“Come on, brother! You can do better than that!” My sister laughed manically as she fired another volley at me. Her aim had improved with time, and now three struck me in the chest despite my areal maneuvering. I felt ribs crack as my breath was knocked out of me and I flew backwards smashing through the wall behind me, gritting my teeth as I felt liquid trickle from the back of my head. She stepped through the rubble, sneering as I tried to get to my hooves.

“And to think you were a challenge to me so long ago! I am more powerful now than you could possibly know, and you are but an insect.” She laughed again, her blood-red eyes flashing in the dim light. Suddenly, I hear hooves step up next to me and a mare began to speak:

“Scarlet Rain! What do you think you are doing? I think your brother has had enough. Besides, it is time for dinner. I got you O negative, your favorite.” My sister jumped with joy as I struggled to stay conscious.

“Yay! I will see you at the dinner table, brother. We will continue later,” she said, eyeing me like a predator would their prey. The mare stepped in front of me, and I saw it was my mother, Scarlet Glimmer. Her eyes too shone red, but with care and love, not spite and bitterness like my father’s and sister’s.

“I’m sorry your sister treated you like that. The two of you have been training hard, and it seems every day she kills you at least once. Thank goodness that we have such good apothecaries, or you might have actually died a few times.”

“That would have been preferable,” I groaned as my mother put a foreleg around my shoulders and began to lead me to the medical wing.

“Come now, you don’t really mean that, dear. Let’s get you healed up and get you fed. I made you wheat cakes.” A small smile crept across my face as she said this. ‘Wheat cakes… my favorite.’ The smile soon died as we began to climb the stairs to the medical wing, which was on the third floor. The memory fades as I return to reality.

“What are you doing here?” I growled at my sister as I came out of my thoughts. She just smiled and said:

“Is it so wrong for me to wonder where my little brother had flown off to?” She grabbed me with her magic and put me in a head lock, giving me a noogie. “I missed you a lot you know. Living with father without you around is just unbearable.” She let me go, and I scanned her face. She seemed actually happy to see me and her voice wore no traces of deceit. This made me suspicious.

“It is a bit unnerving considering how horrible you were to me just a few months ago. Have you had a change of heart, or are you just as bitter as always?” She recoiled, surprisingly.

“Brother, I never hated you. I have always loved you. Father forced me to treat you like that. He wanted you to grow up strong, not weak. So he had me abuse you to make you stronger… then again, I think he hated us both. But nonetheless, I abused you because I loved you, not because I hated you.” She said this with all sincerity, and smiled a sisterly smile as the last words escaped her lips. I relaxed, and she jumped me.

“IT’S A TRAP!” yelled Whitewash, rather spastically. Everypony got ready for fight, but I laughed, and everypony relaxed again. My sister was wrestling with me. Here I was, wrestling on the ground with my sister just like old times. Then an annoyed voice sounded from the bar:

“Hey, are you gonna sit around and loiter, or are you gonna buy a drink?” My sister, my friends and I all looked at the owner of the voice. A rather drab looking unicorn stallion stood at the bar, with a deadpan expression. He had a grey coat and slightly darker grey mane, along with deep purple eyes. He was wearing a blue and red scarf, and had a cutie mark of a coffee cup, complete with steam lines.

“Oh, yes of course!” My sister began, replacing her mask and goggles as she stood up. “Hey, everypony! DRINKS ON ME, ALL NIGHT! LET’S PARTY!” She whipped out a coin purse and threw it over to the grey unicorn who caught it nonchalantly, but his eyes went wide as he turned it over and a good dozen Blood Rubies came tumbling out. The whole room burst out in cheers as Scarlet Rain levitated a keg out from behind the counter and began to pass around drinks. I rejoined my friends as my sister got carried around the room, and Twilight said:

“That’s your sister? You made it seem like she was the spawn of the devil.” I nodded and responded:

“Well, I guess it was just a bucked up joke from my father. She was never one to lie, but now that I think about it, she is rather obedient to father. If father told her to kill me once a day, she would do it, no matter how much she loved me as a brother. I trust her though.” Twilight looked at me sideways, but I waved her off. “Come on, we are here to party! Not sit around and loiter as that chap over there stated,” I said, nodding my head to the stallion at the counter who was currently being flooded by half-drunk ponies wishing to get drunker. I made my way over to the bar and slammed my hoof on the counter:

“Bartender! Give me a scotch! A backup scotch and a boiler scotch! That’s a shot of scotch floating in a bigger glass of scotch. Now scotch me scotchface!” The stallion just looked at me as if I was crazy while pouring four other drinks with his magic. I just chuckled in my demonic voice before continuing:

“I’m sorry. Just give me a glass of scotch.” He nodded, and poured me a glass. I sipped it as I watched my sister and Pinkie Pyro have a dance-off to the beat of a rather catchy song being put out by the DJ Vinyl Scratch. I then noticed that she was wearing a strange red duster and matching fedora. She had instead of her normal violet shades she wore ones with red, round lenses instead. She also had red trickling from her mouth, leading me to believe she was also a vampire. However, I liked her costume more than Rarity’s… Vinyl looked like a real Alucard. Suddenly, a hoof lands on my shoulder. I resist the urge to throw the pony over the bar counter and looked at who it was. ‘Ah, Miss Doo.’ She was dressed up as the famous Daring Doo, which was likely a clever pun. Next to her, was a little sheet ghost with their horn poking through a hole in the top.

“Hello, Ditzy. How are you?” She smiled and responded:

“I’m doing pretty well. I see you really went all the way with your costume.” I blushed.

“Yes… thank you. You saw my sister yes? The one who is now doing a duet with the Succubus?” She began to look at them, but I took her head and faced her back to me. “Don’t look. Whitewash placed a ‘Want it Need it’ spell on herself in an attempt to get more tail tonight.” The grey mare blushed in turn at my rather forward remark. I looked back at her daughter, Dinky.

“Why is your daughter here? Could you find nopony to watch her?” The mare shook her head and turned to the bartender, before shouting:

“Decaff! I need a drink over here! Something fruity and something spiked!” She then turned back to me. “It’s not that I couldn’t find anypony to watch her, she just didn’t want to be watched. She is a lot like me; she enjoys a good social event as much as me. Just underage. Hey! Dinky! No beer for you!” She went running after her foal as I stepped up to the dance floor, as another familiar song began to play.

“Hey everypony! Listen up cause this one’s a dozy!” The DJ began: “As it turns out, we have a surprise visitor tonight! Seeing as we had shown her such a good time last year, give a warm welcome to the Mistress of the Night herself: PRINCESS LUNA!!!” There were ‘oohs’ ‘ahhs’ as the Princess stepped onto the floor. Then she spoke up:

“MY BELOVED SUBJECTS, LET THE FUN TRULY BEGIN NOW, AS THE NIGHT IS YOUNG, AND YOUR PRINCESS IS HERE!” More cheering.

As the night progressed, more fun was had. Entire kegs of alcohol were passed around (at Scarlet Rain’s expense), more dancing was had, and at some point, even Princess Luna got tipsy. And to think that I thought there was no such thing as alcohol in this foreign world. I walked along the bar; watching as ponies laughed, while sipping on my fifth scotch. Lights strobed and blinked and swerved across the room. The room rumbled from the beats of a song as ponies danced, and some even embraced in love. As one beam of light passed across one corner of the room, I saw a single stallion sitting alone in a corner booth, sipping on his own drink. He wore a tuxedo and bowtie and had a black smoothed out wig. He also had a small Britmane flag tucked into his breast pocket. I made my way over and sat down across from him.

“Hello there, chap,” I said in a friendly manner, while startling him with my voice. “Why are you sitting here all alone while everypony else is having such a splendid time?” He just sipped his glass while looking at me in a vaguely hostile way. Then he straightened up and put on a small smile.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid we have never met. I am Doctor Hooves, or simply ‘The Doctor’. And you are…?”

“Red Storm.”

“Splendid meeting you, but if you excuse me, I would prefer to be left alone.” I frowned.

“How about this, you look like an intellectual. Ask me a set of three riddles, and if I answer true, you tell me your problem. If I fail, then I will leave you alone.” He took a moment to think about it, but then said:

“Very well. I accept your challenge. Just give me a moment to think of a good riddle…” He sat there for several moments before saying:

“I am as light as a feather, yet no living being can hold me for long… what am I?” I paused to think. That makes no sense. Seconds passed and I forgot to breathe, and as I was about to give up already when I sighed. ‘Brilliant.’

“One’s breath.” The Doctor did not flinch, nor show any sign of hesitation as he flung the next riddle at me.

“I am emeralds and diamonds, lost by the moon. I am found by the sun and picked up soon.” Another pause. This time I had no idea where to even start on this one. I sat there, thinking, and watched as the lights danced across the table. Blue and green mingled with the glass of my drink, making a rather pretty display. I sighed again. Then, something about the lights caught my eye. The green and blue lights were not reflected off of the glass itself, but the condensation of the drink. I looked The Doctor in the eyes and said:

“Dew.”

