5 - It Could Be Worse
It almost felt like a dream. Clouds of brown cinnamon lifted from his coat and mane, gently drifting before his eyes before disappearing. Pulled down into the dark water, Bramble felt his right hind leg being yanked by something large and powerful. He looked down, and saw the large, white, triangular fangs of the gingerbread pony latched onto him. Immediately he began to panic, kicking with his free legs and doing his best to hold what little breath he had.
A pumpkin sank with him, gently, its mouth open wide to latch onto his flank. Bramble tried to shove it away, but he was too weak, too tired. It brought its squishy mouth down on him, and there was a bright flash.
***
"No no no no, this can't be happening! Bramble, where are you?!" Willlow waited several agonizing seconds, then tossed the empty jar to the side. "Oh bugger this." With only a slight hesitation he threw himself into the water and dove for the bottom. It was so dark, darker than it even looked from the surface. He flailed a foreleg to try and feel for something, anything, that would indicate Bramble was there.
Startlingly white flashes and bursts of light came from below. A few here, a few there. Then, all at once, the entire pool of water became a lightshow, as if hundreds of flash bulbs were going off one after another. His lungs ached, his head swam, and in a final attempt he kicked out a leg -- and felt hair. He followed it to its source, a decidedly equine shape, but something was different. The figure felt slick, as if covered in oil. He ignored it and wrapped his forelegs around the pony. Moments later he breached the surface and gasped for air, coughing and gagging.
"B-Bramble, are you--" He jerked his head back. It wasn't the cream-colored coat of Bramble. It wasn't even male. The pony was decidedly more feminine, a sky blue color, with a falling star cutie mark.
"...Miss Starshine?"
Equally to his surprise, she appeared to be wrapped in a bubble of some sort that contoured her body and sparkled with a dark blue energy. She was breathing normally, despite the fact that no real amount of air should have been available in the confines of the bubble in the first place. He quickly swam to the pool's embankment and set her on the ground. The shape-hugging bubble popped and disappeared, leaving the sleeping Starshine lying on the grass.
"Right, back in."
He took a deep breath and dove once more...and immediately felt himself being lifted back to the surface. Dozens, hundreds of ponies were floating up to meet him, all wrapped in their own shimmering bubbles. The sheer amount of them pushed him back, and he scrambled for shore.
The water slowly began to clear as he watched in astonishment. And then it struck him -- it had worked. The potion had worked! He hollered and laughed in victory, overjoyed that their one shot in the dark had actually succeeded. A short distance away, the slightly plump form of Bramble bobbed to the surface, and Willow ran over and pulled him to shore. The sustaining bubble popped, and Willow shook the other awake.
"Bramble! Wake up, it worked!"
"Wha? Whataya mean it...wait, how'd I get up here?"
"I pulled you to to shore! Well, after you and everypony else somehow became encased in life-sustaining bubbles of some sort. I had tried to dive in after you, but then, well...this occurred. What happened down there?"
Bramble rubbed his eyes and coughed up a small bit of water. "I don't know. I was being pulled down by that...that thing. Had its mouth around my leg. Then this jack o' lantern bit down on me, and the next thing I know...I'm up here." He pushed himself up on a knee and looked around. "Well I'll be damned, it really did work. Is that the entirety of the town?"
"It would seem so. That was a cracking good job leading that creature into the water, my good researcher."
"Heh. Who woulda thought? Come on, let's start dragging these ponies to dry land."
They splashed back into the shallow end of the water, venturing out to drag back Bridle Falls' citizens two at a time. It would take a good while, but they'd be safe. Or rather, it would have taken a while.
"...You hear that, Willow?" Bramble asked.
"I do. Whatever it is, it's coming from the water."
