//------------------------------// // Nightmare Night Escapades (Melody Star's Sonata) // Story: Holiday Season // by Phoenix Heart 27 //------------------------------// Nightmare Night was here at last. While most little fillies and colts were over the moon with excitement, the older ones...not so much crazy excitement. Such is the case with Melody Star as she practically holds her little sister down as she bounces like a fool in excitement as they wait in line while their father purchases their costumes for the night. A task, only the elder sibling forgot about until the last minute. Hence the rushed trip to the costume store. “I’m going to be the scariest witch out there tonight!”, Starlight signed in happiness. “If you don’t calm down, I won’t take you candy collecting.”, Melody signed/threatened good naturedly. To which her sister outwardly gasped. “You wouldn't dare!”, Starlight signed in a way of calling her bluff as she stare her 15 year old big sister down. “Now girls. Quit trying to out threaten each other”, Rain Whip signed and said aloud to his girls. Knowing full well that this particular back and forth spell had been going on most of the day and only one of them was getting tired of it. “Yes papa.”, Melody said. “Yes daddy.”, Starlight signed while sticking her little tongue out at her sister. “Good. Now let’s be on our way.”, Rain Whip said as he checked out with Melody signing. Then the trio left the costume shop. 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃 (4 hours later) Moondance sighed a large sigh as she, for now the 3rd time that day, had to calm her youngest daughter down from getting too excited. Add on to the fact that she needed help getting her costume on simply made the job a bit harder. “Sweetie, I know you are excited but you need to be still so I can put your pin on.”, she signed as Starlight finally stood still long enough for her mother to fasten the bright bold button to the front of her costume. “Sorry mommy. I am just so excited to go out candy collecting! When are my friends showing up again?”, Starlight asked in sign as she remained still enough so her pin could be placed near her heart. “Not for another 10 minutes love.”, Moondance smiled as she signed in reply. “Okay. Is my hat on right?”, Starlight asked again. “Yes. Your hat is on, wings are visible, broomstick is by the door, pin is visible as well as your candy basket and your sister is changing into her costume so she can be ready to take you and your friends.”, Moondance signed and spoke clearly as she knew her daughter needed to read her lips as well as see her signing hooves and wings. “Okay. Final question. Can you help me with my costume? I need to go to the bathroom.”, Starlight signed as she crossed her back hooves. Moondance simply sighed and nodded as she stood and helped her foal to the bathroom. 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃 (30 minutes later) A small group of 6 young fillies and colts plus 4 teens stood at attention as Moondance and a few other parents gave careful directions as to where they could go for candy collecting. Various establishments were passing out treats for collecting foals that were made known. Of course, the teens had more or less agreed to the set plan with a special promise to the youngsters that they’d hit up the good neighborhoods for high quality candy hauls. After the adults said their peace, the group set off in search of candy. “Okay, dressing up as a lion, a tiger, a bear and a ring leader may have been our best idea yet!”, Melody’s best friend, Desert Wind said happily. “Yes! Besides, who would be dumb enough mistake us for real creatures tonight?”, Melody's other friend, Midnight Dream added. “Yeah, but remember girls I may take a little longer than the rest of the group because I have to translate for ‘Starry’.”, Melody reminded her two friends. “Filly we know! I just hope ze rest of ze group doesn't get impatient with the pace you and Starlight need to take.”, Midnight said in her naturally semi-thick Prench accent. “I hope so too.”, Checker Flag, Melody's coltfriend replied as the group approached the first house. The door was open but Desert knocked on the screen door as the group ascended the porch. “NIGHTMARE NIGHT! WHAT A FRIGHT! GIVE US SOMETHING SWEET TO BITE!”, everypony shouted as Starlight signed with Melody's help. The older mare who lived there smiled as she passed out the candy. When she got to Starlight however, she took notice of the button on her costume instead of looking directly at her. Melody quickly explained that her sister was deaf to the mare. Starlight, not knowing what to do, simply held her basket out and smiled as she nodded to her sister. “Sorry. Ma’am, my sister was wondering if you still had enough candy for her?”, Melody asked and signed for her little sister. The mare was taken aback a bit before replying rather loudly, “I’m sorry, but I’m all out of candy!”. “It’s okay. Thank you anyways.”, Melody replied while signing. Then the two left the porch. “Why didn't I get candy?”, Starlight asked her friends. Confused as to what just happened. On that subject, Melody was rather irate. As she could clearly see from her position on the porch that the mare did in fact still have plenty of candy but simply lied. “I can’t believe this!?!”, Melody said as her friends walked alongside the rest of the group to the next house. “I saw it too Mel. That was totally unfair.”, Desert said as they went through the motions once again. Melody signing for her sister again. This time, Starlight actually got candy. “Just goes to show how truly ignorant some ponies can be. I mean, she denied her candy even after I explained to her that Starry was deaf but could still read lips...oh Faust! I hope Starlight didn’t read into that lady’s mouth shapes. Otherwise I have a loooong explanation to give.”, Melody stated in her minute rant mode. “Hey, it’s okay babe. Let’s just focus on the rest of the night. We still have a few more houses and restaurants to hit up before curfew and I for one intend on getting chocolate wasted alongside Starry later on. Before you ask, she signed those exact words. No paraphrasing on my part.”, Checker Flag said as he placed a reassuring hoof on his fillyfriend’s shoulder as they walked. “Alright. Let’s just hope that no more incidents like this happen again tonight.”, Melody sighed as the group continued on into the night. 