Breaking Out

"Nightmare Night, what a fright, give us something sweet to bite!"

A chorus of costumed foals stood at the front door of the Golden Oaks library, their goody-bags held out in eager anticipation. A lavender-coated unicorn in a large bell-ridden hat and matching blue cloak levitated a candy treat for each of them. The children smiled in brief gratitude before quickly running off to poach more delicious loot.

Twilight Sparkle smiled as she closed the door and set down her bowl of candies. It was a simple pleasure to be able to bring such joy to others, but she'd also be glad when the evening's frivolities were finally over and she could snuggle up in bed with a good book.

Of course it wasn't long before another knock sounded, and so she once again levitated the bowl of sweets before opening the door… however, it was no foal that greeted her this time.

"Nightmare Night, what a fright, gimme somethin' sweet to bite!" chimed the full grown mare with a gray coat, mossy green mane, and the widest toothiest grin a pony could imagine.

"Lucky… aren't you a little old for this?"

Clover Charms, also known by her ironic nickname, Lucky, shrugged, "You're only as old as you feel, and besides, tis the season, as they say."

It was the wrong holiday for that particular expression, but against such an infectiously enthusiastic smile, Twilight couldn't muster anything more than a bemused sigh as she shook her head. "Well, feel free to help yourself to some candy anyway. There's more than enough to go around."

"Don't mind if I do," said the earth pony as she strolled into the library. Setting down a wrapped bundle she'd been balancing on her back, Clover snatched up a hoof-full of candies before adding, "Don't s'pose you've got any mustard to dip these in?"

Twilight could feel her stomach turn a loop, but did her best to smile as she answered, "In the kitchen, second cupboard on the right and third shelf down." She didn't really mind indulging her friend's bizarre pallet… at least so long as Clover didn't try sharing.

Moments later Clover sat dipping toffees into the jar. "By the way, nice reverse Trixie costume. I especially like the beard, way to stick it to that ol' nag."

Briefly rolling her eyes, Twilight suppressed the urge to again remind her friend that she no longer bore any grudge against Trixie. It was kind of Twilight's fault anyway for instilling that sentiment in the first place, seeing as it was only because of her own ill-conceived scheme to oust Trixie as a supposed fraud that she'd ever met Clover in the first place. Besides, it was far more pressing to address that this now made the seventh pony tonight who had misidentified her costume.

"I'm not Trixie; I'm Starswirl the Bearded."

"Oh yeah, that old fogey you're always on about who invented magic or whatever. Guess maybe I should have dressed up as his clever apprentice or something and then we could match."

"He didn't invent magic; although, his research and theorems did revolutionize it." Belatedly, Twilight also realized, "Hey, why aren't you wearing a costume anyway?"

Clover grinned, or rather her omnipresent grin widened, "Oh, that's my surprise for you!"

Unwrapping the package she'd broaught, Clover revealed a long mass of green sequined fabric with various gemstones stitched into it. Two protrusions that looked like leathery wings adorned the middle. One end tapered off into a pointy tail, while the other seem to vaguely resemble some kind of horned reptile.

"Umm," Twilight hesitated choosing her words carefully, "that's… great… but what exactly is it supposed to be?"

Clover gave the head a shake causing the vacant beady eyes to rattle about, "It's a dragon. That fussy unicorn who runs the boutique made it, not that she was happy with me ordering it so last minute."

Twilight tilted her head from side to side, as she looked over the costume. It certainly looked like a rush job, but the gems still betrayed the stylings of Ponyville's resident fashionista. One thing still seemed off though, "Isn't it a little… big?" she asked.

Impossible as it seemed, Clover's grin only widened all the further, "That's the best part, Tenbs…" she replied with baited excitement, still using the nickname derived from the alias Twilight had given when they first met.

Twilight had long since accepted that her quirky friend would probably always address her by some variation of that name. While in some ways it was an unfortunate reminder of a past she was trying to put behind her, but in many other ways she'd come to find it endearing… even if it was still a bit awkward to explain around others.

She didn't have long to ruminate over the matter though before Clover, who had been pausing for dramatic effect, finally finished her excited declaration "…we're busting you out!"

