3: Nightmare Night
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Chapter 3-Nightmare Night
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Nyx walked anxiously down the path to Sweet Apple Acres, nervously thinking over the different activities she’d be doing in the coming night. Nightmare Night wouldn’t officially begin for a few more hours, yet she still didn’t have a costume ready for it. She didn’t know what she was going to do, everything she tried just didn’t feel right. Twilight had done her best to help, but between the town celebration and her daily duties, there just wasn’t enough time to really think it over properly. Nyx moped as she walked down the cobblestone path, her eyes glued to the ground. She remembered when the path was nothing but dirt, but the Children of Nightmare had made sure to have it paved for all the ponies that would come to her for advice. She snorted, rolling her eyes at the thought.
Another thought that entered her mind was why she was going to the orchard in the first place. Apple Bloom had told her early that day that the girls wanted to show her something at the clubhouse, giving her rather vague details on the meeting. What could be so important that they needed to see her now? She felt tired, stressed, and though she loved her friends, none of this was helping.
The dreams were still haunting her. Every night they came, as horrible as the first one she ever had. She wished that she could get just one good night’s sleep, at least for the holiday, but perhaps that was too much to ask.
Nyx came up to the gates of the apple farm and walked on the grass, heading straight into the apple grove toward the treehouse. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were already there, talking with Apple Bloom as she waved at Nyx to come over. The filly quickly picked up her pace, closing the distance between her and the group as she smiled at the three girls.
“Hey, Nyx! Glad ya could make it so early!” Apple Bloom chirped, smiling happily at her approach.
“I came as quick as I could. Could you tell me what this is all about? It’s almost Nightmare Night and I still don’t have a costume to wear!” Nyx stressed, frustrated by her own indecisiveness.
“Well actually, that’s what we wanted to talk to ya about. Come up to the clubhouse.” The southern filly grinned, making her way up the ramp with Sweetie and Scootaloo close behind.
Nyx looked at her curiously but did as she was told, following them into the wooden structure. To her surprise, Peppermint Twist stood inside the clubhouse humming to herself, reading a magazine in the corner. The inside of the clubhouse was its usual mess, coloring books, crayons, and paint cans thrown all over the place. A tack board hung on the wall in the back of the room, charts and photos nailed to it showing off their many adventures and plans.
But what was most unusual was a large chest that was placed in the middle of the clubhouse. Nyx had never seen it before and was ever curious as Apple Bloom walked in front of it and unhooked the latches to open the lid.
“Hi, Twist, watcha doing?” Nyx asked, walking over to the creme colored filly. Twist looked up from her magazine and smiled, her dibbles highlighted by her expression.
“Hi, Nyx! I wash invidid to come tick or treatin’ with yus guys!” Twist said as she bounced, excited for the candy-filled adventure the night had to offer.
Nyx turned, looking at her friends as they stared at her with big goofy grins. She frowned, knowing something was going on, “Alright, what are you guys up too?”
“We wanted to welcome you to our trick or treatin’ trio plus two, so we got you this!” Apple Bloom grinned like an idiot as she pulled out a conservative blue gown with a white apron over the front, handing it to Nyx who looked at it in confusion.
“What is it?” Nyx asked, holding up the dress curiously.
“It’s a Bluebird dress. You know, like in ‘Bluebird’s Adventures in Wonderland’?” Sweetie Belle answered, Nyx looking up at her with wide eyes.
“You see, we were gonna go in different costumes this year, but, just in case you ever changed yer mind and wanted to go trick or treatin’ with us, we planned a group theme,” Apple Bloom said, Twist lighting up at the idea immediately.
“So, we decided to go with Wonderland, your favorite book!” Sweetie Belle explained, leaning against the chest.
“And with these awesome getups, we could maybe win the costume contest this year!” Scootaloo jumped up in the air, hovering there for a few seconds while her wings buzzed like a bee before she fell back to the ground.
“Oh, thash super!” Twist exclaimed, watching as Nyx looked down at the costume in silence.
Nyx scanned over the dress, taking in every detail. The stitchwork was absolutely perfect, no doubt Sweetie Belle had gotten Rarity to custom make it as accurate to the story as possible. The way the skirt puffed and the rich, vibrant baby blue, it was all so... perfect. But what got to her most was that her friends, the greatest friends she could ever hope to ask for, had thought of her in advance. Nyx held on to the dress as tears welled up her eyes, smiling joyfully as she leaped up and hugged them as hard as she could.
“I knew she’d like it.” Sweetie Belle swooned, doing her best impression of her sister that she could do.
Nyx pulled away, smiling at them. But, as she looked at each of them, a thought entered her mind, a question that tickled the back of her curiosity. She glanced at the chest in the center of the room that still had many outfits inside, then turned back at them, staring at the fillies with a bit of curiosity.
“But, who are you guys gonna go as?”
On the outskirts of town, stationed at the many roads leading into Ponyville, guards stood at attention for travelers or anyone who seemed out of the ordinary. Twilight had asked Princess Celestia for them in light of the Baltimare incident, who gladly provided them considering the circumstances. And of course on this of all nights, Twilight had wanted them to be extra careful, so she had ordered them to deny entry to anyone unless they had permission from one of the princesses.
Two guards, in particular, standing on the eastern road facing Everfree Forest, watched on with passive boredom. They had been standing out there for hours, and they’d likely be there until the next morning. The sun was setting over the trees of the forest, and with it it would take their only means of warmth.
But as they watched lazily, something came out of the forest path, moving steadily towards them. Looking more closely they could clearly see three ponies coming out from the trees, pulling a cart behind them filled with equipment and supplies. The guards became aroused as the three came forward, each wearing a cloak that concealed their identities.
