Over one thousand years ago, Nightmare Moon, the wicked mare of darkness, was banished on the moon by her elder sister, Princess Celestia. Equestria was free to see the light of day under the ruler-ship of the princess of the sun. However, the legends say that once every year, a little bit of Nightmare Moon's magical essence returns to the earth and searches for ponies to eat. It has become tradition for fillies and foals to dress up for this night and collect candy from the residence of their town. This night is known as Nightmare Night. At each house, you say, “Nightmare Night, what a fright. Give us something sweet to bite!” and receive candy. Aside from collecting sweets, there are also many festivities that are held in the town. One of these festivities is a costume party at the local elementary school. Sweetie Belle, the new filly in town, wanted to take full advantage of this event to make friends with the ponies of Ponyville.
Sweetie Belle moved from Canterlot with her sister Rarity a week earlier. Their parents had decided to travel abroad for an unknown amount of time. They instructed the two daughters to look after their home in Ponyville, a small town not too far from the city, while they were gone.
Rarity and Sweetie Belle packed their things and took the first train out of Canterlot the following morning. Sweetie Belle brought a suitcase with the necessities. Toothbrush, soap, and warm clothes are some of the items on her list. Rarity on the other hoof, was a very busy woman who was aspiring to become a famous fashion designer. She brought most of her work and equipment with her so that she could continue working on it. There was a dress she was making that would be appearing in Sapphire Shores' fall line of clothing. For her, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and the fate of her career depended on her work.
Because Rarity was so busy with her dress, almost all of the household chores fell onto her little sister, Sweetie Belle. While Rarity secluded herself in a room, which she now declared her own, and worked on the dress, Sweetie Belle was slaving away cooking and cleaning. Every day after school, Rarity would have a seemingly endless list of chores to do.
Today was just another day for Sweetie Belle. She arrived at school and sat in the far back corner desk of the room. She hadn't really made much progress with making friends. Sweetie Belle was waiting anxiously for class to start when Miss Cheerilee, her teacher, entered the room, greeting all of the children with a bright smile.
“Alright, settle down everypony!” Miss Cheerilee walked to her desk and faced her students. Sweetie Belle timidly watched her teacher from the corner of the classroom with just her eyes, keeping her head tilted down slightly.
“Now, can anypony tell me what makes this day so special?” The cerise schoolteacher smiled as dozens of hooves shot up in the blink of an eye.
In the front row of desks sat a brown foal with a beanie. Cheerilee called on him,
“It's Nightmare Night.” He answered.
“Very good Button Mash.” Miss Cheerilee applauded, “That's right, tonight is Nightmare Night and there's going to be a special party at the school that everypony is invited to. Anypony going to be dressing up this year?” Miss Cheerilee's words sent everypony's hooves into the air. Everyone wanted to say what they were going to be. Everyone except Sweetie Belle that is. She didn't have a costume to wear. She really wanted to go, but what good is going to a costume party if you don't have a costume?
After a few ponies shared what they were going to be, Miss Cheerilee began the normal lessons for the day. Sweetie Belle was stuck daydreaming about the party and what she would wear. The young unicorn imagined herself arriving at the party dressed as a princess. Everypony would be so impressed by her costume that they would all want to become her friend.
The bell rang, pulling the filly out of her fantasy. With a heavy sigh of disappointment, she picked up her saddlebag and headed for the door.
Sweetie Belle couldn't stop thinking about the party. She needed something to wear otherwise there would be no point in going. To her, this was her one chance to make friends.
“Hey new kid!”
Sweetie Belle stopped and turned her head to see two fillies from her class. The first was a pale magenta unicorn, donning a sequined tiara on her head; the second was a gray earth pony sporting a pair of blue designer glasses which were most likely just for show.
Sweetie Belle hadn't been in Ponyville for very long, but she had heard about this arrogant duo. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are notorious for their snobby and arrogant attitudes towards their classmates. From what Sweetie Belle had heard, they were the first to get their cutie marks and gave them a superiority complex as well.
“Hey, I'm talking to you!” Diamond Tiara barked.
“H-hey girls.” Sweetie Belle greeted sheepishly, “Excited for the party?”
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked at each other and smirked.
“That's what we want to talk to you about.”
The two fillies began circling the white unicorn like wolves, leaving her nowhere to go.
“So, do you have a costume?” Diamond Tiara asked.
