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// 75 
// Story: Twilights Mane Passion 
// by Darkonshadows 
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It was early morning of the day of Nightmare Night, Fluttershy got out bed with trepidation. She could already tell today was going to be just one of those days. She immediately started off by feeding and caring for her animals and then she’d bathe. Breakfast was a simple affair and she had her Nightmare Night costume already, all she needed to do was put it on later.

Now it was just waiting for the preparations to be complete in town for the evening festivities and then Fluttershy would have to chaperone a group of little ponies including her friend’s sisters, daughter and Scootaloo. It was just on a night where horrific memories of dragons still haunted her, nothing to truly worry about. She knew Twilight forced her hoof and that she was too shy to say she really didn’t want to leave her comfortable safe home this night, she wasn’t about to disappoint all the children she said she would chaperone.

Why oh why did Fluttershy ever let herself get talked into this? She wanted Scootaloo to enjoy the holiday even if it was at the cost of her own personal happiness.  It was worth the price of facing some mental scarring from that night long ago, what were the chances it would happen again anyway?  The fire, ponies running and screaming alongside all the horrors of that frightful night still burned into her memory.

Fluttershy would soon take Scootaloo over to Twilight’s home because she promised the filly could have a costume that would let her look like Rainbow Dash. Twilight would make her look like Rainbow’s little sister, a plan involving this suddenly popped up in Fluttershy’s head. It might not be a completely nice idea and would probably upset the celestial guards watching Scootaloo, but Fluttershy could hide a disguised filly in plain sight until she was capable of flying again. Fluttershy would have her move into the cottage for an extensively long sleepover. The more Fluttershy thought about it, the more it sounded like a good idea.

In town Tress was having a rather slow morning. Twilight was going to unveil their costumes and she wondered what Radiance had in store for her. Knowing Twilight it was going to be something of interest. Twilight had asked for her to wait in the living room and she already saw Barb with her costume.

Barb was there wearing a flowing white dress with a blue headband that had decorative white feathered wings sticking up out of it and her hair was hanging down her back in a large single braid. She was wielding a fire resistant wood shield that could double as a discus, it was fire resistant as Twilight didn’t want any accidents to occur tonight and if her daughter needed to sneeze she’d do it into the shield.

“So what do you think is taking mom so long?” Barb was curious as to what kind of costume her mother had planned and asked Rarity about it. The fashion master told Barb that she had sworn to keep it a secret.

“Don’t know, but she has a lot of business today with several ponies before we can leave. We need to help poor Rarity out with the rest of her costumes. She’s not missing this Nightmare Night due to fatigue because of last minute orders now that we’re here to help her, Fluttershy is good at sewing and it kind of helps that she’s stitched up Chrysalis a few times. At least we know who’s going to be the best zombie pony in the costume contest.” A knock at the door and Tress sent her tail hair to open it and quickly pulled it back after she had accomplished the task with relative ease. “Hey Zecora, come on in! We’re waiting on Twilight to finish putting on her costume; she says she’s going to be wearing it all day and she’s yet to show me the one she got for me. So why are you here, enjoying the festivities as well?"

“I’m here on an appointment for my hair, for tonight Twilight will have it looking quite good with flair. Though I will miss the Mohawk that is my style, I’m sure Twilight can return it back to being itself after a while.” Zecora reach up and ran a hoof through her mane. She preferred her short hair standing straight up, she’d miss it somewhat this night getting into the spirit of things with the costumes all the other ponies would be wearing.  “If she has a problem with making hair short, then a problem this may court.”

“She doesn’t have a problem with giving ponies what they ask… wow.” Tress’s pupils grew wide. Her mouth opened slightly, followed by her ears going straight up in attention, a tail lifted a few centimeters, a heart that started beating a little bit faster and a slightly darker hue that dusted the pink fur along the mare’s cheeks. The thing that caused this reaction was Twilight suddenly making a descent down the stairs; she was wearing a Power Ponies costume for Nightmare Night and it was an almost exact replica of Radiance’s from the comic. It really flattered Twilight’s form and Rarity did good work with a few minor adjustments to make the costume almost shine.

Barb for her part was also happily soaked in her mom’s appearance, she had always liked Radiance as a character and it wasn’t just because Radiance’s costume was covered in tasty looking crystals.

Twilight floated a costume in front of Tress earning her attention; the costume that Tress was to wear was also familiar very looking. Twilight noted that Tress had tears in her eyes as she reverently took the costume made for her in a hoof and made her way up the stairs to go put it on.

“That costume seemed to be of basic attire, why did it create that reaction in Tress if I am to inquire?” Zecora took in the whimsical look upon Twilight’s face as she motioned for the zebra to follow her.

“Let’s just say it’s nostalgia at work Zecora, now come on. I think it’s time a zebra got a taste of the hair growth formula she helped make. You’ve got such a lovely feeling mane, I guess I can understand that having it long might distract you from you’re work or it could mess up your potion making.” Twilight led Zecora into the bathroom, she was always happy to play with a willing friend’s mane or tail. “You wouldn’t have the time to take care of it living in the Ever Free Forest as you do, so you’re mane style is quite sensible in that regard aside from cultural reasons.”