“Halt! State your business!” one of the guards ordered, both of them standing in front of the band with their spears crossed, blocking the path.
“We are delegates of the Sanhedrin provenance of Saddle Arabia. We have come for an audience with Princess Twilight Sparkle of Ponyville,” the mare said in a stately manner, both guards staring at each other in confusion.
The guard glared, pointing his spear at the mare. “I’m sorry, but we weren’t notified of any delegates. If you could give us your visiting papers, then—”
“You don’t need papers,” the mare said in a haunting voice, her eyes glowing crimson. At that very moment, the two guards stood at ease, their eyes glowing the same shade of red as hers.
“My apologies, madam. We didn’t realize you were expected,” one of the guards said, speaking in a lolled, relaxed tone as he removed his spear from her face, the other guard doing the same.
“It’s quite alright, soldier, you simply weren’t told. May we pass now?” she said in a soft, sweet tune, giving him a bright inviting smile. The guards nodded, stepping aside to let them through. The mare motioned for her escort to move forward, her companions pulling the cart behind them while the guards watched on giving them no trouble.
“Such helpful stallions. Oh, but you look so cold,” the mare cooed as she levitated two blankets out of the cart, wrapping them carefully around each of the guards, “There, now isn’t that better?”
“Thank you, ma’am,” they both replied, answering with that same droning voice.
“Good,” she smiled warmly, moving forward to join her companions, both guards staring forward without acknowledging their presence.
“Oh, and we were never here. Ta-ta!” she called over her shoulders, waving at the guards as they moved down the path to Ponyville. Once out of sight the guards snapped out of their trance, looked at each other, then went about their duties, hugging the blankets they had brought with them and waiting for anyone who might come upon the quiet lonely road.
Night fell upon Ponyville, and it was a ghostly night indeed. Upon every porch-step stood the round orange husks of jack-o-lanterns, yards covered in cobwebs and ghosts. Ponies were dressed in wonderful costumes of monsters and heroes, villains and princesses, moving through the streets making their way to the town square. Several groups of fillies ran about from door to door in search of candy, mummies, witches, and vampires being led by an adult or two who watched them with smiles on their faces. Street lanterns basked the town in an eerie light, the ground covered in a fog the pegasi had worked to bring in earlier that day for the occasion.
The moon itself gave off a yellow haze as five giggling fillies made their way down the street, and what a sight they were. Nyx wore her Bluebird dress with her mane done up with split bangs curling down to her shoulders, a little black bow holding it up. Her costume was accurate to the book in every way, save for the pair of glasses she insisted on wearing. Scootaloo’s costume was rather simple, purple lines that matched her mane were painted onto her body with cat ears and whiskers placed on her head. She also wore special contacts that made the whites of her eyes appear yellow and her irises beady, giving them a wild look. Their outfits were cute and done rather well, but the others were far more bizarre.
Apple Bloom was dressed in a red waistcoat over a yellow vest, a pair of spectacles resting on her muzzle and a bunny-ear band. Sweetie Belle was dressed as the infamous Mad Hatter, downing a green vest with a purple bow-tie with yellow polka-dots. Her head was crowned with a green top hat of ten and six quarters, her mane popping out from the sides in one shaggy mass. Finally, Twist followed them in the back, dressed in the most outlandish royal outfit ever seen, red and black cloth stitched together with imagines of playing cards placed all over it.
They had all put a lot of hard work into their costumes, and the results were truly impressive. Of course, they couldn’t take all the credit. After all, Sweetie Belle had gotten her sister to help them with their makeup, adding contact lenses and little accessories to make them as genuine as possible. They were rather proud of themselves, but the moment of truth would come when they scored their first house.
“What’s our first house on the route?” Nyx asked, looking over her shoulder at Scootaloo.
“Ummm.” Scootaloo pulled out the map, scratching her chin as she peered over the houses. There were several on the map that spanned across the whole town, starting from just outside of Ponyville and slowly circling inward to the festival in the center of town.
“We need to turn left, it’s that house two ways down.” Scootaloo looked up from the map and pointed, turning her head to look at the rabbit. “Hey, Apple Bloom! What time is it?”
“Well, let me see,” Apple Bloom said as she twirled the pocketwatch on its chain, opening it to look at the dial. “It’s time gettin’ away from me. I’m very, very late!” Apple Bloom pretended to act as if she were panicking, poking at the pocket watch frantically.
“Oh, haha. Seriously.” The pegasus rolled her eyes, staring at the earth pony impatiently.
Apple Bloom giggled, checking her watch. “It’s just a little past six. That should give us about two hours before the festival contests start.”
“You really think we could win?” Nyx asked, looking down at her own costume. Of course, she was looking forward to the contest but had admittedly been caught a little off guard. She had grown out of her shyness phase, but she didn’t exactly like to draw a lot of attention either. The others ignored her apprehension, however, too focused on obtaining that first place ribbon.
The group came up to the house they needed to visit first, staring up at the lawn in front of its door. The porch had jack-o-lanterns of various sizes, their twisted smiles glowing from the candles inside. Nyx looked at the decorations, feeling a little uneasy, yet followed her friends' example who looked at them with giggles and snorts. Apple Bloom rang the doorbell and waited as the door opened, revealing a mare dressed as a witch on the other side.
“Trick or treat!” they all cried in unison, holding up their sacks to the mare.
“Ohh, aren’t you all so cute?” the mare cooed, placing her hoof to her cheek as she looked over all their costumes.
“Well, thank you, ma’am.” Sweetie Belle bowed her head, tipping her hat to her, which revealed a smaller identical hat underneath. The costumed witch giggled at that, moving back into the house for a moment before coming back, holding a bowl of candy.
