I collected my thoughts as I looked over the bridge to the Everfree Forest. As I looked into the water, the only thing I saw in it's reflection was what the villagers had seen from the very outset.
Perhaps they are not wrong to think of me as Night Mare Moon, I thought.
“Princess?” Twilight Sparkle called to me.
A tear from my eye shattered the still reflection, drawing my attention away from it and to Twilight Sparkle.
“Leave me be, Twilight Sparkle,” I managed to choke out.
“Princess,” Twilight Sparkle persisted, “I'm sorry that things haven't worked out how we wanted. But you have to belive me when I say that Night Mare Night is one of the most popular celebrations we have.”
“Yes,” I said, rolling my eyes, “I can tell by the adoring shrieks of the children as they run away.”
“Princess...” Twilight Sparkle said, clearly hurt.
I stalked away before I could do any further damage.
“Thou art a sorry excuse for a ruler,” I announced to myself aloud in the middle of the Everfree Forest.
I had ranted to myself for the past five minutes, uncaring as to who might hear me. I looked up at the Moon, bathing the night in it's soft and welcoming glow.
“Maybe I should just banish myself and save my sister the trouble,” I said as I entered the forest clearing with the statue of Night Mare Moon, “I'm only one slip of my wits before transforming back into you.”
I glared at the statue in sudden seething rage. “Is that how thou had planned to win? By knowing from the very start that I was helpless to fight you, even freed from your grasp? Well, worry no more! It's only a matter of time before my sister eradicates me from Equestria, and saves the land from your still-lingering taint!”
“Um, Princess?” Twilight Sparkle asked hesitantly from behind me, “you may want to take a deep breath.”
“Why do you persist in this, Twilight Sparkle?” I snarled, “we have wasted your time, rewarded you by canceling 'one of the most popular celebrations you have', and very likely damaged your reputation by being in your presence.”
“Don't worry. I have a plan to fix that. I just need you to come with me,” Twilight Sparkle said.
“Just leave, Twilight Sparkle,” I growled.
“I know you're fustrated, Princess,” Twilight Sparkle said, “but I'm here to help you...”
“I think thou hast done enough of that tonight!” I yelled.
I took a deep breath and exhaled before speaking again.
“I'm sorry,” I said to Twilight Sparkle.
“No, it's my fault, Luna,” Twilight Sparkle apologized, “I should've waited until you calmed down to talk to you.”
I raised a hoof to halt her before Twilight Sparkle could say more. “No. No matter how furious I may be, I've no right to take it out on my friends. But this... plan... could you elaborate?”
“Well, I'm sort of making it up along the way,” Twilight Sparkle admitted, “but first, we're going back into Ponyville to reason things out with a certain oversized Gallus piecus domesticus.”
As we left, Twilight Sparkle took a small amount of candy at the base of the statue of Night Mare Moon that I hadn't noticed before.
I was curious, but I said nothing, instead opting to listen to Twilight Sparkle as she explained how she intended to for me to have a private audience with Pinkie Pie, the ringleader of the townschildren.
I was instantly suspicious at this plan's odds of success, but I kept my doubts to myself.
Twilight Sparkle and I snuck around to an alleyway that was near the edge of Ponyville.
“Wait here for a sec,” Twilight Sparkle said.
I nodded as confirmation, and I stepped as far back into the alleyway as possible, using my dark mane to blend into the shadows.
She came back minutes later, placing pieces of candy on the ground as she stepped back into the alleyway.
Soon after, Pinkie Pie began eating the trail of sweets.
Twilight Sparkle immediately gave a flying tackle to Pinkie Pie, and muffled Pinkie Pie's screams with her hoof. Pinkie Pie began to try to cry out.
“No!” Twilight Sparkle scolded, “no shrieking. No screaming or squealing either. Okay?”
“Okay,” Pinkie Pie said through Twilight Sparkle's hoof.
“There's someone that I want you to meet,” Twilight Sparkle said, “and I promise that it's safe, but you really, really, really can't shriek. Can you promise not to shriek?”
“Mm-hmm,” Pinkie Pie promised.
Twilight Sparkle slowly took her hoof off of Pinkie Pie as I stepped forward.
“Pinkie Pie, you remember Princess Luna, right?” Twilight Sparkle asked placatingly.
“Ah, the ringleader of the frightened children,” I said, “hast thou come to make peace?”
I offered my hoof, and Pinkie Pie outstretched hers in response.
No sooner had we touched than a thunderclap sounded from behind me. Pinkie Pie bolted with a shriek.
Twilight Sparkle tackled Pinkie Pie to the ground as I checked behind me to see a black storm cloud fly off.
I sighed and left Twilight Sparkle to negotiate with Pinkie Pie.
Two minutes later, Twilight Sparkle came back with Pinkie Pie in tow, this time with a sprightly skip in her step and sudden lack of fright towards me.
“Pinkie Pie gave me a genius idea!” Twilight Sparkle said excitedly.
“No, I didn't. I gave you a chicken idea. It's not that hard to tell the difference between a chicken and a genius, silly!” Pinkie Pie said.
“Hast thou any idea of what she just said?” I asked Twilight Sparkle.
“You get used to it after a while,” Twilight Sparkle said, “but for now, this is what I need you to do, Luna...”
It was a silly plan. A mad plan. A plan that, if any other pony except Twilight Sparkle had told me to follow, I would have sent them away for how utterly ludicrous it was.
