It’s the Great Pumpkin, Del Wanderer
Main Characters: Del
Cameos: Starlight, Diamond Tiara, Redheart, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Rarity, Moon Glow, Lemon Sorbet, Luna
Original Start Date: August 16, 2013
Del trots to school early, Pearl Heart following behind her. The changeling stops when she sees decorations covering the school grounds. Fake tombstones sit in the yard. There are cobwebs covering every window. Toy bats hang from the tree where Starlight is hanging a fake skeleton of some sort of primate-like creature.
‘Hey, Del! Hey, Pearl!’ Starlight greets. ‘Satsuma is inside reading if you want somepony to play with,’ he tells the young colt.
Pearl nods and bounds to the schoolhouse.
‘Interesting decorations,’ Del comments. ‘What’s the occasion?’
‘Like it? Apple Bloom and I are trying to have the best Earthican Halloween ever!’
‘Eartho-whatnow?’
‘Uh, Nightmare Night.’
Del sours. ‘Oh. Right. That is soon. I keep trying to forget.’
‘Ah! What’s with the attitude? I would have thought that you loved Nightmare Night. The only day other than your birthday where you can eat your weight in candy.’
‘That does little to take away from the pain.’
Starlight frowns. ‘What is wrong?’
Del bares her fangs. ‘I’m a changeling.’
‘Yeah? And?’
‘And this holiday is a cruel mockery!’ Del snarls. ‘Ponies dressing like other ponies! I hate it! They tease us!’
‘Come on. You know the legend. The costumes are to hide from Nightmare Moon.’
‘Yeah... I guess...’
‘Hey! I know you love the candy. I’ll bring all you can eat to the class party. How does that sound? You don’t even have to dress up if you don’t want to.’
Del frowns. ‘What kind of candy will you give me?’
‘Any kind you want.’
‘Even if it is Rei’s most expensive imported candy?’
‘Of course.’
‘Bon Bon’s freshest batch straight from Canterlot?’
‘I’ll teleport there myself.’
‘The yummy alien candies daddy would leave for me?’
‘Uh...’
‘Find a way.’ Del turns her nose up and goes inside to watch the foals.
Starlight sighs and finishes hanging his decoration.
After school, Freya waits impatiently as Starlight and Del untangle her brother from one of the fake cobwebs. Once the colt is free, Angel smacks him for Freya. The foals pass Diamond Tiara as Freya drags her brother home. Starlight uses his magic to return the cobweb.
‘Looks like you had quite a mess on your hooves,’ Diamond comments.
‘It was more on Kain’s hooves,’ Starlight replies. ‘... And wings and tail and mane...’
‘What brings you by, Diamond?’ Del asks.
Diamond smiles. ‘I am having a Nightmare Night party. Nothing too big. Just all the young mares and stallions in town. I had Pinkie help with some of the details, but most of it is my work. Anyway! I am inviting all my closest friends personally.’ She gets out two envelopes. ‘One for each of you. I hope you can make it.’
Starlight takes his invitation. ‘Can I bring a plus one?’
‘I just came from the library and if I hadn’t, both of you would have been invited anyway.’
Del frowns as she looks at the envelope. ‘You can keep that. I’m not going.’
‘But you’re my friend~~!’ Diamond whines. ‘You have to be there. I’ll have all the fancy foods you like to mooch from me.’
‘I’m not going,’ the changeling huffs.
‘Del is sensitive about Halloween,’ Starlight explains. ‘Don’t pressure her too much.’
‘Hallow-whatnow?’ Diamond shakes her head. ‘Please, Del. I am just asking you to show up. It would mean a lot to me.’
‘FINE!’ Del groans. ‘Quit twisting my horn...’
‘Excellent!’ Diamond claps. ‘I cannot wait to see your costume. I bet you have such wonderful ideas.’
‘I hate costumes...’
‘It is not much of a Nightmare Night party without costumes. I am sure whatever you come up with will be fine.’
Del grumbles to herself as Diamond trots away.
‘Del, it is okay. You don’t have to...’
‘I’m going home!’ the mare snaps. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’
Starlight sighs as Del flies away.
Pearl Heart dances around Del who sits at the kitchen table, sewing. Redheart trots into the room and smiles.
‘You’re quite a good seamstress,’ the nurse notes.