"What!?" Twilight stammered in wide eyed alarm, "Clover, no… we've been over this before. I want to pay my debt to society, not go back on the run."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Clover said waving a hoof dismissively, "But I didn't mean permanently, just for tonight. You can't stay locked up with these dusty old books all the time. You need to get out there and live a little."

"I do get out," Twilight insisted defensively, "Part of my community service entails helping out ponies around town whenever I can."

Clover huffed as she continued waving off the protest, "Oh please, I don't mean that boring stuff supervised by some official escort. I mean actually going out for an honest to goodness night on the town, especially on Nightmare Night. This is the one holiday that's actually supposed to be about breaking the rules in the spirit of good fun."

"That's hardly the same," replied twilight taking on a lecturous tone, "Just because some foals like to engage in lighthearted mischief on this night doesn't mean I can get away with breaking the terms of my parole."

"Come on, Tenbre, just this once," begged the earth pony as she held up the costume in her hooves and rattled its googly-eyes, "You can't let me down, not tonight, not after all the trouble I went through, and besides, you'll be in disguise the whole time so it's not like anypony will ever need to know."

"Clover, I… well, I appreciate the gesture, but…" Twilight really was torn. Her resolve was firm, but she didn't want to disappoint her friend either. Glancing back at the enchanted security bangle on her hind hoof, however, reminded her she still had an easy excuse, "That is rather to say… I couldn't leave even if I wanted to… remember?"

"Hmph…" Clover never frowned, but her smile wilted ever so slightly, "Guess only a big ol' dummy could forget something like that."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Twilight said consolingly, "Anypony can make mistakes."

"You're right, Tenbs…" Clover replied as she dug a hoof into the back of her curly mane, "But fortunately I'm not just anypony."

Twilight stared dumbfounded, not because of what the other mare had said, but because of what Clover was now holding. The magic bangle Twilight wore was enchanted with a warding alarm which normally restricted her movements to the library unless she was accompanied by her assigned parole officer, Trixie. There was, however, also a second bangle, which was meant to allow Trixie to assign temporary proxies to act in her stead.

As Twilight's brain finally rebooted though, she scowled. "Clover… you can't just go stealing that!"

"I knew you'd say that, Tembs, and that's why I got this the official way," Clover clarified, while holding her hooves up to either side of her head to mime a pair of air-quotes

"Official?" Twilight asked, echoing her friend's emphasis, although already dreading the answer.

"Yeup, by conspiring with Piercy to sneak all the forms into a nice thick stack of other boring ol' papers his boss was signing."

"That's not any better, Clover," Twilight retorted, one eye twitching in agitation, "Tricking Trixie's secretary into helping you bend the rules is still wrong."

"Trick?" Clover replied while holding a hoof to her barrel as if wounded, "Gimme more credit than that, and besides, it was his idea in the first place."

Twilight raised a single hoof, taking in a deep breath as she mentally prepared to deliver an appropriate lecture, yet before she could start she paused with her mouth hanging open.

Clover never frowned, yet somehow despite that she'd managed to fuse a pleading pout with her lower lip, while still retaining her upturned smile at the corners. The seemingly contradictory contrast was so absurd, Twilight found herself struck dumbfounded.

Seizing the opportunity, Clover stuck a hoof under Twilights slack jaw, puppeting it as she poorly imitated her friend's voice, "That's an excellent point, Lucky, you're so thoughtful and the best friend a pony could ever have."

Shaking herself out of the stupor, Twilight swatted the hoof away, "I can't just…"

"Please."

'It wouldn't be…"

"Plleeeaaasse."

"If we get caught…"

"Pllleeeeeaaaaassse."

Her shoulders slumping, Twilight's head drooped to the floor in defeat as she reluctantly conceded with a long sigh, "Fine… "

Without warning Clover hug-tackled her friend, squealing in delight, "Yay! This is going to be so much fun! The two of us are gonna have the bestest Nightmare Night ever!"

Gasping for breath in friends embrace, Twilight channeled a spell through her horn.

*POP*

Teleporting out of the earth pony's grip, Twilight collected herself with a stern expression, "But only this once, and then never again."