“Now, have you prepared a song or joke for your candy?”
“The queen does not require a show to get her rewards!” Twist said with a pompous step, doing her best impression of high-class social types.
“Oh? And if I refuse to give what the queen demands?” the mare asked, smiling at the cute little act.
“It’ll be oof wif your head!” Twist declared, raising her heart-shaped paddle in the air like the tyrant queen she was dressed as.
“My! Then I suppose I better give you your sweets!” The mare shrank down as she placed several pieces of sweets into their bags. “ Now you all be safe now, or Nightmare Moon will come and gobble you up!”
Nyx rolled her eyes at the comment but said nothing, choosing to ignore it. She knew what she was getting into when she agreed to come with her friends, and she could live with it if she was getting candy out of it. The group of fillies thanked the mare and stepped away, climbing down the porch stairs.
“Alright, what did everypony get?” Scootaloo asked, digging into her own sack and producing a large round lollipop. Each of the fillies reached into their bags to see what they had, pulling out candies of different kinds.
“Honeyduke taffy!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, displaying the aforementioned sweet for all to see.
“I got a sherry math,” Peppermint Twist said rather disappointed, not one that cared too much for cherry.
“I’ll trade you a minty crisp for it,” Sweetie Belle offered, the creme-colored filly immediately perking up as she handed Sweetie Belle the cherry mash, gingerly taking the mint chocolate bar for herself.
Nyx smiled at her treat, a sweet raspberry skull on a stick. Raspberry happened to be one of her favorites, as she quickly tore off the wrapper and plopped it into her mouth, savoring the tart flavor. Perhaps coming along for this hadn’t been a bad idea after all.
Nyx pulled the sucker out of her mouth, levitating it in her magic as she tilted her head, “So, what’s our next stop?”
The second house they came across belonged to a middle-aged couple who let them into their house, strolling through a homemade haunted mansion offering them cakes and caramel apples. Even further down the street stood another house that left out their candy in bowls outside the door, the fillies helping themselves to the pick of the lot. Still more houses came and went in more or less the traditional manner, the fillies ringing doorbells and reciting the words that earned them their reward.
Time passed on into the night and soon they made their way through five different neighborhoods, closing the loop as they inched closer to town. Their sacks were heavy with the fruit of their efforts and careful planning, and they were all but proud of the haul they had made.
“This was the greatest plan ever!” Apple Bloom proclaimed, jumping into the air in a sugar-fueled excitement.
“Told you we’d get more candy this year than ever before,” Scootaloo gloated proudly, the group passing in front of a long black fence, metal bars rising from the ground.
“Didn’t you guys get this much last year?” Nyx asked, glancing back at the sacks that they had placed in Scootaloo’s red wagon. They had collected so much that they had to stop by Scootaloo’s aunts’ house, picking it up and carting it around with them.
Sweetie Belle let out a snort. “As if. We barely made half of what we got here.”
Scootaloo nodded. “It’s true. Not planning ahead really does sour the experience,” she said as she popped a piece of candy corn into her mouth.
“You chose the best year to join us, Nyx! Everything’s just gone perfectly!” Sweetie Belle whistled, hooping in her step as the walked across the front yard of an old and uninviting house, “I think we’ll have the biggest stash in the entire school!”
“Bet yer glad you came after all, huh Nyx?” Apple Bloom nudged her in the shoulder, an expecting grin spread over her face.
“Yeah, I guess I was just… wrong,” Nyx admitted with a relaxed smile, sighing as they moved closer to the festival. She had been everything but optimistic about tonight, mainly wanting to just spend time with her friends and what they enjoyed, but she had to admit, she had been proven wrong.
As they walked along the fence, the gate came into view ahead of them, a large maple tree growing out of the sidewalk. The foggy light of the streetlamp poured through the scarlet leaves to shine upon them, putting them in clear view of the whole street under its hazy orange glow. Unfortunately for them, however, they failed to notice the figure staring at them from the darkness, hiding behind the gate holding a wad of green coils in their hooves.
“So Scootaloo, who’s next on the list?” Nyx asked, turning around to look at her walking backward.
“Well we…!” before she could finish her sentence, however, the group of fillies was sprayed with a jet of water, hosing down their bodies into a sopping mess. Several shrieks and cries of alarm came from the fillies, desperately trying to get away from the water as they batted it away from their candy. Eventually, the steady stream of water was turned off, leaving them looking at each other miserably.
They were all soaked, their bodies coated with matted fur that hung from their legs and torsos dripping with water. The cold night air quickly came to them upon a gentle breeze, a cruel wind that made their damp bodies shiver. Nyx had lost her glasses and was frantically looking around for them, her eyes glued to the ground to try and hide them. Their costumes were soiled, leaving them heartbroken as they checked their bags. Thankfully, they had managed to keep their hard-earned candy safe, mumbled sighs of relief escaping their lips.
The fillies turned towards the direction that the water had come from, and found the cackling crooked form of Mrs. Sauerkraut, staring at them with a rotted, toothy grin as she pointed her garden hose at them. She was a boney old mare with a permanent squint in one of her eyes, making her look scrupulous to an extreme.
“Mrs. Sauerkraut!” Sweetie Belle whined, flicking her arms around in a feeble attempt to dry herself off.
“Ahh, quit your whining and let that be a lesson to ya.” Mrs. Sauerkraut cackled, dropping the hose and walking towards them, leaning on a cane. The fillies looked up at her in annoyance, wringing out their costumes while Nyx found her glasses by the bush, quickly slipping them back on.
“Lesson for what?!” Apple Bloom cried in annoyance, only to recoil in fear as the old mare raised her cane swiftly in the air, threatening to strike.
“Don’t you back talk me, young lady. I know your family’s old fashioned, I’ll take you over my knee!” the old mare threatened, Apple Bloom scowling at her as the mare began to ramble, “I know what y’all foals are doing, goin’ around harassing ponies for ill-deserved sweets! The nerve!”
“It’s Nightmare Night, Mrs. Sauerkraut,” Nyx stated with a frown, growing impatient as she used her magic to dry herself off.
“Just the excuse you little brats are looking for to get free handouts! Well, you can’t pull the wool over my eyes!” Mrs. Sauerkraut spat, glaring Nyx down with her crooked eyes. Nyx gave her a disgusted look, concocting a little scheme in her head as the cranky old mare turned her back on her, starting to lecture the others.
Nyx puffed out her cheeks in anger. They had been having so much fun, now it was all wasted because of this crazy old bat! She fumed as she looked over her friends, the poor group of children frowning and looking down at their ruined costumes sadly. As she looked around to see what she had available, she noticed the door to Mrs. Sauerkraut’s house only a few feet away from them, an idea popping into her head.
Scootaloo remained silent as Mrs. Sauerkraut continued on her rant, but divided her attention when she noticed Nyx working a spell, clearly up to something. The pegasus knew she had to get the old pony’s attention, if only for a few moments, just to give the filly the time she needed.
“Yeah, so what if you got us wet, you’re still a goat!” Scootaloo declared, earning a sharp glare from the old mare as she snapped her head in her direction.
“How dare you, you dirty little parasite!” she bellowed, baring her teeth at the filly as she loomed over her. “Don’t think I don’t know who you are too, young lady! It’s no wonder you show no respect, your parents are never around to teach it!”
That comment alone stung hard, but Scootaloo stood her ground. Bringing up her absent parents was a punch below the belt for the young pegasus, but she could take the blows. She only hoped that whatever Nyx had done was worth it, glancing over just as her friend finished her spell, stepping back with the other fillies with a big grin on her face.
Apple Bloom quickly intervened to break the tension between the two, “Don’t pay Scoots any mind, Mrs. Sauerkraut. We won’ bother ya anymore tonight, will we?” She turned and gave Scootaloo a deadpan stare, the girl grumbling an agreement.
Fortunately, this seemed to satisfy the mare. “Well, looks like there’s hope for this younger generation after all. Always good to know your place.” She smiled wickedly, turning away from them to return to her house, likely to prepare to ruin some other foal’s night.
Apple Bloom sighed dejectedly, looking down at her soaked red suit as she started walking down the street. “Well, at least our candy’s safe. I guess we’ll just have to end it for the night...”
But Nyx had other ideas. In one swift motion, she grabbed Apple Bloom and pulled her into a bush by the fence, holding her down as she placed her hoof to her lips to keep quiet. The other fillies were startled by the sudden motion, quickly following them behind the bush to see what was going on.
“Nyx! What are you doing?!” Apple Bloom demanded, swatting her hooves away from her, squinting her eyes at her in the dark.
“Just watch,” Nyx replied, her attention fixed on the door of Mrs. Sauerkraut house. It was an expensive building with ordained windows and regularly trimmed shrubs. The door stood back on a porch two steps off the ground, a metal door knocker hanging in the middle molded into the face of a lion. Apple Bloom traced Nyx’s gaze to the door, wondering what was so important that they needed to pay attention to it. Scootaloo moved over next to them with baited anticipation, patient as Mrs. Sauerkraut walked in front of the door, pulling a chain of keys out to unlock the door.
“Nyx, what did you…?” Apple Bloom began to ask, only to snap back as her attention was drawn by a shrill scream, Mrs. Sauerkraut flaying about the front porch. The door knocker had come alive, the golden lion roaring angrily at the old mare. Apple Bloom’s eyes widened in disbelief when it suddenly breathed fire at her, setting Mrs. Sauerkraut’s mane aflame.
“Help! HELP!” Mrs. Sauerkraut screamed like a maniac, running around in circles in her yard. Ponies on the street began to take notice, walking over to see what the commotion was all about. Nyx had been waiting for this, positioning herself right by the valve the hose was connected to. Waiting for the right moment with everyone watching, Nyx kicked the valve, the pressure inside released in a jet of water to slap the old mare in the face, soaking her from head to hoof. Sauerkraut cried out in alarm, falling over onto the grass rolling around, while Apple Bloom and the others looked on in shock.
But the cherry on the cake, making Nyx’s revenge all the more sweeter, was that Mrs. Sauerkraut was bald. Her hairpiece hung on a bush a few feet away as Mrs. Sauerkraut pulled herself together, shakingly picking herself back off the ground. Several snickers from the ponies who had gathered drew the old mare’s attention, and that’s when she realized what had happened, feeling the top of her head in horror. The crowd erupted in laughter much to her embarrassment, desperately running over to the bush trying to yank her wig out of the branches. The fillies began to laugh as well, falling over as Nyx gave a satisfied smile. Apple Bloom, however, stared at her with her brows furrowed, not so easily amused.
“Nyx! You could have hurt her really bad!” Apple Bloom shouted in alarm, shocked that her friend would do something so reckless.
“It wasn’t a real fire, it was just an illusion spell!” Nyx snorted, wiping a tear from her eye in the midst of her laughter.
Apple Bloom did a double take. “What?”
“It was fake, she just thought her head was on fire,” Nyx howled, doubling over on the ground in a deep belly laugh. “But I didn’t know she was bald!”
“It wasn’t… real?” Apple Bloom took a moment to process this, running the image in her mind over and over until she truly grasped it, a big goofy grin growing on her face. Sweetie Belle had a look on her face halfway between shock and humor, and Scootaloo was rolling on the ground like a loon, and Twist was snickering with her hoof over her mouth, guarding the candy in the wagon.