“Only on special nights can a bit of vanity be good, otherwise I like my short hair and hood.” Zecora emphasized this by taking off her cloak and stepping into the bathtub, a lot of ponies knew how Twilight operates when it comes to her Trims business. Zecora was no different when she was tired of smelling like the Ever Free Forest, she would come to her friend’s house just to bathe instead of just going to a river as talking to Twilight always made it feel like a worthwhile trip.

Already the zebra could feel the unicorn lathering her mane up. Her tail was long enough already, so Twilight would only give it some style and would wash it with a shampoo that didn’t have the growth formula in it.

Zecora closed her eyes and dreamed of days past where her mother took great care of her, she was just happy to be where she was now and with a pet tapir no less. Seeing the world was something that she enjoyed vastly and she had found her place in it, especially when she has found friends that treated her well like this. The sensation of her hair growing out was hard to recognize, but it was somewhat euphoric when she did feel it. Interesting side effect, but it wasn’t a bad one.

“Um, do you mind if I keep some of the hair I’m about to trim off? I know it may seem weird Zecora, but I like to ask my friends this question and surprisingly no pony has been put off by it yet.” Twilight only asked because she didn’t want to ever upset any of her friends that she had a thing for saving the cut hair. It was one of the small things about Twilight that none of her friends thought of as a big problem. She wasn’t doing anything wrong with the hair she cut and it made a good reminder of the friends that trusted her with their manes.

“Are you a collector of manes and tails as a fetish? That explains so much about your talent with hairstyling that seems a bit… coquettish.”  Zecora smiled at the big blush that came across Twilight’s face, she chuckled dryly to herself as her friend was so easy to embarrass.

“Oh it’s nothing like that. It’s just I have a mild attraction to anything between short and wiry manes and tails to beautiful thick luscious long ones; it kind of varies from pony to pony though. For instance I’m not really attracted to Rarity’s mane.” Twilight saw the look on the zebra’s face in the mirror that was disbelieving as she combed out her floor length mane with an incredible tenderness. “Well at least I know I don’t feel anything too deeply about it, I just really like doing this kind of thing. You’re mane is really quite silky when you let it grow out.”

“Our friendship I will certainly not batter, my trimmed hair you can keep as to me it’s of no matter.” Zecora didn’t even mind the scissors going to work after her mane was styled into a center parting. After it was quickly trimmed; she had to admit long hair on her looked rather fetching. “Every pony you meet might have at least one vice; I would be willing to do this again since as a friend you are always so nice.”

Twilight tilted her head downwards blushing again, was she really that good with styling and making ponies feel good? She made sure she was finished with Zecora who was smiling in the mirror at her own appearance; the zebra certainly looked good with a long mane even if it wasn’t to her preference.

“Well we’re done for now, later on I can cut it back into your original style. Sleepover for the night and I’ll do it almost first thing in the morning.” Twilight received a nod from her friend. They set out into the living room to find Barb opening the door to introduce Fluttershy and Scootaloo into their humble abode. “Hello you two, what can I do for you today?”

“Fluttershy said you can give me a Rainbow Dash costume!” Scootaloo yelled enthusiastically fluttering her buzzing wings rapidly in excitement.

“Can you make it so even her own celestial guards won’t even recognize her please? I managed to evade them with Chrysalis’s help and I really want to see Scootaloo fly, so maybe if we can keep her away from them and scrutiny long enough...” Fluttershy thought Chrysalis was becoming oddly receptive to requests, at least from those who were honestly her close friends at least. She whispered this into Twilight’s ears in the hopes to have her plan carry out.

“Yeah, I can do that Fluttershy. Come on Scootaloo, I’ll see to you immediately. So have you given any thought’s to how you want the colors to flow? I’m not about to make you an exactly a copy of Rainbow, we wouldn’t be able to tell you two apart then.” After her slightly sarcastic comment on Rainbow’s intelligence matching that of a little filly’s, Twilight stopped on the way to the bathroom to witness Tress coming out wearing her costume. “What do you think of Rarity’s work Tress?”

Upon walking into the living room Tress saw Zecora and her new crowning glory. She gave a small whistle that caused the zebra to blush at the attention. She turned to Fluttershy who was acting rather skittish at the moment; then again it was understandable as she really didn’t like Nightmare Night for some reason.

“So what’s your costume Fluttershy?” Tress already knew what Zecora was going to be wearing and wondered what the shy mare would be dressed as, just in case there is any trouble this night and she needed to protect the poor mare. Things were never quiet for long in Ponyville, especially not if Twilight could help it and while currently dressed as a hero.

“Um… I’m going as a-a…” Fluttershy’s voice hit an all time low; she really didn’t like Nightmare Night, but she put on a brave face and answered clearly if in a whisper. “I’m going as a turtle.”

“I bet you’ll be the most adorable turtle ever, I feel kind of sorry that we’ll never get you out of your shell though.” Tress would admit that she missed some things from her world, every mare and stallion with super powers always got nice looking costumes. Twilight was no different as she really sold the jewels in her mane and tail, not to mention across the entire Radiance costume.

Fluttershy giggled lightly at the jab at her shyness, Ponyville was a place where ponies always cheered her up faster then she could get frightened or depressed. Maybe tonight wouldn’t go so horribly for her after all!