Clover nodded enthusiastically, "Don't worry, I promise you won't regret this."

Returning her friend's beaming grin with a half-hearted apprehensive smile of her own, Twilight worried she might be regretting it already.

What might be perhaps the gaudiest dragon ever conceived strolled down the streets of Ponyville. Still, amidst all the various costumes, from the finely crafted to the makeshift, it didn't stand out too much.

Even though there was no way anyone would recognize her as part of the eight legged lumbering beast, Twilight still felt very self-conscious about being out in public like this without permission. It hardly helped that she had to occasionally swat Clover's tail out of her face, but at least being in the back half of their shared costume made it all the less likely her cover might be inadvertently blown.

The festivities for the evening were well under way. Mayor Ivory Scrolls was on a stage regaling foals with a tail of the origins of the holiday in an exaggeratedly spooky voice that didn't at all mesh with her rainbow-wigged clown costume. Meanwhile other ponies were running all manner of carnival attractions.

"Ooh, isn't this so exciting!" Clover said, "What should we play first?"

"Doesn't make much difference from back here," Twilight replied glumly.

"Don't be like that, Tenbs. The night is young and full of potential. Hey, look, there's CT running a bobbing-for-carrots stand," Clover said pointing out the local farmer in a devil costume, "We should go say hi."

Twilight had never really extended her grudge to Trixie's friends, but the bearers of the Elements of Harmony were the last ponies she wanted to be anywhere near while trespassing outside the library. If anypony were likely to recognize her, it would probably be one of those six. Before Clover could lead them over to certain doom, however, a boisterous cry called out from the other side of the street.

…

"Come one, come all me maties and have a ball. Three tosses fer a bit and if ye can sink me lovely first-mate into the brine, ye can win a share of me booty," Declared Lyra Heartstrings, dressed as a bearded pirate captain in full scallywagging regalia while balancing expertly on her hind hooves as she swung around a wooden cutlass with one hoof.

A pair of foals, dressed as a ghost and mummy respectively, walked up to the minty-colored unicorn mare, but just as one began to reach for his money, both of them froze in fear before quickly galloping away.

"Arr…" the costumed pirate pony groaned, "Bonnie, ye be scaring away all the customers."

The cream-coated earth mare in a blue-striped shirt and red bandana sat atop the dunking booth, scowling with her fore-legs crossed. She turned her frightful glare from the passerbys to her marefriend, "Lyra, just because you talked me into this doesn't mean you should expect me to be happy about it."

"Arr, me Bonnie, where be yer Nightmare Night spirit?"

"Back at the shop, where I'd rather be. This is always one of my busiest sales weeks of the year. I'm exhausted and I'd just as soon turn in early instead of freezing my flank off up here."

"It ain't be that cold a night."

"You're not the one who has to end up soaking wet," BonBon retorted bluntly before adding, "And would you cut it out with that fake accent; it sounds ridiculous."

"Oh phooey," Lyra said in her normal voice, "You're just no fun, Bonbon… although… you certainly didn't seem to think the accent was so silly last night when we were trying our costumes on… or rather when we were taking them back off."

As her marefriend unsubtly waggled her brow for emphasis, Bonbon flushed at the recollection of the intimate events of the previous evening.

"Besides," Lyra continued, "It was either this or spending the night with your folks passing out your mother's homemade, umm… candies."

This second reminder made Bonbon blanch. She loved her mother dearly, but the older mare's experimental vegetable flavored candies were a confectionary atrocity.

"Arr…" Lyra declared, slipping back into her faux accent as she spotted a new potential customer, "There be a serpent off our starboard bow. How 'bout it; ye think ye have what it takes to win a piece of Beardmare's treasure?"

…

"This is a bad idea," Twilight whispered apprehensively.

"It'll be fine," Clover whispered back, "And if anypony's gonna get us caught it'll be you if you keep dragging your hooves like that, " then, affecting an exaggeratedly deep baritone, Clover bellowed, "Rar! I'll take on that challenge you scallywagging cur!"

"Oh ho, ho, beasty, best be anteing up a coin from yer own hoard first."

"Or you could just run along and find some other game to play," BonBon interjected, "This one is rigged."

