On Leather Wings Part One.
Nightmare Night, it's every foal's favorite holiday. The night when every pony dresses up in costume, and foals go door to door getting candy.
*Knock knock knock* "Are you almost done in there?" Apple Bloom asked impatiently. "I wanna go out and get candy."
"Patience, sis, patience, One cannot rush preparation," I answered.
Over the years I'd gone out as many different things. A Royal Guard, an Equestranaut, the Sun, the Moon, Equis, an Asteroid Field, The Constellation Equuleus, and Niels Grasse Tycho. That one was my personal favorite.
This year, however, I'd really outdone myself. After weeks of thoughtful consideration and planning, I had thought of the most excellent Nightmare Night costume of all time. It was ingenious actually. Once everyone saw my costume, I'd have enough candy to fill my spaceship.
I took one last look at my reflection in the mirror. "Perfect." I stepped out the bathroom door. "Well, what do you think?" The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked each other dead in the eyes, then fell back laughing.
"Bahahahahahahahaha!"
"I looked down at my costume. I had dressed in some old white bedsheets, fashioning them into a toga. I had also fashioned some grey yarn into a beard and curled wig. "What's wrong with it?"
"Wha-ha-ha-ha-what are you supposed to be-ha-ha-ha?" Apple Bloom chortled. Her mane was done up in a conical shape with streaks of white lightning on the side. Her coat was covered with stitched lines, and her eyes' contours were colored with purple eyeliner. As you might've guessed, she was going as the Bride of Frankensteed.
"Sigh, I'm Hippoarchus, the greatest astronomer of ancient Thrace," I explained. "I founded Trigonometry, I created the solar and lunar orbital models that the Princesses move to move the sun and the moon to this day." I held up a homemade astrolabe to prove my point.
The trio blinked at me. "We don't know who that is, "Scootallo the Werewolf finally admitted.
"Honestly you look like a hobo dressed in bedsheets," Sweetie Belle the Vampire added.
"Sigh, let's just get going," I sighed.
Are y'all youngin's, yawn, all ready to go?" Granny Smith asked tiredly as we stepped outside. Unlike us, she was not dressed up. Big Macintosh was hitched to the wagon dressed in a top hat and cloak with a skull apple on it. Applejack was seated up front dressed as a scarecrow.
"We're ready!" Apple Bloom said enthusiastically.
"Well, then all aboard!" Big Mac said.
The Moon was high and the Nightmare Night spirit was in full swing as we rode into town. Everywhere you looked there were ponies dressed in costumes and spooky decorations set up.
"This is gonna be the best Nightmare Night Ever!" Scootaloo proclaimed.
"We're going to get so much candy!" Sweetie Belle chirped excitedly.
"Well, here we are," Applejack said as the wagon came to a stop in front of a sign that read HAUNTED HAYRIDE.
"Yawn, alright everypony stay together." Granny Smith yawned as she forced herself out of her seat and slowly climbed down. "Ah'm getting too old for this." We scampered out excitedly, treat sacks clutched tightly in our teeth.
"Ah'll be running the Applebob station if y'all need me," Applejack said tossing out a wooden tub and a sack of apples.
"Look," Apple Bloom pointed out. "It's some of our friends from school." Sure enough, Noi, Pina Colada, and Erroria walked down the street dressed as a Princess, a Ladybug, and an Equestranaut. And there was one more with them. A colt with a white and brown-spotted coat and a reddish-brown mane dressed as a pirate.
"Hey isn't that the new colt from...what's that place?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I believe the place you're looking for is Trottingham and yes I believe it is him," I said.
"Hey, girls, what's up?" Scootaloo said walking up to them. "Nice costumes."
"Thanks, you too," Erroria said in agreement until she laid eyes on me. "Oh my gosh! What are you wearing?"
I did my best to mentally shrug off her reaction. "It is a toga, a garment worn in Ancient Thrace."
"It makes you look like a hobo in bedsheets," Noi said, as the other two snickered loudly.
"I am Hippoarchus, the greatest astronomical observer of the ancient world!" I proclaimed boldly. "I discovered the procession of the equinoxes. I invented the armillary sphere."
"Pff, whatever, you still look homeless," Noi said unfazed as Pina Colada and Erroria burst out laughing.
"I think it's a great costume." Holy Celestia! The new colt was speaking up in my defense.
"Uh...Pipsqueak wasn't it?" I said trying not to sound as certain of his name as I was.
"That's right, you're one of the Apples, right? Apple...something or other?"
"Apple Comet," I said.
A few houses later, our sacks already starting to fill with candy. I'd gotten quite a few odd stares from ponies who'd answered the door. Most of them rolled their eyes and just gave me some candy.
