A Night Not Soon Forgotten.
Spike sighed as he called up the stairs, "Come on Twilight, we're going to be late for the Nightmare Night festival, You did this last year too, How long does it take you to get ready," When he finished calling out Twilight came out posing in her costume for the festival, "Wow Twilight what costume is that?"
Twilight took a pose in her gown made of flowers and grass,"I decided to dress up as Persephone, one of the goddesses from a series of books, I found in the back of the Canterlot Library last time we were there, so what do you think?"
A knock could be heard from the door as Spike ran over to answer it, "It's great Twilight," as he opened the door, voices could be heard from outside screaming for candy. Twilight walked over to the door to see the foals from last year being chaperoned by Big Mac this year instead of Granny Smith.
"Come on Pinkie I know you're here somewhere, come on out or there's no candy for you."
"Oh you're no fun Twilight. Happy Nightmare Night everypony," Pinkie said as she popped out from behind the foals in a Gummy costume."
"That's a nice costume Pinkie, let me guess Gummy is dressed as you?"
"Don't be silly Twilight, he's dressed up as Godzilla from that film from Japony."
"Well okay then," she said as she floated candy to all their bags. "Come on Spike we need to head on out and meet with Princess Luna," she said as Spike closed the door behind them and headed out.
As Twilight and Spike walked through Ponyville meeting with their friends and random ponies going about their night with a dark cloud going over the town and settling in the Everfree forest. As the cloud set down on the ground a tall dark unicorn with black and white mane and wearing a black cloak walked out of the darkness and started to walk towards the town he could see from the hill. As he walked past a small cottage a yellow mare was out giving her animals their last meal for the night.
He walked up to the mare and tapped her shoulder making her jump, "Excusare me, hoc est madam. What villam nomine?"
"E-e-excuse me, What was that you said," the timid mare asked as she started shaking.
The young stallion stared at her making her shake that much worse and started speaking in a slow and deliberate tone that sounded of creaks and whistles, "Excuse me madam, what is this village called?"
"Oh..um... Ponyville." she squeaked in a barely audible voice.
"Ponyville huh," the stranger asked startling the mare that he had heard her, "It sounds like a great little town. Oh my apologies madam, I am Hay Dez, It is a pleasure to meet a beauty such as yourself."
"Oh... why thank you but I'm not that pretty..."
"Oh no such thing my dear, May I have your name and would you do me the honor of accompanying me to this Ponyville." he asked as he held out his hoof.
The mare blushed a little while she took the stallions hand, "I'm uh... Fluttershy."
"Fluttershy, What a wonderfully elegant name, Shall we be going now?
"I um... sure lets go."
As the pair headed off for Ponyville, Luna and Twilight had finished having the ball portion of the festival set up to start at eleven o'clock, music is to be handled by Vinyl and Octavia. All the stalls have been set up the Cakes have their bakers stall, Applejack has her apple bobbing station, Discord has his wheel of random wishes, and there is that new unicorn confectioner, Sweet Tooth, on loan from Canterlot. Twilight could see most of her friends around the area, Rarity walking with Sweetie Belle who was dressed as an alicorn, Applebloom who was dressed as a rodeo pony, and Scootaloo dressed as Leonardo Da Neighci. Pinkie was running around with the children while Rainbow Dash was dropping rubber spiders on ponies from her cloud. When she finished talking with the Mayor, she saw Fluttershy walking into town with a black and white unicorn she had never seen before.
'That's weird, Wait is Fluttershy actually talking with somepony? I guess she must know him,' she thought to herself and found that she was walking towards the pair.
"Oh..um, hi Twilight, How are you tonight?"
"Hi Fluttershy I am doing great. Uh, Who is your friend here?"
"Um.. this is Hay," she said in a squeak.
"I'm sorry what was his name?"
Hay decided this was probably the best time to speak up. "My name is Hay, it is a pleasure meeting you, Twilight Sparkle," he said as he held out his hoof.
Twilight put her hoof out to meet his and he bowed down and kissed her hoof, leaving both girls speechless, "From what dear Fluttershy has been telling me you're the one who has made this night possible, is this true?"
She sat there for a moment blushing before answering, "Yes, Well not by myself, It was mostly Princess Luna who set most of this up."
"Princess Luna, Yes where could I find her," he asked as a glint came and went in his eyes.
"I think she's over there talking with some of the townsponies."
"Ah yes, Thank you my dear, Fluttershy thank you for walking with me into town I hope you have an undead night, And Twilight I simply love your wings. I hope to meet you again," he said as he walked off before the mares could say anything.
They stared at him as he walked down the street towards Luna and Fluttershy could have sworn she saw one of the skele-pony decorations move. He walked right up to the princess and poked her in the flank, leaving the girls shocked as she turned around faster than they thought possible with a look of rage, only for it to turn into a face of recognition and distrust. The two stood watching them exchange what appeared to be a tense conversation, as if talking to a distant relative, which was impossible. This pony simply looked too young to know her highness. After thirty minutes of watching them talk Twilight said goodbye to Fluttershy and headed off to one of the stalls and Fluttershy headed to see Discord in his stall.