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃 (2 hours later) The group of young ponies maneuvered their ways through many different neighborhoods. Collecting tons of treats and candy in the process. Unfortunately they did endure similar issues of Starlight being denied treats a few more times. Each time Starlight was dismayed and Melody only grew more irritated with each bad encounter. As they were headed down their street for a final sweep, they stopped at a rather creepily decorated house. The younger foals were a bit creeped out but nevertheless pressed on. “NIGHTMARE NIGHT! WHAT A FRIGHT! GIVE US SOMETHING SWEET TO BITE!”, the group chorused once again. Melody having to take a break from signing, so Desert took over. “Oooohhh! What a scary bunch of zombies, black cats, mummies and witches! I got candy for you guys! Oh, I even see a whole circus as I assume chaperones. How delightful.”, the Stallion who answered the door gushed as he passed out the treats. When Starlight stepped up and signed ‘candy' and ‘please', the stallion’s face suddenly lost the smile it had before as he saw the button. “I’m sorry little filly, but I’m afraid I don’t-”, he started. “-Bullcrap!”, Melody shouted. Immediately surprising everypony. “Excuse me?!-”, the stallion started but was once again cut off. “-No! No, excuse me for being so bold, but I can clearly see you have quite a bit of candy left! More than enough for my little sister to get a hooffull or two! No what you don’t get is that just because she's deaf, she can not only read lips but can express her feelings rather well. So before you go denying her candy, know that we live only a few houses down and can have our parents here in a heartbeat. Also, know that by not giving her candy, you’ll be breaking her little heart just like the other 12 houses did tonight. Leaving her to ask ‘why didn’t I get candy?’. Now do you really want to see a 7 year old cry tonight mister? Because I can assure you she’s just about had it with not getting as much candy as her friends tonight! If not, I suggest giving us our candy and we’ll be on our way!” Melody finished to a stunned crowd of candy collectors and a few parents who had overheard the commotion. The stallion stood there in shock before grabbing the candy bucket he had and distributing the last of its contents to Starlight and the rest of the older foals. “Thank you mister”, Starlight signed as she stepped off the porch and headed back towards the sidewalk. “Dang Melody! Zat was amazing!”, Midnight praised. “Way to show that guy babe!”, Checker added. “That was a brave move there Mel.”, Desert said as they walked up to Melody and Starlight’s house. “Yeah I guess.”, Melody replied as they stepped inside. “Mommy! Daddy! You should have seen ‘Melly’ a while ago!”, Starlight rushed in and signed to her parents. “Oh? What happened?”, Rain Whip asked as the other parents collected their foals. Melody, Desert and Midnight went into detail over what had transpired throughout the night. After finishing, Moondance had a look that was a combination of surprise, anger and relief rolled into one. Rain Whip looked rather similar to his wife except his face was tinged slightly red. “So, that’s when I kinda went off on the poor stallion….admittedly...not a smart choice but what else could I do? You should’ve seen the look on Starry’s face whenever she didn’t get candy. I honestly was getting fed up.”, Melody closed her case with a sigh and looked over to where Checker was helping Starlight sort through her candy. “Well Melody Star, while I don’t approve of you going off on one of our neighbors, I do understand the fact that you were just protecting and defending your little sister.”, Moondance said in a soft tone. “Yes and we are rather proud that you stood up for her. However, we will discuss the manner of an appropriate punishment for yelling at an elder in the morning. No use discussing it tonight as I’m sure you all will get completely sugar wasted tonight with Starlight and if I’m gonna assume Dizzy Twister will be staying the night as well so...go on ahead.”, Rain Whip added in response to what his wife said. "So that's where Starry got that from.", Midnight whispered to Desert. “Sweet! Thanks Mama. Thanks Papa.”, Melody said as she hugged her parents and rushed upstairs with Desert and Midnight to go over their hauls. 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙 (Later that night) The house was quiet as everypony had gone to sleep. Well...almost everypony that is. “Mmm...wha?”, Melody moaned as she rolled over in her hammock. Blearily she blinked as her eyes focused on a semi-scared looking Starlight. “Star? What are you doing in here?”, Melody signed in confusion. “Couldn’t sleep. There was a spooky shadow outside my window.”, Starlight signed as she shivered in fear. A few tears glistening in her eyes. Melody sighed before signing ‘here’ and ‘sleep’ as she pulled her sister into the large hammock. “Thanks Melody.”, Starlight signed. Melody’s only response was a big warm pegasus hug as she lay there with her baby sister. As bizzare and fun as it was, this Nightmare Night was a interesting one and wouldn't soon be forgotten.