"Where should we go next?" Sweetie Belle asked.
My eyes turned to the Golden Oaks Library. "Let's try the library,"
"Good idea," Apple Bloom said.
Through the walls I watched Spike pacing back and forth. He was dressed as a dragon of all things. Which is like me dressing up as an Earth Pony."Come on Twilight, we're gonna be late for the Nightmare Night Festival."
"Here I am," Twilight Sparkle strutted down the stairs. She was dressed in a decorative robe and hat covered with bells, moons, and stars. A long white beard completed the look. Anypony who saw couldn't mistake her for anything else.
"Huh? Are you that one kooky Grandpa from the Ponyville Retirement Village?" Okay, maybe they could.
"I'm Starswirled the Bearded," Twilight said stating the obvious. From the way he stared at her, I knew he didn't know who Starswirled the Bearded was. "Father of the amniomorphic spells?" Nope. "Did you even read that book I gave you about obscure unicorn history?" He obviously hadn't. Before the situation could get any more awkward, Spike was saved by our knocking at the door.
"Oh, did you hear that? That sounds important." His stubby legs rushed for the door, leaving Twilight dazed and dizzy.
"Ahh!" He let out a surprised scream, before realizing it was us.
"Nightmare Night, what a fright, give us something sweet to bite!"
"Hi, everypony, great costumes." Twilight stepped out to the door as Spike ran to get the candy. Her eyes fell upon me. "Apple Comet, what an excellent Hippoarchus costume."
"Thanks, Your Starswirled the Bearded costume ain't bad either." I complimented. "Did you stitch those borders yourself?"
She smiled and said, "Why yes I did thank you for noticing."
Spike returned with the candy bowl and began passing it out. Pipsqueak squeezed his way between Erroria and Pina Colada. He balanced himself on his front legs holding his toy cutlass between his teeth. Then promptly tripped and fell to the ground onto his chin.
"Pipsqueak the pirate at your service," he said picking himself up. "It's my very first Nightmare Night."
"Since you moved from Trottingham?" Twilight inquired.
"No, my very first Nightmare Night ever." He corrected her.
"BAW CAWWWK!" A sudden noise from behind startled me.
"GAAAAGGH!"
I turned around to see a quadrupedal chicken with a pink face carrying a bag of candy in her...hooves.
"Enough chit-chat, time is candy!" Pinkie Pie? I was presently aware of everything going on on this street both inside and out. How did she sneak up on me?
"Pinkie Pie, aren't you a little old for this?" Twilight asked the obvious question.
"Too old for free candy?" Pinkie Pie let out another squawk and glared at Twilight as if the librarian had offended her. "Never."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "So what do you think?" She asked showing off her costume. The bells on her hat jingled as she turned her head and posed.
"Yeah! great costume Twilight! You make a fantastic weirdo clown!" Pinkie laughed before proceeding to peck eat the entire bowl of candy like it was chicken feed and zipping off.
"A clown?" Twilight scowled.
"Don't listen to her," I said. "You're not the one dressed like a chicken."
Her anger fading, she sighed. "Yeah you're right, I'm not gonna let this experience ruin my Nightmare Night."
"Great so can we go out and get some more candy Grandpa?" Spike asked. Twilight rolled her eyes again in defeat.
After a while of going door to door, our bags were starting to get full. To my embarrassment, nopony whose house we stopped by knew who Hippoarchus was. Estimated guesses ranged from a frat pony to a hobo. The fact that Pinkie Pie decided to tag along also did not help matters. Still, I guess I couldn't complain since I still got candy, and everypony was having a good time.
By the time we arrived at the festival grounds, the party was in full swing. Ponies were dancing on a stage to a country and western band, while foals tried their hoof at the various games. Twilight and Spike were there. Twilight was complaining to Spike about how nopony knew who Starswirled the Bearded was. While Spike was gorging himself on candy to the point I wasn't sure he'd be able to get out of his costume tomorrow.
"Hey look we're here already! Should we get something to eat?" Twilight asked. Spike let out a fiery burp indicating he was already full.
"Twilight! Twilight! Look at our haul!" Pinkie Pie went galloping up to them and showed them her candy before proceeding to devour it like a hog through slop. "Ah, can you believe it? And then we went to Cheerilee's house, and got a bunch more goodies didn't we Pip?"
"Sure did," Pipsqueak nodded his head.
"We also found somepony who knew who I was," I added. My ears suddenly perked up as I heard the distant beat of wings. I glanced up to see a figure in a black and purple costume with gold lightning bolts pushing a thundercloud around. A figure with a multi-colored mane.