Being reminded of her misfortune, Sweetie Belle hung her head in shame.
“Oh my gosh, she doesn't!” Silver Spoon began to laugh, Diamond Tiara quickly following suit.
“Look, since you're new, I'll be nice this one time and tell you how things are going to work.”
“Diamond Tiara will be going to the party as a princess.” Silver Spoon added.
“If you somehow manage to get your hooves on a costume and decide to show up, that costume had better not be a princess one. You don't want to get on my bad side, blank flank.” Diamond Tiara growled.
With those words said, the two left Sweetie Belle and continued walking home together, laughing as if nothing happened.
Sweetie Belle went home with her head hung low. She knew better than to let petty bullies get to her, but she couldn't unhear what had been said. In fact, it made the child worry even more about not having a costume for the party. Thoughts about being humiliated for various reasons at the party ran through her mind like a song that you can't get out of your head. Before she knew it, she was at Carousel boutique, her new home in Ponyville.
She pushed open the door to see her sister, Rarity, hard at work as usual. Lately, this has been all the busy unicorn was focused on. Her work was everything to her and she had every right to be stressed. The pony who assigned such a task was of high enough esteem that Rarity's designs would be known across Equestria.
“Hi Rarity.” Sweetie Belle said, sliding her saddle bag of her back.
“Oh, hi Sweetie Belle.” Rarity replied, her attention remained fixed on her work.
Sweetie Belle gulped, nervous to ask a favor from her sister, “Rarity, can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Well, there's going to be a party at school tonight for Nightmare Night and everypony is going to be dressed up...”
Rarity raised an eyebrow, “And?”
“Well,” Sweetie Belle's voice revealed how nervous she was, “I was wondering, since I don't have a costume, could you make me something?”
Rarity lowered her sewing needle, “I'm sorry Sweetie Belle, I can't. I'm far too busy.”
“But I-”
“No buts. You know how important this job means to me.”
“So your job is more important than family?” The child retorted.
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity gasped, “That's not fair.”
“Well is it?”
“Sweetie, you know I love you, but I've got deadlines to meet. Also, you're asking me to have something ready for tonight? That's too short notice.”
“You say that, but apparently not enough to take a break for just a little bit? Are you falling behind because nothing you've made is any good? Have you been-”
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity barked, “I've had just about enough of you. Go to your room.”
“You're not mom.” Sweetie Belle hissed rebelliously.
“No, I am not her, but while they're away, mother and father put me in charge of you. So you better do as I say young lady.” Rarity pointed towards the stairs with her hoof, “March!”
With a huff, Sweetie Belle reluctantly headed up to her room, avoiding eye contact with her sister as she passed by.
Upon entering her room, Sweetie Belle slammed the door shut and threw herself onto the bed, “Ugh!” the filly groaned, “Rarity doesn't love me. If mom and dad were here, they'd help me get a costume for sure.” Sweetie Belle let out a sigh of disappointment. She was upset with everyone, including herself. She resented Rarity for choosing her work over her own sister, but at the same time, Sweetie Belle felt like she was being selfish too. She knew how much her work meant to her. However, she realized that none of this speculation would get her a costume for the party. She was pressed for time.
Before Sweetie Belle could ruminate any further, she was interrupted by a knock on her window.
She turned to see who could possibly be knocking on her window on the second floor. To her surprise, a pink pony had her face pressed up against the glass with a smile stretched across her face.
“Hey! Can ya let me in? Please? Pretty please with whipped cream, cherries, sprinkles, and sugar on top?” The stranger called through the glass, her face still pressed against it.
Sweetie Belle cautiously got off her bed and approached the window. She unlocked the latches and slid the pane up. No longer having a window to lean against, her visitor fell through the opening and landed flat on her back in a fit of laughter.
“W-who are you?”
“Oh my gosh! You don't know me? Well I don't know you, but still, I'm Pinkie Pie and it's my job to be friends with everypony in Ponyville! You just moved here from Canterlot, right?”
“Y-yea.” Sweetie Belle replied hesitantly.
“Are you excited for Nightmare Night? I know I am! What are you going to be? I'm going to be a chicken! I'll be eating candy all night!”
“Oh, I see, that's nice.” The filly lowered her head.
“Let me guess, you want to go to the party at the school so you can make friends but you don't have a costume to wear and when you asked somepony to help you, they didn't?!”