“Gosh, Nyx, where’d you learn to do that, anyway?” Scootaloo asked as she wiped a tear from her eye.
“Mom taught me, in case I ever needed it,” Nyx was rather proud of herself as she said those words, confident in her magical ability. In truth it wasn’t that impressive; illusion spells, after all, were relatively simple in the grand scheme of things. But coming from a filly who months ago could barely lift a teacup in her magic, it was something to behold.
“I’M GONNA KILL YOU LITTLE BRATS!”
The group of fillies snapped their heads around as Mrs. Sauerkraut stared them down like the devil, her soggy toupee hanging over her head in one massive clump. She had gotten her balance again and now was looming towards them, her cane raised high over her head with the intention to strike.
“Uh, Nyx, I think we’ve outstayed our welcome,” Apple Bloom strained, starting to back away as quickly as possible.
“Run!” Sweetie Belle screamed, running ahead of them all as they turned tail and retreated, the others quickly following suit. Scootaloo was quick to catch up with Sweetie Belle, both fillies leading the pack while Mrs. Sauerkraut thumbled after them, not paying attention to her steps. This proved to be her demise as she tripped on the very hose she used to drench the fillies, making her fall face-first into the ground, earning more giggles and snickers from the crowd.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders took this opportunity to cut across a few yards to get on a different street, losing the old hag by crossing over a few blocks. They didn’t stop running until they were sure that they weren’t being followed, looking over their shoulders into the deep dark night. The group of friends came to a stop under a street lamp, laughing and panting at the same time. They had just committed their first prank of the night, and they had pulled it on the mare who was a bane of all Ponyville’s children.
“That was awesome!” Scootaloo cheered, raising her hoof in the air, declaring their victory. Nyx panted out her excitement, her heart pounding in her chest a mile a minute.
“That felt great! That was the most fun I’ve had in forever!” Nyx ran her hoof through her mane, trying to dry her hair out.
Scootaloo walked over to the wagon and dug into her bag, pulling out a chocolate bar and taking a bite. “I didn’t think you’d pull such a great Nightmare Night prank on your first try!”
Nyx looked up at her with a big smile on her face. “It was great! She’ll think twice messing with us!”
Scootaloo smirked, giving her a high-five. “Couldn’t have done it better myself,”
“Too bad about our costumes though. There’s no way we can enter the contest now,” Sweetie Belle pointed out, a little let down having looked forward to it. Twist patted her on the shoulder for comfort.
The sad looks on her friend’s faces bothered Nyx deeply, feeling as if she needed to do something. That’s when an idea popped into Nyx’s head. “Mom can fix it!”
Sweetie Belle and Twist perked up their ears, their eyes lighting up with a sense of hope. “She can?”
“Sure! She could reverse our runny makeup or something.” Nyx thought about it for a moment, her confidence growing as she continued to brag, “Yeah, she’ll help us, she can do anything! Rarity’s probably there too.”
The group of friends looked at each other, rolling the suggestion over in their heads. Not only could Twilight help dry them off and fix any running colors, but perhaps Rarity could even improve on their costumes as well. That really made it sound like a good idea, their faces starting to brighten as they got back up and made their way down the street, heading towards the music of the festival.
Now all they had to do was find them.
Twilight sipped from a glass as she moved from booth to booth, taking in the different foods and games offered. From pastries to candies and appetizers of all sorts, the food courts were a diverse splendor. Skilled unicorns set about kneading strings of candy into dragon’s beard, while others managed fiery skillets of fried food. Fried pickles, corn on the cob, and funnel cakes, vendors offering these and more while other ponies offered games to colts and fillies. A band played in the middle of the square, strumming cellos, guitars, and violins in a musical country beat.
Twilight repositioned the goggles on her head. She wore a scientist’s gown that buttoned up from her waist to her collar, stains painted onto the cloth to simulate grease and dried blood. Her mane was an absolute mess, thanks to some gel and hydration treatment courtesy of Rarity’s eccentric flare. Spike strolled by her side hunched over in ragged clothes, makeup applied to his face making his eye look puffed out and deformed. The two certainly made an interesting couple, Twilight taking samples of food while Spike hobbled around behind her, munching on a bag of popcorn.
She contently glazed over the different games present with tired precision. Being the princess, she gained a bit more attention than most during special events, especially from the newer folk who had moved to Ponyville in the past year. She was beginning to understand more clearly Celestia’s general boredom with celebrations as she could never fully enjoy them as a spectator. Of course, she was nowhere near her mentor’s popularity, much to her relief, and she could still easily slip away without being followed by a mob. Twilight the princess was still a bit of an unknown in Equestrian society, so for the time being, though still suffering mild harassment from ever curious ponies, she could still live her life in relative peace.
Coming to one of the game booths she looked around at the different prizes on the wall to choose from. One such toy caught her eye, a little stuffed bat with cute, beady eyes. She took a fancy to it, placing her bets that Nyx would love it. Spike looked up at the booth and shrugged his shoulders, walking away to find more snacks.
Humming to the music of the band, Twilight picked up one of the balls on the table in her magic, laying down her bits and ramping herself up to throw. She smirked while preparing to aim, knowing it wouldn’t be a challenge at all.
“Twilight!”
Her name’s sudden address startled Twilight, causing her to botch her throw, the ball launching behind her head like a canon. There was sudden cry as Rarity ducked her head from the coming projectile, the ball flying overhead as she watched it go before turning back to Twilight, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.
“Oh, I do apologize, darling. I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that,” Rarity spoke submissively, finding the ball and handing it back to the vendor. She wore a flowing black dress covered in spiders, her mane dyed the same color and combed to flow down onto her shoulder, makeup applied to highlight her pale cheekbones.
