The autumn air was cold as the wind rushed past the trees, scattering the leaves left on the ground. Usually on days like this all the citizens of Ponyville would be inside trying to keep warm. Tonight, however, was no ordinary night. This was Nightmare Night. And for a certain rainbow maned Pegasus, it was the perfect night to pull one of her best pranks. The only thing holding her back was Clay, who was about to experience Nightmare Night for the first time.
“Come on Clay, we’re burning daylight here!” Dash called to her son as she tapped a hoof on the ground slightly irritated.
“Uh…I don’t know about this mommy.” Said a small voice from behind the bedroom door.
“Everypony celebrates Nightmare Night. It’s tradition.”
“But everypony will look scary.”
“Clay, they're still the same ponies you know from Ponyville. They just look different.”
Clay wasn’t convinced. He sat on his bed looking out his window at all the ponies in costume walking through the street. Clay hated being scared, and the fact that there was a whole day dedicated to a magical alicorn that would eat him if he didn’t offer candy didn’t really help in the slightest.
“Come on Clay. You get candy…you do still like candy, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“And you don’t want Nightmare Moon to gobble you up, do you?”
“N-no!”
“Well then get your costume on so we can go.”
Clay sighed and got off the bed to get on his costume which was a poorly made Wonderbolt jumpsuit with fake wings on the back and goggles without lenses. Clay stretched the goggles over his eyes and left his room and headed down stairs where he found his mother waiting by the door.
“Now that is the cutest Wonderbolt in all of Equestria.” Dash said, trying to boost his confidence.
Clay smiled, but was soon startled by a knock at the door. Dash opened it to reveal Pinkie Pie in her chicken costume, with two colts and two fillies, one of whom he recognized as Dinky.
“Aunt Pinkie Pie!” Clay ran up to give Pinkie a tight hug.
“Hiya Clay! You ready to go get some candy?”
“Y-yeah…um Aunt Pinkie…there aren’t any real monsters outside, are there?”
“No of course not! Well, except for Nightmare Moon, but as long as we give her candy she won’t gobble us up like cupcakes, or cookies, or maybe even…” Pinkie stopped when she saw the glare that Rainbow was giving her.
“Uh…don’t worry Clay, you’ll be safe with your Aunt Pinkie Pie.”
Clay looked back at Rainbow with a confused expression. “Why aren’t you wearing a costume mommy?”
“Heh, I’m not really into the candy stuff anymore. I’m just going to stay home tonight.”
Clay’s eyes widened.
“You're…you’re not coming?”
“Sorry Clay, but I’m a little too old for that stuff.”
Clay’s eyes began to glisten.
“But I wanted to spend Nightmare Night with you, mommy.”
Dash’s face fell as she saw her son’s eyes filling with tears. She walked up to him and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “I’ll tell you what. You go with Pinkie Pie and I’ll see if I can catch up with you later okay?”
“Okay mommy.” Clay wiped the tears from his eyes.
Dash smiled and ruffled his mane. “Now behave, and have fun.”
“I will mommy!”
Clay ran off and joined Pinkie and the others. Dash went back inside the house and gave a wicked grin as she went to a trunk in the living room and pulled out a Shadowbolt jumpsuit. This one wasn’t like the one she wore when Princess Luna made her first appearance. This jumpsuit was the real thing, she had won it in a bet with a real Shadowbolt, and she was dying to use it as her costume tonight. Dash hadn’t technically lied to Clay, she wasn’t doing this for candy. But she was doing this to have fun.
Dash flew to her room and donned the jumpsuit, then placed the yellow lensed goggles over her eyes. Dash loved being a Wonderbolt, but she had to admit, as she inspected herself in the mirror, that dressing up as a Shadowbolt made her look cool, even scary in the right light. Unlike the navy blue that the Wonderbolts wore, the Shadowbolts preferred the colors black and purple, and the logo itself was a skull and crossbones pattern. Dash grinned as she finished admiring herself, and flew down the stairs and out the door.
“This going to be fun.” She thought as she soared over the clouds.