Del snorts. ‘I got really sick of Rei and Inkie always taking their clothes to Fluttershy, so I had Rarity teach me.’
Redheart laughs. ‘Is there any skill you don’t have?’
‘My sister taught me that changelings have to be able to adapt to any situation. We are supposed to be able to fit in anywhere. That is how most other hives feed.’
‘Does your hive still feed that way? I mean, besides from ponies that willingly give their love to their changeling friends.’
‘If they do, we don’t hear about it or from them for very long. Chrysalis’ hive is the only one trying to live peacefully with the rest of the world. The other hives hate her for it.’
‘That’s too bad.’ Redheart gets a drink and sits by Del. ‘Aside from Prince Shining Armor’s medical report after the wedding, that incident with Chrysalis ten years ago and Lucas coming in with gushing love bites, I haven’t really seen anything about the physical or magical effects of a changeling feeding.’
‘If you saw what happened to Shiny, then you know most of it. That is just for aggressive feeding. As you can see by my sister and her Full Moon act, passive feeding is a lot less detrimental to the pony.’
‘Fascinating.’
Del finishes her work. ‘There we go! All done.’
Pearl takes his costume. ‘Thanks, Del!’ he cheers. ‘You’re the greatest!’
Redheart laughs as her son gallops away. ‘What about you? Are you dressing up too? You can borrow one of my uniforms and go to work pretending to be me.’ She looks around nervously. ‘I really wouldn’t mind the night off, actually...’
Del frowns. ‘I hate Nightmare Night. It is bad enough that Starlight is having a party for the foals, but Diamond wants me to go to her party as well.’
‘As much as I complain about the holiday from the nurse-taking-care-of-a-pony-who-had-too-much-hard-cider standpoint, it really isn’t that bad. It is a time to let loose, have a little fun and be sompony else for an evening.
‘But if I am not Del Wanderer, who am I?’
Redheart shrugs. ‘You can take a short break from being Del and be anypony you like.’
Del stares at the table. ‘I like being Del...’
‘A lot of ponies like Del too.’ The nurse gets up. ‘Anyway, I think it is time to help Pearl with his homework. Any chance I can get the answers ahead of time?’
Del glances up then back down. She shakes her head.
‘Worth a shot. … Don’t worry so much about the silly holiday. It will pass before you know it.’
Redheart leaves Del to think.
Pearl gallops to school. ‘Choo! Choo! I’m a train conductor!’
‘The conductor isn’t the one that goes “Choo, choo”, Pearl,’ a dark blue pegasus with a long red mane laughs behind him.
‘Choo! Choo!’
Del laughs and shakes her head. She gets the door for the colt. The class is playing games, eating candy and fawning over each other’s costumes. Everypony inside stares at the ‘new’ mare entering the building. Having everypony in costume makes Del feel even more on edge.
‘Great costume, little sis!’ Starlight cheers, putting a foreleg around his sister. He is dressed in a starry blue robe with a starry pointed hat, both covered in bells, and a fake beard. ‘I am so glad you showed up.’ He whispers, ‘I didn’t know what kind of candy you wanted, so I just filled your whole classroom. Hope you don’t mind.’
Del’s fangs slip out when she licks her lips.
‘What’s your costume?’ Pound Cake asks. He is dressed as a stick of butter.
Del turns to the colt and snarls. Starlight uses his magic to pull her back.
‘Isn’t it obvious?’ Razzly replies. Her costume is Mare-Do-Well. ‘She is going as a normal pony. What better costume is there for a changeling?’
‘Very good, Razzly,’ Del says, not taking her eyes off Pound. ‘You are definitely passing. As for Pound,’ -- she reveals her fangs -- ‘I am sure I am sure he can fit in.’
‘Del, no eating the students. You have all the candy in your classroom.’
‘Fine!’
The mare stomps to the door and slams it on her way out.
‘This day is going to suck,’ Starlight groans.
The teacher gets the party going again by leading the foals in a game.
Del lays on the ground after gorging herself on candy. She is waiting for her heart to start beating again before she goes back to drown her sorrow in chocolate. Her cheek gets licked. She opens her eyes to see Freya standing next to her. The filly, dressed as a bunny, smiles at her teacher. She licks her lips and rubs her belly.
‘Good, right?’ Del laughs. ‘That is alien chocolate that my dad gets. It is very tasty.’
Freya looks at her teacher and tilts her head.
