//------------------------------//
// 8. - Nightmare Night 
// Story: Pregnant Noses Know 
// by Irrespective 
//------------------------------//

“Celly, sweetie?” Baked Bean fidgeted with his wings, the one thing about being royalty that he felt he would never really understand. “Are you just about ready? I think the party is going to start without us.”

“Just a few more seconds, my love!” Celestia called back, and Bean shivered in delight. Nightmare Night had come to Canterlot, and Baked Bean was eagerly looking forward to seeing his wife’s costume. She had been teasingly vague about it, saying nothing more than it would be familiar and that he would like it, but he knew that whatever she wore would be perfect and amazing.

With those few extra seconds, Bean took a moment to look himself over in the full-length mirror. The inspiration for his costume had come in part from mythology and partly from a previous tea date discussion with Discord and Fluttershy, and this was a rather fine look if he allowed himself a bit of pride. With a new pair of illusionary bat wings, some mane gel, a costume borrowed from the Royal Canterlot Theatre’s production of The Count, Monte Cristo, and a set of fangs on loan from Luna, Baked Bean now looked like the fabled vampires of old.

Bean glanced back and gave his new appenages a quick test flap. Celestia had been more than happy to conjure up the sleek and stylish bat wings for him, but the tradeoff for form was functionality. While the large draconian appendages would flap, unfurl, and ruffle at his command, they were unable to hold any weight. If he were to fall off a cliff with them, all that would happen was a lot of frantic flapping, leaving the rest of him at the mercy of gravity and a messy landing. In the end, he was fine with the lack of flight, as he figured that going airborne would quickly end with him crashing into the ceiling, a pillar, or worse, the rear end of a snooty noble. He was still on several black lists because of his stained-glass-window-smashing ways, and he didn’t want to be added to any more.

“Okay, I think I’m ready,” Celestia called out. “Don’t laugh.”

“You know, I have yet to laugh at anything you… wear...”

Bean trailed off as his wife emerged from behind the blind, and a furious burning flared in his cheeks. Celestia was now dressed in a perfect replica of the Wonderbolt’s flight suit, from muzzle to tail, and the costume was a snug fit. And as much as Bean looked, he could not see one bit of baby bump.

Although that did not stop him from looking.

“You wouldn’t believe how much trouble the mask gave poor Rarity,” Celestia continued as she looked herself over in the mirror. “But she did a fantastic job, in the end, and Rainbow Dash was most helpful in ensuring the details were correct. They did take a little creative liberty with the Wonderbolt logo, but I knew Rarity would add some of her own trademark flair to the design. Just look at how tight the stitching is!”

“It’s… um,” Bean coughed and tried to clear his throat. “It’s pretty tight, all right.”

“Oh, and I am in love with this fabric she used!” Celestia turned to admire the tail end of her costume, and she gave her hips a few shakes with a huge grin. “It’s so silky and smooth, it feels like I’m wearing nothing at all!”

Bean wondered for a moment if he would melt, combust, or simply have a massive nosebleed. Maybe he’d do all three at the same time and get it over with in one shot.

“So, what do you think?” Celestia turned to her husband with an eager expression. “Does this meet with your approval?”

It took Bean a moment to remember how to speak, and then a moment more to make sure he had all of his words in the right place to make a proper sentence. “My dear, you look amazing. I approve of your selection wholeheartedly.”

Celestia’s grin grew even wider and gained a touch of deviousness. “I’m glad you do. I was thinking I could wear this for some future private events.”

“What kind of events are you suggesting?” Bean said, his voice cracking.

Celestia leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I’ll tell you later, Count Von Bean. For now, we should go find Luna and start the party.”

“I agree. The longer we stay here, the greater the possibility that I’ll make us late because of exsanguinating circumstances.” Bean lifted one eyebrow. “Blah, blah, blah!”

“Be careful. I bite back,” Celestia replied as her eyes wandered over his form. “Your costume turned out quite well too, I must say. The wings are what really sell it.”

“I’ll be sure to tell everypony that you provided them,” Bean said as he stretched them out to their full height. “And I’ll try very hard not to hit you with them.”

“I appreciate that,” Celestia said with a chuckle. “Remember to be careful about how you position them, too. It would be quite embarrassing if you somehow managed to replicate a pegasus mating display.”

Bean froze in place, then carefully tucked the wings away. “I’ll be careful,” he reassured her. “Though please feel free to tackle me if I start doing something untoward.”

“If you insist,” she replied with a grin.


