It was not a dark and stormy night. It was nice, with barely any bite of chill. The Moon shone down indulgently on the usual swarms of Nightmare Nighting foals. The few thin clouds reflected the light of the moon, which lent them either glowing silver or darker centers with glowing silver outlines.
Down on the cobbled streets of Ponyville, groups of costumed foals escorted by costumed ponies were going door to door, filling the night with their chant of, “Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!”
As the many loot bags filled with candy and other treats, the ponies mostly led their charges to the many assorted Nightmare Night parties.
One group made its way up the crags, far out of town, following an antique road that was much fallen to disrepair. It led to the reputedly haunted ruins of the ancient castle of Cragenmare, supposed home of the spirit of Drastin, cursed hero of Cragenmare.
It was well known that Drastin had finally found his true rest, his ancient curse finally ended. That was now centuries past but, as with any good tale, many believed the ruin to be haunted by many of the other arrogant nobles of that long past age, before Cragenmare had been made a part of the peaceful realm of Equestria, centuries before the settlement of Ponyville.
Tired fillies and colts finally made it to the forbidding archway in the crumbling, moss grown wall of Cragenmare. Everywhere that they looked, the thousand years and more since it was abandoned were apparent. Brush and OLD trees had pried up the stone pave of the courtyard, seeking secure root hold.
Though the antique doors were long fallen, the aged feasting hall was still in surprisingly good repair. The roof of stone slate shingles had done well at keeping the worst of foul weather out, allowing the monster beams that held up the roof to cure with age, rather than rot away.
Stone slates had been used to prevent pegasus dropped fire from taking hold and burning the castle. They and the beams under them now gave a home to the nests of ages of birds.
At floor level, the old central fire ring had a fire in it for the first time in who knew how long? Its light showed trestle tables set with a plenteous meal. A good thing altogether. That much hiking is hungry and thirsty work!
They were attended to by solicitous mares and stallions in the bardings of ancient Cragenmare. The foals were simply told that they were from out of town.
Besides the feast, there were foal games, ranging from apple ducking to throwing REAL darts with sharp points! Ring and toss games were popular too!
Finally, the last of the foals were tucked in for a well deserved rest.
In the morning’s light, the foals found only their guide and the remains of their feast from last night.
After breaking their fast, the youngsters followed their guide back to the woods at the edge of Ponyville. There, he let them go to find their homes.
Up in the craggy hills, ancient Cragenmare crouched on its hilltop. Its many ghosts dreamed of the day to come when they would have done enough good to balance their ancient evils so that they could truly rest at last.