//------------------------------// // Nightmare Night // Story: Daienu // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// Nightmare Night Yaazi and Dinky played happily together, bouncing a ball back and forth in a pony game of catch. Neither wanted to bother with their magic, so they were competing to see who would drop it. After a time, however, the ball became stuck on Yaazi's horn, and she shook her head, trying to dislodge it. Unfortunately, it was stuck fast, and Dinky had to pull hard on it. When it came off, it sent them both tumbling into Dinky's closet door, knocking it open, causing an outfit hanging on the inside of the door to fall onto the two fillies, along with several other items. After unburying themselves, Yaazi examined the outfit. "I didn't know you were a firepony, Dinky," she said, holding up the little fire fighter outfit. Dinky giggled. "I'm not. That's just my Nightmare Night costume from last year." Yaazi blinked. "Nightmare Night? What's that?" Dinky stared. "You don't know what Nightmare Night is?" she asked, shocked. Yaazi shook her head. Dinky smiled. "It's only the bestest holiday ever! We get to stay up late, wander around town, play tons of fun games, and everypony gives us candy!" Yaazi smiled. "That does sound like fun!" She blinked. "But what's the costume for?" Dinky grinned. "It's part of the fun. Everypony dresses in costume! I was thinking of doing something different this year, but I kinda ran out of time. Guess I'll either be a fire fighter or a police pony again this year. Unless I want to go as a giant muffin." She shuddered a bit. "As much as I love my Mom's muffins, I'm not doing that again. Pinkie kept giving me weird looks." Yaazi blinked, very confused at all of this. "So...what am I supposed to dress up as, anyway?" "Anything," Dinky replied. "Anything that's not a pony, anyway." Yaazi stared through one of the holes in her leg. "Guess I don't need a costume, then..." she said sadly, before walking up the wall. She wasn't sure why, but walking up walls and across ceilings always relaxed her whenever she got upset, especially when the upset was from reminders of how she was different. She thought it had something to do with reminding herself of the good things that came with being different. After all, climbing walls was fun! Dinky watched Yaazi climbing the walls, and then her eyes widened. "I know what you can dress up as!" She grabbed Yaazi's hoof, yanking her off the wall. "Come on! We need to see if Rarity will do a rush job!" Yaazi blinked, confused. "Uhh...okay..." ----------- As the sun set on Nightmare Night, Yaazi was really happy. She was going to get to go door to door to get candy from everypony in Ponyville, and she was sure they'd love her costume. Dressed in a black body suit that covered everything but her eyes, her horn, her mane, and the tips of her hooves, she was a perfect ninja. Seized by a Pinkieish notion, she began to sing and dance. "♫I'm a ninja, I'm a pony ninja! I'm a ninja, I'm a pony ninja." Unsatisfied with dancing on the floor, she began climbing along the walls and ceiling. ♫I'm a ninja, I'm a pony ninja! I'm a! Pony! Ninja!" On the last word, she leapt to the floor, nearly slamming into Dinky as she came looking for her. "Yaazi!" Dinky yelled in shock. "What are you doing?" Yaazi blinked. "Umm...ninjing?" Dinky tilted her head, confused. "Ninjing?" "You know, what ninjas do. Ninj!" Dinky blinked for a time, then shrugged. Sounded right to her. She shook herself off, straightening her bow tie and plaid suit while making sure the thin metal rod was secure in the pocket. "Alright," she said happily. "Let's go get candy!" "Yay!" Yaazi said happily. Grabbing her candy bucket with her magic, she began stalking her way towards the front door. "Ninj, ninj, ninj, ninj, ninj," she said under her breath as she stalked. Dinky stared at her for a time, then giggled, following her. Coming to the first door, Yaazi did as Dinky had told her to do when the door opened. "Nightmare Night, what a fright, Give us something sweet to bite!" Snowflake, dressed as a drill sergeant, stared straight at her for a very long time. Finally, not knowing what else to do, Yaazi lowered her body to the ground in a pose reminiscent of a canine play bow while looking up at him, and said, "Uhh...ninj?" "HNNNNGGGG!" Snowflake let out, tossing the bowl of candy in his hooves into the air as he clutched at his chest before falling backwards into his house. Yaazi stared at the unconscious pony and the candy all over the place. "So...do we get the candy now?" Dinky smiled. "I guess so." Smiling and laughing, the two stuffed the candy into their buckets before heading off to other houses. They wound up with quite the haul. "So all this candy is ours?" Yaazi asked happily. "No," Dinky replied. "We offer a good amount of it to Princess Luna." Yaazi blinked. "Why?" Dinky shrugged. "Tradition. Something about assuaging Nightmare Moon's hunger so she won't eat us, but that's just silly. I think it's more to make sure she comes back here every year. She really enjoys the festivities here in Ponyville, and makes it a lot of fun for all of us little ponies. She even brings the moon closer to Equestria and makes it shine a bit brighter so we'll have an easier time seeing where we're going, just for tonight. That's why it's always a full moon on Nightmare Night." Yaazi didn't really follow everything Dinky had said. However, she'd picked up one thing. Luna was extorting candy from the fillies and colts of Ponyville for their safety! She would put a stop to that! There was a sudden roll of thunder and several lightning flashes. Dinky bounced happily. "Princess Luna's here!" she cried, racing towards town square. Yaazi followed, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. When she reached the town square, Yaazi saw Princess Luna standing in the center, proclaiming something in the Royal Canterlot Voice. All the fillies and colts looked happy, but Yaazi was too focused on Luna's 'extortion' scam to notice. Coming up behind Luna on the rooftops, Yaazi leaped off the rooftop towards her, shouting, "NINJ!" She landed on Luna's head with a 'plop' sound, where she gripped and began trying to tug on her mane without success. She then noticed Luna looking up at her in confusion. Having forgotten why it was exactly she had attempted this, Yaazi could only gulp. "Uhh...ninj?" Luna smiled, her cheeks bulging a little as she put a hoof to her mouth. More adult ponies would be able to tell she was barely suppressing a squeal of delight. After a moment, she regained control of herself. "It would appear that we have a ninja on our head," she said, emphasizing the royal plural. Levitating a quill out of Twilight Sparkle's always overstuffed saddlebags, she stuck it just behind Yaazi's right ear. She then turned toward the town at large. "Quite the fashionable hat, don't you think?" she asked everyone, startling a laugh from several ponies. Yaazi wound up spending the rest of Nightmare Night on Luna's head. While it wasn't nearly as comfortable a perch as on her Daddy's shoulders, the few times Luna would leap into flight without warning - and the rush of excitement that accompanied each time - made it a very close competitor. Each time Yaazi tried to get down, though, Luna would look up at her sadly and say, "Do you not like being my hat?" How could Yaazi say no to that face? Besides, it was fun. As the night started to wind to a close - at least for the fillies and colts - Luna lifted Yaazi off her head and hugged her. "Thank you for a wonderful time, Yaazi," she said happily. Yaazi blinked. "You know me?" she said, shocked. Luna smiled. "Your father is a good friend of mine. I have heard much about you. I am glad we were able to meet tonight. It was quite fun." She then set Yaazi down on Derpy's front porch. "Sleep well, Yaazi, and have most pleasant dreams." Yaazi smiled. "I will!" she said happily, going inside. Heading down to the basement, she climbed into her bed and curled up to sleep, her bucket of candy held tight to her. "Dinky was right..." she mumbled under her breath as sleep claimed her. "Bestest...holiday...ever..." Her voice trailed off into a quiet snore.