A sly grin crossed my face. I turned around and waved at her. "Hey, Rainbow Dash! Nice Costume!" She jumped back with such surprise that she fell backward off the cloud and landed unflatteringly on her stomach. Everypony dropped what they had been doing and proceeded to laugh uncontrollably as Rainbow shook her head vigorously to get her senses back.
"H-How did you know I was there?" She asked in complete disbelief.
"I dunno," I answered throwing up my front hooves. "I just happened to look up and there you were."
"Well, and how did you know it was me and not a Shadowbolt coming to get you?"
"I don't know what that is, but you're the only pony in town with rainbow hair." She promptly fell on her back again.
"Aw, man it was going to be so perfect. I was gonna scare your tails off."
"Cheer up Dashie," Pinkie Pie zipped over to her. "Have some candy," She proceeded to bury the cyan pegasus under a pile of candy. Wait didn't she eat all of her...you know what, I wasn't even going to bother questioning it.
After parting ways with Rainbow Dash, we headed over to the Apple Bobbing station.
"Hey sis, how's it going?" I asked Applejack. Next to her Golden Harvest and that Stallion whose tennis racket Apple Bloom ruined were bobbing for apples.
"So, far so good, lots of ponies wanting to bob for apples," She said as the stallion pulled one from the tub and left. "Hey you two," She said addressing Twilight and Spike. "Happy Nightmare Night,"
"Thanks, I'm a dragon," Spike said.
"With that beard, Ah' reckon you're some country-western singer." Applejack incorrectly guessed.
Twilight grunted for the umpteenth time, while Spike just laughed.
"While y'all are here, ya feel like bobbing for an apple?" She said as Derpy Hooves stepped up. The mailmare was dressed in brown paper bags for some reason. She dove head-first into the tub and surfaced a few moments later with the drain stopper in her mouth.
"Maybe later Applejack," I said as the green-dyed water drained out the bottom, leaving Derpy Hooves smiling awkwardly with the drain stopper in her mouth.
The sounds of cheering and applauding caught our attention. Everyone looked over at the podium onstage where I saw that Rainbow Dash was not the only pony tonight with rainbow hair.
"Thank you, thank you everypony, and welcome to the Nightmare Night Festival." Somehow, a clown just made the perfect costume for the mayor.
"Now all the little ponies who have been out collecting sweets should follow our friend Zecora to hear the legend of Nightmare Moooooooon!"
"Spooky voice might work better if she wasn't dressed like that," Spike pointed out.
"Indeed," I concurred as a mysterious green fog engulfed the stage. Either one of the zebra's potions or she had had an entire head of broccoli for dinner before coming here tonight. From out of the mist she stepped, wearing a white wig covered with fake plastic spiders and a black robe.
"Follow me and very soon you'll hear the tale of Nightmare Moon," She said.
We followed Zecora to a clearing in the Everfree Forest where a weathered statue of Nightmare Moon stood.
"Listen close, my little dears, I'll tell you where you got your fears of Nightmare Night, so dark and scary," She explained as she blew more of her magic powder from her hoof. It formed a cloud with coalesced into the shape of Nightmare Moon. "Of Nightmare Moon who makes you wary."
I stared into the eyes of the illusion. The same eyes I had seen in my dreams that night. The night I was trapped in my dreams by her.
"Every year we put on a disguise, to save ourselves from her searching eyes." The other foals around me let out a scream as Zecora continued. "But Nightmare Moon just wants one thing. To gobble up ponies in one quick swing." Pipsqueak and Pinkie Pie let out another scream as the apparition of Nightmare Moon dived down toward us. It bore its fangs in a canine-filled smile. It dispersed into a cloud of smoke as it hit the ground. Through the smoke Nightmare's cat-like visage peered looking hungrily back and forth at us. It was too much for Pipsqueak who took off running straight for the statue of Nightmare Moon. With the smoke obscuring everypony's vision, I took off after him, grabbing his tail mere centimeters from the base of the statue.
"Are you okay?" I asked him. "He looked at me, then up at the statue, and immediately clutched onto me as Pinkie Pie let out another terrified squawk.
"Hungrily she soars through the sky," Meanwhile, Zecora threw another hooful of powder. "If she sees nopony she passes by." Another Nightmare Moon emerged from the clouds scaring the fangs off of Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. "So if she comes and all is clear, Equestria is safe for another year!"
I looked down at the petrified pirate clutching my foreleg for dear life. "Hey, it's okay it's just an illusion. Look it's already disappearing." He pulled his head away and looked up at the figure of Nightmare Moon as she turned to smoke.
