Fluttershy's First and Last Nightmare Night

by Captain Gamer

Act 2: Nightmare Night Indeed

That night, Ponyville was as dressed up as it pony partygoers. This was due much in part to Pinkie Pie, who was in the process of hanging her last decoration into place; a cardboard storm cloud. She nudged it to the left where it was too far. She nudged it to the right where it was too far that way. Left, right, left right.

“DAHHH!” Pinkie Pie yelped in frustration and flipped the cardboard cloud. When it finished swinging, it dangled itself into just the right spot. “Ooh! But next time I’m getting somepony else to do that FOR me…”

She slid down the ladder and admired what was a good part her own handiwork. Normally she’d be right out there with the trick-or-treaters getting her fair share of that deliciously free delicious candy, bit she was taking this opportunity seriously! And by that she vowed to make it the least serious anypony has ever made a Nightmare Night celebration!

A few more steps back to take in her decorations and Pinkie felt a nose bump into her flank, followed by a familiar squeak. She turned around to see a rigid Fluttershy.

"Ooh, Fluttershy! You made it!" Pinkie exclaimed, making Fluttershy start a little.

Fluttershy gave a weak smile, "Well... I couldn't have you taking all that time out of your preparation to come over and get me... Invading my house..."

"I wasn't ACTUALLY going to do that, you silly!"

Fluttershy's eyes bulged in response to that. She backed away, "If it's not THAT important to you then I think I'll just see myself out."

"Out? But you just got here! At least try some candied apples or play Pin the Tail on the Pony! With a live pony!" The party pony backed off a little when she saw the effect of her insisting causing Fluttershy to shrink back even further.

Fluttershy looked past her veil of hair, "If... if that's what we're doing first... okay..."

"Super!" Pinkie beamed and walked off to tend to some other thing. It didn't take long for her to notice Fluttershy tailing her through the crowd. "The candied apples are over there, Fluttershy."

"Oh, well... I'll just help us stay together. Like you, um, said. The other day."

Pinkie took a moment to recall. "I didn't say that! Did I? Wait... did I call myself 'Auntie Pinkie Pie?'"

"... Yes. You did. Which might, um, not be right since I think I might be a year older th-"

"Let's go then! You'll get the special tour of my best party yet! Don't get too excited because every party I throw is the best one yet!" Fluttershy opened her mouth to respond, but Pinkie added, "Oh, what am I saying? Get excited anyway!"

Pinkie weaved through the ponies in the street, checking on one thing or another with Fluttershy behind her like a second tail. Though Pinkie really wanted to include Fluttershy in everything, the chance never came.

Finally, when Pinkie was discussing decorations, Fluttershy took notice of something. "Are those bats?" After Pinkie confirmed, Fluttershy smiled for the first time since arriving. "They're so lifelike."

Pinkie grinned wider. "So you DO like scary decor-"

"And adorable!"

"Oh. I... GUESS that's a compliment!"

"Oh, it is! Most ponies look at a bat's short nose, long ears, and beady eyes and get turned away. But I see little creatures that are just trying their best by seeing with sound. I also like these flowers."

Pinkie turned around. "These flowers on the windowsill that are always here?"

Fluttershy realized how she overextended and looked down again. "Um... well... they're still nice. I just wanted to compliment you since you seem to be working so hard..."

The timid nature of that statement got to Pinkie's heart. She smiled warmly, "Thanks, Fluttershy."

And then a pony screamed. Fluttershy yelped 'Oh!' and put Pinkie Pie between herself and the general direction of the scream.

Pinkie giggled, "It's okay, Fluttershy! Somepony just pulled off a scare!"

"A... scare?"

"They're all over the place on Nightmare Night! It's part of the tradition! Don't you like to have fun being scared?"

"No." Fluttershy responded with uncharacteristic clarity. "I do not like being scared." Another scream. Fluttershy leapt again and saw the ponies involved in the scare laughing it up, guilty party and victim alike. "Isn't, um, isn't there any place in this party I can go that's a no-scare zone? I really don't want to risk being scared."

"Aw, Fluttershy. They're just pranks!"

"I know they are. And that's just fine for other ponies, but not for me."

Pinkie Pie hummed in thought, sizing up Fluttershy one way or another. She looked ahead, "I guess there's a lot less of that going on where the food is."

Fluttershy cast her gaze in the same direction. "Food! Got it." She scampered off to the told location. Just as soon, she was back. "If... you don't mind escorting me there. I'd feel a lot safer."

-

Everything was brighter over at the food stands; the lights, the attitudes of the ponies, and especially the costumes.

Fluttershy complimented, "That is a lovely daffodil costume, Bon-bon."

Bon-bon's mint-coated unicorn friend spoke up, "I get hungry just looking at her! And the costume is a nice touch, too."

"Lyra!" Bon-bon gasped, eventually leading to giggles.

