Nightmare Night, what a... sight!

by Charlie_K

We usually wear costumes... (edited)

The chill in the autumn air was crisp; and it was even crisper without the warmth of the sun to stave off the slight bite that it carried with it.

But for the fun that was to be had on Nightmare Night, there were very few ponies who were unwilling to brave the chill. It was a small price to be paid for the festivities that were to be had. And from the look of the town square, the festivities to be had were going to be as impressive as ever. All around were strands of colored light hung from poles and posts, decorative banners, pumpkins carved out and playing host to flickering candles, and all manner of refreshment stands, tables, and various games, as a slightly spooky techno beat was pulsing in the background, courtesy of one Vinyl Scratch.

Twilight smiled to herself as she took everything in. Ever since moving to Ponyville, Nightmare Night had become one of her favorite holidays to experience.

Truth be told, she would start decorating for it at the first of the month. The spookiness to it all was a lot of fun to experience. Plus it gave her an excuse to play with glow sticks.

Last time, she'd gone with a historically significant costume, looking like Starswirl the Bearded. But the lack of recognition by anyone other than Princess Luna had discouraged such investments in time and research this time around.

This time around she'd gone with a simpler, slightly different route; in this case, a steampunk route, involving a costume that was better suited for a stallion, yet she wore nonetheless. The whole aesthetic of the cane, trousers, suit jacket, the derby, and the modified welding glasses... she wouldn't apologize for it, it just plain appealed to her.

Standing next to her was Spike in his costume. Although he wasn't wearing the same dragon costume as last year, he had certainly maintained a dragon theme with drawing his inspiration from the comics he read; something about "Pony Rangers" or some such strangeness that she didn't fully grasp. She was certain that Rarity had done the work, what with the blending of the green, white, and gold that made up the costume.

"Look at it all, Spike, don't you just love how everything culminates to create the atmosphere?" Twilight asked as she leaned on the cane she carried, taking in the sum total of the decorations around the town square.

"Sure do," Spike replied as he pulled his helmet off. "Where are the cupcakes for tonight?" he asked as he looked around.

Twilight just shook her head and gave a chuckle at Spike. Oh well, everyone celebrated Nightmare Night in their own way. Truth be told, she was getting a bit hungry for sweets herself, and some candy corn was sounding good right now.

"Let's go and find out," she suggested."

"Halt! None shall pass!"

The two of them looked at each other, and then looked behind them to see who was addressing them. The Trottingham accent was a dead giveaway though.

Standing there behind them was Pipsqueak, but he was no pirate this time around. Instead he was dressed like a knight, his armor made of what looked like cardboard and tinfoil, clearly indicating that he'd made it himself. Slung over his shoulder, as there was no other way to carry it, was a wooden sword cut out of what had to be ploywood, and looked as long as he was tall.

Currently he was doing his best to look stern and serious. But as far as Twilight was concerned, he was adorable.

"Well aren't you a handsome knight, Pipsqueak," she said and smiled at him. "How come you aren't going house to house with the others colts and fillies?" she asked.

"I wanted to, Princess Twilight, but they said my sword got in the way and posed a hazard to the others. And a knight should never go without his sword, as he has to be ready to protect fair damsels from vile dragons," Pipsqueak stated.

"Oy!" Spike objected and frowned at the insult.

"Oh, sorry Spike, I didn't mean you," Pipsqueak apologized upon realizing his mistake. "Truth is you seem more pony than dragon."

"Yeah? Well I still take offense to it, on behalf of my species," Spike stated as he set his helmet down on the ground. "Impudent knight, prepare to face a dragon's fury!"

"Taste a knight's blade, foul beast!" Pipsqueak yelled right back in response.

Twilight didn't have time to react before Spike tackled Pipsqueak, growling and snarling as the two grappled with one another, Pipsqueak at a distinct disadvantage because of how boxy his armor was. He had little chance as Spike effortlessly pinned him down to the ground...

... and began tickling one of his exposed hooves.

Pipsqueak was helpless against the assault as his frog was tickled by Spike's expert fingers, sending him into unrestrained laughing as he lay on the ground, pinned down and unable to escape.

"Heh," Spike grinned as he paused tickling, "surrender, impudent knight. Say uncle!" he demanded.

"A knight never-" Pipsqueak protested, only for the tickling to begin anew, leaving him thrashing on the ground as he laughed unwillingly. "Uncle! Uncle!" he called desperately, unable to take anymore.

