The most fearsome night of the year had finally arrived. Once the sun set over Ponyville, everypony went home and got into costume, while the little fillies were secretly scared of the supposed Nightmare Moon creature that was supposed to be there this very hour.
All the preparation this year had paid off, as the festival covered more of the town than last year, and generally everything was shinier than before, hinting at the bigger budget than before.
A little group of fillies, lead by Scootaloo, came out in full force for all that candy. "Come on fillies," she commanded. "You're not going to be a bunch of chickens now, are you?"
"No, we're not chickens," Dinky Hooves said, her hooves quaking as she followed the filly pegasus down the walkway. "We're not scared of any Nightmare Moon..."
The group explored every nook and cranny of Ponyville, handing out their bags for every house with an open light they could find. As you might have guessed, there was much candy to be found, and it would take days for the fillies to eat it all. Thank Celestia it was on a Friday this year, Cheerilee wouldn't be there to complain if they got sick from eating it all.
But something else entirely caught their eye altogether. Off in the distance was a part of Ponyville roped off, safeguarded by Zecora while a giant Nightmare Moon emblem was right above her. Eager to prove she was beyond the midnight beast, Scootaloo arrived at the rope entrance.
"What's with the rope, Zecora?" she asked. "Do you think we're chickens too?"
"Not at all, my dear Scootaloo," Zecora said. "But you will be horrified of what's inside, too. For Nightmare Moon has made her return, and your candy she does yet yearn."
The filly looked over her candy bag, really wanting to tear into every piece. But then again, she didn't want to get teased over running away from Luna for the month of November either.
"I can handle her! There's no group braver than ours, so let us in!"
Zecora, not at all amused with this display of pride, took the rope in her mouth and opened the way for the group to get in. Without warning they stampeded into the zone, and were taken aback from what they saw.
During Nightmare Night, Ponyville always transformed its appearance into something else, but never on this scale before. A thick fog enveloped the dirt roads below their hooves, the buildings turned to towering black silhouettes, and somepony had even taken the privilege of darkening the sky just in this area. Rainbow Dash got a kick out of that job.
And every so often, a strike of lightning lit up the zone, showing glimpses of another pony inside, a tall fearsome beast, slowly approaching them...
"I'm scared!" screamed Dinky, holding onto Scootaloo for support. "She's coming right for us!"
"Who? Her? Come on, toughen up!" Scootaloo scolded. "I've heard it's just Princess Luna in disguise, and she's a bit of a dork. So what's there to be afraid of?"
But then lightning struck twice, and the tall pony was nowhere to be found. Scooaloo's heart was beating in fear, but she wasn't going to show it. She clutched Dinky's hooves in hers as they walked down the street. They looked around for anything that could jump at them.
There were owls on every perch peering at them, the sound of wolves howling, and anything a certain pony could use to make it creepier. And Scootaloo saw which one when she looked at the end of the path and made out a familiar tree house.
"This...this is Twilight's home," Scootaloo shivered. "I didn't recognize it."
"Can we go now?" Dinky gasped, thinking somepony was watching them behind her.
"Yeah, I think this is too much for somepony your age. Anypony else want to stay?"
The group shook their heads and ran for their lives for the exit. Then, a mass of smoke formed above them, slowly taking shape into a big round ball of dark energy.
"So you believe you can escape so easily?" the voice inside said. "Inside my realm of darkness, on the darkest night of the year? No, you will not get off so easily."
Scootaloo and Dinky hid in each other's hooves, while the rest of the group tried to run around it only to bump into a force field, separating them from escape.
"What do you want from us?" Dinky shrieked.
"Now that is a simple question if I ever heard one. What I want is for something good to eat tonight. And your delicious candy is more than enough for me."
"I'm not giving candy to you two years running. I worked hard on this!" Scootaloo shouted with the last bit of courage she had.
"Is that so?" The cloud took a more detailed shape, starting to form the appearance of a pony covered in armor. "Do you not know who I am? Because I know you, and if you do not offer your candy to me, you will make a treat just fine for me."
She took her final form, emerging as the beast Nightmare Moon. Her fangs were extended for her meal, and she lowered herself to get ready to pounce. Then she batted a hoof on the ground in a battle action, ready to eat.
All of the fillies screamed in horror and dumped all their candy on the ground, except for Scootaloo. The rest ran around Nightmare Moon without the force field stopping them anymore into the safety of Ponyville.
