The Life and Times of Everypony

by Leafdoggy

A Night To Celebrate (Autumn Blaze, Everybody Else)

Nightmare Night. A time of fun and games, of remembrance and celebration, of friendship and, above all else, a time of fear. It was a night where Ponyville lit up, alive with laughs and screams. The center of town was a hub of activity, neon signs lighting up games and pointing ponies towards peril. Children dashed through the legs of the older ponies, vying for prizes or gathering mountains of candy. Nightmare Night was the brightest night of the year for Ponyville.

And this time, it had a visitor.

She panicked when she rounded a corner only to be met with the blazing lights and roaring sounds of the festival, and an instant later she was hiding in an alley. It was nighttime, she thought the streets would be empty. Sure, she had intended to just waltz into town and make herself known, but getting there after dark and being met with such a cacophony sent a chill down her spine. Maybe all the time spent in quiet solitude had left her ill prepared for this.

I mean, it’s not like I want it to be like back home, she told herself, but this is a lot. She took a moment to compose herself before peeking out around the corner. The streets between the busy stalls were packed with ponies, and all of them seemed to be dressed for the occasion. She saw princesses, heroes, even food, but the overwhelming majority of the ponies were dressed as creatures of the night. What a weird holiday, she thought.

Still, she wasn’t here to hide in the shadows. With a deep breath, Autumn Blaze steeled her nerves and stepped out to tackle Ponyville.

Then, she changed her mind and stepped back in. Nope, she decided, too many of them. Maybe I’ll just… Watch for a bit, so I can get used to them?

So, she poked her head out around the corner to get a better look. She was right at the edge of a massive plaza, and in the center of the plaza was what she assumed to be the town hall. The plaza itself was packed with a veritable labyrinth of stalls, some offering treats, others providing spectacle, and many, many games. Ponies all over were carrying prizes they had won, from bags of candy to the occasional massive stuffed animal, and the cheering and playing from them all put up a wall of noise between her and them.

Then, a voice from the other direction, down the empty street behind her, broke through the din. “I promise, Chrysalis,” the voice was saying, “I won’t be upset.”

It was Twilight Sparkle, although Autumn Blaze didn’t recognize her, walking to the fair with Chrysalis. This year, Twilight had decided to dress up as a gargoyle. Chrysalis had decided against costumes entirely.

Autumn Blaze ducked back into the shadows to hide as they walked by.

“Very well,” Chrysalis said to Twilight, “if you’re positive. You can find me if you need help with the organizing.”

“Oh, I won’t,” Twilight said. “I’m very good at it.”

The couple exchanged a kiss, then Twilight went off towards the town hall, pulling out a pile of checklists as she walked away. Chrysalis watched her for a moment, then looked up at the moon to think.

Just as Autumn Blaze was about to give up and find somepony else to watch, Chrysalis grinned and started walking back down the street again. A few steps into her journey, a green flame wrapped around her and she grew, taking on the darkly regal form of Nightmare Moon.

“Woah,” Autumn Blaze said under her breath as she watched, “and I thought I turned into something cool.” Caught up in the action, she found herself scurrying between the shadows, following Chrysalis through the dark and lonely streets.

Chrysalis walked for some time, peeking around corners before turning onto streets, before she finally found what she was looking for. When she did, she hid in the darkness and lit up her horn, making a low fog roll in around them. Autumn Blaze did all she could to find a good vantage to watch from without being spotted.

An eerie quiet settled over the street, and in it she could hear the hollow hoofsteps of approaching ponies. Her heart started beating harder and harder as the suspense built. The fog rolled in silent waves against their legs, crashing into them with no force at all, and the low wind groaned in the distance.

Suddenly, Chrysalis vanished, only to reappear in the middle of the street she had been waiting at. She puffed out her chest and pointed a hoof dramatically at the ponies, ready to put the final blow into her grand entrance.

Then her shoulders sank as laughter rang out. Soon, the ponies who had been approaching walked into view, and Autumn Blaze felt like she was seeing triples. Not only was Luna there, wearing a black cowboy hat and sharp boots, but beside her Applejack was wearing a very solid replica of Nightmare Moon’s regalia. Luna had even enchanted her mane and tail to look like the wispy smoke of Nightmare Moon’s.