"Arr, don't be minding me cabin wench's slander. Beardmare runs the fairest ship on all the high seas."

Clover paid the silver bit, then took up one of the painted black balls in hoof. Squinting her eyes as she pinched her tongue between her teeth, she reared back and let her pitch fly.

The ball flew wide, missing the target entirely.

"Ha!" BonBon couldn't keep the mocking laughter at bay, "I must have been worried for nothing if that's the best you've got."

Taking the second ball in hoof, Clover pitched again, this time rattling the edge of the target but not enough to dislodge it.

Nervously biting back her previous taunt, BonBon pleaded, "See… I told you… rigged… but if you give up now I'll offer a five… no make that a ten percent discount on your next visit to the Confectionarium."

"Oy, Bonnie, what ye think ye be doin'?"

"Staving off pneumonia!"

As the couple bickered, Clover whispered back to Twilight, "Hey, how about some magical assistance on this last shot?"

"What… but Clover, that would be cheating."

"Not if the game really is rigged. I swear that last shot should have dunked her."

"No, your trajectory was just off center."

"Trajectory, sm'jectory, I'm still an earth pony, so that shot should totally still have been strong enough."

"It's not just about strength, you also need the proper angle to get the correct leverage."

"Alright then, miss smarty pants, why don't you use your magic to show me how it's done?"

"Oh no, no, no," Twilight trilled, "I'm not letting you con me into breaking any more rules tonight."

"What rules, there isn't any sign saying no magic."

"It's an unspoken rule."

"You're just making excuses"

"I am not."

"Please."

"You're doing it again, aren't you?"

"Doing what?"

"That lip thing, you aren't facing me, but I can hear it in your voice."

"I have no idea what your talking about."

"Liar."

"Plleeeaaasse."

"No."

"I'm about to pitch the last ball."

"I said, no."

"Pllleeeeeaaaaassse."

…

A bell rang followed by a splash.

"Arr, ye bested Beardmare's challenge," Lyra said as she levitated a miniature chest full of foil wrapped chocolate coins, "Here be yer share of me pirate's booty."

As the pair in the dragon costume sauntered away, Lyra went over to help her marefriend out of the tank, dropping her accent, "See, that wasn't so bad, now was it?"

BonBon's teeth chattered as she shivered, "Says the pony who's still dry."

"Don't be such a sour grump. I promise I'll make it up to you later."

"Fine, whatever, but if that was Clover in the front, then who was in the back?"

Lyra shrugged, "Probably Twilight."

"I knew it!"

"Oh, come on, BonBon, you wouldn't rat her out, would you? Everypony deserves to break a few rules on Nightmare Night."

"No, not that, I meant they were cheating. I heard a twinkle on that last pitch, and that means Twilight must have used her magic."

"Twilight would never do that."

"I know what I heard, and if it wasn't Twilight then who…?"

A none too subtle whistling and a pair of averted eyes made the answer all too obvious.

"Lyra, how could you!?"

"Aww… don't be that way BonBon. It was all in good fun, and besides… somepony had to help you get that pole out of your flank"

BonBon scowled as she climbed her way back on to the dunking bench, "Is that so? Fine, but when we get home tonight, missy, we'll see just who has the pole up their flank."

"Arr, shiver me timbers" Lyra grinned, slipping back into her accent, "Looks like these chocolate coins won't be the only booty o' mine getin' plundered."

Breaking In

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The night wore on much the same, with more games as well as other assorted activities, and with each in turn, Twilight found her apprehensions waning away until her own enthusiasm was nearly a match for Clover's. Hours later, the two mares retreated off the beaten path to reap the spoils of the evening, huddling together under their dragon costume like a makeshift tent.

"Mmm… these chocolate doubloons are the tastiest," Clover said chiperly, "You really sure you don't want one, Tenbs?"

"Maybe I would have, if somepony hadn't dumped the whole chest full into a jar of pickle juice," and although she affected an exasperated tone, Twilight's smile betrayed that any annoyance was in jest… mostly.

"But the pickles are the best part, really gives the chocolate that extra zest."

"I think I'll just take your word on that and stick with this bag of candy corn you haven't tainted yet."