"Ms...Zecora," He said hesitantly releasing my leg. "If we wear costumes to hide from Nightmare Moon, so she won't gobble us up, how come we need still need to give her some of our candy?"
"A perfect question my little friend," Zecora replied. "For Nightmare Moon you must not offend." She blew another hooful of dust. "Fill her belly up with a treat or two so she won't return to come and eat you." The specter of Nightmare Moon lurched its neck forward. Its jaws opened wide with razor-sharp teeth. Pip immediately ducked behind me. I felt a chill run down my spine as I gazed at the jagged rows of fangs. It brought me back to that night. The night, I dove into those very jaws to save Apple Bloom.
*CHOMP!*
"Everypony just dump some candy and get out of here!" Pinkie Pie screamed. Everypony hastily emptied their bags in front of the statue. Just then there was a clap of thunder and the wind began to howl. I looked up to see the clouds part way revealing the full moon. A dark shadow flew across its lunar surface and began to descend. My eyes zoomed in to take a closer look. It was a dark chariot, pulled by dark grey pegasi with batwings and ears, dressed in metallic blue armor. Their slit amber eyes shone like jewels in a dark cave. A tall cloaked figure sat in the chariot, a dark blue muzzle being the only visible feature. A smaller figure sat by its side dressed in all black. A wide-brimmed hat covered its head and a domino mask obscured its eyes. Everypony stepped back tepidly as the chariot passed over them.
"Gasp! It's Nightmare Moon! RUN!" Pinkie screamed sending everypony stampeding back to town. Everyone except Twilight, Spike, and yours truly.
"Are you just as confused as I am?" I asked him.
"Moreso," Spike answered.
We followed the chariot back to town. You could feel the tension in the air as everypony stopped what they were doing to look up. The two figures leaped from the chariot and spread their wings out, gliding to the ground like a pair of vultures.
The cloaked figure landed gracefully and threw back their cloak to reveal...Princess Luna. She was taller than the last time I saw her. Her coat was a darker shade of blue, while her once normal mane was now dark starry ethereal.
Instantly everypony stopped what they were doing and bowed before her.
The Princess of the Night stepped forward. The cloak on her back transformed into a swarm of bats as she brandished her wings. She looked at the terrified ponies with a scowl of anger. The other figure a bat colt dressed in an all-black costume with a cape, hat, and domino mask walked beside her. A rapier at his flank. The Princess looked at a pegasus dressed as a witch who let out a scream of terror before pulling her pointed hat over her face.
CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE! Princess Luna spoke in a voice so powerful it washed over them like a sonic boom. "WE HAVE GRACED YOUR TINY VILLAGE WITH OUR PRESENCE, SO THAT YOU MAY BEHOLD THE REAL PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT! A CREATURE OF NIGHTMARES NO LONGER, BUT INSTEAD A PONY WHO DESIRES YOUR LOVE AND ADMIRATION! TOGETHER WE SHALL CHANGE THIS DREADFUL CELEBRATION INTO A BRIGHT AND GLORIOUS FEAST!
A flash of lightning and a boom of thunder accompanied her declaration.
"Did you hear that? Nightmare Moon said she's going to feast on us all!" Once again Chicken Pie sent the entire town into a panicked frenzy. Immediately Princess Luna's eyes filled with hurt.
"What! No children no, you no longer have a reason to fear us!" She called out. "Screams of delight are what your Princess desires, not screams of terror!" With a stomp of her hoof, she declared. "Madame Mayor, your Princess of the Night and Prince of Gotland hath arrived." To which the mayor let out a terrified gasp along with her assistant.
"What is the matter with you? Luna declared angrily. "Very well then, fine, be that way. We won't even bother with the traditional royal farewell." The masked figure tugged at her leg.
"Aunt Luna," He said. "I think you were a little too loud with your speech."
"It is the traditional Canterlot voice, dear Nephew. It is tradition to speak using the royal 'we' and to use THIS MUCH VOLUME WHEH ADDRESSING OUR SUBJECTS!"
Luna's nephew and everypony else winced as the Princess of the Night's voice rattled the nearby windows.
"I'm gonna talk to her," Twilight decided.
"You can't to her," Spike grabbed the edge of her cloak. "She's Nightmare Moon."
"She's no more Nightmare Moon than I am Hippoarchus," I said with a slap of my hoof on his claw. "Come on Twilight let's see if we can smooth this out."
We followed the shimmering cobalt hoofprints back to the statue of Nightmare Moon. Princess Luna lay sadly in its shadow with a despondent expression on her face. Her Nephew, having taken off his hat and mask to expose his dark black mane had his hoof on her wither.
Her eyes grew alert as we drew near. She instinctively stood up and turned around shielding her Nephew behind her.
