A Waking Nightmare Night
You tug at your collar. This costume is far from comfortable, but you didn't have the guts to complain about that after Rarity so generously made it for you free of charge. Was she just using you as a tall, bipedal creative outlet? Possibly. But, hey, she did make a pretty sweet wizard costume. You don't actually like wizards all that much, but come on. You can cast real spells now.
You looked at the busy sight around you. The sun had set about half an hour ago, but Ponyville was still bustling with activity. Ponies of all ages were merrily enjoying the night's festivities, visiting stalls, handing out candy, and trying (often fruitlessly) to scare one-another. Yup, it's Nightmare Night.
You were shocked to hear about the existence of Nightmare Night after you arrived in Equestria. You've been here for well over a year now, so this isn't your first time experiencing the holiday, but last year, the similarities to the Halloween of your homeworld were uncanny. Apparently fall makes people, er, ponies, want to be spooky no matter what world they're from. Obviously Halloween doesn't have all this stuff about leaving a candy offering to Nightmare Moon, but you digress.
The whole Nightmare Moon business actually worried you when you first heard about it. Surely Princess Luna wasn't happy with it? But, apparently, with Twilight's help, she had already learned to love the holiday, and she relishes in giving Ponyville a good fright. So, all's well that ends well? You had asked her about it a while ago after bumping into her at Canterlot Castle, and she seemed nothing but excited for Nightmare Night, so who are you to judge?
Right now, you're just waiting in a quiet corner, watching the ponies enjoy themselves. You see a group of colts and fillies shriek and run from a nearby thundercloud that had just made a slight booming noise. A hole forms in the middle of the cloud, and "Nightmare Moon" gives an evil-sounding cackle as the children giggle and keep running. You hear Luna chuckle from behind her costume. It's nice to see her having fun once in a while.
That said, you aren't waiting on her. You aren't waiting on your friends either, as they all ran off to some haunted house the Apples were hosting or something. No, you're waiting for Celestia. She had declined your invitation to join you last year, but this year she said yes. You can't help but smile at the thought. She doesn't really get to leave Canterlot all that often, and when she does, it is almost always business related. It would do her some good to just unwind and take in some different scenery for a change, you muse. What is she going to wear? If she's in public, she is pretty much never seen without her royal regalia, and occasionally she wears a fancy dress or something. She doesn't have much variety behind closed doors, either. She typically removes the regalia and she may tie her mane back in a bun or a ponytail, but that's about it. What kind of costumes would suit her? She's awfully tall for a pony, which both limits her options and provides a fair amount of opportunity.
Your thoughts are interrupted by a gentle tap on your thigh. A young pegasus mare is looking up at you, a puzzled look on her face. She has an off-white coat and an orange mane, with a small blue streak dangling over her head and curling around and underneath one of her ears. She has bright pink eyes, and her cutie mark is of a sun wearing a typical masquerade-style mask. Her mane and tail are braided, but most noticeably, she is wearing some sort of golden necklace with a strange pattern engraved on it. Oh, but you're staring, aren't you?
"Uh, hello. Can I help you?"
"Why, yes, I believe you can." Why does her voice sound so familiar? "I am looking for what I believe is called a 'human.' I was informed that there would be one in attendance at this Nightmare Night festival. Do you know where I might find one?"
"I guess that would be me. I am the only human in Equestria, after all. At least, I think I am."
"Oh? But you look like a dashing wizard to me." Wait, was she talking about a costume? That's a bit embarrassing. You feel your cheeks start to get flushed in the cold autumn air. Er, is there somepony dressed as YOU around here? You aren't sure if you should be flattered or offended by that.
"Well, I'm sorry to say that I haven't seen a 'human,' then. Have you tried over by the castle?"
