Chapter 30
– Preparations –
“Nightmare Night is almost here!” Comet squealed.
“I don’t know what’s the big deal about all this?” Smolder said, lying lazily on her bed.
“How can you not be excited!? Free candy, parties, scary stories, and all kinds of events in town!” Comet said, pointing a hoof at the dragon.
“Yeah, I’m super excited too! We get to be part of the haunted maze this year!” Silverstream shouted.
“Yona excited too! Yona want to be scary!” Yona said, stomping on the ground and making everyone jump up a little.
“We all have to be scary. The haunted maze is gonna be really popular this year. Headmare Twilight is counting on us.” Gallus said.
“I hope I’ll do ok. I’m not really used to scaring ponies.” Ocellus said meekly.
“Oh come on, you’ll be the best out of all of us. You can literally turn into anything!” Smolder said.
Ocellus blushed and scoffed at the floor with her hoof. Comet immediately hugged her and the changeling started to calm down.
“You’ll be great Ocellus. We’re gonna work on our routine and we’ll be the best part of the maze. I’ve got tons of cool ideas.” Comet said.
“It was cool of your family volunteering to be our chaperones for the rest of the night. Are you sure your grandmare will be ok all night?” Sandbar asked.
“Nana is tougher than she looks. Don’t let the wheelchair fool you.” Comet said.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. She is super cool. Those cookies of hers are the best I’ve ever had. Even better than Sugarcube Corner’s.” Sandbar said.
“No one can bake a better cookie than Nana. Trust me, Auntie Zala has tried.” Comet giggled.
Everyone in the room laughed at that. Then a bell rang out across the school, signaling to the students that it was time to head to class.
“Alright, Comet and I are heading to Professor Rarity’s art class. We’ll see you guys for free period later.” Ocellus said as she got up from her spot on her bed.
“Yeah, time for me and Sandbar to sweat off those cookies with Professor Rainbow Dash and her obstacle course challenge. Wonder what it’ll be this time.” Gallus said, stretching out his wings.
“Probably everything we had last week mixed into one course.” Sandbar said, making Gallus cringe.
Silverstream laughed, “I remember the time Discord showed up and turned the running track into soap. We all were slipping everywhere.”
As the friends all left with high spirits, Comet walked with Ocellus as they made their way to Rarity’s classroom. Along the way, Comet had remembered something that she had wanted to ask Ocellus about.
“Hey Ocellus.” Comet said, wanting to get the changeling’s attention.
Ocellus turned to her with a curious expression, “What’s up?”
“I know changelings don’t feed on love anymore. I was wondering if you can still feel it, like the old days?” Comet asked.
Ocellus raised an eyebrow, “Umm, kinda. Not really something I try to think about. Why?”
“When my Nana came to town, there was a lot of stuff going on at home. Starlight stayed for dinner and my aunts teased her and my Dad a lot. They do that a lot, but it made me feel something.” Comet explained.
“Oh? Feel what?” Ocellus asked.
“That there was something between my Dad and Starlight.” Comet said.
Ocellus’ eyes grew wide, “Wait, you don’t think?”
Comet shook her head, “I don’t know. They do spend a lot of time together. Coffee nearly every morning, her staying for dinner a lot. I thought it was just because she was my teacher. I don’t know.”
Ocellus put a hoof to her chin in thought, “Hmm. Well I didn’t really pay a lot of attention when they were together. So I don’t know if I felt any kind of love between them. Although, they do spend a lot of time together. They always seem really happy together.”
Comet stopped and looked at her friend, “So, do you think it’s possible?”
Ocellus stopped to look back, “Umm, it could be.”
Comet thought for a moment in her head. What if it was true? Could Dad really be in love with Starlight? Could she love him back?
She had never seen her Dad date anypony. She knew very little about her mother, only that things were very complicated and no one liked to talk about her. She had also never seen her Dad so happy to spend time with somepony that wasn’t family.
She really liked Starlight. She was kind, smart, really good with magic, and she was always there when Comet needed her. Could she really think of her as her Dad’ marefriend? Or even one day, as her Mom?
“Comet, you ok?” Ocellus said.
Comet woke up from her thoughts to find her friend waving a hoof in her face.
“Sorry Ocellus, I was just thinking.” Comet said.
“We can talk more about it later. We gotta hurry or we’ll be late.” Ocellus said, pointing down the hallway.
Comet nodded and they rushed down the hall to class.
“Now then darlings. Today, your artworks are due. I do hope you all remembered to finish them. Remember, the goal was to capture the spirit of Nightmare Night in a scenery piece. The student’s work who I find that captured that idea the most will receive extra credit and will have their work displayed in the school for Nightmare Night.” Rarity said, standing in front of the classroom.
She moved to the table on the side of the room, “Please place your artworks on this table. I will announce the winner at the end of class.”
Everypony moved to the table, setting down papers in a neat stack. Rarity was a stickler for neatness in her classroom. As the last student placed their paper, Rarity picked them all up and returned to the front of the room.
“Now then, while I sort through your work, you may start on your artwork for next week. The theme will be romantic winter.” Rarity said, the last bit with a bit of song in her voice.