Just like that, the tickling stopped, and Twilight watched as Spike climbed off of Pipsqueak, before helping pull him back up onto his hooves.

"You two are complete goofballs," Twilight stated, unable to hide her amusement at their playful squabbling. "I should hang the both of you up like decorations."

"Ah reckon they'd look mighty silly hangin' next ta a couple o' jack-o-lanterns."

Twilight turned around at hearing Applejack's voice, smiling as the farmer strolled up in her costume. She knew that is was supposed to be one of those superhero characters, but the name escaped her at the moment. Who was the one with the cape and big hammer?

Never mind, it wasn't important. She'd ask later.

"Worse, they might get mistaken fer a couple o' ornery piñatas," Applejack added.

"They just might," Twilight replied and giggled. "Have you seen the others yet?"

"Sorta. Pinkie's off bein' a pirate somewhere. Fluttershy's in her cottage an' won' come out fer nothin', so par fer the course fer her. Ah ain't seen hide nor hair o' Rarity an' RD anywhere, so no telling wha' they might be up to," Applejack replied and shrugged. "Ya mind if Ah ask. Why're ya dressed like a stallion?"

"It's easier to find era-looking trousers, than it is a hoop skirt," Twilight replied as she reached into her costume's vest pocket. "Beyond that, mares didn't carry pocket watches at the time. And it's little touches like that, that just completes the outfit and makes it worthwhile doing."

"Ah," Applejack replied, deciding not to get too involved in the questioning. She could always pick Twilight's brain later on, but tonight was supposed to be about fun. "Punch?"

"Please," Twilight replied as she pocketed her watch again. She was about to ask Pipsqueak if he cared for some refreshments as well, before noticing that he'd already disappeared; off to talk with a filly who was wearing what she could only assume was a Princess Luna costume. All she could do was chuckle in response, and shake her head.

---

The refreshment tables were completely chock full of all sorts of goodies, both homemade and store bought. Candied apples, fritters, bowls full of assorted loose candies just ripe for the picking... Colgate was going to have a lot of customers over the next few days; Twilight was certain of that fact.

Right now she, Spike, and Applejack were taking the opportunity to have a quiet moment around near the punch bowl.

"So, anypony have any idea what Vinyl's supposed to be?" Spike asked as he looked over in the DJ's direction as she browsed the plate of Nightmare Night themed cookies.

Applejack looked over in the direction of the DJ, trying to figure out her costume. But it was tough to tell just where her costume separated from her usual attired when she was doing her music gig. The black and purple striped stockings that went up to her black shorts were new, although the sleeveless button up shirt and tie weren't. The collared cape that reached down to her lower back just plain seemed out of place, and clashed with the overall color scheme. She looked more like she was trying to satisfy some dress requirement than anything else.

"Ah dunno," she eventually replied and shrugged, before returning back to her punch.

"Arr me maties! Hoist anchor and prepare to set sail for the high seas!"

The others turned to look at Pinkie, dressed like the stereotypical image most associated with what a pirate looked like. Topped off by Gummy sitting atop her right shoulder, and dressed in a rather colorful parrot costume.

"Hey Pinkie," Spike replied and gave a brief wave. Her whole sudden appearance had been slightly less startling after finding out from Applejack what she was coming as. But only slightly. "I thought you volunteered to chaperon the foals around house to house," he commented.

"I did. But Carrot Top suffered a nasty sprain while getting the catapults set up for the pumpkin chucking event, and I needed to take over for her," Pinkie replied before shrugging. There really wasn't much that could be done about it right now.

Applejack just shook her head. Carrot Top was lucky that the farming season was over, otherwise an injury like that would keep her out of commission for a long while, and result in her crops suffering in turn.

Before she could say anything about it, however, her attention was drawn elsewhere by the arrival of Rarity and Rainbow Dash walking side by side, and Rarity didn't look one bit happy about something or other.

Rainbow Dash's costume was easy enough to figure out; the flashy kimono, the sash around her waist, and the curved fake sword stuck through it all screamed Neighponese samurai; a common theme from the latest "Daring Do" book to grace Ponyville's library shelves. Rarity, however, was a lot harder to figure out, since her costume consisted of long flowing red robes that went down almost all the way to her hooves, leaving nothing but her head visible.