“It’s alright. Not like I can’t do the same with this next ball,” Twilight huffed, picking up another ball and began to roll it around in her magic.
“Yes well, I’ve been looking all over for you. The girls were going to get together to tell some ghost stories. We were wondering if you wanted to join in?” Rarity asked, just as Twilight prepared to throw her second ball.
“Well I suppose,” Twilight answered, throwing the ball at the target, somehow missing, “Dang it.”
“Is everything alright, darling? You seem a little... elsewhere,” Rarity asked, placing her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.
“No, it’s fine. Just a few ponies giving me some trouble about the Nightstone plans,” Twilight shrugged her shoulders, grabbing her last ball with a bit of aggression.
“Getting the full wave of inquiry, are we?” Rarity joked.
“Yeah, one question after the other. Oh, sweet Celestia, I feel like at any moment I’m gonna end up on the cover of a tabloid.” Twilight exclaimed, laughing awkwardly. She threw her final ball, the projectile almost hitting its target but missing all the same, making the alicorn curse under her breath.
“Oh, Twilight, it's not that bad, You just need to get used to having everypony’s attention.” Rarity dropped a coin onto the counter and took a ball in her magic, ramping up her throw. “You’re a princess now, you’re gonna have to deal with ponies coming to you for their little individual problems. This is your life now.”
Rarity gave her an encouraging smile, placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Princess Celestia wouldn’t have given you such responsibility unless she thought you could handle it.” Rarity stepped away and threw the ball, hitting the target head-on, ringing a tiny bell. The vendor smiled at her as she pointed to the toy bat, handing it to Rarity as she offered it to Twilight. “Here you go.”
“Thanks,” Twilight groaned, jealous that her friend had been able to hit the target with hardly any effort when she had tried so hard, but smiled thankfully as she took the doll in her magic, Rarity giving the toy to the alicorn with a cheeky grin.
“Miss Princess Twilight?”
Both mares turned to see who had addressed her, looking down at the colt looking up at them. He was a short, round pony with brown spots covering his cappuccino white coat. He wore a naval officer’s uniform, tailor-made to fit his small frame. Twilight looked down at him, smiling at how cute he looked, keeping in mind not to say that out loud.
“Oh hello, is there something I can help you with?” Twilight asked, lowering her head closer to his level.
“Is Princess Luna coming tonight? She promised to come back again, but she wasn’t here last year, so...” Pipsqueak mumbled the last part, feeling a little letdown.
“I’m sorry, Princess Luna’s a little… liberal when it comes to schedules, I don’t actually know if she’ll be coming,” Twilight said sympathetically. She remembered him being rather fond of Luna that Nightmare Night two years ago. She frowned he kicked at the dirt, Pipsqueak looking very disappointed.
“But, if you want I could send a letter to her, I’m sure she’d love to visit,” Twilight offered, smiling compassionately to him.
“Really?” he exclaimed, his eyes brightening. Twilight nodded to him, presenting a warm and gentle smile that immediately lifted his spirits.
“Oh thank you, ma’am, you’ve been so kind!” he said with a gentlemen’s bow, taking off his hat for her.
“No problem,” Twilight said, taking a bow. However, as she bowed to him, she reached up to her head and pulled on her mane with a firm tug. Smiling insanely at him, she pulled her mane clean off her head, taking the top of her skull with it. Pipsqueak’s smile quickly faded into a frightful gawk, staring at the pulsating brain now exposed on her head.
“AHHH!” Pipsqueak screamed, tripping over his hooves as he scurried away, much to Twilight’s amusement. Rarity gasped in shock, swooning at the unexpected display.
“Twilight, that was absolutely terrible!” Rarity tried to chastise her, yet couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh at such a well-played prank.
“I say that was downright clever!” a familiar southern accent said as they both turned around. Applejack, who was dressed up as a lion, had been watching the whole exchange from the next booth over, managing some sales with her mummified brother Big Mac.
“Why thank you, Applejack!” Twilight said proudly, taking another bow. They all shared a laugh, relaxing a little for the moment. All in all the night was going well for them, and it was a coveted calm that they all appreciated having.
“Princess Twilight!”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders skipped towards the festival with energetic enthusiasm, looking left and right for the two adults that could help them. The celebration in the middle of town, however, was lively, and it proved to be a struggle just to get into the middle of it all. To them it seemed as if all of Equestria had gathered into one spot that night, flooding their town in a sea of color. Eventually, they made their way through the crowd toward the attractions area, but found that it had done little to change their situation, even as Apple Bloom jumped up on a crate to get a better look.
“Do you see fem?” Twist asked, squinting through her coke-bottle glasses.
“Nah ah. Don’ see any sign of ‘em.” Apple Bloom sighed, knowing that it wasn’t going to be as easy as they had thought.
Scootaloo looked around at the massive crowd, growing impatient knowing how long this would take. “Twist and I’ll go over this way. You guys go over there and see if you can spot them.” The others nodded in agreement, Scootaloo directing Twist towards the band stage, leaving the other three to venture towards the food stands.
Nyx, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle moved through the different booths and stands, taken aback by the many aromas of food being served. The scent of funnel cakes and soft pretzel twists entered their nostrils, filling them with pleasant memories of those delightful treats. Nyx was overwhelmed by the amount of food and games presented, filled with wonder as the prospect that she had been willingly missing out on all this hit her.
Out of the corner of her eye, Nyx noticed one booth that had candies and treats that were shaped in all kinds of creepy forms, from witches and skulls to ghosts and bats. The filly broke off from the other girls to take a closer look. She had never seen such goofy decorations made for food, at least not without Pinkie Pie being somehow involved. She looked up from the ground at the little marshmallow skulls, smiling at the unique designs on each and every one, painted patterns of blue, red and orange outlining their features.