 * *  🎃 * * 


Nightmare Night in Canterlot was traditionally a subdued affair when compared to the celebrations held in other cities.

This was not to say that the holiday went uncelebrated in the mountainside home of the Royal Sisters. Each year, the streets would fill with young colts and fillies at sunset, each dressed in colorful and imaginative costumes and threatening tricks upon the homes of any who did not provide them with treats. Once their rounds had been completed and the sugary treasures had been safely stored away, ponies old and young would happily gather together to party, play games, and otherwise spend a wonderful evening together with friends and loved ones.

But there was one home whose door was left unknocked, and one pony who did not participate in the festivities. A bowl of honor-system candy would be left on the front stoop of this otherwise bright and cheerful place, but in all other respects, the home of Princess Celestia would remain as silent as the grave, even after Princess Luna’s return.⁽*⁾

⁽*⁾It was rumored that, if one stood just inside the portcullis and listened very carefully, one could occasionally catch the sound of Celestia’s anguished tears on that evening’s breeze. There wasn’t a pony in the whole city who would ever dare to confirm that rumor, however.
—

So when the announcement came that Princess Celestia and Prince Bean would be opening the palace for a grand Nightmare Night celebration, most ponies were at first confused, then curious, and finally eager to attend once the fateful evening came around. The itinerary promised a night filled with succulent treats, a few tricks, and “frightful” games for all, but the clincher was the warning that the festivities could attract the attention of the dreaded Mare in the Moon herself.

Of course, this meant that Queen Chrysalis just had to attend the party. Her sweet-but-misguided sergeant would be providing security for the event, and it would give her a chance to “convert” him back to her.

Once she could find him, of course. As she stood just outside the portcullis to the palace that should be hers, the changeling queen sneered at the guards flanking the entrance. Much as it pained her, she was going to have to behave herself while she searched for her sweet sucker. She knew the guards would be more than happy to drag her back to that prison cell of a room that she had deftly broken out of, to say nothing of what would happen if Sunbutt and that Bean caught her wandering around.

“Hey! Check out that mare in the Chrysalis costume!”

The bug queen smiled as she silently drank in the excitement of a pair of ponies who had stuffed themselves into a single pair of oversized pants. While the taste of emotion was still as bland as a plank of wood, the magic she could generate from the ponies would be most useful for her future plans.

“That is one killer-diller costume!” the pony on the left said as he touched her midsection with a hoof. “How’d you pull this off?”

“Oh, just a little makeup and some papier-mâché,” Chrysalis lied with a tittering laugh. “It did turn out rather fine, didn’t it?”

“Yeah! You look exactly like her!” The pony paused and tilted his head. “But, did Chrysalis wear glasses?”

“Sure she did,” the pony on the right said with a nod. “They amplify her hypno-rays. That’s how she managed to brainwash Prince Armor.”

I wish I had hypno-rays. I’d hypno you two right off the side of Canterlot, Chrysalis thought with a devilish grin.

“I thought so, but I couldn’t remember. How’d you do the holes in your legs?”

“Trade secret,” she said with a wink. “I hate to cut the conversation short, but I’m late to meet up with my special somepony inside. I’ll see you two later, maybe?”

“Okay! Watch out for the guards!” the first pony called out as Chrysalis moved towards her Hokey.

“Oh, I plan to.”


 * *  🎃 * * 


“This was a good idea, my love,” Celestia said to Bean as they moved towards the spider toss game. “We should do this every year.”

“Thanks,” Bean said with a bashful grin, “but Luna was the one who came up with most of this. She deserves the credit for everything.”

“You may thank me as much as you like,” Luna replied from Celestia’s left side. “Though I think we will need more cobwebs next year. Perhaps the gardens could be turned into a haunted maze as well?”

“Haunted mazes are always in demand,” Bean pointed out.

“I believe we could make that happen,” Celestia said with a smile.

“Look out!” a pony shouted. “It’s Nightmare Moon! Everypony drop your offerings and run!”

“You know, I am most impressed that you can tolerate me in my Nightmare form, Sister,” Luna remarked as her magic snagged the small pile of sweets that had been left behind. “I had feared that the memories would be too much.”

“I have to admit that I’m surprised myself,” Celestia replied as she paused and studied the details of Luna’s ‘costume.’ “I suppose this means I am coming to terms with what happened between us, in some way.”

“It probably helps that you’re not trying to bring about an eternal night, too,” Bean quipped.

“Indeed not,” Luna replied with a sharp grin. “But there is something enjoyable about being able to look my sister straight in the eye. Perhaps I shall stay this way, but without the fangs and with my normal wings.”