"Ah my dear Fluttershy, how is my friend tonight? May I interest you in a spin of my wheel? You never know what you'll get."
"Oh no Discord, I thought I would just see how you were settling in your job before I head on home."
"Well not as great as having free reign of my powers to spray where ever I deem necessary. Oh look I have a customer, would you care to join me Fluttershy?"
"Oh... um I'm not sure-"
"Hello Fluttershy."
Fluttershy turned around to find Hay standing behind her and she jumped as an "eep" came out of her mouth. Hay and Discords eyes met and seem to hold it for eternity before Discord finally spoke up.
"Fluttershy, would you be a dear and go get our customer a drink?"
"I'd rather not. you know if that's alright with you..."
"Ah yes, I believe you should listen to your friend, and any drink will be fine , My mouth is bone dry."
"Ah um okay I guess," she whispered as she walked around the corner and stopped short when she heard them speak in what sounded like a different language but it sounded serious none the less.
"Hello Eris, It is quite a surprise meeting you here. First 'Luna' and now you, I wonder how many others have awoken before I did."
"My name is Discord now brother, It has been some time since I was called by anything else and there are a few others as well as myself and Luna. Some have combined into one or more entities so you'll have a hard time finding them."
"I'm not here to find them, My time here is limited, I am just here to experience this new world, and have some fun," Hay said as his horn glowed and a mouse skeleton clawed its way out of the ground at his feet, eliciting a quiet squeak from the eavesdropping Fluttershy. "I suggest you not tell anyone what and who I am, lest the same be done to you, Have a nice night 'Discord," he said as he crushed the skeletal mouse under his hoof and walked off.
Fluttershy grabbed a random drink from the counter, paid a bit, and headed on back to Discord with a nervous look, "What was that strange language and why were they talking in such a serious tone? Oh my I hope everything is alright, I hope Hay didn't get in a fight with Discord."
"That would be silly Fluttershy, why would hay fight Discord? It can't move or do anything besides being delicious." Pinkie Pie said as she appeared from behind Fluttershy giggling.
"Um no, um Hay is a new pony I met him outside of town earlier and-"
Pinkie Pie gasped as she cut Fluttershy off, "A new pony? I have to throw him a party," she exclaimed before Fluttershy could finish talking.
"Oh... um okay then, bye Pinkie."
"I'm back Discord, um.. where did Hay go off to," she asked trying to sound like she hadn't heard anything.
"He decided on not participating in my wheel of random and it isn't very nice to listen in on other ponies conversations," Discord said as he smiled at her knowingly.
She sat there staring at the ground trying to say something to explain why she did it and he spoke up, "I told you to go get him a drink because I didn't want you to hear or see anything in our conversation but I guess you saw plenty and have a few questions."
"Um, yes, mostly on how he...," she took aloud gulp, " how he pulled that mouse skeleton out of the ground and animated it."
"Yes well, It's best you not know about him. Just pretend you never met him and it was just a bad dream."
"Oh.. um alright then."
The couple stood there talking as Angel Bunny hopped up to Fluttershy and pantomimed that she was needed at the cottage. Hay continued walking around the festival and trying different things; at Applejacks apple bobbing station he bobbed for apples while chatting with the younger foals on how their night was going only to have one of the foal faint after a while, completely drained of energy, and he helped him on his mothers back. He walked onward coming to find the spider tossing game; while waiting in line the ponies freaking out when the rubber spiders in the bowl turned into quite real, grotesque versions of themself, while Rarity was screaming about the spider on her hoof, Hay chuckling at the sight.
As the night progress Hay found his way back to Twilight at Sweet Tooth's stall buying candy. He walked up to her and said, "Are you sure you should be eating those? They'll ruin your wonderful figure and I would hate to see that."
"Excuse me?! There is nothing wrong with eating sweets from time to time."
"Oh I know, It has been some time since I last had something sweet to eat. Tell good sir, What would you recommend to a foreigner," he asked Sweet Tooth.
"Well there are quite a few good sweets that are good; We got frozen frog eggs, mud pies, and ghoul claws," he stated as he listed off some good ones.
"The frozen frog eggs sound good, I'll take those," Hay said as Twilight made a gagging noise.
"Come now, Miss Sparkle, They aren't real frog eggs. Its frozen kiwis and a few other things," Sweet Tooth said and he levitated the frog eggs over to Hay.
"Yeah lighten up Twilight," he paused as he bit into the snack, "I mean they're not that bad- ohohoohh that's cold!"
After a laughing fit between the two Hay cleared his throat and ask her if she wouldn't mind taking a walk with him and she said she'd be glad to after she takes care of something. She ran off towards the town square trying to find all her friends after some searching she found them talking about something in a hushed tone.
"Hi girls, What are you talking about?"
"Oh good Twilight you're here. It's the Worst. Possible. Thing! There is some pony running around and ruining (took out an our) our Nightmare Night festival."
"That's right Twi' There have been several ponies seeing a black unicorn using his magic to do all kinds of stuff," Applejack added.