Dash had it all worked out. As soon as the nearest group of ponies walked right under her storm cloud, all she had to do was give it a good kick and the thunder would scare the horse apples out of them. It was an old prank sure, but it was always good for a laugh, and besides it was all in good fun, wasn’t it? Dash hid in the black cloud as she heard the sound of hoof steps approach, and she waited for the right moment. She listened as the sounds drew closer…closer…closer. She picked her moment and gave the storm cloud a hard kick. She was rewarded with a loud crack of thunder and the sound of screaming.
Dash fell on her back laughing hysterically.
“This prank is still funny!”
Dash caught her breath and looked over the cloud to see if the ponies had either run or wet themselves.
Her eyes widened when she saw Pinkie and the colts and fillies she was watching. She looked to the group and saw a tiny colt wearing a Wonderbolt jumpsuit.
“Clay.”
Dash’s heart began to sink as she saw him curled into a little ball on the ground, whimpering. Dash landed on the ground and approached him, but before she could calm him down he let out a loud scream.
“No don’t eat me!” Clay shouted at the Shadowbolt, tossing his candy at Dash. He ran as fast as he could towards home.
“Clay wait!” Dash took off after him and soon found him banging on the door of their house.
“Mommy, let me in, please! Nightmare moon is going to eat me! Please don’t let her get me, Mommy!”
Dash landed behind the terrified colt and grabbed him, causing Clay to scream and kick begging for his life.
“Clay calm down, it's me, mommy!”
“Mommy?” Clay stopped kicking and looked back at the Shadowbolt. She placed him on the ground and removed her goggles and hood. Clay looked at her, confused and scared.
“Why…why did you scare me, Mommy?”
“I…I didn’t mean to scare you Clay, it was just a prank.”
“A…prank?”
“Yeah you know a joke. It was supposed to be funny.”
Clay looked like he was on the verge of tears. “It wasn’t funny, Mommy. It was scary. I thought you were going to eat me.”
“Clay, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m…I’m sorry.”
Clay backed away slightly, looking down at the ground.
“You were really scary, Mommy.”
“I know…I’m sorry, Clay.”
Dash walked up to him and placed a hoof on his shoulder. Clay looked up at her and then hugged her tightly, and Dash returned the embrace. She felt sick for scaring Clay so badly. The prank was supposed to be all in good fun. But no prank, no matter how funny it was to her, was worth seeing her son so upset and frightened.
“I want to go home.” He sobbed.
“Okay.” Dash whispered as she began gently stroking his mane. Clay released Dash and then realized something.
“Oh no! I forgot to give Nightmare Moon my candy! Now she’s going to gobble me up!” Clay began to cry again, and Dash’s heart began to break.
“That won’t be necessary.” A regal sounding voice said behind Clay.
Clay looked behind him to see a dark blue alicorn with a mane and tail that flowed elegantly.
“P-princess Luna?” Clay asked, bewildered.
“Yes Child.” Luna replied in the same regal tone. “The bounty has been so large this year I do not think that your candy will be necessary this Nightmare Night. Therefore Nightmare Moon shall spare you tonight.”
“How…how do you know?”
“I have my ways.” Luna said winking to Rainbow Dash. “You may go home and sleep soundly tonight child.”
Clay smiled as Luna spread her wings and took off into the night sky. Dash started to walk into the house when Clay spoke.
“Mommy?”
“Yes, Clay?”
“I know that I don’t have to give my candy to Nightmare Moon, but…can I still get some candy…with you?”
Dash looked shocked.
“Even after I scared you?”
“I was scared…but…I know you would never scare me on purpose and…I still want to spend Nightmare Night with you, Mommy.”
Dash smiled, trying to fight back a tear. “I’d love to Clay.”
Clay walked up to Dash and nuzzled her leg. “Thanks mommy.”
“You bet. Now come on, Nightmare Night is still young! Let’s get some sweets!”
Dash placed the hood and goggles over her head and ran after Clay. They went from house to house spending Nightmare Night the way it was meant to be spent; together.