Going past the food stands, Fluttershy was more at ease looking at all the costumes of common occupations, animals, or food products. She paused to giggle at a banana costume. She saw Pinkie Pie's interrogating stare. "Oh, well... my friend Rarity wouldn't like that costume at all. She says that yellow is a hard color to look good in." She felt Pinkie's eyes staring down her own coat. "For, um, clothing."

Pinkie enjoyed watching Fluttershy make all these observations and be so comfortable. It was a nice change from all the gasping and hiding. The moment was halted with Fluttershy, well, gasping.

It turned out to be a delighted gasp as Fluttershy flew herself over to a costume-wearing dog. "Oh, I've never seen a dog so happy to be wearing a costume!"

The orange, freckled owner of the dog smiled proudly, "That's 'cause Winona just LOVES her buckaroo getup! C'mon, Ms. Rider, show 'em a few tricks!"

Winona hitched up on her hind legs and took hold of a thrown rope. She twirled and jumped through the rope about in ways that were impressive for a pet.

"Atta girl!" the owner said to her faithful pet with a head rub. The end result of Winona's fur was not lost on Fluttershy.

"Oh my..." she said and flew herself over, "do you pet her like that all the time? Her fur will quickly settle out of place if you don't comb it down properly." Out of a saddle bag, Fluttershy produced a comb which she used to smooth Winona's fur down. The dog enjoyed the attention. "There we go."

Winona's owner watched with a straight face, more just processing information on a topic she hadn't thought much about before. "Uh... thanks. So you're sayin' I should do that any time 'er hair's outta sorts?"

"Not all the time... Just once in a while. I'm sure she'll appreciate it because I can tell she just loves to be groomed! Don't you?"

Winona barked in agreement, and in approval of Fluttershy's affections.

"Why don't you take this?" Fluttershy extended the brush to the orange pony. "I have a bunch of them at home. Oh, I'm not selling it. Just go ahead and take it."

"All right, then. But you rest assured I'll return the kindness someday somehow, y'hear?"

Fluttershy just smiled and nodded.

Pinkie Pie slipped over to Fluttershy's side, "Now tell me, aren't we having the BEST time?"

Fluttershy chuckled, "Um... Well, maybe not the BEST time. I'm more... making the best of it. I'm still nervous about when some pony might jump out and-" Fluttershy was cut off by a scream. "... that..."

Pinkie Pie tapped a thoughtful hoof on her chin, then settled on something. "Fluttershy, you wait right here. I'll be back sooner than you think!"

The pink pony departed, leaving Fluttershy by herself with a drink. Fluttershy was focusing her attention on nice things, though every startle made her head whip around. Staying in her happy place made her not notice at first the shadow creeping up on her. Seeing it on the ground got her attention and she turned around.

Right into a large dragon's face. In the panic of the moment Fluttershy couldn't pick out details. All she knew she saw were a snout as big as her and rows of teeth. She also heard a low, mounting growling and hot air against her face. She backed away from the dragon, prompting it to roar in her face. She tossed her face away from the creature in front of her and hid it. The roar stopped, following by a different loud noise.

Laughing.

Fluttershy stopped shaking enough to uncover her face and look past her hair. The dragon looked much different now that it was giggling without moving. It opened its mouth so wide that the top of its head folded back to reveal the laughing pink pony inside.

"Oh, WOW!" Pinkie Pie shouted, "That reaction was the BEST! Your face was amazing! Your scream could have used some work, though. Like... screaming at all."

Fluttershy breathed in deep, but short breaths, her eyes moist and trained on Pinkie. "Y... you... scared me?"

Pinkie eased the top of the dragon some more, "Well, duh! It's me in the dragon costume, isn't it? Now that you've been scared, isn't it so bad? Because let me tell you, you got it good!" She proceeded to laugh some more.

Fluttershy's expression did not change. "And now you're... you're laughing... at me?"

"What?" Pinkie got a good look at Fluttershy. "No! WITH you! Fluttershy, when this happens we all laugh TOGETHER!" This didn't help much. Fluttershy's face was scrunching up more. At a loss, Pinkie cried, "It was just a prank!"

Fluttershy gasped. Those words struck a chord, and a final nail into the coffin. All her collective will to not cry fell away and she heaved into sobs with tears flowing freely. She turned away from Pinkie Pie and ran.

"FLUTTERSHY!!" Pinkie shouted after, but found her mouth shortly stuffed with a dizzying array of sweets.

"Oh, wow!" said a particularly rambunctious colt, "That was the best scare EVER!! So bad she ran away crying like a foal! You deserve, like, half my candy for that!"

Pinkie Pie's will to follow Fluttershy faded in a fantastic flavorful euphoria. Going cold-turkey from sweets to concentrate on the Nightmare Night decorations had a toll on her and that pile she chewed on gave her a bad relapse. She had candy on the brain and could only think of having more, even as her eyes could still see Fluttershy's fleeing form.