‘Sorry. I’m not in a good mood today. I don’t really like the holiday.’
The filly raises an eyebrow.
Del shows her fangs. ‘It is because of this. Costumes and dressing up make fun of changelings.’
Freya touches Del’s cheek and holds out a chocolate-coated hoof. Del licks it clean.
‘Yes, the chocolate is good, but it still feels like you are making fun of changelings. Pretending to be something you’re not… Scaring other ponies… Demanding they feed you or else you do something mean to them...’
Freya licks Del’s nose. Del smiles briefly.
‘Freya? Where are you?’ Summer Rain flies over. She is dressed as a Wonderbolt, but her mane is styled to look swept and spiky. ‘Starlight is going to tell the story of Nightmare Moon while Razzly uses her magic to help him.’ She scrunches her face. ‘He says it is the real story and if you like Celestia, you shouldn’t watch.’
Freya shakes her head. She points to Del and frowns, then to herself and smiles.
‘Oh. Why are you sad, Miss Del?’ Summer Rain asks.
Freya mimes fangs.
‘Don’t do that!’ Del snaps. ‘No, sorry. I just don’t like this holiday. It makes fun of changelings.’
‘Really? I thought it was just about having fun and eating candy...’
Del frowns and looks away. ‘Get something from my classroom and watch my brother. Have some fun.’
Freya looks at Summer Rain then at the class. She sits by Del.
‘Right. I’ll get you something good.’ The pegasus leaves.
Freya takes off her rabbit ears. ‘Mommy and I hate this holiday too,’ she whispers. ‘It is too scary. Even daddy and Rei can’t make it less scary.’
Del picks up the ears. ‘You don’t have to take care of me.’
The filly laughs. ‘If I didn’t, then we’d never be even.’
Del sighs and waits for her student to return.
Diamond trots out of her bedroom in her Princess Cadance costume. She adjusts her tiara. Lemon snickers behind her desk.
‘Hmpf!’ Diamond snorts. ‘Just because I look perfect doesn’t give you the right to laugh.’
‘Sorry. You just are the pinkest of princesses.’
‘Whatever. Where is your costume?’
‘I’ll have it ready in time for your party later.’
‘Good. I’m headed over there right now to set up. Feel free to come when you are ready.’
Lemon nods. ‘I’ll be over once I am done helping Pinkie set up around town.’
‘Speaking of...’ Diamond sighs as she opens the door. A horde of foals enter as the mare leaves. ‘See you later.’
Diamond trots away, leaving Lemon with the foals. The unicorn levitates a bowl of candy to them.
‘Pinkie and I still have some stuff to do before she takes you out.’ Lemon shakes the bowl. ‘Eat up. We have plenty.’ She covers her mouth. ‘We had to get a lot extra since Pinkie kept claiming she was eating it all for her baby.’
‘Who says it isn’t for my baby?’ Pinkie huffs, marching downstairs. ‘She has more of a sweet tooth than her mother.’
‘It is too early to know the gender of your baby, Pinkie...’
‘I’m her mommy. I know her better than you.’ Pinkie sticks her tongue out.
‘She’s right, though,’ Satsuma interjects. ‘It is too early to know.’
Pinkie is about to argue with her nephew when she sees all the costumes and squeals. ‘You are all so adorable!’ She goes and examines each. She stops at Satsuma. ‘What are you?’
The colt adjusts a fez and bow tie. ‘Well, I wanted to go as my dad, but when I asked Rei for help, she gave me this book and told me start on page 137.’
‘That’s about right.’
‘When I asked Starlight, he told me that the first thing I had to do was woo a princess.’
‘Also right.’
‘So, I asked mom. When I finally got an answer from her, she said that she’d seen other Time Lords dressed like this.’
Pinkie nods. ‘A very long scarf would also have been acceptable.’ She continues on. She stops when she sees Shaun. ‘Huh?’
The griffin, dressed in a silk shirt and jeans, tilts his head slightly, sets down a pineapple and holds his free talon to his temple. ‘I am sensing you are confused about my costume.’
‘Whoa! How’d you know!’
‘I’m psychic.’
Razzly groans, ‘No, you’re not!’
‘Shh!’ Pinkie turns to Shaun. ‘What else do you see?’
‘You are going to have a foal and be a very good mother.’
Pinkie nods excitedly. ‘Uh huh!’