Luna was overcome with laughter at the coincidence, and Applejack was smiling through a pointed glare. “You lookin to show me up?” Applejack asked. “I worked hard on this, y’know.”

Chrysalis groaned and turned back into herself. “I’m just trying to have some fun,” she said. “It’s just my luck that I’d run into the only pair of ponies in the entirety of Equestria who wouldn’t flinch at seeing Nightmare Moon.”

Luna sighed as the laughter stopped. “I’m sorry,” she said, “it’s just, you have to admit it’s very funny.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Chrysalis said. “If I wasn’t so disappointed.”

I am so confused, Autumn Blaze thought.

“You’ll get ‘em next time, champ,” Applejack said, smirking mischievously.

“I thought you’d moved on from all this, though,” Luna said.

“I stopped being bad, not scary,” Chrysalis told her. “I’ll take every chance I can get to see these little ponies screaming in terror. There’s just nothing like it.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Yeah, okay. Well we’re gonna go be normal. Come find us if you wanna try it.”

“Not likely,” Chrysalis said. Then she turned into a bat and flew away.

“She’s fun,” Luna said.

Applejack laughed. “Yeah, a real hoot. C’mon, we’re burnin moonlight.”

Well, I guess I’m not following that other one anymore, Autumn Blaze thought. Might as well check out these new ponies.

To her relief, the ponies of this town all seemed to be incredibly easy to follow. The couple walked slowly, engrossed in their chatter as they roamed the outskirts of the fair, looking for something to do.

“I mean,” Applejack was saying, “what do you normally do on Nightmare Night?”

“I’ve generally spent most of the night being a princess,” Luna replied. “Mingling with ponies and such.”

“Sounds boring.”

“Oh, it isn’t so bad,” Luna told her. “Being a princess may be a lot of work, but seeing the ponies of Equestria happy makes it all worthwhile.”

Princess? Autumn Blaze looked Luna over carefully. So she leads them? This might be the best chance I’m going to get.

They were rapidly approaching the crowds, so she had little time to decide. She stiffened up nervously, but pushed through it, setting her jaw and stepping out from the shadows. She tried to be nonchalant as she walked up to the pair of ponies, but her canter was more than a little hurried.

“Uh, hello?” she called out as she neared them. “Can you wait up for a second?”

The ponies turned around, smiling politely, and when Luna saw Autumn Blaze her eyes went wide with shock.

“Well ain’t that somethin,” Applejack said. She reached up to tip her hat, then scratched her neck awkwardly when she remembered she wasn’t wearing it. “These costumes are gettin better and better every year. I don’t even recognize ya.”

“Not a costume. My name’s Autumn Blaze,” she said. “I’m kinda new around here.”

“Well, howdy then. I’m Applejack, and this here is Princess Luna, although I reckon you probably already know that bit.”

“Are you…” Luna was looking her over intently. “A kirin?”

“Sure am.”

“A what now?” Applejack asked.

“A kirin,” Luna repeated. “They used to live on the outskirts of Equestria, but they haven’t been seen in centuries.”

“Well, they’re still there,” Autumn Blaze said. “Did you even look?”

“We didn’t want to pry,” Luna said. “When it comes to creatures other than ponies, we try to match whatever level of contact they’d like. The kirin never approached us, so we assumed they just wanted solitude.”

Autumn Blaze shrugged. “I guess you weren’t really wrong.”

“So, if you don’t mind my asking,” Luna said, “what is a kirin doing all the way over here? And now, of all times?”

“As it turns out, walking into an unknown land with no destination in mind makes it really hard to control when you show up.” Autumn Blaze laughed. “I dunno, I was just bored.”

“You walked halfway across the continent cuz you were bored?” Applejack gawked at her.

“Hey, you don’t know what it’s like up there,” she said. “You can’t understand what it’s like to be kicked out of your home and forced to live alone.”

“Actually,” Luna said, “I can. I know too well the pain of solitude. Autumn Blaze, would you like to join us for Nightmare Night? We can welcome you to Equestria properly tomorrow.”

“Really?” Autumn Blaze beamed. “That would be great!”

Applejack smiled and beckoned them on. “Let’s get a move on, then.”

So, the three of them trotted together into the heart of the festival. It was like a completely different world, one of blazing lights and blaring noise, and it made Autumn Blaze’s head spin. Applejack noticed her lagging behind, though, and pulled the group over to the edge of the crowd so that they could walk without being overwhelmed.