"You sure you don't want any nacho cheese to go with that."

Twilight made an exaggerated gagging motion with her tongue out in protest before simply shaking her head with a sigh, "Sometimes I think you just make up these horrible combinations solely for the purpose of squicking everypony else out."

"You'll never know if you don't try," Clover teased, neither denying nor admitting anything.

The two shared a chuckle.

"Thanks for talking me into this," Twilight finally admitted, "I know it's breaking the rules—"

"Bending," Clover amended.

Twilight didn't even miss a beat trying to argue the point any further, "—but it's been fun all the same. Maybe we could do something like this again next year, with actual permission preferably."

"Aww… but sneaking around when we aren't supposed to is half the fun!"

"Anyway, we should probably be heading back to the library."

"Huh… what're are you talkin' 'bout, tonight ain't over yet?"

"It's hours after midnight," Twilight said with a forced yawn, "And some of us actually have work to do in the morning."

"But hours after midnight is when the real fun of Nightmare Night starts," Clover pleaded before adding matter of factly, "Everypony knows that."

"Oh…" Twilight paused, not entirely sure she wanted to know, but, "And just what exactly did you have in mind?"

"Pranks, of course!"

The darkened streets of Ponyville had grown eerily quiet as most ponies had begun turning in for the night, the perfect stage for a pair of costumed mischief makers to sneak their way through the silence. Well, one mischief maker and one reluctant tag-along.

"This is a bad idea," Twilight said with renewed apprehension.

“Oh, come on, Tenbs, that's the third time you've made that same complaint."

"And it's still no less true, and of all the ponies we could possibly prank, this must be the worst possible idea."

The costumed pair stood outside the gated fence of the Official Residence of Ponyville's Official Representative of the Nightcourt, a.k.a. Dame Trixie Lulamoon, Knight of Harmony, bearer of the Element of Magic, and the self-proclaimed Great & Powerful… not to mention Twilight's parole officer.

"No, this is the BEST possible idea," Clover said rubbing her fore-hooves together, her normally carefree grin tilting maniacally, "It's time we finally show that stuck up primaredonna what's for."

"For the last time," Twilight declared, her tone shifting from nervous to lecturous in exasperation, "I'm not trying to prove I'm better than Trixie anymore."

"I know, I know," Clover said, twirling one hoof around in bored repetition, "But this is just gonna be a prank, harmless fun."

"I'm not so sure…" Twilight replied, chewing her lip nervously.

"Come on, Tenbs, grudge or no grudge, can you really honestly say there's no small part of you that still wants to get even the teensiest payback for what she put you through."

Twilight knew she should protest, and yet she didn't. Much as she hated to admit it, maybe Clover had a point. For all that Twilight had tried to put old and incredibly misguided grudges behind herself, maybe there was still a small part of her she was keeping locked up in the dark corners of her mind that wanted to go through with this.

"No more running, No more hiding, not even from yourself?"

Clover had beaten her to the punch, twisting Twilight's own reform mantra against her.

"I… Clover, no." Twilight retorted halfheartedly, "That's not what that's supposed to mean."

"Maybe not, but you want it to, don't you?"

"I…" Twilight hesitated, hanging her head in shame, before at length raising it with a conspiratorial grin and taking her own turn to steal Clovers words, "Well, I suppose if everypony deserves to break a few rules on Nightmare Night, I guess that can include my own."

"Now that's the spirit!"

It was all in good humor after all, just harmless pranks. From a certain point of view one could even argue they were upholding tradition. A few rolls of toilet paper draped through the tree branches, a few smashed eggs smeared across the windows. What Nightmare Night could be complete without these iconic… decorations.

"Alright, I admit it, this is kinda fun," Twilight conceded. When no answer was immediately forthcoming, however, she quickly grew concerned, "Clover…?"

Though shroud in moonlit shadow, Twilight managed to spot the other mare by the door of the Residence… the very much open door.

Clover smiled back with a wicked gleam in her eyes and whispered, "Nightmare night, what a fright, give us somethin' sweet to bite; 'cause if you don't…" she trailed off, silently invoking the remainder of the oft unspoken second verse of the holiday refrain that promised retribution against those who failed to offer up the appropriate tribute.