A blue shining of magic gradually neared the surface, growing ever brighter, accompanied by a loud, tinkling, chiming sound. With a splash of water and a rush of air, Princess Luna emerged from the water, returned to her former glory. She burst from below and spread out her wings, spraying water over the entire area. Her eyes glowed white and her horn shined brightly with triple layers of midnight-blue magic, and all at once she raised the town's floating inhabitants with a dramatic raise of her forelegs. Slowly, and gently, she set them on the grass around the falls. For a time she remained in place with great flaps of her wings, surveying the surrounding area.
"Sir Bramble, Sir Willow Wisp: I believe your potion theorem was correct. Verily, congratulations are in order."
Willow bowed. "Thank you, Princess. Are you, uh, feeling alright? No side effects of your transformation?"
"Aside from a lingering aftertaste of pumpkin, my mental and physical faculties seem to have returned to their former state." She pointed to the masses of ponies sleeping or groggily waking up around the waterfall. "It was most curious; when the potion changed me back, it was as if a great weight had been lifted from my mind. With it came a moment of clarity I cannot adequately put into words. I simply knew what had to be done, and thus the citizens of Bridle Falls slumber easily beside the water."
"That was very quick thinking. You likely saved their lives."
Luna landed beside the sopping wet researchers. "So it would seem. It was, however, your potion that changed us back in the first place, and for that you have the gratitude of the royal court -- especially myself. Had it not been for your efforts, I would still be a carved vegetable trundling back to Canterlot. The surprise on my sister's face would have almost been worth it. Almost."
"We're just glad we could get this mess sorted out," Bramble said. "On a side note, I've never been more happy to be clean in my life. Dumping ten pounds of cinnamon on yourself ain't something I'd recommend to anypony."
"Look on the bright side, my friend," Willow added cheerfully, "your daring -- and somewhat bizarre -- scheme actually worked! We'll have to thank you aunt some time."
"Yeah, well, after tonight, I think I'd rather her stick to holiday-appropriate desserts. Just sayin'."
"Duly noted."
Willow hadn't noticed Luna take into the air once more. When he turned to speak with her she had already landed on the opposite side of the pool, where her four bat-winged guards still rested. Somehow, they'd managed to keep their helmets on during the whole affair.
The two researchers galloped over, arriving just as the royal escorts were getting to their hooves.
"Arise, Sir Thundershield. How do your colleagues fair?"
Thundershield looked around wearily. "Uhh...we're alright, I guess. Where are we, Princess?"
"Bridle Falls," Bramble answered, tipping his head in a greeting. "The actual falls, matter of fact."
"The falls?" he asked, clearly confused. "But we were flying over the town...and there was this...this thing...and these pumpkins..."
"It's a long story. Uhh, it may also have been our fault. Also a long story."
Willow raised a hoof to get their attention. "Speaking of our gargantuan gingerbread friend, what happened to him? Or it, rather. The potion was supposed to rectify its growing problem; it's a happy coincidence that it also reversed the effects of the pumpkin transmogrification. To be honest, that part of the plan was always a bit...iffy, we'll say."
Bramble motioned to the rapidly clearing pool. "That thing tried draggin' me down with it. That's the last I saw of it. In any case, at least--"
"Is this it?" A bat guard asked, lifting something from the ground on a hoof.
"Looks like it..." Bramble said, crossing over.
"This is what bested us? Really?! This stupid little...cookie?!"
"Like I said, it's a long story. Here, lemme see it." Bramble took the gingerbread pony in his grasp, staring at it in equal parts disdain and amusement. It no longer moved, no longer roared, and, best of all, no longer tried to eat him. It was just small and crumbly once again. "Can you believe it?" he asked as Willow trotted up beside him. "So much trouble from something so ridiculously harmless looking. A cookie that ain't even related to Nightmare Night."
"Indeed so. To think that our bit of improv could lead to this honestly surprises me, even as I stare at the aftermath."
"Yeah..."
"So, what are you going to do with it now? Eat it as some sort of revenge? Toss it in the garbage to keep our sandwich friend company? Keep it as a memento of this utterly bizarre night?"