Yet, here I was, hidden in the brush of the clearing with the statue of Night Mare Moon. I had false fangs in my teeth and illusionary magic casted directly onto me. I no longer looked like to Night Mare Moon, I looked exactly like Night Mare Moon.
Needless to say, I thought the success rate of Twilight Sparkle's 'chicken idea' was very low.
I waited only minutes before the townschildren, carrying tiny sacks containing small smounts of candy arrived at the statue of Night Mare Moon once again, lead by Twilight Sparkle.
Pipsqueak took his bag over the candy pile and held it upside-down, to have only one peice of candy fall out. “Good-bye Night Mare Night. Forever,” he said mournfully.
Twilight Sparkle gently tapped her back leg against a tree, giving me the signal.
I used my magic to create a windy gale that caused the children to scrabble around frantically as they tried to keep their balance.
“Citizens of Ponyville!” I growled menacingly in the royal Canterlot voice, “you were wise to bring this candy to me! I am pleased with your offering! So pleased, that I just might eat it...” I paused for dramatic effect as I teleported in front of them with a thunderclap, “instead of eating you!”
The children screamed in terror and ran for the umpteenth time that night. Only Twilight Sparkle remained, with an enthusiastic grin set firmly on her face.
I spat out the fake fangs and dispelled my illusion as the wind died down. “I am not certain that did what you meant for it to do, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Just wait,” Twilight Sparkle reassured me.
“For what? For... for them to scream some more?” I asked rhetorically.
I realized I could hear whispers from the children, who had evidently halted at the brush.
“So... which one of you is brave enough?” one child whispered.
“Not me!” another exclaimed.
“Not me two!” a third one whispered loudly in panic.
“I'll do it,” Pipsqueak whispered nervously.
“She almost got you once,” the first child whispered ominously, “but go ahead. It was nice knowing you, Pip.”
Pipsqueak stepped out from the brush. His knees shook like they were made of gelatin, but he advanced regardless, cautiously travelling close enough near me that I could reach out my foreleg and touch him.
“Um... Princess Luna,” he said nervously, “I know there's not going to be any more Night Mare Night, but do you suppose you could come back next year, and scare us again anyway?”
“Child,” I said, stunned, “are you saying that thou likest me to scare you?”
“It's really fun!” Pipsqueak said with childlike enthusiasm, “scary, but fun!”
“It... is?” I asked.
“Yeah! Night Mare Night is my favorite night of the year!” Pipsqueak said.
“Well then,” I chuckled, “we will have to bring Night Mare Night back!”
“Woah!” Pipsqueak exclaimed, “you're my favourite Princess ever!”
Pipsqueak ran off back to the brush. “She said yes, guys!”
Cheers of adoration could be heard as they went to greet Pipsqueak with excitement.
“Can it be true?” I said, as it slowly began to sink into my mind.
“Oh, most wonderful of...” I trailed off as I realized I slipped into the royal Canterlot voice once again. “I mean,” I said in a normal voice, “oh, most wonderful of nights.”
Laughing children lead the path that Twilight Sparkle and I took back to Ponyville. We took a slightly different path that lead us to where the chariot was parked.
I was still concealed in the treeline as I saw the little ponies regarding the chariot with awe.
“Hey, Pip. Go and touch the chariot,” one of the children, an orange pegasus filly dared.
I realized Idle Hooves was a distance away in the treeline. I caught his eye as I silently beckoned him over.
“What is it?” Idle Hooves said in curiosity.
“Play along with what I'm about to do,” I said with a grin.
“I'm not touching it,” Pipsqueak said, “you should go on the chariot! It was your idea!”
“What? No way!” the first child said.
“Scootaloo's a chicken!” another child whispered loudly.
“Fine!” Scootaloo said, “I'm gonna do it, just to show you that I'm not a chicken!”
“I wouldn't do that if I were you, my little ponies,” I cackled, “for you see, the spirits of my guards haunt this chariot. And do you know what they like to eat? Little children, just like you.”
I nudged Idle Hooves quickly.
“Mmm... yes...” Idle Hooves said in a remarkably spooky voice, “that orange one... she looks very tasty. Come on to the chariot, little one, I can't wait to eat you!”
“Never mind! Run for it!” Scootaloo yelled in absolute terror as she fled full-speed with the rest of the townschildren in tow.
It still escaped me that fun could include tossing spiders at webs as well as running for your life, but I could not put the smile off my face watching the dust cloud the children left in their wake.
Twilight Sparkle walked up to us.
“Wow. Where'd you learn to do that?” Twilight Sparkle asked Idle Hooves in astonishment.
Idle Hooves smiled. “Ever since Star was little, I'd tell her a horror story every eve of Night Mare Night. I got lots of practice doing spooky voices.”
“It sure paid off! Anyway, I gotta check up on the kids and then deliver my message to Princess Celestia,” Twilight Sparkle said.
“I can deliver thy message, if you so wish,” I offered.
“No thanks. It's a friendship report,” Twilight Sparkle explained.
“Friendship report?” I asked.
“Oh, Princess Celestia didn't tell you? Whenever I learn something about friendship, I write it down and hand it in as a report to Princess Celestia.”
“Pray tell, what could you have learned in tonight's chaos?”
“A lot more than you think,” Twilight Sparkle said, “and most of it I learned from you, Luna.”
“I'm... glad to be of assistance to you somehow. And... thank you for being my friend.”
Twilight Sparkle pushed her wizard's hat up as she smiled warmly. “The pleasure was all mine, Luna. Good-bye.”
“Good-bye, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight Sparkle teleported away in a flash of lavender sparks.