"I was trying to tell you that he's not doing that, Hay is just a normal pony-,"
"And I haven't even been able to find this new pony to throw him a welcome to our festival party," Pinkie Pie interrupted her.
"I don't know what everyponies problem is, If he's pulling pranks around town then he can't be that bad," Rainbow Dash said as she jumped off her cloud.
"I'm telling you this can't be Hays fault."
"What is everypony taking about?, What isn't Hays fault?," Twilight asked afraid of the answer.
Well um... see the thing is,"
Rainbow Dash cut her off and said it herself, "Hay and Fluttershy met over by discords stall, Discord asked her to go get them a drink, while she left she stopped and listened to them talk. They started to speak in a different language and towards the end Hay used his magic and pulled a mouse skeleton out of the ground and animated it before crushing it as he left."
Rarity took over and said, "And shortly after that, he got in line behind me and Sweetie belle at the spider tossing game, after he did the spiders in bowl turned into bigger, more gruesome versions of themselves when I picked one up and I heard him chuckling when it happened."
As Twilight stood there taking it in Hay walked up to her, "Hey Twilight, You ready to go for that walk?"
"Uh yeah one second though, Hay these are my friends. You've met Fluttershy; This here is Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. I'll talk to you later girls," she said as she pointed to her friends.
"Hello, It is a pleasure to meet all of you," when Hay finished talking he and Twilight started to head off towards the edge of town.
When the duo were out of hearing range the group fervently started talking again with Applejack saying, "While A'h don't trust Discord as far as I could buck him, if he says it best to stay away from somepony then yah probably should."
As the five stood there nodding their heads Pinkie Pie asked, "I don't understand who this 'Hay' pony is, I didn't see no pony there earlier."
A collective, "Huh?" could be heard as they asked her what she meant, that Hay was standing right in front of them a five minutes ago.
"You girls are crazy, I didn't see anyone there. You were all just standing there talking to thin air."
There as a minute of silence before a flurry of fur and hooves ran off screaming for Twilight to hold on. Meanwhile Hay and Twilight were having quite the discussion on ancient magic and history. Before long Twilight notice that their little walk had walked them past Fluttershys cottage and into the Everfree Forest causing her to stop in her tracks.
"What's the matter Twilight? We only have a little ways to go."
"Are you crazy?! That is the Everfree Forest, there are all kinds of monsters out here."
"Don't you fret none, I'm sure we'll be fine. Sorry for taking so long on contemplating your costume, it's a very nice Persephone Costume, how did you make it?"
"Oh... well I used my magic to speed up the growth of the flowers and grass, had Rarity turn them into a dress, and I'm keeping them alive with a passive magic charge."
"It is very pretty. What made you decide to be Persephone tonight?"
"I'm not really sure... I mean her story was quite good and if she can grow things in the underworld she must be quite a powerful pony."
Hay sighed as he quietly said, "Yes she was quite wonderful." He spoke a bit louder and said. "I'm glad to have met you in my short time here. Since it is time for your Nightmare Night Ball, would you care to dance with me before it turns midnight?"
"Um.. sure I guess but I have four left hooves."
"It isn't a problem my dear, allow me to lead," he said as he took her hoof and his horn started to glow, causing the vines and trees to move making a area for them to dance.
"How did you do that?! I thought you couldn't bend the forest to your will."
As the vines were moving Twilights five friends came running to the area screaming at her to come back but no sounds could be heard as the vines sealed off the area in a cloak of darkness. As they started to dance she could see the glow of his horn once more, pale lights could be seen coming from the ground.
"Do you like them Twilight," he asked they twisted and turned.
"Yes, what are they Hay?"
"They're a little trick I learned from the love of my life before I lost her. They are flowers I can pull from the ground, made from the surrounding precious metals in the area, and I'm using my magic to light them up."
"Wow I've never even hear of this spell. will you teach it to me?"
The towns clock started to ring midnight as Hay flipped her onto her back in his arm and said, "Please you have to listen to me. Since you've become a princess there are larger things ahoof, you're going to have to trust each other more than ever and beware the ones who cover the mask of hate behind the mask of friendship,"
The clock struck the ninth tone as the vines started to recede from the trees letting more light in and her friend saw her dancing with Hay, not they Hay they had seen her with no, but an Alicorn version of Hay with skeleton wings and silver bands across his hooves.
As the pace of the dance slowed down Twilight asked, "Why are you doing all of this Hay?"
"I am doing this because you remind me of the love of my life, Persephone, and I can not see you hurt as she was. In my last moments with her I promised when I was free I'd make it right and now I have," on the last ring of the midnight tone Hay Dez stood back and kissed Twilight as he faded in front of every ponies eyes, leaving a question of who and what this mysterious stallion was that left Twilight love-struck for generations to come as the tale of Haydes' Last Love.
Author's Note
Hello everypony, sorry for the roughness of this story. The idea hit me in the wee hours this morning. I hope you enjoyed it, don't forget to like, fave, and comment. Goodnight and happy Nightmare Night!