“You are better than I thought. Last one: If you break me, I will not stop working. If you can touch me, my work is done. If you lose me, you must find me with a ring soon after. What am-“

“The heart.” The Doctor went wide-eyed at my instantaneous response. I chuckled.

“Very good riddles, my friend. Almost got me with the first two, but the last one was far too easy. I knew it well, from my days as a soldier. I knew much heartbreak, death, and love back then… but those are tales for other ears and other times. Not now. Tell me, what ails you on this fine night?”

He sighed as I had moments ago, and said after downing the rest of his drink:

“There is a mare over there who I find rather charming, but I haven’t got the courage to ask her out.” I turned to where he was pointing, and there I saw Miss Doo with her daughter on a leash. Interesting how he found her alluring, but that is not of my concern. I chuckled lightly before picking him up and pulling him out of the booth. He squirmed and kicked as I dragged him over to the bar, and Ditzy noticed this.

“Hi, there Ditzy. I have somepony who wants to meet you.” I plopped The Doctor in the chair next to Ditzy and whispered in his ear:

“Just talk to her, it’ll work out fine.” I then walked away leaving them alone at the bar. However, I kept close enough to eavesdrop on them.

“Ah… yes… hello. I am The Doctor. Doctor Hooves, actually. How are you... er, I mean, what is your name?” The grey mare giggled.

“I’m Ditzy. Nice to meet you Doctor.” The brown stallion nearly fainted, but kept his composure. Ditzy showed much interest as they continued to chat for about ten more minutes before they left the party together, with Dinky in tow.

“Ah, young love. How sweet, wouldn’t you say?” I jumped as my sister breathed this into my ear. Then I re-settled myself and turned to her. “You make quite the wingcolt, if I do say so myself.”

“Thanks, but what’s wrong? Why aren’t you partying?” she shrugged. “The Captain is hogging the dance floor as usual, and the Pink One is hogging all the liquor. Anyway, I did have to talk to you about father.” My cheery expression died instantly.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Father is mobilizing all of his forces, even pulling out of some occupied regions. He is intent on finding his War.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Either way, it’s what you are; and you can’t ignore that fact. He actually sent me in advance to try and find you so he wouldn’t have to come out here himself. I won’t tell him about you being here, but that won’t stop him from finding out. You have a year, give or take before he finds out. Spend that time wisely, brother.” She began to leave, but stopped and turned back to me.

“While you’re at it, perhaps you should take your own advice and just ask out Fluttershy.” My jaw dropped and my eye twitched, but she just walked out of the café smiling. Then, I decided she was right. I stepped over to Fluttershy (who was sitting in her own booth alone, and sat down next to her. As she was about to say hello, I took her hoof in mine, and looked her straight in her aqua blue eyes. I said as softly as I could with my demon voice:

“Fluttershy, will you be my special somepony?” She looked into my eyes, and I looked into hers. She teared up and hugged me.

“Yes! Yes! I would love to be your special somepony! Thank you Red Storm… We sat there, in embrace. That is, until Whitewash popped up next to us, drink in hand.

“Hey you lovebirds! Come on! The night is still young, and besides, Luna is about to do a keg stand!” I broke the embrace to glare at her. She shrugged and trotted away. I turned back to Fluttershy, and she smiled meekly, overcome with embarrassment.

“I would actually like to see that,” she said quietly. I leaped out of my seat, and picked her up, giving her just enough time to recover her drink and started for the bar area.

“Come, darling! Let us watch the Princess of the night get totally wasted before frolicking through the night!”

“Yay!” Then, I blacked out again.

Author's Notes:

Ah, young love. Well, it took 23 chapters, but Red Storm finally asked out Fluttershy. If i hadn't made it obvious in the story by now, she had been harbouring like feelings for him. Also, this act will be seperated into three events; Nightmare Night, Hearths Warming, and Hearts and Hooves Day. Things will be taking a turn for the romantic and gooey now. But don't despair, there will still be dark undertones and mania mixed in... Enjoy, my subjects!

Also: What some ponies looked like here:
Scarlet Rain:4G3P000100111111FE171700A11FE0000PD18370040200005100052D7300FE05107F3FCC004CB2
Decaff Grey:4G2T2S51003F3F3FFE1717000002A007CRE1837104000001W0191919FE00001B107F3FCC004CB2
Succubus:453X0J6200F6FECCFE000000A4100FE00RK1837000000000401900007300FE04107F3FCC004CB2