“I think I like the regular Luna better,” Bean said thoughtfully. “This just doesn’t seem right.”

“You speak truthfully, my good Bean,” Luna replied. “I do believe I prefer my usual appearance as well.”

“Behold!” Wysteria shouted from behind them. “The Grrreat, AND Powerful Trrrrixie!”

“No, no, no.” Trixie said, and the three royals turned their attention to the newcomers. “Too much emphasis on the middle. You need to sell it right from the beginning.”

Celestia snickered a bit as she evaluated the costume of her faithful secretary. Wysteria had borrowed Trixie’s cloak and hat, teased her mane into the trademark Trixie style, and for extra authenticity, she had even painted Trixie’s cutie mark over her own. Despite having the wrong coat color, Wysteria did bear a striking resemblance to her assistant, and it was clear that both of them were pleased with the end result.

“I am selling it. You always overemphasize the ‘and,’” Wysteria replied.

“I do not! I clearly put the emphasis on ‘great’ and ‘powerful.’ That’s how the crowds know they’re dealing with a true master.”

“Right,” Wysteria said with a roll of her eyes. “I’ll keep working on it.”

“Why didn’t you dress up, Trixie?” Bean asked.

“I did,” Trixie replied with a grin. “Trixie is wearing the costume of the greatest and most powerful-est pony she could think of.”

“So, you dressed up as yourself?”

“Was there any doubt that I would dress up as something less?”

“Good point,” Bean said with a chuckle. “Are you two enjoying the party?”

“Trixie is enjoying the candy,” Trixie admitted, “and the caramel apples. I also have to admit it’s nice to actually attend a party on Nightmare Night. Usually I just lock myself in my wagon and wallow in self-pity.”

“Well, we shall have none of that tonight,” Celestia said, her wing reaching out and pulling the assistant in for a hug. “Come, why don’t you come play some games with us? I have a twenty taffy bet going with Bean that says I can beat him in the spider toss.”

“You go ahead,” Wysteria said. “Quill and I have made other plans for the night. I’ll check in with you later.”

“Happy Nightmare Night, Wysteria,” Luna offered with a grin. “I will need to take my leave for a time as well. I am due to make an appearance in Ponyville.”

“Have fun, Sister,” Celestia said. “I’ll make sure to save a slice of pumpkin pie for you.”

“Liar,” said Luna with a nuzzle. “But of no account. Fill thyself with pie, my sister. I shall dine upon apples this eve, and nibble upon backsides until I cannot fly home.”


 * *  🎃 * * 


Sergeant Hokey Pokey usually enjoyed Nightmare Night.

Granted, he typically had to work, and in years past, that meant he would be in an empty palace and away from the trick-or-treaters. While he didn’t hate foals, per se, he did believe them to be noisy, sticky, smelly, and unable to follow basic commands. He had decided long ago that if he ever had any of his own, they would be trained properly from the beginning, and under his firm tutelage, they would grow to be strong and loyal contributors to society.

This Nightmare Night, however, was not going to be a time that he would remember later with fondness. So far, he’d spend most of the night chasing costumed children out of restricted areas, and then he had to explain to irate parents and/or guardians why their little hooligan was going to get locked up if they didn’t behave.

It didn’t help that Sergeant Clover Leaf was more than happy to pass out treats to the little troublemakers as an apology for “that grouchy guardpony over there.”

Still, Clover’s actions kept the miscreants at bay, so he kept his complaints to himself and focused on guarding. He was half convinced that his conversation with Chrysalis at the bar was mostly a product of the cheap gin, but the other half knew she would return, and he was going to be ready for her when she reappeared.

“Hey, Grumbleguss!” Clover gave Pokey a shove. “You gonna pout all night, or is there a chance you could at least fake a smile?”

“I’m not going to do either. I’m on duty.”

“For Celestia’s sake, Hokey. Lighten up! You’ve never been this bad before. I keep expecting you to order a kid to drop and give you twenty.”

Pokey hummed as he mulled the suggestion over for a moment.

“Serious, Hoke. Ever since the whole Chrysalis thing happened, you been one big lump of grump. I know the bug burned you bad, but you gotta get past this. I’ll bet you haven’t checked in with the shrink yet, have you?”

“Of course not. I don’t need that on my record,” Pokey said with a snort. “Anypony who talks to him gets drummed out of the Guard pretty quick, and you know it.”