“Why haven’t you done anything about it?!”
Nyx heard the outburst from behind the booth, her ear flicking towards the source as she looked around the box in curiosity. To her surprise she saw her mother, lighting up having found her. But as she took a step closer, she noticed the other mare she was speaking with, and paused in her step.
The woman in question was a middle-aged mare with a sharp snout and sharper eyes. She didn’t recognize her, figuring that she was one of the newer ponies who had moved into town in recent months, yet something about her felt… off. Nyx observed how the mare staggered and swayed where she stood, waving around a glass in her hooves. Nyx frowned at the mare, taking notice of the displeased look in her mother’s eyes, Twilight somewhere between impatient and annoyed.
Nyx decided to keep to the sidelines, content to listen to the argument taking place to observe what would happen next. Hiding behind a barrel, she watched them both go at each other, the light of the festival reflecting on her glasses. She was curious about what had gotten the conversation so heated in the first place, and she would stick to the shadows and wait patiently to find out.
“I understand your concern, Ms. Blossom, but I assure you that this decision was brought before all the princesses. We feel this is the best course of action,” Twilight tried to reassure the mare, but she wasn’t exactly being reasonable.
“The best course of action. The best course would be to tear it down, brick by brick!” the mare spat, ignoring Twilight’s insistence while downing her drink.
“Nightstone Castle is an invaluable resource. I will not allow it to be squandered because a few have ill feelings toward it,” Twilight enforced, putting a bit of oomph into her words.
Cherry Blossom scoffed. “Ill feelings?! I spent weeks in that wretched castle as a chamber servant to Nightmare Moon!”
“That’s Nyx,” Twilight corrected.
“Whatever,” Cherry waved her off, rolling her eyes as if the correction was some sort of insult, “don’t you have any concern for the ponies who were forced to work there? Don’t you care how keeping it might affect us?”
Twilight sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Of course it concerns me, but the importance of it is far greater than an unfortunate past. I want to reshape Nightstone for a positive impact on Equestria, Princess Celestia agrees with me.”
Cherry Blossom huffed but allowed Twilight to continue, “If you and others feel that certain sensitivities aren’t been recognized by the crown, then you can bring a list of your concerns to me. I want this to be for everypony’s benefit, including you.”
When Cherry Blossom didn’t give any retort, Twilight gave a sigh of relief, hoping to spend the rest of the night in peace. Twilight turned away, much to Cherry Blossom’s frustration. Nyx watched her from her hiding spot with cautious interest, caught off guard as she heard the older mare utter a single word under her breath.
“Traitor.”
Unfortunately for her, Twilight had caught that little comment, flaring her nostrils as she turned back around and glared at her. “Excuse me?”
For a brief moment, Cherry Blossom hesitated in her response. She saw the flare of anger in her princess’ eyes, doing little to hide the temper that Twilight was obviously trying to hold back. Had she been of sounder mind, Cherry Blossom would have played it off as if she hadn’t said anything at all. But, in her stupor, she judged to continue with her harsh words.
“You give so much freedom to that little devil, it makes me wonder whose side you’re on,” Cherry accused, slurring her words as her eyes narrowed. Several ponies who stood nearby and had been listening in on the argument gasped in shock, their attention drawn to Twilight to see how she would respond.
Twilight’s eyes lit up in anger, taking one small, intimidating step forward towards the mare. “I do believe you’ve had too much to drink.”
Cherry cried out in shock, dumbfounded in her mind that she was still being ignored, “Is that all you have to say? For her?! She’s Nightmare Moon, for Celestia’s sake!”
“She’s just a child!” Twilight hissed as she began to grit her teeth. Several ponies backed away, seeing the fire in the princess’ eyes.
Cherry Blossom growled angrily, “She should be locked up!”
“THAT’S ENOUGH!”
The bellow that rang from Twilight’s throat was like nothing Nyx had ever heard from her, and by the silent stares that the other adults were giving her, they hadn’t as well. Twilight breathed in slow and steady. She had used the Royal Canterlot voice for the first time in her life, its volume even surprising herself. She quickly regained her composure however as she looked down at Cherry Blossom, who had fallen over in fright and was now lying in the street, whimpering to herself. Twilight was still angry but did her best to calm herself down, trying to keep in mind that the mare was just drunk.
“Applejack, take Ms. Blossom home. Make sure she gets there safely. We have nothing further to discuss.” She waited for Applejack to respond, the mare nodding and handing over her apron to Big Mac, moving around the counter to help Cherry Blossom up.
Nyx stood silently, watching Applejack pull the mare away, the southern girl clearly displeased having to do so. She backed away so she wouldn’t be seen by them, sticking close to the booth beside her. Looking down, the filly kicked a rock that rested next to her hoof, thinking about everything that had been said. She wanted to dismiss it, but she knew she couldn’t. How could she? This attitude she provoked just by her being there, it was never going to end, was it? She frowned, picking up the rock in her magic and tossed it with all the strength she had, the stone cracking a few times against the ground of a nearby alleyway.
“She’s right, you know.”
Nyx turned, staring at the pony who addressed her. Diamond Tiara stood leaning on a crate, chewing on a tart as she stared at the grumbling princess with an unreadable expression. She wore an elaborate vampire costume with a satin vest and gold chain and pendant. The outfit was obviously custom-made and quite expensive. In the corner standing by her Silver Spoon half-paid attention snacking on a caramel apple, wearing a flowing white gown with bite marks painted on her neck, fake blood staining the dress around the collar. She had watched the two arguing adults since it had begun, and was now addressing Nyx with similar disregard.