"Hey there RD," Applejack greeted and waved. "Hey Rares. Wha's wrong? Ya look like ya bit inta a sour pickle."

"I'd much more prefer a sour pickle than the fate that befell me, Applejack," Rarity groaned, looking very displeased by everything.

"Show 'em," Rainbow Dash said, barely able to suppress a grin as she lightly elbowed Rarity in the side.

"Show us what?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Her costume," Rainbow Dash explained, before turning her attention back to Rarity. "C'mon, do it."

"You ruffian," Rarity complained as she scowled in Rainbow Dash's direction. Not that the cocky pegasus cared, however. "Bear in mind, the only reason I'm wearing this, is because I lost a bet I was foolish enough to engage in with Rainbow Dash, and was left with no say in the matter," she grumbled, before slowly undoing her robes.

The robes turned out to be a long, flowing hooded cloak, which parted with ease and revealed Rarity's source of displeasure.

Twilight nearly spat out her punch in surprise at what she saw Rarity was wearing. The term "chainmail bikini" instantly came to mind at seeing the top, which looked like it was about one to two sizes too small for its intended purpose. The bottom was slightly better, consisting of a fabric loincloth of generous width to avoid any undue embarrassment from accidental exposure. Although the sword belt that rode on her hips looked counterproductive, and might even inhibit with coverage if she wasn't careful in how she moved, or even stood.

Spike, at seeing the getup, choked on his drink, and needed Twilight to slap his back to help him breathe again.

"Wow, Rares, Ah can see why yer upset. Ain' much of a costume ta be wearin'," Applejack commented.

"It's not that, darling," Rarity replied with a sigh as she let the cloak droop limply on her shoulders. "The warrior maiden is a perfectly fine fantasy character to dress as. No, the sore point for me isn't the level of exposure, but rather the quality of this gauche abomination! Just look at this cheap plastic chainmail, the paint is just utterly flaking off! I could have easily done far better than this. But oh no, I have to get involved in a bet with Rainbow Dash of all ponies, where the loser has to wear whatever costume the winner picks out for them!" she stated and growled angrily at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash just shrugged in response. "Hey, you knew the stakes going in. You've got nopony to blame but yourself."

"I swear Rainbow Dash, as opposed as I am to violence, the only thing keeping me from dueling you right here, right now, is that this costume you stuck me in, is rented," Rarity stated in annoyance. Unfortunately Rainbow Dash just seemed to derive more amusement from this fact.

"Don't let that stop you. Just take it off," she quipped.

"Oh you'd like that very much, wouldn't you, you degenerate?" Rarity asked, seething at the very suggestion.

"Now hold it right there, Rarity! If you're gonna call me something, call me something that I know what it is," Rainbow Dash retorted.

Twilight just facepalmed in response. She just knew that she was going to need to step between the two of them, and keep them from trying to hurt each other.

Before it could actually come to that, however, a lightning bolt struck the ground just outside of the town square, kicking up a mess of smoke and dirt, and drawing a frightened scream from everyone present, the celebrating dying immediately.

As the smoke cleared the area, they could all see Princess Luna standing where the lightning had struck, shrouded from her neck down to her hooves in a thick, dark cloak.

"GOOD CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE!" Luna called in the bellowing Royal Canterlot Voice, addressing them all as a group. "Do I know how to make an entrance, or what?" she asked, her voice suddenly much calmer and relaxed.

That caused the rest of them to relax in turn, a few relieved laughs sounding as a result.

"Well now, this is quite the pleasant surprise," Mayor Mare spoke as she stood herself back up, and proceeded to dust off her clown costume from last year. "It's so kind of you to grace us with your presence at our little celebration, your highness."

"The pleasure is all mine, dear ponies," Luna replied as she stepped forward to join the others at the center of town. "Out of any location that celebrates Nightmare Night, Ponyville does celebrate in a most genuine fashion. It is something not found in larger cities. It is not I that graces you with my presence, but rather the other way around," she stated as she smiled.

Although the smile turned into a frown when she saw that everypony was bowing as she spoke. No, that simply wouldn't do.

"Please, arise everypony, I am not here in an official capacity. I am but one more participant in the fun that is to be had here on this night," she stated, wanting to be at ease around her. The fact that they were rising back to their hooves was a good start, but it was not good enough for her; not yet anyway. "It is so refreshing to not need a crisis taking place, to warrant making a trip here."