Twilight strained to keep her voice under a hushed whisper, "Are you Sunstroked; get away from there!"

"It's alright, Tenbs, it was unlocked."

"What difference is that supposed to make… don't you dare tell me you're thinking of going in there?"

"Not alone I'm not."

"Oh, no…" Twilight said, her apprehensions now teetering on the edge of full blown panic, "This is where I have to draw the line."

"But just think of the pranks," Clover begged like an entitled foal.

"Pranks are one thing, but this is breaking and entering, if we get caught…?"

"Caught by who, Trixie? If that happens we'll just apologize. She's a hero, and that means she has to forgive us… no matter what, because friendship and harmony and all that other jazz, right?"

"I think you're pushing our luck."

"Hey, Lucky is my middle name," and as if that was a battle cry, Clover pranced her way through the door.

"Stars protect me, I must be sunstroked too," Twilight cursed to herself as against all better judgment she followed. Catching up to her friend, she added, "You do remember your nickname isn't supposed to be for the good kind of luck?"

"Details… now keep quiet."

Cautiously the two mares snuck their way up the stairs and down the hall. Peaking through the bedroom door they spied their victim softly snoring.

"This is perfect," Clover whispered.

"It's not too late to turn around," although Twilight was long past sure if there was any real disent behind the pretense of her protest.

Whatever certainty Twilight lacked, however, Clover more than made up for in her own self-assuredness, "I've gotten us this far, no sense tucking tail now."

Reluctance at the madness of this endeavor gave way as Twilight found herself all too easily falling back on old habits. Before her reform, she had broken into some of the most secure archives across all Equestria in search of arcane secrets. Not a second thought needed to be spared while Clover pushed upon the bedroom door, Twilight casting a silencing spell over the hinges as a matter of reflex.

The two paused their advance as Trixie rolled over, muttering in her sleep, "And for my first act as dutchess… I name ice cream with tabasco sauce… the official dessert of Ponyville."

"Huh…" Twilight mused, "Seems like you and Trixie might have tastes in common?"

"No way, everpony knows ice cream goes best with relish, or maybe mustard in a pinch," Clover replied indignantly before pulling a marker out of her bag, "Hey, Tenbs, while I get to doodling, fetch a bowl of water from the bathroom sink, would'ya?"

"Why?"

"Just trust me… oh, and make sure it's warm."

By the time Twilight returned she wasn't sure if she should gasp or laugh, but either way she had to struggle to keep quiet. Clover had drawn a curly mustache over Trixie's snout and a monocle around one eye.

"I know, right," Clover replied, suppressing her own fit of giggles, "Just a shame we can't be here to see the look on miss snooty-patootie's face when she wakes up in the morning."

"I don't get it; are we supposed to leave the water by her bed so she can clean up?"

"You've never been to a slumber party, have you? Just levitate that bowl onto the bed while I lift up her hoof."

Twilight still didn't understand, although she made a mental note to study up on slumber parties later. In the meantime she followed Clover's instructions without further question, setting the bowl in place as Clover gently lowered Trixies hoof into it.

…

With their mischief complete, the two mares snuck back out of the Residence and slipped back into their shared dragon costume, Clover even telling Twilight to take the front end this time. They were about to disappear into the night, until a stern shadowy figure shouted from above.

"Stop right there, you criminal scum!"

Staring up at the roof, Twilight felt her greatest fears realized, a guard pony, and not just any guard pony. That dark armor over an ash grey coat was the unmistakable hallmark of none other than one of Princess Luna's elite Nightguards.

"Cheese it!" Clover shouted from behind and shoving Twilight into a gallop.

The two ponies tore down the streets, around a corner and through an alley, knocking over a stack of empty boxes as they scrambled, but all the while the bat-winged guard pursued undeterred from above.

"There's no way we can outrun them like this," Twilight panted.

"What about a spell?"

Twilight was aghast, "You can't seriously expect us to get away with assaulting a Nightgaurd?"

"Of course not, but you can teleport, right?"

"I could," Twilight replied between gasping breaths, "But that's… a tricky spell. There can't be… that many ponies in Ponyville… who can cast it. They'd know it… was me for sure."