“Well, you gotta do something. Eveypony in the Guard can tell this has messed you up. I know for sure that Captain Armor and Lieutenant Point are concerned. You just might get drummed out if you don’t go see the doc.”

“I’m perfectly fine,” he snapped.

“No, you’re not. You’re hurting, Hoke, and this isn’t a hurt you can just muscle through. C’mon. We’ve been best friends since basic. If you won’t do it for you, do it for me. Go get checked out.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll set up something first thing in the morning.”

“You’d better,” Clover warned. “Has Chrysalis tried to contact you at all since she turned tail and fled?”

Pokey wanted to lie so badly that it hurt. If he came clean about what had happened at the bar, he knew that Clover would read him the Riot Act and then report back to Lieutenant Spear Point about the news and his failure to act. In his brief moment of hesitation, he could see his career collapsing in a fiery heap of destruction if the truth were to be told.

But he just couldn’t do it. Not to Clover Leaf. Ever since basic, the two of them had been fire-forged friends, and their bonds were strong and deep. He’d just as soon clip his own wings as lie to her.

“Yes,” he muttered sourly. “She caught me in the Phoenix Fire a few days ago. I should have reported it, but I was so drunk that I was half-convinced I’d just hallucinated the whole thing.”

Clover had stopped walking, but to Pokey’s slight amazement and confusion, she looked concerned rather than surprised or angry. “What did she say to you?”

“Some nonsensical lie about how she never wanted to hurt me. Honestly, I don’t really remember what we said to each other.” He snorted, but then he smiled. “I do remember telling her off and to go back to her hive. Maybe she took the hint.”

“I wouldn’t count on that, my sweet babboo.”

Two spears were leveled at the changeling queen’s chest in an instant, but Chrysalis simply chuckled as the guards advanced on her. “My, my. I do hope all the little foals won’t be traumatized by this gratuitous violence.”

Pokey growled, Clover snorted, but the bug queen had a point. Their spears lifted as a pair of fillies shrieked by in a horrible moment of perfect timing, but the death glares remained unabated.

“I am not your sweet babboo,” Pokey snapped. “What are you doing here, insect?”

“Why, I am here to enjoy the party, of course! What do you think of my costume?” Chrysalis adjusted her pince-nez glasses and flashed a pleased grin. “I heard there was going to be a competition, and you know how I love contests. I’m a shoo-in to win, my sweet babboo.”

“I am not your sweet babboo!” Pokey barked.

“And then, I was thinking that you and I could go see the pumpkin patch in the gardens. I hear it’s exceptionally sincere this year, just like I am. We could share some of that spiced apple cider that your Bean made, though I’m sure it won’t taste half as good as your love does. Wouldn’t it be divine to sit out under the stars and snuggle, just like we used to? I would love to talk about our future together.”

“Oh, you mean the future where you rot in a dungeon?” Clover snarled. “That sounds like a fun one.”

“I wasn’t talking to you, Featherbrain,” Chrysalis huffed. “Don’t you have a closet to go check on somewhere?”

“Good idea! I know were all the princess-sized fly swatters are.⁽*⁾ I’ll be right back.”

⁽*⁾To be used only in case of large parasprite outbreak. Do not use on mothers, both biological and in-law, overbearing fathers, crazy uncles, or unwanted houseguests who can’t take a hint. See stores for details. 
—

Chrysalis simply laughed at the threat. “Oh, please. You’re just jealous that Pokey fell in love with me and not you. Give it up, sister. I’ve already won.”

“That gratuitous violence is sounding better and better by the second,” Clover snarled as her spear dropped again. “I believe Sergeant Pokey has said he loves a good kabob, too.”

“What if I did go with you?” Pokey asked slowly. “What would you do?”

There was a very long silence.

“What did you say?” Clover finally asked, but Chrysalis grinned from ear to ear.

“I knew you’d come around eventually, my sweet babboo! We have so much to do! You can help me to register for the costume contest, and then we’ll get some of that cider. It’s a shame it has to be just plain cider, what with all the little crumb suckers running around, but we’ll make do all the same.”

“You can’t be serious, Sergeant!” Clover protested.

“I’m not your sweet babboo,” Pokey reiterated to Chrysalis, then grabbed Clover and pulled her aside. “Excuse me for a minute, would you?”

“I’ll be right here, darling,” Chrysalis purred with a lick of her lips.

“Pokey, are you out of your motherbucking mind?!” Clover sharply whispered once the two of them had ducked behind a convenient statue of Princess Cadence. “She’s just going to brainwash you again! Lather, rinse, repeat, and the next time I see you, suds will be coming out of your ears!”

“This is different.”

“How?!”

“You know she’s here,” he said, “and if she’s occupied with me, she won’t try to hurt anyone else. Go tell Captain Armor about this as soon as we leave. He can decide what to do from there.”

“I don’t like this, Hoke.” Clover snorted and stomped a hoof. “She’s up to something.”

“Obviously. And as long as I’m with her, she can’t do it.” Hokey paused. “Whatever it is,” he added.

“All right. I’ll keep an eye on you two, though. You be careful.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t let her get in my head.”

“I’m not worried about her getting through your thick skull, I’m worried about your squishy bits,” she said while tapping his breastplate. “A wounded heart is extremely fragile. Don’t let her break it again.”

Pokey nodded, and when they stepped out from behind the statue, they found Chrysalis eagerly applying a layer of lip gloss. She smacked her lips and puckered up for Pokey, but he did not respond in kind to her suggestion.

“Come on, bug. Let’s get this over with,” he huffed.

Chrysalis let out a squeal of delight, and she was at his side in a flash. “This is going to be so delightful, my sweet babboo! I’m not going to leave you for anything, no matter what happens!”

Sergeant Clover Leaf stared and fumed as the pair walked down the hallway and out of sight. She felt like she had just sent her friend into the middle of a pitched battle with no weapons and no armor, and that notion made her sick to her stomach. In a battle of wits, Hokey was tragically unarmed, and he was marching off to the fight without a single clue.

Clover then turned and quickly began to trot away. Captain Armor needed to be told about this right away. And Celestia. And Bean. And particularly Luna. And maybe Twilight.

But not Cadence. Oh, no. The last pony in Equestria who needed to know that Chrysalis was running around the castle was the Princess of Love.

Had Clover remained in the hallway, though, she soon would have noticed that the statue of Princess Cadence was exceptionally twitchy. A few moments later, and she would have been able to watch the statue come to life and step down from the pedestal.

For a few seconds, Cadence chewed on her granite bottom lip, her stone eyes set on the path that Pokey and Chrysalis had taken.

“I don’t know if I should cheer or cry,” she muttered.

She followed them anyway.


 * *  🎃 * * 


“I don’t like this,” Bean grumbled, his bat wings fully extended as he paced the length of the empty office. “I don’t like this one bit. We should grab her now and throw her in the dungeons. No, she could escape. Luna, there’s still a vacancy on the moon, right?”

“Bean, I would normally agree with you in this matter,” Luna said with a thoughtful frown. “Chrysalis has proven to be one of our greatest adversaries. However, Princess Cadence and my sister are right. This is a most interesting development, and we must stay our hoof for now and watch.”

Bean snorted and grumbled as he glanced up to his wife. “C’mon, she tried to melt my brain! Do you really want to just let her prance around Canterlot, doing who knows what?”

“Yes, my love,” Celestia replied. “I know this is difficult, and I am highly dubious of her intents, just as you are. But there is a possibility that—”

“No there isn’t,” Bean cut her off. “She can’t change. She’s a changeling!” He hesitated. “You know what I mean.”

“Thorax changed,” Celestia noted.

“That’s different,” he huffed.

“How?”

Bean did not have a good reason, so he simply snorted. “Because it is.”

“My love, Chrysalis won’t be able to get to you again. You know of the new protections that have been put in place, and thanks to Captain Trigger’s warning, the entire Royal Guard is on alert. The unicorn guards can easily run a detection scan on all visitors to the palace, and the pegasus patrols can be stepped up.

“And on top of that, you have me,” Celestia said with a kiss to his cheek. “I will remain by your side and protect you from her or anything else that would dare to threaten our family.”

“There is only one thing that is more fearsome than an angry, pregnant mare,” Luna noted with a grin. “You have seen for yourself the level of destruction Celly is capable of. Consider also that I am here, and I am loathe to allow anything to harm my beloved brother-in-law.”

Bean glanced up to Luna, but then he snickered slightly. “Sorry. I don’t think anypony ever thought they’d hear Nightmare Moon say she has a beloved brother-in-law, let alone offer protection to him.”

“All the more reason for your enemies to cower in fear!” Luna cackled in the Royal Canterlot Voice, and she reared up in perfect timing with a distant flash of lightning and a roll of thunder.

“You enjoy doing that way too much,” Bean said with a laugh. “All right. I would still rather have Chrysalis turned into stone or something, but I’ll trust both of you. I’d feel better if we did something to protect Sergeant Pokey, too.”

“We will, my love,” Celestia said. “Shining Armor and Lieutenant Point have already put protections in place. He will be safe from her machinations.”

“Well, some of them,” a literally stone-faced Cadence said softly. “We can protect his mind and his body, but his heart…”

“That doesn’t reassure me,” Bean said with a sour frown.

“Uncle Bean, I really think both of them fell in love during her time as Bluebelle. Why else would she risk coming here tonight, especially as herself? Why in the stars would he consent to go with her? Neither of them want to admit it, but all of the signs are there. If it were not for that, I’d be charging up the ‘one-way trip to the moon’ magic right now. She hurt me deeply too, and I’d much rather see her gone. But…” Cadence turned her head slightly to look Bean in the eyes. “Most ponies did not believe you and Aunt Celly could really love each other, and you proved them wrong. If there’s a chance, even slim, that these two can find happiness, we deserve to let them try.”

“And there’s a very good chance that she could corrupt him,” Bean pointed out.

“There is, so we must proceed cautiously. But if she can be reformed, we should give her the chance, shouldn’t we?”

“You sound like Celly,” Bean grumbled. “Dad told me a stallion marries a mare in the hopes she never changes. A mare marries a stallion in order to change him. And they’re both wrong. In this case, more than ever!” He took a deep breath, held it for a short time, and let it out. “I still don’t like this at all. There’s too many ways it could go wrong. But I guess we’ll let it play out and see what happens.”

A knock came at the door as Shining Armor quickly entered, and he gave a quick bow. “Everything is in place, Your Highnesses. If Chrysalis so much as sneezes, the guard will be there with a kerchief. I’ll get a full report of her every last movement in the morning, and every hour on the hour after that.”

“Good,” Celestia said with a grin. “I like your costume, by the way.”

Shining shared a smile with Bean. “Well, Prince Bean costumes are popular this year, so I figured I should join in. I’m going to run for it if you try to kiss me, though.”

Bean’s wings folded down as he reached out and touched Shining’s replica of his Celestial Crystal. “Is this real crystal? It looks like it is.”

“It is, but it’s the fragile stuff that usually just gets thrown out,” Shining said. “It’ll break if it hits anything or if I drop it. Still, it works well enough for tonight.”

“That it does,” Bean remarked just as another knock came at the door. “And I bet that’s Trixie, trying to tell us that it’s time for the costume contest. We should probably get back to the party.”

“Indeed,” Celestia said. “The guests will worry if we are gone for too long.”


 * *  🎃 * * 


“Attention, Everypony!” Shining’s voice rang out over the party. “The costume contest will now begin! All competitors to the front of the hall, please!”

Chrysalis squealed with delight and gave Pokey a playful nudge. “Watch this, my sweet babboo. I’m going to win this thing, and your Bean won’t even realize it’s me! Isn’t it so delightful?”

“I’m not your sweet babboo,” Pokey grumbled.

“Now, you stay right here,” Chrysalis continued without missing a beat. “I’ll be right back with my first place prize, and then you and I will go celebrate.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” he shot back.

Chrysalis ignored his snide comment and pranced up to the front of the hall. Now that she had her Pokey back by her side, her mind was swimming with delightfully wicked plans for revenge against Sunbutt and that Bean, and the victory was going to be sweeter than that sappy puppy love stuff that always gave her heartburn. Soon, she would be able to gain everything she had lost and more, and there would be nothing to stop her this time.

Her smile grew larger as she looked over her competition. There were few Prince Beans in the lineup, a witch, something that looked like a bloated bumblebee, several princesses of all varieties, one changeling drone who looked suspiciously like Kevin, and that one adventurer pegasus, Yearling Do or whatever her name was.

Chrysalis shook her head and chuckled with delight. There was no way that anypony could beat a Changeling Queen costume as real as hers. This contest was already all but won.

“For tonight’s contest, our judges will be Prince Baked Bean, Princess Celestia, and Nightmare Moon herself,” Shining announced. “Good luck, everypony!”

Chrysalis buzzed her wings and stood a bit taller as the judges started with the pony in the pith helmet and began to work their way towards her, but her mind switched from revenge to curiosity as she waited. How had that Bean managed to defeat her magic? With the boost she had gotten from his love for Sunbutt, his mind should have been turned into tapioca pudding within a day or so, yet he had somehow resisted and then removed the corruption with no ill effects. The newspapers had given no details on the matter, and when she had returned to the hive, Bob and Mandible only knew about how he had been found after his escape.