Right. The castle. A few weeks ago, Equestria was plunged into turmoil when a villain named Tirek showed up and started draining everypony's magic. For your part, you stood your ground and fought valiantly against him. Celestia, Luna, and Cadence had hatched up a plan to give their magic to Twilight so Tirek couldn't get it, but you were worried about what he might do to the defenseless mares (especially Tia). So, you stuck around with them while your friends tried to search for a way to defeat Tirek. Eventually, Tirek did indeed show up alongside Discord, who had switched sides. You weren't about to let him harm the princesses, and he certainly wasn't expecting your magic to be so strong. You never tried to activate your "half-alicorn" state for fear that Tirek might be able to absorb it, and sure enough, he found that he couldn't drain your magic. The fight was actually pretty even between the two of you before Discord decided to interrupt and lock you in an uncomfortable cage that seemed to defy the laws of gravity. Tirek then placed some sort of enchantment on your prison that prevented you from using your magic, and you found that both yourself and the princesses had been sent to Tartarus. It was wholly uncomfortable there, but really? You were just happy that they were alive. Some time later you all found yourselves back in Canterlot, with the princesses getting their magic back. Twilight and the rest of your friends had prevailed, and apparently the Tree of Harmony caused a castle to grow out of the ground in Ponyville. Fortunate, seeing as how during your stay in Tartarus, Tirek destroyed the Golden Oak Library. Now you're living it up in a big crystal-y castle thing. You use the word "fortunate" lightly, because to be honest, the castle is NOT your style. The library was much more cozy. Plus, what exactly should you be paying Twilight in rent for a castle? Either way, the main point is that Twilight is now officially considered the "Princess of Friendship" and she, Spike, and yourself now live in the "Castle of Friendship."
"Well, I was going to look over there, but I saw an attractive wizard over here and figured I should introduce myself first." Is... is this mare hitting on you? That's definitely a new one. Even Lyra, who looked at you in all sorts of ways that made you a bit uncomfortable, never flirted with you.
"I appreciate it, ma'am, but I have a marefriend who I'm not sure would approve of this conversation." You've never been in a situation like this, and you really don't want to cause any trouble with anypony. The mare started to laugh, and that was when you realized what's going on.
"Hmhm, good answer, my little human." Yup. You thought that voice was familiar, but there's only one mare in Equestria that talks to you like that.
"Tia!"
"Sorry for surprising you like that my dear, but I just had to get a rise out of you. How do I look?"
"It certainly isn't what I was expecting, that's for sure."
"In truth, it isn't a costume. I'm using changeling magic to take on this form. I do it once a year to get some unbiased opinions on the state of Equestria. Ponies are more willing to talk when they aren't looking upwards at 'Princess Celestia,' you know?"
"I guess that makes sense. But, is that changeling magic safe?"
"Do you know who you're talking to?" You laugh under your breath.
"Big words from such a small mare." In a quick motion, you bend down and scoop Tia up in your arms, her face and underside facing away from you as you clutch her close to your chest. She tried to flap her wings to free herself from the embrace, but you have them thoroughly squished against your chest. You rest your head on top of hers as she starts to pout. It's one of the cutest things you've ever seen. "I'm not complaining though. I'm gonna enjoy every second of my mini Tia." You don't have to be able to see her face perfectly to tell that she's blushing.
"Is this how you treat your princess?"
"What princess? Last I checked, I was talking to a totally-not-royal pegasus interested in getting unbiased opinions on the state of Equestria. And she's a cutie patootie." You hear her let out a huff. You gently set her back down onto the ground, and you receive a quick smack on the nose as soon as she's free to move on her own.
"Now, what is it that you wished to do tonight? I don't usually take part in Nightmare Night, you know." The two of you began leisurely walking around Ponyville, taking in all of the sights, sounds, and smells of the season.
"Do I need to have something specific to get my favorite mare to spend some time with me? Everypony's having a great time, I figured you would want to be a part of that."
"I have no qualms with having fun, nor do I have any intention of stopping anypony from enjoying Nightmare Night, but I can't say that I'm a big fan of the holiday."
"What, not into costumes?"
"I'm not 'into' celebrating my past failures."
Your smile fades as realization begins to dawn on you. Nightmare Night is a holiday about Nightmare Moon. Tia has told you on several occasions during your tea sessions that everything to do with Nightmare Moon is by far her greatest regret in life. She feels like she failed Luna by not noticing her grievances until she had succumbed to the Nightmare, and she feels like she failed her a second time by being unable to find a solution that wasn't banishing her to the moon.
"I don't think that's what Nightmare Night is about..."
"No, it isn't. But how could I not think about it?" As she says this, a group of children conveniently runs by, with one filly wearing a poorly constructed Nightmare Moon costume.
You don't really know how to approach this situation. The whole scenario with Nightmare Moon obviously caused a great deal of trauma to both Tia and Luna, but you have pretty much no experience dealing with this sort of thing. You might be a nice shoulder to cry on, but you aren't a therapist. You figure that it can't hurt to ask.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"I appreciate the offer, but not really, no." As much as you wish you could help, you know your limits. The last thing you want to do is say or do something insensitive.
"...Then, do you want to grab a caramel apple?"
"Yes, I think I would quite enjoy that."
