You Call That a Costume?
is a My Little Pony: Equestria Girls fanfiction written by Eddy13. It's Halloween, and Sunset and the other members of the Main 7 are looking forward to a good time: Rainbow Dash is dressed as a werewolf, Fluttershy is a vampire, Rarity is a cowgirl, Applejack is a debutante, Pinkie Pie is Mr. Hyde, Twilight is Midnight Sparkle, and Sunset is dressed as Starswirl the Bearded. However, Twilight thinks that their costumes could look more realistic and attempts to use magic to do so. Unfortunately, her spell works too well and everyone actually becomes the characters they're dressed as. Now she and Sunset must race to find their friends and reverse the spell before Midnight, or they'll be trapped that way forever.
You Call That a Costume? provides examples of:
- Ax-Crazy: Pinkie as Pinkamena.
- Bait-and-Switch: Noticing that Pinkie is dressed as a Victorian Englishman, Sunset asked if she is dressed as Jack The Ripper, to which Pinkie says no, much to Sunset's initial relief. Instead, she is dressed as Mr Hyde.
- Becoming the Costume/Loss of Identity: The spell causes those inflicted with it to become the identity of what they're dressed as, with no memory of their regular life.
- Car Fu: During the Rainbooms' encounter with Pinkamena, she uses incredible strength to lift up a car and swat Fluttershy and Rainbow with it, followed by throwing it into a building.
- Chain-Link Fence: While being chased by a large, angry dog, Applejack and Rarity are forced to scale a fence to escape it. Unfortunately, there is trouble when Applejack's shoe gets stuck in it.
- Dramatic Irony: During her Freak Out over her spell transforming her friends, Twilight comments that she doubted Equestria!Twilight ever did anything like that to her friends. If only she knew....
- Evil Laugh: Pinkamena dishes these out regularly.
- Face Palm: Sunset's reaction to the above Bait-and-Switch.
- Freak Out: Twilight has one in the second chapter as a result of the spell she cast turning her friends into the manifestations of their costumes and slowly turning into Midnight Sparkle.
- Fun with Homophones: After the nature of Pinkie's costume causes her to revert back to her good persona, a relieved Sunset cries out "Pinkie, you're back!".Pinkie: (Incredulous) I just went on a rampage and all you can think about is my back?!
- Going in Circles: After being chased by Werewolf Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Applejack try to find their way back home. Unfortunately, after encountering thugs, muggers, and an angry dog, they end up back on the corner square they started on.
- Gone Horribly Wrong: Twilight attempted to make the Rainbooms' costumes more realistic. Unfortunately, her spell ended up making them more literal than she had in mind.
- Hand Gag: While being chased by Werewolf Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Applejack hide behind a dumpster. When Applejack protests the filthy hiding place, Rarity is forced to muzzle her so Rainbow doesn't hear them.
- Interspecies Romance: Between Werewolf Rainbow Dash and FlutterBat. The memory of how they acted like mates after returning to normal makes Rainbow and Fluttershy realize how they truly feel about each other.
- It's All My Fault: After the spell is reversed, Rainbow momentarily blames herself for Fluttershy being changed, since she was the one to convince her to dress as a vampire.
- Jekyll & Hyde:
- The spell turned Pinkie into her murderous alter-ego, Pinkamena.
- Double Subverted with Twilight when she turns into Midnight Sparkle. While she is still in control of her actions in her Midnight form, she could here Midnight's voice in the back of her mind taunting her about how she will fully turn back into her.
- Meaningful Name: When Sunset tells the others that Equestria's equivalent to Halloween is called Nightmare Night, Pinkie Pie realizes why it's called such:"'Nightmare' like something scary, 'Mare' like a pony, and 'Night' cause it's nighttime!"
- My God, What Have I Done?: Twilight feels really guilty with herself when her spell transforms her friends into their costumes.
- Mythology Gag:
- This isn't the first time a pupil of Celestia dressed up as Star-Swirl the Bearded.
- Fluttershy turning into a bat-like creature? Where have we heard this one before?
- Sunset mentions last year how Equestria!Fluttershy succeeded in scaring her friends out of their wits.
- While talking about the rampage she caused as Pinkamena, Pinkie Pie comments that she'll need to need make a ton of "I'm Sorry" cakes.
- Noodle Incident:
- Apparently, at one soccer game, Applejack and Rarity made a bet, with the loser dressing in the other's style for Halloween. Unfortunately, the game was cut short due to a sudden downpour while there was a tie. As the neutral mediator, Pinkie declared they both had to pay the Humiliating Wager.
- It was mentioned that one time, Twilight attempted to cast a spell to make the girls invisible, but apparently, it only worked on their clothes, resulting in them being arrested for public nudity. Rarity couldn't tell if it was being charged with streaking or the ride to the police station that was more humiliating.
- Our Vampires Are Different: The spell Twilight cast caused Fluttershy to turn from merely wearing a vampire costume into a humanoid vampire bat.
- Our Werewolves Are Different: When the spell turns Rainbow Dash into a real werewolf, she's more of a giant wolf rather than a humanoid wolf.
- Personality Swap: This is more or less what happens to Applejack and Rarity due to dressing in the other's manner. Thanks to the effects of the spell, they believe they've been like that their entire lives and are unable to see they've been transformed like everyone else.
- Relationship Upgrade: The ordeal is shown to have done a bit of good as Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy realize their deeper feelings for each other after acting like a snuggling werewolf and bat, resulting in them getting together at the end of the story.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: Between Werewolf Rainbow Dash and FlutterBat. When they first encounter each other, they went into a vicious fight, but after it cut to the Rainbooms racing after them, the pair was found cuddling. The Rainbooms couldn't tell if they were turned on by fighting or having the craziest courtship dance.
- Tempting Fate: When Lyra says she and Bon Bon have enough light and streetlamps to make their way home, the lights instantly go out the moment she finished speaking.
- Totem Pole Trench: Among the costumes Sunset sees while looking for the other Rainbooms, she sees Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo doing this.
- We Are Not Going Through That Again: At the end of the story, Pinkie suggests that next Halloween, they dress as their pony selves and have Twilight cast her spell again. The others nix the idea.
- When the Clock Strikes Twelve: The Rainbooms had until midnight to reverse the spell or else it would become permanent.
- Working on the Chain Gang: Hoops and Dumbbell were mentioned to be dressed as a pair of chain gang prisoners. Unfortunately, upon encounter Pinkamena, Hoops ran for it and ended up dragging Dumbbell along with him.
- You Do Not Want To Know: Pinkie Pie says this to Sunset and Twilight regarding whatever Pinkamena did to Lyra and Bon Bon.