It didn’t take her too long to adjust. The streaks of neon became tantalizing signs pointing towards all sorts of new things, and soon even the stomping of hooves and formless chatter seemed to take a backseat in her mind. Finally, she could see the fair as more than an intimidating obstacle, and the excitement of such a lively, jovial place washed over her.

Soon she was skipping along between Applejack and Luna, taking it all in with glee. “What the heck is a Nightmare Night anyway?” she asked at one point.

“It’s a celebration of me, actually,” Luna said, “and my return from banishment.”

“You made a holiday to celebrate yourself?”

Luna laughed. “No, I didn’t create the holiday. My sister did. She’s a princess as well, you see.”

“How many princesses have you got?” Autumn Blaze asked.

“Four,” Luna said, “last time I checked.”

“For now,” Applejack added. “Rarity’s got her ear to the ground lookin for some kinda princess test.”

Autumn Blaze chuckled. “You guys are weird. So what do you do on Nightmare Night?”

“Mostly we dress up and scare each other,” Applejack said. “Luna ain’t really into the whole ‘spooky’ side of it, though, so we were thinkin of watching a magic show.”

“Ooh, sounds fun. I’m in!”

They chatted idly as they made their way across the fair, smiling and laughing and having a good time. On the far side of the fair, they found a little makeshift amphitheater, rows of bleachers set up in front of a rickety wooden stage. Groups of ponies sat here or there, but they were nowhere near full. There was simply too much for other ponies to do.

Their group took a seat right up front, and Autumn Blaze squeezed herself in between the other two. “So,” she said, “what’s a magic show?”

Applejack and Luna both laughed. “Well,” Applejack said, “it’s sorta hard to explain. It’s like, uhh… Sports? I don’t know.”

“It’s just entertainment,” Luna said. “You’ll see.”

Then the lights dimmed around them, and spotlights shone down on the curtain. Dramatic music started to build up, colorful lights swirled around the stage, and right at the peak of it all a blast of smoke appeared onstage.

When the smoke cleared, two ponies were standing back to back, posing extravagantly and dressed to match. “Welcome,” one of them said, “to the greatest show you’ve ever seen! I, The Dark and Terrifying Trixie, will be your host through this journey.”

“And I,” said the other, “shall be your co-host, The Dire and Horrifying Starlight. Avert your eyes now if you’re squeamish, because tonight’s show could go horribly, terribly wrong.”

“They’re really playin it up this year,” Applejack whispered.

“Isn’t it great?” Luna replied.

Trixie and Starlight went on, putting their all into every trick, and giving each a special, spooky twist. Turning flowers into bats, making eyeballs disappear, anything they could think of, and the audience ate it up. There were one of two gaffes, at one point Trixie tripped on her cape and spilled a heap of playing cards across the stage, but they only served to make the rest seem more genuine.

Finally, they reached the finale. “For this final trick,” Trixie said, “we’ve turned to an old classic.” Behind her, Starlight wheeled out a long, bisected box, then put a saw on top of it. “I am going to cut my lovely co-host in two!”

Trixie picked the saw up with her magic, then helped Starlight up into the box. With the lid closed, all that could be seen of Starlight was her head and her legs, sticking out of holes on opposite ends. She grinned at the audience, then wiggled her legs to prove they were real.

“Now is when you may want to step out of the splash zone,” Trixie said, and then with a flourish and one quick swipe, she pulled the saw down through the box. “Ta-da!” she said, pushing the two halves apart and standing up on her hind legs to pose, the saw raised high in the air behind her. Instead of clapping, though, the audience gasped as they saw the red stain slowly dripping from the saw.

“Huh?” Trixie said, then she looked up behind her. “Oh, that’s not supposed to happen.”

“What’s not supposed to happen?” Starlight asked.

“Uhh, show’s over folks!” Trixie shouted, hurriedly pulling everything backstage. “Trixie has to go reattach her co-host!” As she ran off, the curtain fell behind her and hid her away.

Then the clapping started. “Wow,” Luna said over the noise, “they really sold that!”

“Yeah, Trixie’s been gettin real good lately,” Applejack agreed. “What’d you think, Autumn Blaze?”