"Not if I stay behind to take the fall. With any luck they might not have noticed there's two of us in this costume."

It was a long shot, but even if Clover was right, could Twilight really just leave her best friend behind?

"Come on, Tenbs!" Clover begged in exasperation, "It's my fault your even out here tonight in the first place."

Twilight's legs were pumping and her heart was racing even faster, there wasn't any time to think, let alone debate… there was only time for action!

*POP*

The lone pony in the dragon costume skidded to a halt as the Nightgaurd landed in front, fangs bared, stomping one hoof down atop an errantly rolling bangle.

"What's with the fancy lightshow, think you can get away by blinding me?"

"No…" Twilight declared boldly as she discarded the costume, "I made a promise to myself that I was through running and hiding!"

Clover landed in an unexpected heap, tripping over her own legs as she found herself no longer on the streets of Ponyville, but instead inside the old shack at the edge of town she'd moved into. She blinked dizzly for only a few moments before realization settled in.

"No… Tenbs, how could you?"

Clover never let her smile falter, not even once since she was a small foal. Given the perpetual state of bad luck throughout most of her life, it was the one shield she held onto at all costs to stave off the despair she knew would consume her if she ever let it go… but what was she supposed to do now?

"Not again."

She knew her friend had only been trying to protect her, just like Twilight had when telling Clover to forget about her before running away after their first adventure together. However, Clover had other friends by her side back then, the same band of cohorts Twilight had brought together, friends who could help lift her head back up and tell her to keep smiling no matter what… but tonight she was all alone.

Fortune had favored her once, and by some impossible coincidence she'd eventually found herself here in this town, the same town where Twilight ended up as well… but like a fool, Clover had wasted her one stroke of good luck.

Why couldn't Twilight have just let her pay for that mistake. Clover's record was clean, and so she could have probably gotten off with a slap on the knee. For violating parole, however, surely the guards would take Twilight away, lock her up and throw away the key this time.

"I won't let it end this way!"

Settling her resolve, Clover marched to the front door, intent on going back into town and confessing her part in tonight's events. Maybe she couldn't get Twilight off the hook, but with any luck they could at least share a prison cell together.

*POP*

Clover turned about suddenly in disbelief.

"Tenbs?!"

Twilight brushed a hoof through the back of her mane, not even really sure where to start explaining things.

Wiping the tears of joy from her eyes, Clover's attention drifted to the side, to the other pony that Twilight had teleported with her, the Nightguard, only now without her helmet on…

"Hey, aren't you… the town weather captain?"

Spitting out a pair of false vampire teeth, Rainbow Dash grinned. Although her coat was painted grey, her namesake mane remained unmistakable, "The one and only!"

…

Several minutes later the trio were sipping piping hot mugs of butterscotch cocoa around Clover's kitchen table… well, more like half the remains an old oversized barrel that Clover used as a table. Rainbow Dash had discarded her costume armor and even rinsed most of the paint out of her coat, leaving behind only a few errant splotches.

"Gotta say, you two impressed me, especially you, Twilight. For an egghead you've got a lot of guts, standing up all alone for your friend like that."

"So you really aren't going turn us in then?" asked Twilight.

"Heck no! It'd go against my Nightmare Night honor to betray a pair of fellow pranksters."

"Fellow?" Clover interjected.

"Yeah…" Rainbow Dash admitted guiltily, "I might have only caught you in the act because I was lurking around Trixie's roof planning to prank her myself."

"Really, what's your grudge against Trixie?"

"No grudge, I just think that arrogant blowhard needs to be brought down a peg or two every now and again. Can't let her get away with strutting around and showing off all the time… that's my job!"

Twilight wasn't sure if that admittance of ego made Rainbow Dash extraordinarily self-aware or just a shameless hypocrite. Under the circumstances, however, she supposed it didn't matter and she should just be grateful either way.

"Oh, but I do have one condition for keeping all of this a secret."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, "And what exactly might that be?"

Rainbow Dash grinned conspiratorially, "Next year the three of us all go pranking together."

Lucky Breaks: Nightmare Night

by Emeral Bookwise

Breaking Out

Breaking In