"I'll say," Rainbow Dash replied. Not getting to socialize outside of something threatening the world was really tiring to deal with, and left little time for swapping small talk. "So. Been looking forward to tonight?"

"Ever since last Nightmare Night, Rainbow Dash. It is my sincere hope that this one starts out smoother than last year," Luna replied.

"Ah doubt it could be much rougher," Applejack mumbled, remembering how things had gone.

It had worked out well enough in the end, but that didn't mean there hadn't been some worrisome points during the night. However her thoughts were interrupted as a colt ran past her, nearly pushing past her in an effort to get by.

"Princess Luna!"

"Greetings, young Pip, it is good to see you again," Luna replied as she smiled at the colt as he made his way through to the front of the group. "And what do we have here? A brave knight, to protect his princess?" she asked as she regarded his costume.

"That I am, your highness!" Pipsqueak replied proudly and stood at attention. At least for a moment. "Although... so far I haven't had much luck. Dragons are harder to outmatch than I thought..."

"Ah. That I understand quite well, dragons have a penchant for being quite ferocious. Trying to match them in terms of strength is quite unwise, rather one must seek to out think them. But this is no easy feat, for dragons are as cunning as they are strong. To do such successfully, a knight must be wise, able to think quickly under pressure, a knight must... stay in school," she said as she crouched down to his level and ruffled his mane, causing him to giggle in response.

"And that concludes our public service announcement for the evening," Pinkie giggled, before popping a handful of loose candy into her mouth to munch on. "Party!"

Mayor Mare couldn't help but chuckle at that one. "Well now. If there's nothing more to add, what say we get back to celebrating this evening? The night is still young, and we have a fair number of events to get to," she pointed out.

"Seconded!" Spike stated quickly at the suggestion, eager to get things going again.

"I would have to agree. Nightmare Night comes but once a year, and should be enjoyed by all participating," Rarity added and nodded. She would squabble with Rainbow Dash about her selection of wearable abominations later on.

More cheers of excitement followed, everyone eager to get the festivities rolling again.

"Most excellent then! Let the fun, and friendship building, commence immediately!" Luna cheered and snapped her fingers.

In an instant the cloak that she wore was gone, and revealing what she wore underneath it for the occasion. Or rather... what she didn't wear for the occasion.

Without the cloak to conceal her, everyone in Ponyville could see that Luna stood stark naked, from the tip of her horn, all the way down to the bottom of her hooves. No matter where they might look, there wasn't a scrap of cloth, or a single piece of jewelry to be found anywhere on her entire exposed body.

And what a body it was, that much was for certain!

Twilight couldn't help but stare, slack jawed and wide eyed, and take in all the details that were so freely being displayed to her, and the rest of Ponyville with so much openness. She had no idea that anypony could have breasts that were petite, while paradoxically managing to be large and supple.

And yet here she was, staring -unwittingly- at just such a pair of paradoxes, all the while noting that even Luna wasn't immune to the chill in the air...

The combination of artificial lighting and genuine moonlight shining down on her dark blue coat actually made things even worse, by serving to highlight not only her curves, but also emphasizing, and drawing attention to the outline of each and every one of her toned muscles, giving her body the appearance of being able to rival the physiques of both Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

she was vaguely aware of the tell tale sound of at least one wingboner being popped somewhere in the crowd. She had no idea as to why, but she was reasonably certain Rainbow Dash had been responsible for it.

"Good gracious!" was the shrill cry from Mayor Mare that broke the stunned silence of the crowd that had come from the unexpected reveal.

"Oh wow..." Pipsqueak breathed, not knowing what to think about what he'd just witnessed.

"My word!" Rarity gasped upon finding her voice, her eyes immediately darting back and forth in search of Sweetie Belle.

At the moment her elder sibling instincts were telling her to find her little sister, and cover her eyes for her own sake. And if that didn't work, she'd settle on young Pipsqueak instead, since he was the youngest present, and had no need to be seeing anything of the sort!

"Whoa nelly!" Applejack stated, nearly dropping her hammer to the ground.

"P... Princess Luna? Why... why..." Spike tried to ask, but couldn't get the words out, despite his best efforts. The fact that he was pinching his nose shut didn't help either.

"Just why in Tartarus are you naked!?" Rainbow Dash asked loudly.