Maybe she was losing her touch? No, that was impossible. It was something she was going to look into, now that she had her Pokey again. Perhaps her reluctant guard would be willing to offer some insider insight on the matter.

The not-really-disguised queen flashed a toothy grin as the trio of judges finally made it to her. Sunbutt and that Bean frowned deeply as they glanced her over, but Nightmare Moon returned the grin with a degree of wicked delight that Chrysalis did not think any Princess had the capacity to have. It was like the Mare in The Moon was thinking of all the varied ways there were to torture and dissect her, and whether a bug would taste better roasted over an open flame on a spit or slowly baked in a basalmic vinegar marinade.

The two of them could have made wonderful allies, had Luna not been purged of her Nightmarish ways. It was a shame it was all just an act.

A very convincing act, to be honest. So convincing, in fact, that Chrysalis’ grin began to falter, and she decided to retreat back to her Pokey as soon as possible.

“I have to say, this is a very convincing costume,” Bean said. “So real, in fact, that I feel like ordering the guards to arrest you. The only thing wrong is the glasses.”

“What can I say?” Chrysalis said with a giggle. “I have a knack for appearances.”

“So it would seem,” Celestia added. “It would be a shame if this appearance was your last, wouldn’t it?”

The queen’s giggle turned nervous. “Why would this be my last appearance?”

“Because if you were Chrysalis, and if you tried to harm anypony, I would be forced to accept Nightmare Moon’s suggestions on how to punish you.”

“Oh? That sounds rather risqué. Perhaps I should do something, then.”

Chrysalis regretted her words as soon as she said them. Nightmare Moon’s face lit up in anticipation, and it was clear that the punishments that she had in mind would be anything but enjoyable.

“I would advise against that,” Celestia said. “However, I think we’ve seen enough. Shall we determine the winner, my love?”

The three slowly walked away, and Chrysalis nearly bolted back to her Pokey. That had not gone how she had wanted it to. There was probably some sort of irony in the fact that she wanted one of Sunbutt’s guards to protect her from Sunbutt, but she was too unnerved to figure out how or why.

After a few minutes, that Bean stepped up on his throne, flared his bat wings, and flashed his own fang-filled smile. “All right! After careful consideration, the Princesses and I have selected a winner. All of your costumes are fantastic, and it was difficult to select the best one. Let’s give the contestants a round of applause, everypony!”

The crowd stomped and cheered for a moment with the batty Prince, but then eager eyes followed Celestia the Wonderbolt as her magic held up the third place ribbon.

“In third place, we have selected Witch Hazel!” Bean announced, and another round of cheers came as the witch pony stepped up and cheerfully accepted her prize. “In second place, the changeling drone!”

Chrysalis glared as the little traitor buzzed forward and accepted his ribbon. If that was Kevin, she was going to have some stern words for her wayward subject at the next safety meeting.

“And in first place, with an amazing act to go with her amazing costume…”

Chrysalis preened as she began to walk forward.

“...Daring Do!”

“WHAT?!” Chrysalis screeched as the winning mare blinked rapidly.

Chrysalis gnashed her teeth in frustration as the Daring Do look-alike stepped forward. “Are you serious? Did I really win?”

“You did, Miss Do,” Bean happily announced as Nightmare Moon presented the large and ornate first place ribbon to her. “Your costume is amazing! You’ll have to tell me how you managed to pull it off.

“Now, for the rest of our contestants, we have a small prize for you as well,” Bean continued. “Please wait for just a moment, and Miss Lulamoon will present them to you.”


 * *  🎃 * * 


“Ninth Place!” Chrysalis fumed, her magic waving the pitiful ribbon she’d been given in the air like it was a poisonous serpent. “Can you believe that, my sweet babboo? That klutz took first, and I got ninth! How dare they insult me like this!”

“I’m not your sweet babboo,” Pokey said through a chuckle as they walked outside and into a carefully manicured pumpkin patch. “And I think it’s hilarious. It’s what you deserve.”

“Even that stupid bumblebee beat me!” Chrysalis snarled. “Oh, Sunbutt and that Bean are going to pay for this one! I refuse to be treated so unfairly!”

“Don’t you even think it,” Pokey warned, his grip tightening on his spear. “I still enjoy a good kabob.”

Chrysalis wanted to snap off a withiring retort, but she found herself unable to when she met his perfect, piercing blue eyes. “Oh, fine. I’ll leave them alone, but only because you asked nicely, my sweet babboo.”

“Not your sweet babboo,” Pokey said wearily. “Why are you still here, anyway? The party is almost over.”

