony with sympathy not hearing the approach of others.

Nocturne continued, “It’s just because of being me.  Ponies take one look at me and go, “AH! Run a big stupid monster!”,” his wings drooped as he looked at the ground in sadness, “They judge me before they even know me.”

Somepony clearing their throat was heard which caused him to look up to see Pinkie Pie who hugged him   Nocturne’s wings flared in surprise as he changed back to normal.

Pinkie stopped hugging him and stared at the vampony whom noticed all of Ponyville was there, “I’m sorry about the way I acted everypony.”

Pinkie shook her head, “No it was my fault.  I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions the way I did.”

Nocturne nodded, “No you shouldn’t have.  But I accept your apology pink one.”

Pinkie pie corrected him, “PINKIE pie.”

Nocturne smiled, “Right.”

Mayor mare approached the vampony, “during the time you participated in the events, the princess informed me that you were looking to settle down here.  Is there any place in mind you wish to buy?”

Nocturne scratched his chin, “Well…”

*

Scribe, his friends, and Luna all stared at the large black three story mansion that stood before them.  From its gothic look it gave off a massive haunted house feel.  Nocturne looked at it with a smile as he glanced at the Everfree forest trees which provided the property line.  A pack of timber wolves that were nearby slinked away at Nocturne’s approach as he opened the door to his new home.

Nocturne turned to his friends, “Thank you all very much.”

Vinyl smiled, “No problem.”

Flitter and Cloudchaser spoke in unison, “Yeah.”

Scribe looked at his new friend, “SO what are you going to do now?”

Nocturne looked inside, “Clean up a bit, maybe do some renovations.”

Nocturne smiled, “I’ll be seeing you all VERY soon.”

The ominous tone caused everypony to stand in silence only for Nocturne to laugh as everypony joined in.

Nocturne cut them off, “But seriously I am prone to feed in my sleep so lock your windows.”

Everypony was silent as Nocturne gave a good natured smile and retreated inside.  Luna however giggled at the silence which caused the rest of the group to laugh anew.  Later that night, Scribe sat down at his type writer and began a chapter on his experience that day.