"Hell no!" Bramble shouted suddenly, causing Willow to jump back. "I'm gonna stomp the everlovin' crap outta this thing until it's indistinguishable from the dirt!"
With that, he dumped the gingerbread pony on the ground, reared up, and brought his hooves down with a satisfying crunch. He punctuated each stamp with a shout. "Lousy! Stupid! Nutmeggy! Thing!"
"Are you alright, Bramb--"
"NEVER! EATING! GINGERBREAD! AGAIN! YA HEAR ME, YA STUPID MOTHER--"
"Uhh, right. We'll just leave you to that for the moment." Willow turned back to Luna and her guards, even as the sound of Bramble's raging continued unabated behind them. "Right! So. What now?" He dreaded hearing the answer.
Luna rubbed her chin with a hoof. "I believe I yet owe these citizens a Nightmare Night visit, although their spirits may be understandably dampened by their transformation and subsequent destruction of property. It is a...complicated situation. I believe they need to awaken first. After that, we will be too far behind schedule to even think of completing the night's ceremonies in any town on our list. I am perplexed and less than thrilled by the thought of such disappointment."
Luna felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see a young mare with a sky blue coat and a falling star cutie mark looking up at her.
"My apologies for interrupting, Princess, but I believe I may have a solution. If you'll follow me?"
Luna did so, disappearing around the corner behind a tall thorn bush. There was a muffled sound of conversation, followed by refined, royal laughter. Willow went pale.
"Oh dear..."
The mares appeared a moment later. "Yes, I believe that will be sufficient. You are a mare of great intellect, Miss Starshine!" She motioned to her bat guards. "My good sir guards, there may yet be hope! The royal chariot will have to wait. We are henceforth going to be teleporting to our destinations!"
There was a general mumbling and groaning but they fell in with the princess anyway, forming a circle around her.
"Before our departure, Researcher Bramble, Researcher Willow, I must thank you for saving me from the gingerbread menace, and from suffering the fate of being a gourd for an unseen amount of time. The experience was...interesting. Let us not repeat it next year, hmm? I shall return, but in the mean time, Miss Starshine has some information to pass on. I do suggest you listen."
With a flash of dark blue magic the Princess and her guards were gone, leaving no trace of their having been there in the first place. All around Bramble and Willow the ponies had begun to wake up en masse, confused and groggy to the last. Starshine prodded the two stallions with a hoof.
"Oh you're going to listen, alright, or so help me, a magical cookie will be the last of your concerns."
***
"Rejoice, ponies! Your offerings of sweet things has appeased me! There will be no gobbling of foals on this Nightmare Night!"
The gathered crowd gave a roar of approval, stomping their hooves on the ground and cheering as Luna reverted back to her normal self, her magical armor and predatory fangs dissipating in the wind.
It had been a full week since the events of Nightmare Night, and the damage to Bridle Falls had mostly been fixed, thanks to a very generous donation of time and money by the Foundation. Specifically, two researchers. Their contribution had been extensive, whether or not they wanted to contribute in the first place.
As was planned, Luna had pushed back Nightmare Night to give the ponies there time to recover. She admired the citizens for their willingness to forgive and their resounding constitution in the face of what was, undoubtedly, the most bizarre thing to happen to the town in a very long time. In the end, everyone had emerged unharmed, and buildings could always be fixed.
Now, two hours after the sun had set, Bridle Falls had come out in force to welcome back Princess Luna. It was a celebration larger and more elaborate than any other. Luna welcomed it and the joy it brought to all involved. Even Celestia had shown up to watch, floating high above the town in a royal chariot and laughing at the group of foals who ran from Luna's quasi-scary roar. Large bars of chocolate and bags of sweets floated into each of their candy bags, and they chased Luna around the town's fountain with giggles and shouts.
"Now, my good citizens," Luna shouted, using her royal voice to be heard far and wide, "let us gather 'round to watch the tale of the Giant of Bridle Falls and its army of ne'er-do-well pumpkin followers!"