Despite the setting, Luna remained quite calm throughout it all.

"It was Celestia's idea that I might attend tonight's celebration in such a manner," she stated calmly, showing no signs of discomfort despite the looks she was getting from everyone. "When I did inquire to her as to how I might be able to better associate with our subjects on this night, and have them regard me not so much as a ruler, but as a potential friend, she suggested that I appear to them in a less than formal manner, as was done long ago. But alas, my entire wardrobe was without any attire that could be qualified as being of less than a formal nature. In light of such circumstances, as you might say, I decided to improvise on the matter," she explained.

All through the crowd, there was a great deal of stunned silence, apart from hushed murmurs and whispers amongst themselves, as they waited for the explanation to be continued.

"Improvise?" Rarity asked in disbelief. "I apologize, your highness, but how does attending a social gathering, while completely nude, constitute improvising?"

"Ah'm a might bit curious about that mahself," Applejack added and nodded, wanting to know the answer as well.

"Sister suggested that I appear before you in a way that would convey humility, rather than elitism. Not having an appropriate attire that conveys such, I simply forewent such formalities that struck me as counterproductive. So I stand before you all now, without regalia, without pomposity, and in the humblest of manners that I can manage; just as was done by other members of royalty in ancient times, who cared more for their subjects, rather than solely the state of their domains," Luna declared.

For a moment, not a single pony spoke up. For some it was out of fear of who it was they'd be criticizing, for others it was simply being too stunned to speak. It was only when Twilight managed to raise her voice, that the silence was broken.

"Princess-"

"Please, Twilight Sparkle, there is no need for such formality to be had; especially not from a fellow princess. Please, call me by my name," Luna stated.

"Alright... Luna..." Twilight continued uneasily, trying to tune out what she was starting to hear from the gathered crowd. "I get what you're trying to do. And I really admire it. But I really don't think this was the best way to go about doing it..."

"How do you mean?" Luna asked as she gave herself a cursory looking over. "Am I not humble in this fashion? Am I not absent, the trappings that many would associate with royalty, and serve as intimidation, by presenting them with a constant reminder of the office that I hold?"

"Well... yes..." Twilight reluctantly admitted. It was hard to argue with that logic. But Faust help her, she was going to try. "But nudity doesn't really carry the same sort of connotations that it once did. Appearing naked before a crowd might've suggested humbleness in the past, but now it tends to suggest... promiscuity..." she said uneasily.

Luna blinked. "Pardon?"

"Oh for crying out loud... sex!" Rainbow Dash elaborated as only she could. They'd be here all night if they waited for Twilight to get to the point, as everypony knew that she was just too polite to come out and state what needed to be stated. "Somepony being naked in public usually means they're a whore looking for sex."

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight objected, taken aback by her friend's utter bluntness. "You can't just say that!"

"Well you weren't getting to it anytime soon, so somepony had to say it," Rainbow Dash shot back.

"Whore? You... you mean a trollop? A streetwalker? A concubine?" Luna asked, her calmness being shattered with ease, as mortification quickly set in at the realization.

She didn't even notice as Pinkie swooped in and plucked Pipsqueak up to carry him away to elsewhere.

"Oh dear. I am... I am so sorry, everyone, truly I am," she quickly stated as she tried desperately to wrap herself in her wings. "I was not aware of such a social standard being in place; truly I was not. My learning about modern times had not yet brought this fact to my attention, or I would never have done such," she stammered, the dark fur on her cheeks turning even darker as she spoke, as the blush behind it was desperately wanting to make itself known.

Rarity didn't say a word, instead opting to close the distance between herself and Luna, removing her cloak in the process, as she draped it over the alicorn's shoulders to preserve whatever trace of modesty still remained after everything that had transpired. She might not have been proud of her own costume, but at least she was wearing something, and thus could afford to spare the accessory. Luna simply didn't have that luxury right now.

Even if she couldn't afford to spare her cloak, she still would have done so anyway. This whole incident hit just a little too close to home for her comfort, and reminded her far too much of her own unveiling at the Grand Galloping Gala. Granted the circumstances were different, but that was just splitting hairs right now.