Some students groaned at the idea of drawing anything romantic. Comet and Ocellus didn’t mind the idea. Comet thought it was ironic, considering what was on her mind. They began to sketch out ideas, Comet even looking back at older drawings she had done on her travels. They gave her inspiration, as she had seen many winter wonderlands. The snowy peaks of the Appaloosan Mountains were truly a sight to see.
“So Comet, any ideas? I’m kinda stumped. I don’t really see snow that often back home.” Ocellus asked.
“No problem Ocellus. Here, take a look at some of my old stuff. Maybe you can get some inspiration.” Comet said, passing her one of her old sketchbooks.
“Really? Wow, thank you Comet. I’ll be really careful with them.” Ocellus said, taking the book in her magic.
As the changeling looked through the books, Comet thought back again to her father and her teacher. Was there really something between them? And if there was, why haven’t they gone out yet? Isn’t that how relationships worked?
Comet didn’t have a lot of knowledge about romance. She never met a colt she really liked as more than a friend. Her family didn’t have romantic partners either. Auntie Tala never dated, and neither did her Auntie Zala. Dad also never talked about her mother. So she had no clue.
Her sketches ended up being plain snowy white backgrounds. She knew she could do better. They just didn’t have that spark that she always strived for with her art. She went to the next page in her sketchbook and tried again.
The class went by without Comet even realizing. She was too lost in thought.
“Alright class. Eyes up here please.” Rarity called out.
Comet blinked and looked up from her sketch, seeing her Professor holding a piece of paper.
“It was a long process, but I do believe I have chosen the best out of the class. Now this does not mean that whoever wins is better than anyone else. My judgment is simply who captured the theme of the assignment the most. You all did splendidly, and I could not be more proud of your progress.” Rarity stated.
The piece of paper floated up, but was turned so no one could see it.
“And the winner is…” Rarity said, turning the paper around.
The artwork was of the Hollow Shades, an abandoned town covered in dark fog and no greenery whatsoever. The atmosphere of the artwork was haunting, with colors and shades so detailed you would think you were actually looking out onto the town.
“Comet Trail!” Rarity announced.
Comet was shocked to see that her art had won, but was snapped out of her stupor by hearing applause not only from her friend Ocellus but from the entire class. All were stomping their hooves in applause.
“I must say, this piece brought back memories. Comet, have you actually been to the Hollow Shades?” Rarity asked.
“Yeah, Dad went there in hopes to write a book for it. However, there was nothing there. No animals, no life anywhere, so we left.” Comet said.
“Well, it certainly was a dreadful place. The Pony of Shadows came from there, so I doubt anything would want to be around there.” Rarity said.
“You certainly captured the haunting atmosphere and the spirit of Nightmare Night with this piece. A most excellent work of art.” Rarity stated.
Rarity cleared her throat, “Congratulations Comet. You will receive your extra credit, and I will have this piece enlarged and placed in the Great Hall for all of Ponyville to see for Nightmare Night.”
More applause came and Comet couldn’t stop blushing. She was happy that she won, but she certainly wasn’t expecting to be the center of attention.
“Nice work Comet! I knew you’d win!” Silverstream said, hugging her friend.
“Silver, it isn’t that big a deal.” Comet said, still blushing at the attention.
“Yeah totally, having your artwork displayed for all of Ponyville to see on Nightmare Night. Totally not a big deal.” Smolder said, grinning smugly at Comet.
Comet stuck her tongue out at the dragon but still smiled.
“Yona thinks friend Comet’s art is best in school.” Yona said.
“It totally is Yona. I’m surprised that your cutiemark isn’t in art.” Sandbar said.
Comet looked back at her blank flank with a frown. She still didn’t have a cutiemark. Her Dad kept telling her that she just needed to find her calling in life. It wasn’t a bad thing to be a late bloomer.
“So, what’s everyone going to be for Nightmare Night?” Gallus asked.
Comet, thankful for the change in subject, smiled, “I have a few ideas. Ocellus and I have been working on our part for the maze.”
“Yona has too! Sandbar and Yona will be scariest in all maze.” Yona shouted.
“Not if me and Silverstream are the scariest!” Gallus said proudly.
“Please, nothing is scarier than a dragon!” Smolder said, baring her fangs.
“Then let’s make it a competition. Whoever gets the most screams during the maze, gets first dibs on the best candy of the night!” Comet said.
Everyone cheered at that and left to get their ideas in order. Ocellus and Comet stayed to discuss their ideas.
But soon, another topic came back up.
“So, do you still think your Dad and Miss Starlight like each other?” Ocellus asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” Comet said.
Comet got a grin on her face, “Maybe we can test it a little.”
Ocellus looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
“What do you mean?” Ocellus asked.
“We get Starlight to join us with my family and spend Nightmare Night with us. Then, we keep giving gentle pushes for them to be close. We see how they react. If they like each other, maybe we can help them realize it.” Comet said.
“I don’t know Comet. Love is a difficult thing to understand. Maybe we shouldn’t push it, let it happen naturally.” Ocellus said, rubbing the back of her head.
“But what if they do like each other! We can help them take that first step!” Comet said loudly.
Ocellus tried to say something else, but Comet was still going off about every plan she could think of to help Trail and Starlight realize their love for each other.
Something didn’t feel right about this. Ocellus started to get a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.