Nyx looked at her with a frown, her mind taken off of the uncomfortable conversation her mother had just finished to focus on the filly. “What?”
“Well, it’s nothing you can help, it's just how ponies are,” Diamond continued, not even turning to look at her, instead observing the results of the conflict before her. “No matter how hard you try, they’ll always see you as a monster,” she said casually, popping the final part of her treat into her mouth and swallowed before making a move to leave.
“You know what? Screw you, Diamond Tiara!” Nyx spat as she stepped forward, her exhaustion starting to get to her as her temper flared. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle came around the corner to join them, drawn by the commotion to see what was going on.
“What?!” Diamond glared at her in surprised ire, stepping away from the crate towards her. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at Nyx with concern, trying to hold her back.
“Nyx, just let it go,” Apple Bloom tried to calm her friend, only to be wholly ignored.
“You heard me! My friends talk about you like you’ve changed, like you’re so nice! But you aren’t! You’re just as mean and nasty as when I first met you!” Nyx shrugged off her friends’ hold on her shoulders and stepped forward, doubling down her frustration with her former bully as she got in her face.
“You think it’s all that simple? What do you want me to do, huh? Lie to your face and say everything’s fine? It isn’t!” Diamond barked, matching Nyx in her ferocity as they stood against each other.
“I know everything’s not fine! I’m not stupid!” Nyx protested, “I know ponies don’t like the idea of me being around, that’s why I’m careful. Every day I’m watching my back!” she growled, only for Diamond to shake her head.
“But it isn’t just you! How long before your family gets pulled into all this?” Diamond questioned, pointing towards Cherry Blossom, who had fallen over again and was pulled off the ground by Applejack.
“Wait… what?” Nyx hadn't expected her to say that, her eyes dilating into pinpricks.
“Maybe not now, Ponyville’s save. But what about a year from now? Or two? Or ten? How long is it gonna take until somepony comes after you? How long before they take Spike or your friends or your mother, just to get to you?!” Diamond Tiara stomped her hoof, looking at the filly with fire in her eyes. “What are you gonna do then, Nyx? Huh? What are you gonna do then?!”
Nyx wanted to snap back with a response, but found herself silent. She stared at Diamond, then looked up as Cherry Blossom was pulled away leaving Twilight exhausted, a sad, cold realization coming over her. Those few words cut deep, and Nyx, feeling overwhelmed and sick to her stomach, backed away and ran.
“Nyx, wait!” Sweetie Belle tried to grab the retreating filly, but Nyx shoved her away and ran, hot tears running down her cheeks as she disappeared down the street. Sweetie turned and looked at her friends with a concerned look in her eye, Apple Bloom turning around and glaring at Diamond like she was going to hit her.
“What the hay, Diamond Tiara!?” It’s one thing ta pick on somepony, but ya don’t bring family into it!” Apple Bloom fumed, making her way over to the pampered young earth pony, “I thought you were a better pony!”
“I am a better pony, Apple Bloom, I thought you’d know that,” Diamond said rather straightforward, seemingly uncaring about her own attitude or actions. Apple Bloom snorted at her dismissive tone, surprised by her attitude.
“Then why did you say all those mean things?” Apple Bloom demanded, standing face to face with the filly.
Diamond scoffed, dismissing Apple Bloom’s anger with a wave of her hoof. “Like you would understand.”
“Try me,” Apple Bloom growled, stomping the ground. Diamond stared at her for a long time, gauging if she’d just huff it off and go away. But Apple Bloom stayed right where she was, glaring daggers at her. Diamond shook her head rather pitifully, looking at her with a serious stare.
Diamond Tiara sighed. “You weren’t there in that alley. I was. I saw what they did to her. I saw what they were going to do to her. You can get on to me for saying mean things all you want, but at the end of the day, they’re all just words.”
The filly walked forward to Apple Bloom’s side, looking at her out of the corner of her eye. “But out there, away from home? It’s not so safe as it is here. She needs to figure that out before she really gets hurt.”
She paused, looking up to the sky. Apple Bloom listened with a rather displeased, yet confused look in her eyes. Diamond shook her head, disappointed that the southern filly couldn’t understand.
“Nyx?”
The two girls turned, looking towards the direction the voice had come from to see the form of Twilight, staring past them towards the street her daughter had run toward. The alicorn was unnervingly still, locked into a dead stare as her expression fell. Twilight had watched Nyx running away, and as the realization that she had heard everything sank in, it drove a knife into her heart. Rarity looked at her with a worried look in her eye, leaning close to her for support.
“Twilight, I--”
Twilight ignored her and rushed forward, heading towards the direction her daughter had gone to. Her step was quick and urgent, a worried state descending upon her. Twilight hadn’t wanted her to see her fighting someone else over her, but now the cat was out of the bag. She was usually so careful, but now, she needed to find her before she got too far. She messed up, and when she found her she was going to try and fix it.
She just had to find her.
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Lookin' good so far. I mean not the situation, the story itself
9801938
*sees your comment*
*squeals in girly*
(Also expect more in the coming weeks!)
Interestingly, as I would have the reaction of Nyx when I saw that most of the sweets of the sweets on the tradition of the graduation are given to her statue?
P.S. извините за мой английский / sorry for my english
A Nightmare in Eidolon by FolkloreBrony - Chapter Three
https://youtu.be/yrGrMhOH3D8
derpicdn.net/img/view/2019/9/22/2150138.jpeg
you keep bringing it up , is there another fanfic that your referencing? or are you going to explain what happened to nyx?
10916522
Yes, This is a sequel to both 'Past Sins' and 'Scarred Hearts' by Yukito.