“That was incredible!” She leaped up off the bench and hopped giddily in front of them. “I haven’t seen a show like that in ages! I mean, except the ones I put on myself, but it doesn’t really count if I’m the one doing it, you know? Yeah, you know.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Luna said.

“So what’s next?” Autumn Blaze asked. “I can’t wait to see more.”

“Uhh,” Applejack said, “well, we were probably gonna go find a quiet place to relax for a bit before movin on. Otherwise one of us is likely to burn out.”

“You seem to have gotten used to things, though,” Luna said. “You’re perfectly welcome to go enjoy the fair on your own.”

“The games are always a great time,” Applejack suggested.

“I don’t have any money, though.”

“Oh, they’re all free,” Applejack said. “You just can’t win prizes after the first couple plays.”

“Wow, okay!” Autumn Blaze grinned wide. “Thanks for the help, you two! I’ll see you around.”

“I’ll come find you later,” Luna said, “so we can find you a place to stay the night.” Autumn Blaze nodded enthusiastically, then skipped off towards the games.

Meanwhile, in the fair, Rainbow Dash was anxiously stomping her hooves on the ground. “Come oooon, Rarity, just pick one! There’s not gonna be any prizes left at this rate!”

“Oh, hush,” Rarity said. “If you’re to win me a prize, it must be a special one.”

Rarity had insisted that they have a couples costume this year, but they couldn’t come to an agreement, so after much deliberation they settled for just being similar. Rainbow Dash was dressed as Frankenstein’s Monster, and Rarity had fashioned herself a very sleek Dracula costume.

“Is it not special enough just cuz I got it for you?”

“Nice try, but no.” Rarity stuck her nose in the air defiantly. “It needs to hold meaning. Something that it represents.”

“Okay, how about, uhhhh…” Rainbow Dash looked around frantically. “That one!” She pointed at an apple bobbing competition. “They’ve got a bit white teddy bear with a rainbow hat. You like hats!”

Rarity laughed. “I do like hats.”

“Good!” Rainbow Dash scooped up Rarity and carried her, flailing, over the crowds, then set her down softly nearby.

Rarity puffed her cheeks out angrily. “Rainbow Dash! You’ll mess up my mane!”

“Sorry,” Rainbow Dash said with a quiet chuckle. Then she trotted up to the booth.

The apple bobbing this year was being run by the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who had dressed up as The Three Musketeers, and they grinned and waved as the couple walked up. “Hi, Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo said.

“Hey, squirt,” Rainbow Dash said. “You guys havin fun?”

“Tons!” Sweetie Belle said. “We get to talk to everypony and watch them look silly playing the game, and some ponies have even given us candy since we can’t go out and get our own!”

“And runnin the game is super easy,” Applebloom added. “I mean, it’s just a bucket full of water. It’s not like it can break.”

“Sounds like a good deal,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I’m very proud of you all for taking a responsibility like this,” Rarity added.

“So,” Rainbow Dash said, “how do I get that bear?”

“The big one? You gotta get an apple faster than anypony else has,” Scootaloo said. “On your first try. The competition is tough this year, though!”

“Pfft.” Rainbow Dash waved a hoof dismissively. “A speed challenge? Easy.” She stepped up over the bucket and got ready. “Tell me when to go.”

“Okay,” Applebloom said, taking out a stopwatch. “And… Go!”

There was a huge splash as Rainbow Dash shot forward into the tub, only to come out a split second later with an apple in her mouth, which she then tossed into the pile of used apples. “Not a problem.”

“Uhh, one point two six,” Applebloom read. “Wow.”

Sweetie Belle checked a score sheet. “Woah, that’s really good!” She marked Rainbow Dash’s time down on the paper. “You got second place!”

“Of course I- Second?” Rainbow Dash sputtered in disbelief. “There’s gotta be some mistake, nopony could possibly have done that faster.”

“Sorry, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo said. “We saw it ourselves. She was just faster than you.”

“Who?” Rainbow Dash was in shock. “Who in Ponyville is that fast?”

“Aw, don’t be a sore loser, Dashie!” Came a voice from behind them. Rainbow Dash and Rarity turned to see Pinkie Pie, lugging a massive stuffed tiger on her back. It was easily twice the size she was. Her outfit this year was a lot more abstract than normal, quite literally, as she had painted herself with bright colors and sharp lines in an attempt to look like an abstract painting.

