//------------------------------// // She Looks So Perfect // Story: Of Tricks And Treats // by Starlight Shadow //------------------------------// The doorbell rings just as I'm pulling on my wolf costume. "I'll get it!" I shout down the hall while I'm jamming my wolf mask onto my face. I get a running start and glide to the door, barely avoiding a crash. Progress. Our house is on the outskirts of town, only about five feet up. The way our doorbell works is that there's a long rope hanging down that you yank, which makes the bell ring up here. I step onto the shelf of cloud that is our porch/takeoff platform and look down. Diamond Tiara is down there. And her friend Silver Spoon. They both look awesome, but Silver Spoon takes the cake in her floaty white dress, looking like an angel. Her mane that almost glows in the just-emerging moonlight is tied up and cascades down her neck in a wavy tumble. Each one of her boots is polished to perfection. Suddenly the ground that's just a few feet away I've flown down to without thinking ever since my wings developed enough seems so far away. I get the candy bowl, take a deep breath and jump, unfurling my wings and gliding neatly to the ground. Another deep breath and I turn to them. I feel incredibly dorky in my mask. "Hi, you guys." "Hi, Rumble." It's Silver that waves first, sending warm tingles all through my body. "Yeah, hi." Diamond nudges Silver, causing her to blush and give a minute shake of her head. I hold out the bowl to them. "Take a hoofful." They both take some candy, Diamond's smile ebbing and flowing while Silver's is consistent. Diamond nudges Silver again. Silver mutters something that I'm pretty sure is "Be patient," though my mask obscures my ears a little bit. "Well, we'll be moving along. We have to see and be seen." Diamond says haughtily with a toss of the mane. Silver nods in agreement and goes to follow her friend. My stomach sinks. For a second I had entertained the wild fantasy that she would ask me to go with them. I was already headed out anyway. Halfway to Diamond, who's already almost in town, Silver stops, and hesitantly looks at me. My heart picks up. Diamond jerks her head insistently. Silver opens her mouth to speak, then closes it again. "Rumble, do you want to go trick-or-treating with us? You look ready to go." Her voice never sounded more like tinkling bells than it did right then. "Yeah, sure! I'll just- get my- pillowcase..." I stumble on my words and make awkward gestures up towards the porch as I speak. Silver nods. I fly up faster than I've ever gone and get my pillowcase, rushing off to join them. ---- All the other foals who went to Rumble's house to get candy were surprised to find the bowl simply laying there on the ground, but they weren't complaining.