//------------------------------// // Pink or Treat // Story: Paint The Moon Red // by AuroraDawn //------------------------------// Pinkie Pie burst out into the street, bouncing happily along while Nightmare Moon followed her apprehensively. She thanked Bulk Biceps profusely to a similar grunt to the one Rarity received, and then turned down the road, bouncing up the hill towards the shops. “Your enthusiasm is sickening, Pinkie,” Nightmare spat, her long strides somehow struggling to match pace with the earth pony. “Where are you leading me off to? What food do you know of fit for my excellency?” Pinkie Pie giggled as if she had been complimented. “Candy, of course! What else would it be?” “Candy? Pinkie Pie, I am not some naive foal. How could that be the ‘obvious’ choice?” “It’s traditional,” Pinkie said, slowing her gait as they turned off a street of shops onto one with more residential-style homes. Even here, Nightmare could see, the firelight from inside the buildings was spilling out of most of the homes, and dozens of costumed ponies were dashing from door to door with feed bags and satchels, thrusting them out eagerly to the tenants within. She looked closer in one house as they passed, and saw an elderly unicorn tittering about how lovely the foal before her’s bugbear costume was. The unicorn lifted a bowl up that was overflowing with wax-wrapped confections, and tossed a hooffull of them into the bag held out to her. She waved goodbye, and then sat back, waiting for the next visitor that was sure to come. “Traditional for what? Rarity said they were holding a party in my honor today. What does any of this—” she waved a hoof about, indicating the groups spread about the cobbled road, and the candy-dispensing houses, “—have to do with me?” Pinkie Pie skidded to a stop, and then sprang back towards Nightmare. She leapt up and grabbed the alicorn’s face in both her forehooves, pulling it down to within an inch of her nose. “You mean you don’t know?!” Nightmare was too surprised to remember to be upset at her mishandling. “Kno wha’?” she asked through her squished cheeks. “This is Nightmare Night, Lun-er, Nightmare! It’s your night, where we celebrate you! I mean sure they’ll say that it’s for Luna, but it’s all about you specifically, Nightmare. It’s been practiced for like, oodles and doodles of years! Not quite as long as the Summer Sun festival, I don’t think, but yeah!” She let go of Nightmare Moon, and rubbed her own muzzle, thinking. “How could you forget? Luna’s been to one of the celebrations, in Ponyville.” Nightmare rubbed her neck, embarrassed. “Well, we don’t really share memories. Only ones formed in times of extreme emotional impact. This could be something monumentally joyous or devastating. Most of our memories are of the latter.” Pinkie Pie made a move that Nightmare could only describe as deflated. Somehow this solid earth pony had melted like chocolate on a hot day. “Oh, Luna,” she whispered, “I’m so sorry.” “It’s Nightmare Moon, Pinkie Pie, and you will do well to stop forgetting this.” “I was speaking to both of you. Well then!” She bounced back up, causing Nightmare to step back. “Then I consider it my solemn duty to make you two one heckuva great memory to share! We’re gonna go trick or treating!” Nightmare couldn’t help but smile at this infectious energy. Pinkie Pie may have been informal and careless with her words, but she could see that she truly meant to make this night enjoyable to her. The methods sounded foalish, but, she conceded, this was still a pony set on showing love to her. She would take any worship she could get. “Alright then. Let us trick and or treat. How is this related to me, though?” Pinkie Pie had ducked into a nearby alley and was obscuring herself behind a barrel. Nightmare could hear rustling, zipping, and unfamiliar staticy noises while Pinkie squirmed just out of sight. While she performed this strange action, she spoke. “Okay! So the idea is that on Nightmare Night, you were able to escape your prison on the moon and terrorize Equestria for the one night. Ponies had to dress up as monsters and animals to disguise themselves for fear of being caught by the ferocious Nightmare Moon. If one was caught—oof, this is tight—they could satisfy you with an offering of candy and sweets, to save themselves from being gobbled up.” She walked out from behind the barrel, and Nightmare Moon had to hold a hoof to her mouth to keep herself from laughing. In front of her was Pinkie Pie, in an ill-fitting white body suit with golden shoes and a golden star painted onto it. Her curly mane was tucked into a hat that a flat piece of cardboard—painted crudely with blues, greens, and pinks—was attached to, and she had somehow changed her blue irises to a synthetic purple colour. She was, in the loosest sense of the word, dressed as Celestia, if Celestia had been made out of bit-store junk. “What do you think?” she asked, striking a regal pose. The cardboard mane tilted, and then fell down, plapping Pinkie in the nose. At this, Nightmare could not hold her laughter in. It escaped from her hoof, and the street was momentarily filled with the teenaged-sounding belly laughs of this ancient evil. Pinkie Pie held her pose and smiled broadly while Nightmare finished her laugh. Nightmare sighed contentedly, and then wiped a tear from her eye. “You look exactly like how I feel she looks,” Nightmare said. “Aww, thank you! I think I’m beautiful too!” “No, that’s not—” “Anyways, the ponies go door to door and collect candy from all the houses. It’s more of a foal and yearling thing, especially at places like Ponyville, but all the adults usually get involved in some way. Here in Canterlot, though, it tends to go much further into the night, after all the foals are home and full of sugar. Here, this is for you,” Pinkie said, handing Nightmare a brown canvas feed bag. She had her own, a little plastic jug that looked like a pumpkin. “What a brilliant tradition,” Nightmare said, equipping the bag around her neck. “I couldn’t escape the Moon, so I wonder what it was that caused this legend to arise. Regardless, it is an acceptable myth to be related to. Worship me or die.” She flexed a foreleg and smiled deviously. “It appears I don’t need to be around to get the desired effect. The concept of me existing alone inspires others. I like it.” Pinkie giggled again and started walking towards the first house. “I felt you would! Now c’mon, let's get some candy before they start turning their lights off.” The first place she approached had their door closed, but the lantern outside was burning brightly, and Pinkie rapped on the door, shouted “Trick or Treat!”, then stood giddily. The door opened to another elderly pony, an earth one this time, who lit up at the sight of Pinkie Pie. “Oh, well, what do we have here? None other than Princess Celestia! Why, dearie,” the old stallion gushed, “it’s you in the flesh! Honey, come here! We’ve been graced by a Princess’ presence.” He winked at Pinkie and stepped aside for a mare to join him at the door. The wrinkles about her eyes spread like cracking ice as she smiled so wide they squeezed closed.  “Goodness, Farrier, it must be her!” She winked too, and then muttered to Pinkie. “What a lovely costume, child. It’s nice to see some hoofmade ones instead of these common premade ones most of the foals have these days.” She grabbed a hooffull of large, full-size candy bars, and dropped them into Pinkie’s bucket. “Have a wonderful Nightmare Night, dear!” Pinkie thanked them as the door closed and then bounced back to Nightmare, vibrating. “Full-size bars! This is one of the ‘best house’s! Go on ahead, follow my lead. You knock and say the line, and then they’ll usually say you look good and then give you candy. Be polite, though. Princess or not, if you’re rude, they’ll close the door and maybe stop giving out the good stuff!” Nightmare Moon nodded and walked forward confidently. She didn’t need to be told what to do. This candy would be hers, and nothing could stop her! She reached the door, then knocked her hoof hard three times, and spoke. “Offerings or perish!” The door opened and the ancient-looking stallion started, finding himself looking at Nightmare’s chest instead of her face. She saw his neck crane upwards and his eyes squint, then open wide as his jaw dropped. Good, Nightmare figured, this mortal understood the gravity of the situa- “Well paint my rump and call me a sailor! If that ain’t the best Nightmare Moon costume I ever seen! Blossom, come, come quick! You must see this!” Nightmare Moon stood, confused. “Uh, I’m actually-” “Alicorns above, isn’t it ever, Farrier? Your costume is divine, dearie!” “...Divine you say?” Nightmare blushed and held a hoof to her chest. “Well, thank you so much! It takes a lot to look like this,” she said, slyly.  Blossom looked at the bowl of chocolate bars and then glanced at Farrier, who nodded. “Well dear, we were going to turn the lights off soon anyways, so why don’t you just take this? That is simply stunning work!” She reached the bowl up high to Nightmare’s sack, and Nightmare was surprised to find herself bending a knee to help the old mare reach. She glanced down, and couldn’t help but feel a great excitement from some inner foal as a half-dozen large bars of candy dropped into the satchel. “...Thank you,” she said genuinely, tasting the words and finding them not as disgusting to say as she expected. The two tittered and gushed for another moment before Farrier blew out the lantern and waved Nightmare away while she rejoined Pinkie Pie. The door closed, and Nightmare quickly pulled out a bar, unwrapped the wax around it, and took a bite. It was dark chocolate, and she took a moment to relish the sensation of familiar bitterness mixing with a refreshing sweetness. It was the best thing she had ever eaten. Pinkie Pie bumped her side into one of Nightmare’s legs affectionately. “Come on, let’s get going! We’ve got a lot of room for more candy, and only so much time before all the lanterns are out!” She bounded away, and Nightmare eagerly pranced behind her, grateful for the weight of the chocolate finally silencing the growl of her stomach.  It turned out, much to Nightmare’s pleasure, that the first door they went to that night was not an anomaly. Dozens of houses in a row expressed amazement and wonder at just how brilliant she looked, how befitting of the night she was, and how real she seemed to be. The thought crossed her mind a few times to shout out and clarify that she was indeed Nightmare Moon, but then piles of candy would be thrust out at her and she would smile. Saying ‘thank you’ became easier as the hour passed, and by the time they reached the bottom of the hill the long residential road stretched over, there was a warmth in her chest which had a source she could not place.  “Indigestion, perhaps,” she mused, munching on a handful of small hard honey-flavored drops.  “Whuh?” Pinkie Pie said, rummaging through her pail. She found a pack of bubblegum and gasped excitedly before tossing the whole thing in her mouth and chewing, her muzzle wide open and smacking.  “I feel strange on the inside. It’s not an unwelcome feeling, but it’s not one I’m used to.” “Ah, woll, y’ pro’aly nee suh foo!” Nightmare looked down at Pinkie, noticing she was struggling to break the lump of gum down to something more manageable and choosing to speak around it. She grabbed the damp mass in her magic and pulled it out of Pinkie’s mouth. “Repeat yourself.” “You probably need some real food! Here, this way!” And with that, she leapt up and started bounding off, back up the hill. Nightmare panicked, and called after Pinkie. “Wait, what? Hold on! What am I supposed to do with this?” She jabbed a hoof towards the half-eaten gum levitating next to her. “Keep it! It’s blueberry, not my favorite.” Nightmare shuddered and then flung the gum off into an alley. She trotted after Pinkie Pie while shaking her head. Rarity at least seemed to be consistent. Pinkie Pie, she decided, was innately unpredictable. This was troubling, if Nightmare were to get too accustomed to following her. She could follow her around a corner and come face to face with some Starswirl wannabe with a spell to turn her to stone. She bit her lower lip and slowed, watching the curly tail while its owner hopped over cracked stones in the path. Should she keep following Pinkie? So far it had been safe but… “Hurry up! I wanna buy you a kebab!” Nightmare nodded, and she picked her pace up tentatively. She had no idea what a kebab was, but Pinkie Pie sounded genuinely excited. And, well, somepony was getting her something without her asking for it. Surely the indulgence was worth a little risk? Pinkie Pie waited at a corner for Nightmare to catch up, and then turned and walked down it next to her. They appeared to be approaching a sort of main park, and as they walked into the area proper Nightmare could see it was indeed some thoroughfare that ran down from the castle to the center of Canterlot. The central park was surrounded by a roundabout, which at even this late hour was fairly packed. Nightmare looked up at the sky, scanning the stars. The Moon was directly overhead, and after a brief moment of admiration, she brought her head back down to the world around her. It was almost midnight.  She breathed in deeply, and her eyes opened wide. She was expecting the normal scents of night; dusty stones, cold damp grass, perhaps a trace of flowers that were late to put themselves to sleep. What came instead was so much more. Scents of cooking and baking filled her nose, of exotic spices and sauces, of a thousand different foods being fried and flambéed and frittered, and, uncontrollably, she felt a tear run down her cheek. She could not remember a night ever smelling so adventurous and new.  Her open eyes revealed to her the source of this original experience. Dozens of trucks lined the outside of the roundabout, and of the hundreds of mingling ponies in the square, the majority of them were lined up outside the carts. Ponies in unfamiliar uniforms were moving rapidly within them, shouting back and forth—often in languages she did not recognize—and flinging various ingredients to and fro faster than they themselves were moving.  There were plates of rice with sauces overflowing from the sides, colours so bright they were almost neon. Sticks with mixtures of familiar and unfamiliar vegetables, roasted and dusted with spices she had never even heard of, passed between the hooves of chefs to customers. Some carts offered lunchtime meals; sandwiches and salads and samosas flowed out of them to eager ponies who scarfed them down amongst their friends, their bites slowed only by laughter and oft-repeated tales. Others offered breakfast goods; cinnamon buns and pancakes seemed to be the popular choice, though there were one or two fruit stands that appeared to be busy enough to justify their place amongst the rest. The rest were… well, everything. Foreign cuisine lined up next to ice cream trucks, parked across the street from an assortment of extremely niche options. Nightmare Moon blinked, noticing that not only was there a truck that sold just avocado toast, it happened to be the busiest one on that quarter of the roundabout. “What… is this place?” she spoke breathlessly. Never before had she seen such quantities and varieties of food in one location, and the sheer enormity of options and excess overwhelmed her.  No answer came back to her, not even a giggle. “Pinkie Pie?” she asked, checking around. Her guide appeared to have vanished, and she frowned. Of course. She had been led to a wide open park, where plenty of hidden agents could hide amongst the crowd and leap out now she was relaxed and potentially sleepy from all the candy her “host” had convinced her to eat. It all made sense!  Nightmare Moon took a guarded step back, her eyes squinting as she surveyed the mass of ponies for trained assassins. It was useless, she realized, as they were almost all of them dressed in ridiculous costumes of monsters and ancient heroes. No matter, of course. She would just remove all of them. A bright cyan glow emanated around her as she charged her horn, the magical energy growing around her along with a malicious smile of jagged teeth. The pink pony had been foolish to lead her here; their trap would fail, and how spectacularly so! She lowered her head, aiming her crackling horn at the thickest group of ponies, and then— “I’m back, Nightmare! Oh, you’ve got us some light, that’s so thoughtful of you!” Pinkie Pie’s voice struck Nightmare Moon like a migraine, and she closed her eyes in quiet frustration while depowering the spell.  “You left me.” “Of course I did, silly! You were enjoying the sights and sounds of the night! I wasn’t gonna interrupt that just to make you stand in a line.” She made a raspberry noise and laughed. “Here, while you were meditating I got you this.” Pinkie Pie held out one of those sticks of flamed veggies coated with a dusting of yellow spices, and Nightmare grabbed it in her magic, bringing it close to her eyes. “And what is this, pray tell? Poison?” “Well, if you can’t handle spicy foods, it can feel like it, but really, it’s good! I’ll eat it if you don’t trust me, and you can have mine.” She beamed, either completely in defiance of, or total ignorance of, Nightmare’s unimpressed stare. “And how do I know you weren’t counting on that, and poisoned yours in expectation of swapping with mine then, hmm?” Her eyes narrowed on that everlasting smile. “Someone’s a grouchypants today. Nightmare Moon,” Pinkie Pie said, dropping to her hindquarters and levelling a neutral stare up into her eyes, “I Pinkie Promise you that these kebabs are nothing more than kebabs, served up hot and fresh from my friend Saffron Masala’s stand, just over there, where plenty of other ponies are eating them.” She made a series of motions, culminating in jabbing her open eye with a hoof. Nightmare Moon felt no more convinced, but, with a deep resounding sigh, nodded. “Fine. Just know that if I feel the slightest bit wronged by this meal, I shall destroy you.” Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Whatever, just eat it already, while it’s hot!” She opened her mouth and slid the kebab across her extended tongue, gulping it down entirely without appearing to have chewed it. Taking a bit more time with hers, Nightmare just tried a nibble of the first vegetable. It was a thin, peppery-looking thing, light green beneath the turmeric and charring, and the refreshingly sweet taste of roasted fresh grass caused her pause. Her eyes opened wide as a distant memory rushed in, overwriting reality. “Oh, Stars above, this is…” She let the words drop as she took another bite, larger now, taking in a bit of potato along with the rest of the okra. Her eyes rolled backwards as once more a wave of nostalgia washed over her. “Too spicy for you, huh?” Pinkie Pie asked, giggling at Nightmare’s misty eyes. “Here, I kinda thought it might be, so I got you some extra napkins to make sure you stay looking dangerous and intimidating.” “N-no, I…” She turned away, snatching the offered napkin out of Pinkie’s outstretched hoof with a snap of magic. “I just remembered…” “What is it?” Pinkie Pie asked softly, scooching a bit closer to the alicorn. “Back at our castle—the one in the Everfree, not this one here—I would… Sometimes I would graze in the clearings at night. It-it sounds silly, I know, grazing when you have access to a Royal Kitchen, but…” She sniffed and wiped at her nose with the napkin, absentmindedly grabbing a second one which Pinkie had slid in front of her. “There was something about the Everfree grass, when the moon was high and the dew had settled… This tastes just like it. I forgot… I even had that memory.” She blinked and then shook her head rapidly, cheeks flushing at her brief moment of vulnerability. “What did you do to that kebab? You made me weak somehow!” Pinkie Pie shook her head, her mouth occupied by another hooffull of veggies that she was attempting to chew this time. She swallowed loudly, and then spoke. “Well, that wasn’t me! It was the food itself. That’s what this is all about, Nightmare Moon!” “What do you mean?” Nightmare asked, before taking another guarded bite and chewing slowly. “Nights are for making memories. That’s what every pony is doing here tonight. Don’t you see?” She spread her forehooves wide, stretching them out from one end of the roundabout to the next, encompassing every group of ponies that ate and chewed and laughed and kissed and talked. “In the daytime, we’re all at work, or taking care of chores, but when the sun goes down is when we’re free to make memories. None of us are here for the food,” she said, taking a huge bite out of a third kebab that Nightmare had not seen her acquire, “but for the company of each other and the fun of the event.” She smiled as Nightmare finished her first kebab, mulling over the words Pinkie had said. “In a dozen years, nopony here will remember what they ate, but they will remember the conversations they had. The food might help them remember, like with you! But it’s the celebration of our friends, and our lives.” Nightmare Moon swayed in place, her brows creased not in anger or miscomprehension, but in fear of a small crack of self-doubt that this strange earth pony had managed to chip into her shield. Could it be true? Were all of them out and about tonight not just to appease her but to truly enjoy the world… and each other? But how could it have been hidden from her all these years, then? Her head started to hurt a little bit, and she turned away from Pinkie Pie in silence. “...I could use a drink,” she said finally, glancing back at Pinkie through the corner of her eye. “Ah, well, I reckon I got here just in time, then,” a smooth country drawl interjected, spooking Nightmare Moon out of her sullen brooding. She leapt up into the air and spun around to find a second earth pony next to Pinkie, munching on yet another kebab. Immediately she recognized the orange mare, more because of the stetson than anything else, and a different memory slid quickly into place; one of sudden failure and embarrassing defeat, and she shouted. “Get thee away from me!” she screeched, momentarily slipping into archaic Ponish as fear and anger flooded into her blood. “You… you! You were there too!” “I sure was,” Applejack tipped her hat in apology. “And I hate t’ see ya all riled up about it. How ‘bout you let me buy you a drink and we bury the hatchet?”