“You? No way,” Rainbow Dash said. “You are not that fast.”

Pinkie laughed. “Oh, no, it wasn’t me. It was her!” She motioned to the side with her head, and from behind her came Fluttershy, smiling meekly and dressed as a painter.

“Oh, come on!” Rainbow Dash sat on the ground and groaned in despair. “I lost to Fluttershy?”

Behind her, Applebloom was standing on top of Scootaloo, trying hard to reach the giant bear to give to Rarity, who was watching them with a small smile.

“Sorry, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said. “It’s the one game I’m good at.”

“Which is good,” Pinkie said, “cuz normally we walk outta Nightmare Night with just consolation prizes. These games are hard!”

“At least you still get the prize,” Fluttershy said, “since my time doesn’t count.”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash tilted her head.

Sweetie Belle walked up beside them. “She’s got an unfair advantage. We gave her the prize, cuz it was really cool, but we can’t judge regular ponies against a vampire.”

“I’m very good at biting,” Fluttershy said, and she flashed them a toothy, fanged grin.

“Right. Of course.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Well at least Rarity will be happy.”

Rarity walked up, floating the bear beside her, and gave Rainbow Dash a kiss on the cheek. “I certainly will. Thank you, dear.” Rainbow Dash smiled and nodded at her.

“Um, hey, hi, hello?” The group was interrupted by a new voice walking up to them. Autumn Blaze had been going down the line of stalls, earning a little treasure trove of candy and small prizes, and this was her next stop. “Is this game open?”

“Aah!” Pinkie screamed and hid behind Fluttershy. “A demon!”

The rest of the group didn’t have nearly as drastic a reaction, ranging from Rarity’s curiosity to Fluttershy’s wonderment at seeing this strange new creature.

“Wow, okay, rude,” Autumn Blaze said. “I am not a demon.”

“A zombie!” Pinkie yelped again.

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Autumn Blaze said.

“A, uh…” Pinkie thought for a moment. “A sea serpent?”

“Do I look like a snake to you?”

“Don’t mind her, darling,” Rarity said. “She gets like this on Nightmare Night. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I take it you’re new around here?”

“Uhh, yeah, I’m Autumn Blaze,” she said. The group all introduced themselves to her, including Pinkie after Fluttershy forced her to calm down. “So,” she continued, “is this one just like, giving away the huge prizes, or what?”

“Try it and find out!” Applebloom said.

“We should probably be going,” Rarity said before a new conversation could start up. “I need to stop by the boutique to put this away, and I don’t want to keep Rainbow Dash away from the scary stuff for too long.”

“See ya!” Rainbow Dash said, and they left as the rest said their goodbyes.

“Hey Autumn Blaze,” Pinkie said, “you’re stickin with us tonight, right?”

“Huh?” Autumn Blaze and Fluttershy both asked.

“If you’re new, you need friends!” Pinkie grinned at her. “And we’re the funnest friends in Ponyville. Right, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy chuckled. “Um, yeah. We’d be happy to have you.”

“Man,” Autumn Blaze said, “this place rules.”

So, she joined Pinkie and Fluttershy for the rest of Nightmare Night. Pinkie told her all about Ponyville as they ran about, and Fluttershy corrected the things that were outright lies. They introduced her to all the friends they passed by, which, since Pinkie was friends with the whole town, was everypony. When she had won too much to carry, Pinkie let her store them at the bakery, and that led to Pinkie inviting her to stay there while she was in Ponyville. It was the most lively, and most fun night that Autumn Blaze had had in a long time, and by the end of it she couldn’t help but to start having serious thoughts about what she wanted her future to look like.

Comments

[Razzy]

Bad luck, Chryssie.

Silly Pinkie, she's clearly an artificial satellite.

[Banana Prince]

Starting to wonder if the Nightmare Moon is just naturally slipping out of Luna. I kind of got confused about how the whole Nightmare Moon thing works with everyone having their own interpretation.

Hope to see these seperate stories get expanded and cross more.

[Leafdoggy]

10077056
I've actually expanded out the Nightmare Moon situation into a longer story, if you're lookin for more.

I definitely gotta write more with some of the other characters, though. Especially Autumn Blaze, I gave myself an excuse to use her more with this and I really oughta use it.