‘Also, later tonight, you are going to pass out in a sugar coma.’
The mare lowers the candy bar she was stuffing into her face. ‘Oh, that’s just silly. Next!’ She ‘eep’s when she sees the next costume. ‘I wasn’t the one shooting my party cannon at really noisy birds because they were interrupting my Saturday morning cartoons. I swear!’
Kain laughs. ‘Don’t worry, Pinkie. I’m not a real Lunar Guard.’
‘Phew.’
‘Yet.’
‘Eep!’
The foals laugh at Pinkie. She gives them all candy before getting back to work.
As the sun goes down, Luna steps out onto her balcony.
‘Sister, I am leaving for the festivities,’ Luna calls. ‘I’ll be back late.’
Celestia trots into the room. ‘May I borrow your necklace for when I go out la-? What are you wearing?’
Luna rolls her eyes. ‘Going out for free candy? Aren’t you a little old for that?’
‘First, you are never too old for free candy. Second, I thought I asked you a question first. What are you wearing?’
Luna adjusts a golden crown and necklace. Her golden shoes click as they tap their targets. ‘Like it? It is the scariest costume I could think of. Very appropriate, don’t you think?’
Celestia snorts. ‘Very funny. Just for that, I am taking your necklace.’ She turns away, but glances back. ‘Besides, I am not that scary.’
‘I think a thousand years on the moon is enough to scare anypony.’
‘Must you keep reminding me, sister.’
Luna grins. ‘Especially tonight.’ She laughs. ‘The feels have been doubled!’
Celestia growls as her sister flies away.
Diamond Tiara’s party is a big success. All the young mares and stallions in the Ponyville area are out in costume to celebrate Nightmare Night. Pirate Pipsqueak and Lunar Guard Dinky chat with Scootaloo and Featherweight, who are dressed as Shadowbolts. Silver Spoon, dressed in a kimono, chats with Diamond before heading off to mingle. Scootaloo breaks from Featherweight and comes over.
‘Great party, sweet flank,’ Scootaloo compliments. ‘Care to find the mistletoe?’
Diamond rolls her eyes. ‘Wrong holiday, and are you drunk?’
The pegasus hiccups. ‘Daring never taught me how to pick locks or mix cocktails blindfolded. What are you on about?’
Diamond groans at her fillyfriend’s behaviour. Del trots over with her head low.
‘Hey, Diamond. Thanks for inviting me, but I’m going home now,’ Del mopes.
‘What? Why?’ the host gasps. ‘We haven’t even gotten to any of the fun stuff.’
‘I’m just not feeling too good.’ She raises a lip, showing a fang. ‘And I am sick of everypony asking where my costume is.’
‘Yeah, where is your costume?’ Scootaloo asks.
‘EXCUSE ME!’ Diamond shouts. Everypony stops what they are doing to look at the couple. ‘How dare you ask Del that! She is a changeling. Her costume is a normal pony! I don’t know if it is the booze or you are just thick but going as a regular pony is the greatest costume a changeling can have. It is disgusting to think the mare I love can be so stupid to insult another pony, especially one who is her friend, like that! I am so ashamed with you right now. … Apologize to Del this instant!’
‘Uh… I can’t.’
‘Why not?’
‘She’s not here.’
Everypony looks around. Del is nowhere to be found.
At the Philharmonica Performing Arts Academy’s Nightmare Night party, students, faculty and benefactors mingle. Rarity chats with Fancy Pants while Spike eats an entire tray of hors d'oeuvres. Octavia gapes while Lyra and Bon Bon tell her and Vinyl about how their baby is developing. Vampress Sweetie Belle trots past some colleagues while levitating a pair of drinks. Her sister takes notice.
‘Here you go,’ Sweetie says, offering a cup. ‘I got you a drink to show there are no hard feelings.’
Moon Glow examines the bubbling brew before her. ‘You do know our bodies are trained to resist all known and a number of unknown poisons, right?’
Sweetie bats a hoof. ‘Of course, I know that, dearie. This is a peace offering. I would never want to hurt my dear friend and analyst.’
Moon Glow glares at the other mare. She sniffs the brew again and tries a sip. Her eyes go wide with delight, and she gulps down her drink. ‘This is amazing! I’ve never had anything like it!’
‘Here. Have mine.’ Sweetie Belle levitates the other cup forward.
The other unicorn takes it and starts drinking. ‘Thank you. This is really good. What is it?’
‘Oh, just a little something I whipped up.’
‘It is so good. I can barely raspberry lemonade the sweater vest.’
‘Oh. Good. It is setting in.’ Sweetie prances away.
‘What is..?’
Rarity magically catches Moon Glow before she falls over. ‘There, there, dear. Let’s get you out of here before it really sets in.’ She sniffs one of the cups. ‘Let’s just hope Sweetie’s cooking only goes out the way it came in.’
‘Firefighter.’
‘It is no problem. I’ve seen this happen a lot.’
Moon Glow heaves all over the other mares back.
Rarity shudders. ‘I’ve had that happen a lot too...’
Del sits alone behind the statue of Nightmare Moon in the Everfree Forest. Her disguise is dropped as she waits for the day to be over. She levitates pieces of candy from the candy offering and eats silently.
‘Are you not taking part in the festivities, little one?’ somepony asks.
Del looks in the direction of the voice. She screams when she sees the source. ‘Nightmare Moon!’
‘Yes. Because that doesn’t get old,’ Luna groans.
‘Oh. Sorry, Princess Luna.’
The princess frowns. ‘What is bothering you, young one?’
‘I hate this holiday. It is stupid.’
‘That is surprising to hear seeing how your sister, both your sisters, love this holiday.’
‘It is mean and demeaning. It mocks a serious subject.’
Luna nods. ‘I too once felt the way you did. I wanted this holiday abolished because I felt it belittled my time as Nightmare Moon.’
‘See! You and I are right! This holiday is insulting!’
‘But then, I found the holiday’s charm. Instead of mocking Nightmare Moon, I saw the citizens were celebrating the night. This was the love of the night that I had been wishing for since before my banishment. Not to mention, it is fun dressing up in silly costumes.’
‘I hate the costumes,’ Del snarls. ‘They make fun of changelings.’
‘Why do you think that?’
The changeling looks away. ‘All my life, I’ve hid to stay safe. When your sister declared it safe for changelings to abandon our disguises, I was so happy to be free.’
‘That was a very good day for the relationship between Equestria and your hive.’
Del buries her head. ‘But that was five years ago. Every time I see somepony in costume, I think of what it was like to have to hide myself just to avoid the hate. Now that I can be free, I am still hated! I even put on the damn disguise again, but everypony thought I was normal! They thought a stupid blue pegasus was the normal Del! Not the changeling princess! They were mocking me! … It took everything not to rip their throats out...’
‘Is that what they were really doing?’
‘They thought that...’
‘Little Del, I can see where your confusion comes from. You spent so many years hiding your true self that when you take up that form again, it feels as though you are being punished for being who you truly are.’
Del whimpers and kicks the ground.
‘I think this holiday is a celebration of changelings, not just of the night and Nightmare Moon.’
Del looks up, confused.
‘See, everypony adopts a form they are unfamiliar with and goes to strangers’ homes asking for kindness and love. Is that not the changeling way?’
‘I guess so...’
‘And at the end of the night,’ -- Luna levitates the candy offering to them -- ‘you share the love you collected with your queen.’
Del laughs. ‘That’s not how it is done.’
‘Oh? Then how is it done?’
Del swoops and eats a huge mouthful of candy, wrappers and all. ‘Changelings eat their fill and leave ponies the scraps.’ She burps, ejecting a candy wrapper.
Luna laughs. ‘Doesn’t it feel better to share in the fun?’
Del chomps another mouthful of candy and smiles.
‘Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!’ the group of foals sing, led by Pinkie who is dressed as a ghost of a fairy princess pumpkin who was also a witch.
Del, back in her pegasus disguise, laughs and gives out candy. ‘Very nice costumes, but be wary. I hear Nightmare Moon is in area.’
A loud crash of lightning and an ominous shadow flashing on the wall sends the foals running. The mares laugh.
Pinkie turns to wrangle the foals. ‘Oh! I love your costume, Del, but I like the real you better.’
Del smiles and waves as her friend leaves.
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I only watched the parts with Snoopy and/or Woodstock.
You made the griffin the main character from psyche. How long were you holding on to that gag.
7523759 Checking between his alternate universe self's introduction and this chapter, about a year. I don't use him too much in this universe, so I had to make it a little more overt. Honestly, anything to make a Psych reference will make me smile.