"I am so embarrassed by this. I-I sought to make myself humble to my subjects so that they would have no need to fear me, and instead I have wound up making a fool of myself in front of everyone, giving them reason to believe that I am but a common trollop," Luna stated as she looked at the ground in embarrassment, unable to make eye contact with anyone. "Making matters all the worse, is that I have nothing with which to clothe myself; the cloak was merely an illusion for the occasion. I did not foresee this development occurring, and thus had no reason to anticipate the need for actual clothing tonight..."

"You can have mine!" Pinkie replied without an ounce of hesitation on her part, as her hands practically flew towards the zipper; only to have them stopped in place as Twilight's magic wrapped around her wrists like shackles. "Huh? What?"

"It's a generous offer, Pinkie, nopony will deny that. But there's no need to go quite that far. I'll just take Luna back to the palace with me, and find something there that she can wear. It shouldn't take too long," Twilight explained as she canceled out her magic.

It was the fastest explanation she could give as to why there was no need for anymore displays of public nudity to be had on this night. Her ears were already starting to burn from everything she was picking up; talks about disgust, indecency, eccentricity of royalty and such. And if she could hear them, it went without saying that Luna could hear them too.

"I'll tag along with you, darling. Perhaps I can concoct something," Rarity added. If nothing else they could always turn a bed sheet into a toga for the evening.

"I appreciate your generosity, everypony, truly I do. But I fear that it is of no use at this point. I have thoroughly embarrassed not only myself, but also the crown itself, with my lack of social understanding. I fear that a change of attire will be insufficient to remedy the damages rendered," Luna replied and sighed as she closed her eyes, unable to look at the others who she was certain she had offended.

Another Nightmare Night ruined for so many. And this time she doubted that it could be remedied as easily.

"I will simply depart for Canterlot at once, so that you may salvage the rest of this evening without my being around to compromise it with my indecency..."

"I hardly think the night's been ruined. Perhaps a little shaken up, but this is Ponyville; it's par for the course around here," Rarity pointed out as she patted Luna's shoulder in an effort to comfort her.

"Yeah. It's not like you knew any better and did it anyway. You said it yourself," Spike added.

"Huh..." Twilight replied as she scratched her chin, a thought forming in the back of her head, and slowly working its way to the front. "You know what, Spike, you're absolutely right," she said as a smile took form.

"I am? About what?" Spike asked.

"You'll see in a minute," Twilight replied as she stepped forward, raising her hands in the process. "Everyone, everyone! Could I have your attention, please?" she called to bring Ponyville's attention to her, instead of each other as they continued talking -and whispering- amongst themselves.

Some of them were lost causes, as they were already leaving, with foals likely being taken home by their parents or guardians. There was nothing she could really do about them, but they were a moot point. She was looking at the larger overall picture, rather than the individual components.

Once she actually had the attention of those that remained, she continued.

"I know that we were all caught by surprise, by what happened here tonight, and that's perfectly understandable. We've all grown up with certain social trends being the norm, so we never knew any better; never stopped to consider anything different. But I really don't think it would be fair that we hold that against Princess Luna; a lot of things have happened in the last thousand years, that she had no way of knowing about. Even attempting to research the progression of history, that's still more than three hundred and sixty thousand, two hundred and fifty days worth of development to catch up on, in a span of a little more than two years. That would be a tall order for anyone to try and fill. Even I couldn't do that," she explained.

Those that were still present, she could see that she still had their attention, even if they were starting to mumble amongst themselves again. But this time the mumbles she was picking up on were of a different sort. That difference made her smile, and moved her to continue.

"I'm fairly willing to bet that most of you present can't readily recall all of the changes in law Manehattan enacted last year, am I right? Even I can't really tell you more than five of them off the top of my head," she stated. More murmurs followed that little admission of fact. "That's just one city. Expand that thought to every city, town, and territory in all of Equestria, and consider how savvy you might be, even if you tried researching them out, and had no reference of where to start."

Twilight looked over the crowd gathered, and smiled at they quieted down, looks of realization starting to come over their faces as all of the facts started to set in. That meant she could forego explaining the finer details about the process of enacting law, the constant appeals, judicial holds, and so forth, that put everything in a constant state of legal limbo. If she tried to explain that, she'd likely melt a few brains, and lose their focus.

She then looked back at Luna, who looked a little relieved, and even appreciative of her having spoken up.

"Many thanks to you, Twilight Sparkle. It is refreshing to meet someone who can comprehend what it is like to feel as a stranger in their own land," Luna stated as she held the cloak shut around her.