"Who goes there?"
Twilight looked at each other for a moment before she stepped forward. "Princess Luna, hi, my name is...
"Starswirled the Bearded and Hippoarchus, commendable costumes. Thou even got the bells and the toga right."
"Yes!" Twilight and I hi-hoofed. "Finally somepony who gets it right!" She said. An awkward pause followed as Luna and her Nephew stared at us."Our actual names are..."
"Twilight Sparkle and Apple Comet," She rose into the air, front legs stretched outward. IT WAS THOU WHO UNLEASHED THE POWERS OF HARMONY UPON US AND TOOK AWAY OUR DARK POWERS!"
"And that's a good thing...right?" Twilight said wincing heavily at the volume of her voice.
"But of course, we could not be happier, is that not clear?" Luna said touching back down.
"It was certainly loud," I groaned as I rubbed my forehead.
"But this is the traditional Canterlot voice! It is tradition to..."
"Yes, yes, we get it," I interrupted. "We're just asking for the sake of our eardrums, please turn down your volume."
She looked at me as if pondering her decision, "Very well then," She said in a mercifully lower tone. "
"Okay that's better," Twilight said nervously. Her eyes darted to Luna's still-unnamed Nephew. "I almost forgot to ask, who is this?"
Luna smiled down at the Batcolt. "Ah, yes. Ahem, PRESENTING!" She paused as she realized what she was doing. "Oops sorry, presenting His Lord Bruce Kane of Gotland." Okay, I did not see that coming.
"Um...thank you, Auntie," His was one of rehearsed composure. "It is nice to meet you both."
"His parents The Earl and Countess of Gotland our distant nephew and niece hath entrusted us with escorting him on this his first Nightmare Night."
"As I gazed into his golden yellow eyes, I saw not the snobbish stuck-up product of a gilded upbringing, I'd come to expect from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Instead, I saw a colt not unlike myself. His costume was that of a dashing adventurer out of an old comic book. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. The points of his fangs protruded from his lips.
"You want to go get some candy with me?" I asked him.
"Sure," He said.
"You wish to go back there after the way they greeted us?" Luna asked him in disbelief.
"Yeah, it sounds fun," Bruce answered. The Princess looked at him puzzled.
"Nephew pray tell, what is this fun, thou speaks of?" Wow, she really had been gone a long time. Luckily Twilight was there to step in.
"I have an idea. Why don't you and I work on changing your approach, and the Colts can go out and get more candy?"
The Princess of the Night scratched her chin, pondering the offer.
"Hmm...Thy offer is tempting. Very we shall go and work on our approach. And in the meantime." Her horn lit up as she summoned forth a scroll. "Apple Comet of the Apple Family, as Princess of the Night! We hereby doth appoint to the position of Royal Chaperone to his Lordship the Earl of Gotland! You are to escort him on this night and make sure he doth make it back safely!"
"I will defend him with my life your Majesty," I said with a bow.
"Don't worry about me, Auntie," The Earl, said with a flash of his rapier. "For tonight I am Tornado! The swift and cunning, enemy to all corrupt tyrants." With a few graceful swings of the blade, he managed to cut my toga loose sending it falling to the ground around my hooves. "Oops," Tonight had just gotten that more awkward.
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So he meets a future friend of his. I hope they stay friends, especially if that fateful event will soon be approaching. Plus a nice nod to one of the Bats progenitors. I wonder if The Shadow is canon for this universe?
Well now we have both The Flash, Superman and Batman whose next? Oh wait is there one more... i can’t remember.
I hope that he doesn't return home to find his parents dead. He's got to be with them when they die.
Thanks immensely for getting the next chapter up. I really appreciate that. Again, I greatly appreciate the work that went into the exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up. Definitely liked the imagination that went into Comet's costume - even if Twilight and Luna were just about the only two that got it right. Though, ironically, Spike's "Grandpa" taunt might have had some accidental accuracy considering the theory that Celestia is a mother figure to Spike and Starswirl, in turn, is a father figure to Celestia. And, yeah, I DID like Twilight and Comet getting each other's costumes right. And, yeah, Luna has now introduced Bruce to Comet (and, yeah, it makes sense that he would pick the pony counterpart to Zorro as his Nightmare Night costume).
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Well, if my guess is right (and it IS still a guess at this point), Green Lantern might be next, but, even if that guess is right, that's probably not going to be until the return of the Crystal Empire, which will be the Season 3 opener, which means that is still going to be quite some time away. And Flurry Heart (the future Wonder Woman analogue) isn't even going to be born until the Season SIX opener.
Edit 4/14/2023: