TALES FOR NIGHTMARE NIGHT! A collection to read AFTER the lights are out!

by De Writer

LUNA’S NIGHTMARE NIGHT

Princess Luna was sitting on her very comfortable bed, letters strewn about her. She was chuckling as she laid another one aside.

Celestia was sitting across Luna’s chamber from her. The work bench in front of her was littered with excellent small wood tools. She was carefully shaving a small piece of rare wood to make an exact fit in the inlays of a Rom lyre that she was making.

“Give, Luna. What is so funny? After that session with Lord Lairbottom, I could use a good laugh.”

Sympathetically, Luna looked over to her sister and picked up the letter and began to read,

My Dear Princess Luna:

We of the Council of Baltimare Elders do most urgently desire that you attend our Nightmare Night Gala in your costume as Nightmare Moon.

Of course, we do not wish a true return of the most dangerous true Nightmare Moon.

Sincerely, The Baltimare Council of Elders

Celestia chuckled too. Her bit of wood fitted perfectly, she used her magic to seal it into place better than any glue.

“Are they ALL like that, Sis? How many polite ways are there to say that their kind invitation makes a fine latrine wipe?”

Instantly seizing a pen, Luna exclaimed, “I have to remember that one!”

As she quickly scribbled her note, she grinned, “Pretty much all of them are like that. I do have a few that I am seriously considering. None of them is from a city or town Council.”

Celestia nodded, “I wish that the Rom made a regular practice of doing Nightmare Night. The other year, at Grumpy’s Cave, was the first one in their 844 year history among us. Now THAT was party!”

Luna nodded too. “I know, but you know why they were celebrating, that night as well as I do. They were celebrating the recovery of Lann Dra Halit from a severe illness.”

Celestia chortled as she remembered, “Oh, how upset our Protocol Ponies were when we canceled that Gala to just take off into the blue, like that!”

Luna smiled fondly at the memory. “Our Guards were none too happy, either! I mean, a NIGHT FLIGHT to an Unsecured destination?”

Celestia snorted, “At least the Rom let us cook and do other fun things! Where are you actually going to go?”

Thoughtfully, Luna replied, “I am not sure, actually. I have two that are real possibilities.

“This one is from a kid, you know, a little goat. She lost a foreleg in an accident. She was wondering if I could help her to get around for Nightmare Night.

“The other is a bit odder. You remember Canbe, who helped the Undead monsters and chose to stay with them?”

Celestia chuckled ruefully, “I do remember. That bet cost me a whole tray of butterscotch topped donuts and twists.”

Luna nodded, with a grin, happy at the memory, “Right. Him. He wrote asking if I would stop by their graveyard to be there for the dead foals and small monsters.”

Celestia got up and gave her sister a big wing hug as she pointed out, “You could do both. The Monster’s realm is basically timeless. So help the young goat first and then go do the Monsters.”

She sighed deeply, “And I will hold Canterlot and do Duke Hightail’s Nightmare Night Gala.” She sighed deeply. “The sacrifices that I make for my sweet sister. I mean, it is YOUR holiday. It really is all about YOU.”

They both giggled.

Luna did write TWO letters in reply to the many inquiries requesting her presence. The rest she handed to Merten, her protocol pony to have official polite refusals written.

Celestia looked up from fitting another piece into the intricate inlay work of the lyre that she was building to ask Luna, “How do you manage to keep the staff or even the nobles out of your personal kitchen or my work bench here?

“I can’t keep them out of the one in my quarters at all. I even found a maid trying to gather up my Rom sashes and harness to be thrown out with the trash! I had to discipline her most severely.”

Luna grinned savagely. “Nightmares. If any of MY staff touch what they should not, they get a week of specially tailored nightmares.”

Luna looked up at a soft knock. The servant who entered asked timidly, “Do you need anything done, Princess?”

“Only the bed, its hangings and the small carpet. Thank you, Eunice.”

Eunice curtsied and set to her tasks.

That evening saw Luna donning the helmet and armor from her time as the very real Nightmare Moon.

One of her guard, a newly promoted baron, said in disapproval, “That is in very bad taste, Your Highness. Remember, this holiday is to celebrate your DEFEAT and conversion from a deadly dictator to your present and meeker self.”

Instead of answering the baseless charge, Luna asked the Guard Captain, “How did Nalot manage to pass his Guard handbook testing and then try to rebuke me for something that he KNOWS to be baseless?”

Captain Lightning stood to attention and responded, “Ma'am! I was wondering that myself! It is true that most believe what he has said. They do not question the death of 1.7 MILLION unicorns at war in the space of but ½ hour, nor connect that fact to the ease with which Nightmare Moon was defeated by the Mane Six.

“That ‘defeat’ was a clear propaganda action. Some of us who study real military history do understand.

“It will be our honor to accompany you on this errand, underlining as it does, the EDICT OF EQUALITY, the highest of the land assisting one of the lowest station and injured to boot. Will you cast upon us the guise of Thestrals of your guard?”

Luna smiled, and there were fangs in her smile as she complimented, “An excellent notion, Captain Lightning! It shall be so!”

A midnight gossamer of magic from Luna’s horn left all of the Guard appearing to be Thestrals. The whole Nightmare flight left from the Thrones Room balcony known as the Traitor’s Drop.

It was not long before the whole lot of them settled to the road at the gate of Vale Farm. They were greeted by a small nanny kid in a very silly looking deer costume. She hobbled forward with an awkward three legged gait, her treat bag slung about her neck.

Crying, she said, “You came. You really did come! Rastmore, the kid from next farm over said that it was just a cruel jest.”

Luna lifted little Dimmla to her back with her magic and replied, “Even as Nightmare Moon, I was never that cruel. Now let us get to Bleatin’ Hallow and get you to proper Nightmare Nighting.”

They started at the edge of town, and worked their way into the town proper. Dimmla sang the traditional chant at each door and was met by foal bowl after foal bowl. When it was time for the party, Dimmla had getting her treats out of the foal bowls and into her bag down to an art form!

'Nightmare Moon’ and her guard did well too!

The party was the usual happy riot of young, both foals and kids! Whether it was the presence of 'Nightmare Moon’ and her guard, or the acceptance that sometimes happens, not a one made any fun of Dimmla and her three legged gait. In fact, she proved very adept at tossing rings in several games and at apple ducking, she excelled!

Near midnight, the Princess took Dimmla onto her back while the awestruck partyers watched. She and her Thestral Guard flew her back to Vale Farm.

They took to the sky, bidding Vale Farm and Bleatin’ Hallow farewell. They were soon left behind. Sooner than expected by the Guard, they began to spiral down.

One of the Guard exclaimed, “How did the moon get full like this! It was nowhere near full a few moments ago!”

Their Captain observed, “Our Thestral disguises are gone too.”

As she spiraled to a landing place, Luna noted, “My Nightmare Moon armor is gone too. In this place, though it is supernatural by most accounts, is only truth. It is always the full moon here. Celestia voluntarily holds no sway here. These are ponies and others forgotten by most.”

The Captain nodded sagely, being a veteran of Luna’s Guard for many years, and ordered, “No matter what we see here, take no action. The Princess was most clear before we began that she would rather have no Guard along at all.”

Luna alighted what would have been a pleasant clearing between what were now seen to be mausoleums, crypts, tombs and graves, all neatly tended. Though obviously all was of great age, there was no sign of true decay anywhere. The moss growing on the sides of crypt, monument, tomb or even simple stone grave marker was well tended and allowed for appearance.

All about Luna’s party, mausoleum and crypt doors yawned wide. Graves and tombs yielded up the dead. Zombies, Lamias, Nagas, bare animated skeletons, bat like ponies landed and transformed to the appearance of normal ponies.

The undead that had gathered about formed an aisle to one crypt. Out of its doorway came a perfectly normal looking pony and a lamia, who glided forth on her sinuous, snake like lower body and tail. The two were gently rubbing shoulders and the lamia was crowned with flowers.

A truly smiling Princess Luna spoke to the couple. “Canbe, do you regret your decision to stay here, in the very borderlands of Nightmare?

“Flowering Ash, do you regret inviting Canbe to come and be among you all who are at the edge of Nightmares?”

Both replied, “Not in the least, Princess.”

Canbe added, “I have ventured out a few times to get us things that we had not here. I still prefer to be here among my true friends. It is our wish, Flowering Ash’s and mine that we be wed by you.”

Flowering Ash, the lamia, nodded in agreement. “Not only do I wish to wed Canbe, the rest of our sort want him to stay.

“His mortal presence allows us to repair the damage of both vandal and time itself.”

She paused and looked to a group of small zombies. “His presence has made even the Forgotten Foals happy.

“It is not only I that love him.”

Princess Luna nodded, her long straight horn making a lightly glowing arc as she stated “Your wish is granted. I have with me a wedding ribband. Canbe hold forth your left forehoof. Flowering Ash, hold forth your right beside his.”

As the two did so, Princess Luna draped a shimmering white ribband of patterned satin with fringed ends across both forehooves. She took Flowering Ash’s end and lifted it up between their hooves and allowed it to drape over Canbe’s. She lifted Canbe’s end up between their hooves and draped it across Flowering Ash’s hoof.

The Princess then spoke, “By this custom of of the Rom, whom I love also, I declare you married. May your lives together be long and happy.”

She turned to her Guard, who were standing at a formal Brace of Honor, “My good Guard, you have acquitted yourselves admirably, this night. By my dispensation, you may stand down and dine. Besides the treats that you collected earlier, you will find that the grass here is of the finest. Feel free to browse in safety. The fountain over by Canbe and Flowering Ash’s crypt is sweet and wholesome.”

To their surprise, the Guard actually regretted it when told to assemble for leaving.

As they flew through the boundary between reality and the dream, Captain Lightning confided, “I have been keeping a diary of my Duty served with the Princess. I don’t know how to write this one up. Nopony would believe it.”

Nalot, who had nearly not been allowed to come, replied, “Just write it up. It really does not matter if some pony does not believe it. I am beginning to understand what I signed up for when I volunteered to become one of Luna’s Guard.”