The two of you spent the next couple of hours enjoying the evening. You are a bit concerned that Tia might not be having the best time based on your conversation about Nightmare Moon, but the smile on her face seemed genuine. The two of you laughed as you took part in the many games, foods, and general atmosphere of the evening. At one point, a group of ponies started to mock Tia for her lack of a costume. You didn't understand at first, but then you realized that you're the only one that knows who the nice mare you are accompanying really is. Then, Tia surprised you all by touching a hoof to the strange adornment around her neck. Her body briefly gave off a magical glow before growing and shifting. After a couple of seconds, Princess Celestia was standing before you (though without any of her usual regalia). The group of ponies went wide-eyed and bowed, apologizing over and over, before Tia chuckled and transformed back into her disguise. She insisted that the disguise is her true form, and asked them to "not tell Princess Celestia about her magical costume." The group, still more or less in shock, stumbled away awkwardly after that. All in all, it was a very fun evening.
That is, until you started heading towards Sweet Apple Acres. As you walked, the two of you were chatting amongst each other and sharing a bag of assorted sweets you had gotten from a stall the Cakes were running. Suddenly, there was a loud booming, like that of thunder. From a seemingly spotless sky, lightning struck a nearby tree, which immediately came crashing down onto the path in front of you. Thankfully, the two of you were more than far enough away to be injured by said tree, but the happenstance was unusual. Naturally, you decided to investigate the tree. But, as the two of you drew close, a maniacal cackling rang out from around you. Darkness clouded your vision, and though you were still close enough to see Tia, you could only barely see a few feet in front of you. Then, a flash. From the darkness before you, emerging from behind the fallen tree, Nightmare Moon leapt towards the two of you, snarling as she did so.
"AAAH!" You cry out in shock. For a brief moment you began preparing a spell in your left hand, which you had instinctively outstretched to your left to protect Tia. But, before you could do anything, the darkness faded, and "Nightmare Moon" seemed to shrink and morph until taking on the familiar shape of Princess Luna. She was laughing quite heartily at her successful attempt to scare you. A wave of relief washes over you as you realize you aren't really in danger.
"I believe I have gotten quite good at scaring the Nightmare Night passersby. Would you not agree, dear human?" She asks with enthusiasm.
"Yeah. Yeah, you are definitely convincing. Almost gave me a heart attack, but hey, it wouldn't be Nightmare Night without a good scare, right Tia?" You turn to look at your marefriend, expecting to see her happily laughing off the fright with you. What you see instead is at first a puzzling sight. Tia isn't showing excitement, nor fear, nor... anything. She's just... standing there. She is looking directly forwards, her brow slightly furrowed and her mouth just barely hanging open. "...Tia?"
You lean closer to her. Her expression is one you've never seen on her, and you can't quite place it. At this point, Luna was starting to get concerned as well, and she joined you in examining her sister. After a moment, you started to hear the faint sound of her breathing. It was shaky, uneven. Now, you are no expert on mental health. In fact, you have very little knowledge about mental health whatsoever. But, if your memories of some past high school experiences are to be trusted, Tia might be having a panic attack.
"Oh no," is about all you can manage to mumble before you, alongside Luna, begin doing what you can to help Celestia.
About an hour later, you find yourself near a large pond on the outskirts of Ponyville. You are sitting on the grass beneath a large oak tree, with the still-disguised Celestia sitting a few feet to your left. Luna is still nearby, though she is sitting a good twenty feet away. She figured that, as the catalyst for Tia's predicament, she should keep her distance for a while. You're having a hard time figuring what you should be doing right now. You're doing your best to keep a close eye on Tia, but you also don't want to make her nervous. This is definitely not your field of expertise.
She, at the very least, looks a bit better. Her breathing has returned to normal, and she seems more aware of her surroundings. Suddenly, she sighs. That's the most you've heard out of her since the scare. That said, you don't want to push it. You figure she'll talk when she's ready. Right as you think that...
"Hey." She gently turns to look at you. It was barely a whisper, and it would have been inaudible if not for how quiet it is near this part of town. Way off in the distance you can hear the occasional shriek or singing pony, but otherwise the only other noises are the gentle breeze and the occasional critter disturbing the nearby pond. Looking into her eyes, you notice a familiar sight. She seems very, very tired. You haven't seen her like this since before you started having tea together. You had wished she would never have to look like that again.
"Hey." Your response is only marginally louder than hers. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm... I'm okay, thank you."
"You sure? I don't want to push it, but I can't just pretend like none of that happened."
"I will admit," she says with another sigh, "this is a first for me. I've always prided myself on being calm and composed, even in the worst of situations. I guess Nightmare Night just has that affect on me."