Out from behind a stage curtain, an exasperated Willow trundled out in a large, comically overstuffed jack o' lantern costume. The laughter of dozens of foals was his reception.
"If you should go out on Nightmare Night," he monotoned, wishing he could be anywhere else, "you're in for a scare, you're in for a fright. I hate my life."
"Roar! Stomp! Roar again!" Out came Bramble, dressed up to look like the half-vampire gingerbread pony he'd unleashed on the town. "I am a holiday-inappropriate dessert come to destroy things! Roaring! And stuff!"
"I can't believe I have to do this," Willow mumbled.
"Oh come on, pal. Show a little holiday spirit! The foals think you're hilarious. Besides, you could be in a dungeon right now. So there's that."
A piece of candy corn bounced off Willow's head, followed by laughter from the Foundation employees who had come to watch for their amusement.
"I think I'd prefer the dungeon."
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Aw, I loved it! This was adorable, in-character for Luna, and felt very much true to the themes of MLP. Thanks for sharing, Drefsab!
5196839
Thank you for reading! Most people seem to just stick to my big romances, so it's always appreciated when I get someone saying they enjoyed my other stuff.
Just two comments? Really? I get that this might not be a blockbuster, but jeez …
Anyway. A fun read, and I demand fan-art of Jack-o’-Luna. That was adorable.
5211120
Agreed, I'm actually a little peeved something so good is getting so little attention.
Nightmare.exe is searching for comments...error, comments not found, would you like to make a comment Y/N?
This is next on my reading list. Prepare for a review!
7155115
My body is ready.
7155241
You hear that Rarity? His body is ready!
You two will be the death of me, I swear.
Alright. So. Time for my review. I took too long to get around to this.
...
Okay, so there was very little that I could say that you could improve. Aside from that one scientist, (Starshine I believe?) not getting punished since it was her fault that the pumpkins got out in the first place. I was waiting for some kind of recording showing her in the act at the last second but it didn't come. Only Bramble and Willow got punished. Otherwise, it was a good story.
I suppose it's also a good thing this wasn't rated teen, otherwise that guard pumpkin would've exploded when it got kicked. And since I have a twisted sense of humor, I would have found that hilarious.
On another note. Why do you never question why I talk to Rarity? Say hello, Rarity.
Hello, darlings.
Is it because you know that I'm insane? It's because you know I'm insane, isn't it?
7171039
Hey, glad you enjoyed the story! Despite being one of my less-viewed fics, it has a special place in my heart as one of the only quasi-SFW stories I've written. It wasn't entirely G rated, as I did throw in some light swearing, but it's close enough, I'd say. Sometimes you want to take a break from slaughter and sex (fun as those things are) to write something a little more casual.
If you haven't yet, I'd check out Red Sky next. It's my personal favorite story, even if it's incomplete. One day, not too long from now, once JBtD is done, I fully intend to finish Red Sky. I just love the characters and I can't wait to write more about them.
I plead the fifth.
7171075
I'm actually saving that one for last. You always save the best for last. As soon as I read The Darkness (which shouldn't take too long since it's 9,639 words) I'll read Red Sky as it looks interesting.
Edit:
I'll take that as a yes to my question anyway!
How DARE you do this to Luna on her special night! HOW DARE YOU!
WE DEMAND A LUNITY FIC NOW!
(Seriously though, how do my drabbles have more views than this, yours is so much better! Err, not that this is a drabble or anything...shutting up now)
There's 13 comments on this story. I must fix this.
Done. I commented.
Don't you judge me, I hate the number 13.
You can has review!
How the heck has this got so few views?
A neat story with everything you'd want... except maybe as Malozi mentioned, Starshine should have been on stage as well as she shared the responsibility for the whole gourd debacle.
Oddly, I now want to try chocolate coated parmesan nibbles. Like Bramble, I reckon I'd probably like it.