Nightmare Moon smirked when she witnessed Scootaloo still trying to be the brave one. The alicorn circled around her, while the Cutie Mark Crusader did her best to stand tall...and fail, cowering on the ground. This was going to be too easy.
"Many would admire your courage," Nightmare Moon laughed. "But I don't. Such defiance should not be tolerated against the likes of me. Do you know what I'm going to do now?"
"Gobble me up?" Scootaloo whispered.
"Oh yes, that's what the legend might state. But legends are never absolutely grounded in truth. No, you will be treated to something much worse than that."
The beast returned to cloud form and covered the pile of candy, disappearing with it inside the mist of the street. Suddenly the street went quiet, without a sign of anypony else here but Scootaloo.
With her candy intact, she took this chance and galloped for the exit, with the rest of Ponyville in sight. But when she did so, she fell back onto her bag as the force field had returned, trapping her with the unknown horror.
Her heartbeat pounding like a drum, she turned back to see what threat this could be. But there wasn't any noise, any sight to see. Maybe this was just some tasteless prank, she thought to herself.
Yet it didn't take long for her to notice something was coming for her. She could hear what sounded like the sounds of hooves galloping on the rooftops far away, and they were getting closer with every touch.
She took cover around a marketplace stand, and peered her head out. The zone seemed to get darker, acting as a cover to the uninvited being. Then she heard the sound of wings flapping in the distance, and whoever had them landed right in front of her.
With that, she ducked underneath the stand and hoped it did not see her. She screamed as the marketplace stall was ripped above her, and she saw the other beast right in front of her.
Somehow more terrifying than Nightmare Moon ever was, this monster was an alicorn with a dark purple coat, a dark blue mane, and fangs so long they came down to the neckplate she was wearing. Her eyes were dark as the night, and she took a deep breath and roared at Scootaloo.
"WHO ARE YOU?" Scootaloo yelled at the top of her lungs.
"You don't know who I am either?" the beast questioned. "I am...uh...Total Eclipse, and along with Nightmare Moon, I will work to bring to Equestria eternal night, but first I must feed off of something. Now what should I have? I see a bag of candy that looks delicious, but so does the pegasus carrying it..."
Scootaloo lost it and dumped all of her hard-earned candy in front of Total Eclipse, before Nightmare Moon landed next to her assistant.
"I gave everything I had to Eclipse! What else do you want me to do?" the pegasus demanded to know.
"Tell all your friends about us," Total Eclipse demanded, "and make sure they know neither one of us is meant to be trifled with."
Scootaloo nodded and ran out of the zone, not looking back until she couldn't see them in the distance. A lot of other ponies were eager to get inside when they saw her screaming and running, looking at each other to see what could do such a thing.
Back inside the area, Nightmare Moon and Total Eclipse's horns glowed as they dropped their disguises, and returned to Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle. Once they saw the other ponies in line move away one by one, they laughed to themselves.
"I feel bad for Scootaloo, but that was so much fun!" Twilight mentioned. "You think she'll be fine?"
"You were the one who wanted to take the form of my protege," Luna answered. "But I did ask myself the same thing last year, and she came back for seconds. Speaking of which, I think it's time we finally enjoyed our candy. I haven't had any before."
"Yeah, but we should probably eat it back there. This place is giving ME the creeps."
Luna looked around and saw what Twilight meant. This was something that she was surprised any fillies would come to see, regardless if the scares weren't as bad as some of the things she had in mind...
Zecora could make the two through the smoke and mirrors and undid the rope to let them back in. The ponies in line groaned and went for other attractions, realizing this meant the zone was going to be shut down for a while.
"We will return in one hour, we promise!" Luna swore. "Nightmare Moon needs her rest too," bringing attention to the candy bag on her back.
"So where should we take a seat at?" Twilight asked.
A table right by the fairgrounds caught the alicorn's eye, isolated and by itself. "That one."
They walked closer to the table, but as they approached it, everypony that could spot the princess bowed like before, though not with the same kind of fear as before.
"Pray tell, have they done this with Celestia when she comes to town?"
"Yes, in matter of fact. They never ran away or acted like she was going to kill them, but it's still custom to bow before her."
"So they continue to treat me like this, not because they are afraid, but because they are honoring me?"
Twilight nodded in response, and Luna couldn't have looked more pleased with herself. Her attempts to improve her image in Equestria was working after all.
Now that they had taken their seats on the picnic table, Luna hovered the candy bag and dumped all of it out. There were all sorts of treats on display, from bubble gum to strechy taffy to...a soda can...but overall it looked like a good stash any filly would be proud of.
But she didn't know that. She poked a wrapped piece of gum like it was some animal not to be messed with, and tilted her head in confusion.
"I apologize, but how do these work? What are you supposed to do with the paper?"
"That's easy," Twilight laughed. Luna had a few more things to learn. "All you have to do is take the candy in your hoof, take the wrapper off, and put it in your mouth, like this!"
She used her horn to levitate the piece of bubble gum in front of her, taking the wrapper off as stated, and enjoyed some old fashioned gum, blowing a bubble while she was at it.
Now that Luna got it, she hovered her own piece and unwrapped it to partake in her first taste of candy ever. She was surprised at the concentrated amount of sugar inside, spitting it out for a second and keeping it levitated, and put it back inside.
She chewed it for some time, and smiled back. "I have not known sugar could make for a delicious treat, but now I know better," she said, eyeballing her spoils, "and I can't wait to try some more."
However, before she could have another piece, she heard something loud and fierce above. It sounded like it could be a bird, but there was no bird she knew that could make a sound that sounded like a mixture between gagging and screaming.
"Nightmare Moon!" the voice singled out. "You have been giving me nightmares for too long! I guess that makes sense because you're NIGHTMARE Moon, but I have had enough! You've been taking too much of my hard earned candy for too long, and I won't take it any longer!"
"Pinkie Pie?" Twilight puzzled. The pink pony was nowhere to be seen. "Where are you?"
"Oh hi Twilight! I'm so sorry I'm doing this, because that candy does look tasty, but I have to do what a hawk's gotta do!"
"A...hawk? What do you mean, what a hawk's gotta do?"
"THIS!"
A massive bird circled around the sky high above, one that looked much like a hawk to anypony watching above. It screamed again, but as Twilight looked at it closely, she could make out a familiar pink face to it.
Inside the talons was a huge plastic bag, and it swooped down onto the table. Much of the candy Luna and Twilight earned ended up inside, leaving bare amounts of it left, as it flew right back into the sky.
During that moment, Twilight got a good glance at the hawk responsible, and saw it was Pinkie Pie inside a hawk costume.
"PINKIE PIE! How did you learn to fly like that? You don't have any wings!"
"Indeed!" Luna said, stomping a hoof on the ground in anger. "How dare you take the candy we rightfully stole from other fillies? Give it back to us immediately!"
"Never! I want to give this back to the the other fillies you stole this from, freaky thief!" Pinkie Pie declared, flying out of sight.
Once the weirdest hawk of all time had left Ponyville, they looked at each other, wondering if that really happened or part of their imagination. But the few pieces of treats left over confirmed it was real.
They tried to pretend it never happened and tried to feast on what Pinkie left over. But eventually somepony had to bring it up.
"I heard a lot of things about this Pinkie Pie, but nothing could prepare me for...that. How is that even possible, an Earth Pony learning to fly without magic?" Luna asked.
"She's just being Pinkie Pie," Twilight shrugged. "I don't understand how she works, and I tried. None of my experiments worked one bit, so I'm just as confused as you are."
They erupted in laughter, watching the Pinkie hawk swoop from place to place, giving a filly some candy every step. Luna stopped for a brief second with the epiphany: Is this technically a date? Twilight seemed to enjoy her company, and it was a lot of fun...
No matter, she pushed the thought away and continued on.
"How are your studies fairing here in Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle?"
"Great. Just great," Twilight said gleefully. "I've gotten real close to all of my friends in my stay, and it's been a lot of fun. Wait, I think I see one coming right up. Hi, Rarity!'
Luna turned around to see a stranger wave back at Twilight. She had a stylized purple mane with her bangs flowing down, a white coat, and strangely enough a pair of pink tinted glasses looking like goggles, a pink tie, and a dress with black and white stripes in the front. If she didn't know better, this pony was dressed up like a photographer she heard about with the name Photo Finish.
It was so strange to see the sight, for Rarity nailed everything down about the photographer. From the mane cut to the dress, everything was uncanny right down to the personality.
"Egad, where did you get that costume, at some cheap 99 Bits store?" she said, seeing Derpy dressed in paper bags only. "Have you ever heard of the Carousal Boutique? You must, for this costume will not do."
"Now that's what I call dazzling," she noted with one mare decorated like an Egyptian pharaoh. "Marvelous detail, plenty of gems to go about, why, I'd say you have better taste than me, and that is quite an accomplishment."
"Is she like always like this?" Luna questioned. "She seems to be quite the touchy one, and I do believe her voice sounds eerily like mine at times."
"She's just playing the part, let's invite her over here! Rarity, how about you take a seat with the princess?"
Rarity saw the princess sitting across from her friend, and she was awe struck by the night alicorn. Her flowing mane, filled with stars, was beyond anything she could design, and the splotch with her cutie mark on her flank accented her dark blue coat perfectly. She dropped her glasses in complete surprise.
"Amazing, it is an honor to finally meet you, Princess Luna," Rarity bowed. "I...I have heard a lot of marvelous things about your appearance, but nothing like this. I thank you for the privilege--"
"It is nothing," Luna interrupted. "What I have read about you is more fascinating than anything, so shall we discuss both of your lives right now?'
Still agape, Rarity slowly made her way opposite Luna on the table, her dress brushing up against Twilight's fur.
By now the festival was in full swing, and everypony that wanted out was out there. The sound of a band could be heard not far off, and Big Mac resumed his usual Nightmare Night job, pulling a cart full of children in a wooden barrow.
"I know princesses don't need any dress," Rarity commented, "but why not you, Twilight? Last year you went around dressed like a hobo or a magician, the rest of the friends kept saying different things. I couldn't go last year, had a big delivery to make."
"That's right, I did have a costume!" Twilight panicked, jumping out of her spot. "I still have that costume, could you hold my spot?"
Rarity nodded, and Twilight rushed back into the scare zone, where her house was in the middle of.
Once the two were alone, Luna fidgeted the slippers on her front hooves. She hadn't seen as many letters about Rarity as the others, but she could gather that this unicorn had a love of fashion and would fit like a glove in Canterlot.
"Strange, you do seem to have a similar voice to mine," she stated. "Perhaps we will become close friends as well."
"Maybe, this is the first time since you were Nightmare Moon I've gotten to meet you," Rarity responded. "I understand you've been working with Twilight this year. How have things gone?"
Luna blushed just a bit. "Wonderful. She is quite the organizer, I think things moved smoother when she was helping us out. Does that match up with your experience?"
"Indeed. She might have a special talent in magic, but her organization skills are second to none. I don't see her without a plan in mind for the day."
Seeing her chance, Luna narrowed her eyes. "I do have a plan with her in mind, but I need you to come close. Nopony needs to know right now."
Sensing the need for some juicy gossip, Rarity came to the other side and came closer to the alicorn, nodding that she was ready to listen.
Luna made sure nopony was close enough, and lowered her muzzle right next to Rarity's ear.
"After this is all over," she whispered, "I'm going to confess to Twilight Sparkle that I have a crush on her."
Rarity gasped and pushed her lips closed with her hooves to avoid screaming the revelation. Her pupils exploded in surprise, and there was even a slight giggle in her gasp.
Yet she resisted her urges and went back to her seat, her heart rushing at the revelation.
"Oh, how scandalous! I'm sorry to be using that word, but do you know how this will come off across as? A princess of Equestria, one of the most powerful ponies of all, has a crush on one of my closest friends!"
"That is why I plan on telling her in private. I'm not coming out with this until I know for certain that she has those feelings too."
"Does she know?"
"No, not yet. I cannot hide this from her any longer."
"I do understand. I've read far too many romance novels where the two hide their love for one another, and only bad things happened after that. You must realize how bold this is...have you ever fallen in love before?"
Luna shook her head, but they kept quiet as Twilight returned to the table, clad in her Starswirl costume once more. Rarity laughed underneath her breath, and took a piece of taffy to herself.
When the purple unicorn came back, it was like a different table. Luna was looking away in embarrassment, while Rarity was whispering what she knew under her hooves, but it was so raspy she couldn't make it out. Just as planned.
She shook it off and took her seat back, looking at one of the clocks on the block. "We have fifteen minutes before everypony wants the zone back open, so how have you been getting along?"
Rarity shrugged. "Very well, I should meet her sometime after this is all over. But I should be leaving, I do have more costumes to critique!'
She got up and left the table, leaving the alicorn and the unicorn alone. Twilight glanced back at the clock. "I guess we could leave now?"
"Yes, right now!" Luna shouted. "Come on, they're getting inpatient without our presence!"
Without a reason, she rushed out and ran back to get the zone back to "normal". Twilight sighed as they went back to resume the forms of Nightmare Moon and Total Eclipse, returning to terrify ponies of all ages.
The time was almost here at last.