"I'm sorry, Tia, this is all my fault. I pushed you to take part in Nightmare Night. I should have considered how you felt."
"...I will admit that a part of me is upset, but I don't wish to blame you. I know you just wanted me to enjoy the night. And I did! Truly." She slowly raises a hoof to her strange necklace, causing her to transform back into her usual Princess Celestia appearance, still without the regalia. She begins stretching her legs and puffing out her wings like somepony that just woke up.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"I don't think so, no. Thank you for offering, love."
At that point, Luna slowly began taking a few steps towards you. She stopped when the two of you looked up at her, and you looked at Tia before motioning for her to come over. She stops about six feet from Tia, and she immediately takes a deep, apologetic bow, much like the one Celestia gave you after your imprisonment upon arriving in Equestria.
"Sister, I am so, so sorry! I didn't realize it was you, but I shouldn't be pretending to be Nightmare Moon in the first place! I should have considered how it would make you feel!"
"Luna, I-"
"You do not need to say anything! You do not need to do your usual forgiveness spiel. I have crossed a line that I should not, and I deserve nothing less than to-" Luna was cut off by a sudden movement. In less than a second, Celestia had shot from her seat on the ground near you towards her sister, pulling her into a tight embrace. You noticed that both of them had tears flowing down their cheeks.
"That's enough, Luna. Thank you for helping me."
"Why? Why aren't you upset with me? You SHOULD be upset with me! I've seen your dreams! I know how you feel about Nightmare Moon, and I went along with this silly holiday anyway!"
"Stop it, sister!" In stark contrast to the weak whisper she had been using, her command was loud and clear. Her next words, however, were even quieter than before, and you struggled to hear them at all. "You do not understand. I don't fear Nightmare Moon. I have never been afraid of Nightmare Moon." She sniffles as her tears intensify. "I am afraid of losing you again."
With those words, both of the royal sisters began sobbing into each others' arms. You stood up off of the ground, but otherwise made no effort to intervene. You're still no therapist, but it seems like they needed this. They stay wrapped around each other for a long time, the near-silence of the evening only broken by their occasional sniffles or sobs. Eventually, they release one-another. Celestia speaks up first.
"The night is still young, dear sister. I think those colts and fillies are probably making their way to a certain statue right around now."
"Wait, you still think I should take part in this Nightmare Moon facade?"
"I've never been one to put a damper on anypony else's good time. Go make their nights."
"Very well. I... we'll talk again tomorrow, okay?"
"Of course, sister."
The two share another hug and Luna gives you a brief wave and a smile before flying off towards the Everfree Forest. After another sigh, Tia turns her attention back towards you. She closes her eyes and gives you a smile. She still looks tired, but you can tell that the smile is genuine. You smile back, and you let out a sigh of your own.
"So... what now? Want me to escort you back to Canterlot?"
"No. I think I'd like a bit more time to rest, actually."
She takes a seat underneath the tree once more, and you sit beside her again, though this time you sit much closer to her. Almost as soon as your butt hits the ground, however, Tia leans over. All the way over. The next thing you know, her head is resting in your lap. She makes her legs comfy in the grass beside you and snuggles her head into a more comfortable position. The two of you have been together for a while now, but the roles have always been the other way around here. You've never been in a position like this. Taking a page out of some romance novels that you definitely totally haven't read while no one was looking back in your original world, you begin gently stroking her mane, tracing your fingers along the colorful patterns of her silky, wavy mane. She gives a quiet coo and closes her eyes as you do so. Taking that as an invitation to continue, the two of you sit there for a long while as you quietly caress her. You trace along the part of her mane that curls beneath her ear, causing said ear to do that adorable flicking thing that they do from time to time. She's so soft, and even though you're pretty sure you're supposed to be the one comforting her, this is an extremely comfortable sensation for you.
It was an eventful Nightmare Night. Up until the obvious turning point, the two of you had a wonderful time. It isn't very often you get to share an evening out in public like this, and you enjoyed every second. Of course, the encounter with Luna was very unfortunate, to say the least. Tonight likely won't soon be forgotten by anyone involved, for better or for worse. With how long the Nightmare Moon fiasco has had to fester in Tia's mind, it is possible that her trauma may never heal. But, as long as she has company like you or Luna around, you figure that she'll at least have someone to help her make it through. In the cool night air, you cannot help but briefly break the silence.
"I love you, Celestia. Please, never forget that."
"Hmhm. I know. I love you too, my little human, now and forever."