“Because you are here, my Hokey,” Chrysalis said. “I did say that I wasn’t going to leave your side, didn’t I?”

“Look, bug, I don’t know what’s going on in that empty head of yours, but I’m not going to rush back into your embrace just because you showed up. You hurt me, badly. That’s not something I’m going to just forgive and forget.”

“Oh, come now, dearest. I think we just got off on the wrong hoof,” she replied with a sultry grin. “Sure, I may have been a bit secretive when we first met, but now you know the full truth. I really think that you and me could be we again, if you’d just give it a chance.”

Hokey Pokey glared at her for several long moments. “You really believe there can be something between us again, don’t you?”

“Don’t you?”

Hokey Pokey snorted. “No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do,” Chrysalis said in a sing-song tone. “You can’t hide your feelings from me, my sweet babboo. I can taste everything you’re feeling right now: there’s the sharp spice of anger, mostly, and that delightful sweet-and-sour that is confusion. But underneath those, there’s that soft slice of hope, like one of Celestia’s treasured cakes, and even though you’re trying to bury it deep, I can still taste the ever-so-slight pureness of love in there. You want to hate me. You’re forcing yourself to hate me, willing yourself into an angry furor. But no matter how hard you try, that little pearl of love is still there. It’s faint, but it’s stubborn, just like you. You want us to be together again.”

“What I want,” Pokey growled, “is dead and gone. I fell in love with an illusion; a fantasy. The only reason you feel any love is because you’re tasting what remained for Bluebelle.”

“Really?” Chrysalis stepped closer, and a smile came when he did not retreat. “Shall we test that little theory of yours?”

Before Pokey could react, Chrysalis leaned in and planted her lips on his.

And with a stomp of his rear hoof, he begrudgingly began to enjoy the experience.

“Ah, see?” Chrysalis purred when she pulled away. “You enjoyed that.”

“Shut up,” he snarled, his spear skewering a hapless pumpkin.

“And I can give you more,” she cooed. “Lots more. Quit fighting it, my sweet babboo. Give in to your feelings.”

“Shut up!” he roared, his wings flaring out as his tail lashed his haunches. “Shut up, shut up! You’re just going to use me again! You don’t care about me! You bugs only care about your own stupid selves!”

“I want you, Sergeant,” Chrysalis whispered in the moonlight, “and I have never said that to any living creature before. You want me to be honest? There it is. Now are you going to be honest with me?”

Chrysalis was surprised at herself and her willingness to reveal that truth. In all of her years of deception and subterfuge, she had never confessed her real feelings to anyone.

It felt nice to actually say it, though.

“I hate you,” Pokey finally growled. “I hate your lies, I hate how you used me, and I hate what you’re doing now. I hate everything about this.

“But I want what we had before,” he finally confessed. “And as ridiculous as all of this is, I can’t deny there’s a possibility we could have it again.”

“Does that mean?” Chrysalis squealed, but her excitement was cut off by his hoof in her face.

“No. I’m not going to let you break my heart again. If you want me back, then you’re going to have to bust your little bug butt to earn it, and it ain’t going to be easy.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Chrysalis said with a lick of her lips. “When I want something, I get it. You’ll see.”


 * *  🎃 * * 


“I don’t like this,” Bean said with a snort. “She’s just going to hurt him again. She doesn’t care about him at all.”

Shining nodded as they watched the changeling queen and the steadfast sergeant from their position on the balcony above them. “Honestly, I agree with you, but if they are getting back together, it makes it easy to keep track of her. I’ll make sure she doesn’t brainwash him again, and he’s going to be giving frequent updates on their conversations. Our wives might find this to be interesting, but I think it’s a trap. This time, though, we’re going to make sure it snaps on her, not us.”

“Well, apart from her unwelcome presence, this was a rather fun party,” Bean said as they stepped away from the railing. “Maybe next year I’ll dress up like you.”

“I’d be honored,” Shining said with a grin. “And Celestia can dress up like Cadence. I’ll go as you again, and Cady can go as Celestia. We’ll see if anypony notices a difference.”

“I hope so,” Bean chuckled. “You will always fill the part of Prince better than I ever will.”

“Bean, my love?” Celestia’s dulcet voice drifted out and caressed the smaller prince’s ears. “Could you come help me with my costume?”

Bean felt a burning in his cheeks as Shining Armor laughed and smacked his shoulder. “I get the feeling that the party is just getting started.”

“And may it last all night long for both of us,” he offered before trotting inside. “Coming, Celly!”


 * *  🎃 * *