"You're welcome. But I'm not done just yet," Twilight replied, before turning back to the crowd.

This time around they were much more receptive, and paid attention right away, rather than needing to be told to.

"Everypony. Despite the... admittedly unorthodox way in which it was done, Princess Luna did seek to put us at ease around her, by going with an approach that was historically traditional during her time. She wanted to be humble before us, rather than pompous like some members of royalty would insist upon. I don't think she should really be faulted, for putting us ahead of herself, wouldn't you agree?" she asked.

It was slow, but the entire crowd was motivated to nod in response to her question. Her smile grew more.

"Show of hands please, everypony, how many here would like Princess Luna to stay for the Nightmare Night festivities, even after what happened?" Twilight asked.

Every right hand shot up almost immediately at the question. She turned back to Luna, gave a friendly smile, and then turned back to the crowd.

"How many of you would like Princess Luna to provide us with a lesson about the social trends of her time?"

Confusion set in almost immediately, all hands being lowered as everyone looked between themselves in confusion, not fully understanding what was being said.

"Wait. Is... is she asking what I think she's asking?" Pinkie asked as she looked at the others for clarification.

"It certainly looks that way," Rainbow Dash replied softly, not sure what to think about it all.

"Princess Twilight," Mayor Mare spoke up curiously, "are you suggesting that Princess Luna should actually remain naked for tonight?"

"Well, Mayor, Princess Luna did come all the way here to take part in the festivities with us, rather than anywhere else in Equestria. And she did make a considerable effort to ensure that her status as royalty wouldn't make anyone uncomfortable, or affect the proceedings, despite having no need to do so. I can't help but think that it would be incredibly rude of us to not appreciate the efforts she made, simply because we find them a little odd," Twilight explained, doing her best to remain diplomatic throughout it all, and put as much of a positive spin on the situation as she could.

After a brief moment, she stepped closer, so she wouldn't have to speak at the same volume she had.

"There's also the fact that we could hardly try and hold Princess Luna to the same social standards as everypony else, even if we tried. Wouldn't you agree?" she asked.

"... You... may have a point there," Mayor Mare admitted, seeing what Twilight was getting at.

They could either proceed democratically, or proceed otherwise. What could any of them really do, if they disagreed with Princess Luna's decision; ask her to leave? And what if, for whatever reason, she decided not to honor their wishes? What could they really do then? In recognition of such facts, she turned to face the present crowd and address them, knowing what had to be done.

"Show us hands, everypony, who thinks we should show our appreciation to Princess Luna, for considering our feelings above her own?"

Slowly, hands rose once again. It wasn't all of those that were present, that were showing their acceptance of what was being proposed. But it was the clear majority of them did so.

"Well, it looks like the ayes have it," Mayor Mare commented at seeing the voting results. A better turnout for the results was unlikely.

Having watched everything unfold, Luna couldn't help but be stunned by how things had transpired. Stunned, and very impressed. Twilight Sparkle was certainly not her sister, but she still managed to be nearly as mischievous as Celestia herself was when she wanted to be. She had managed to take a very embarrassing occurrence, and flip it around with great ease, so that she did not have to be embarrassed about her faux pas.

She felt so very blessed, to have such wonderful friends looking out for her.

"Well, Luna?" Twilight asked as she turned around to face her, smiling the entire time, and threatening to evolve into a grin. "Do you feel like giving everypony an impromptu history lesson, in the midst of fun and festivities of the evening?"

Despite Twilight's efforts, Luna would be lying if she said there wasn't still a sensation of discomfort about being nude in front of everyone present in Ponyville. The revelation of what her actions could have suggested, had left her quite shaken in the aftermath. It was quite easy to feel confident and comfortable in nothing but your fur in front of others, when you didn't believe that there was anything wrong with it. It was considerably less easy when you suddenly learned that what you were doing, was technically wrong, and had apparently been so for quite some time. Despite her friends managing to turn this whole debacle around, that didn't necessarily make it any easier for her.

Looking around her, at everyone gathered, everyone who had been convinced to give her a second chance, she realized that there were two ways to proceed. She could either shirk back in embarrassment and discomfort, and hide back in her room until she developed the nerve to actually go outside again. Or she could swallow her fear, and carry on as she had intended to, projecting an image of confidence just as Celestia did when tending to those that petitioned her council.

She ultimately chose the latter rather than the former, smiled to her friends, and slowly nodded, her gratitude towards her friends growing greatly.

"Well... so long as there are no complaints. Yes. I believe something could be arranged," she replied as she shrugged off the borrowed cloak, no longer feeling the need for the protection it offered her.

The chill of the autumn air met with her exposed frame as she unfurled her wings with a forced sense of pride, but it didn't bother her; not with the growing good mood that she was in, knowing that her friends were there with her. If anything the nip of the air just added to the exhilaration she was feeling right now, knowing that not only was she among friends who cared about her, but would stick by her even if she did embarrass herself.

"Thank you for the use of your cloak, Lady Rarity," she said as she handed the folded cloak back.

Standing before everypony, naked and more or less on display for all to see. It was easy to feel shaken in her confidence. But standing with her friends, it was easy to not let that lack of confidence overcome and take hold of her, as she had ample reason to believe that everything would work out in the end, just as it had before. She might be subject to some embarrassment, and her regal image might take a bit of a beating as a result. But she knew that there was more to life than just being regal. Respect meant nothing if it brought only loneliness with it.

Besides such, she had rebounded from far worse than this. This should be foal's play compared to past experiences.

"So do we try this again?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yes, I believe we shall," Luna replied and nodded, a small smile to herself. If she couldn't stand a little social embarrassment, she wasn't fit to be a princess. With confidence renewed, she addressed the crowd. "Let us try this once again, shall we? Let the fun, and friendship building, commence immediately!"

Comments

[mastermenthe]

10/10

100/100

100,000/100,000

[CastersFaster]

10/10
Would read again.
Would continue to read should more chapters be added.
Would beg for more chapters should that increase the likelyhood of such.

[Mr-War]

Not bad not bad at all.

Please make more!

[Loki777]

My reaction to this first chapter of the fanfiction and Luna being buck naked in Ponyville of all ponies:

[eLLen]

I'll have to read this later!

[ToonCartoonist87]

Will Rainbow dash go nude as well?

[Crystal Static]

"Princess Twilight," Mayor Mare spoke up curiously, "are you suggesting that Princess Luna should actually remain naked for tonight?"
"Well, Mayor, Princess Luna did come all the way here to take part in the festivities with us, rather than anywhere else in Equestria. And she did make a considerable effort to ensure that her status as royalty wouldn't make anyone uncomfortable, or affect the proceedings, despite having no need to do so. I can't help but think that it would be incredibly rude of us to not appreciate the efforts she made, simply because we find them a little odd," Twilight explained, doing her best to remain diplomatic throughout it all, and put as much of a positive spin on the situation as she could.
After a brief moment, she stepped closer, so she wouldn't have to speak at the same volume she had.
"There's also the fact that we could hardly try and hold Princess Luna to the same social standards as everypony else, even if we tried. Wouldn't you agree?" she asked.
"... You... may have a point there," Mayor Mare admitted, seeing what Twilight was getting at. They could either proceed democratically, or proceed otherwise. What could any of them really do, if they disagreed with Princess Luna's decision; ask her to leave? And what if, for whatever reason, she decided not to honor their wishes? What could they really do then? In recognition of such facts, she turned to face the present crowd and address them, knowing what had to be done. "Show us hands, everypony, who thinks we should show our appreciation to Princess Luna, for considering our feelings above her own?"

The part that really stuck out was:

"Show us hands, everypony, who thinks we should show our appreciation to Princess Luna, for considering our feelings above her own?"

I wonder how many of the hands that were raised were stallions.

~Crystalline Electrostatic~
0:49_9/29/2015

[ShadowLDrago]

And what a body is was, that much was for certain.

What a body iT was.

how savy you might be

SavVy.

forced sense pride

Sense OF pride.

Minor spelling errors aside, this was a pretty damn good fic.

[Boulder]

Only works as Lulu has the body to get away with it.

[Bookwurm666]

black and purple striped stockings that went up to her black shorts were new, although the sleeveless button up shirt and tie weren't. The collared cape that reached down to her lower back just plain seemed out of place, and clashed with the overall color scheme.

I'm guessing vampire 🦇🦇🦇

"Now hold it right there, Rarity! If you're gonna call me something, call me something that I know what it is," Rainbow Dash retorted.

My mom always said that if you want to insult someone to do it so that they are left scratching there head trying to work out if it is an insult