Sweetie Belle's eyes shot wide open in astonishment and skepticism, “H-how... how did you-”
“How did I know? Well, I dunno how I know, I just know what others know that they don't think anypony knows but themselves.” The ecstatic mare explained, never ceasing to smile.
“Well, Rarity won't make me a costume and I have no way of getting one. I need to go to the party but I can't show up with nothing.”
“Don't worry, I have just the thing for you!” From out of seemingly nowhere, the pink pony presented the young unicorn with a bundle of cloth.
“What's this?” She asked.
“It's a ninja costume, silly!” Pinkie Pie giggled, “Try it on, it should be the right size.”
Sweetie Belle's jaw dropped to the floor in shock and awe. The pony she had just met is almost like someone straight out of one of her story books. She's like the one that comes to help the main character when they need it most. She quickly grabbed the costume and began slipping it on. The black shirt and pants fit snuggly on her small frame and she quickly noticed that there were dragon patterns embroidered on the front and back.
“HIIII-YA!” Sweetie Belle struck a fighting pose just like a true ninja would.
“Remember, every ninja master needs to keep their identity hidden but wear a symbol of their clan with pride.” Pinkie Pie held out a black face mask and a headband with a gold dragon symbol on it.
Sweetie Belle put them on and felt powerful. Everything she needed was just given to her. She was ready to go to the party.
“Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Sweetie Belle leaped for her new friend and wrapped her in a big hug.
“No problem! It's what friends do, they help each other.”
Sweetie Belle looked out the window to see that the sun had started to set, the party would begin soon.
“I must go, my services to the emperor are needed.” Sweetie Belle role played and darted for the open window.
“Wait, stranger! There is something I must know!” Pinkie Pie said, playing along.
“I apologize fair maiden, but it must be brief. I have urgent -uhh- ninja things to do.”
“What is your name brave warrior?”
With the way the wind was gently billowing her mane and the setting sun behind her, Sweetie Belle felt like she was in a kung-fu movie. She smirked under her mask and said, “I cannot reveal my identity but you may call me, Hay Fox.” Sweetie Belle leaped out the window. Unfortunately, she was too caught up in the dialogue to remember that she was on the second floor of the house and plummeted into the bushes below.
“I'm okay!” Sweetie Belle called up to the window.
“May your days be long and your hardships few, Hay Fox.”
Sweetie Belle remained in character as she made her way to the school, ducking behind cover to avoid detection. Naturally, the ponies that were out and about setting up for the town festivities noticed her but decided to play along.
When she arrived at the school, she could see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon dressed as a princess and a maid respectively. Sweetie Belle felt a sudden chill and feared being humilated.
Sweetie Belle took a deep breath to calm herself, “Come on, you can do this. They wont recognize you with this mask on.” Sweetie Belle began heading for the door.
“Hey, wait up!” A small voice called to her, causing her to jump.
Sweetie Belle turned to see a brown foal dressed in a blue garb and had a toy whip clipped to his belt. His face was clearly visible and Sweetie Belle instantly knew that it was Button Mash.
“Die monster. You don't belong in this world!” Button said.
“What?!” Sweetie Belle was taken aback by his threatening words.
“Oh, nothing. It's just a line from one of my favorite games as well as who I'm dressed up as. Have you heard of it?”
Sweetie Belle shook her head. She didn't really play games too much.
“I'm Richter Beltrot, descendant of Simon Beltrot and a member of the Beltrot clan. My mission is to protect Transcoltvania from the creatures of the night and the evil vampony, Dracula! My weapon is the vampony killer, a magical whip that has been passed down to each generation of the Beltrot clan.”
“Umm, I'm a ninja.” Sweetie Belle said uncomfortably. She had admired Button from afar but her social anxiety prevented her from approaching him.
“Cool!” He said with genuine enthusiasm.
Sweetie Belle's heart was racing and her mind was all over the place. She was actually talking with one of her classmates and one that she had a crush on. Her brain was going into overdrive and the, “flight or fight,” thought process kicked in.
“A-are you okay?” Button asked, “You're shaking.”
Unable to think clearly, Sweetie Belle took off in the opposite direction of the school. Button reached out to try to stop her but only managed to catch the end of her head band, pulling it loose.
Sweetie Belle didn't stop to fix her costume and continued running into the night.
Button Mash was now standing outside of the school alone, wondering who was that pony he was talking to. He looked at the headband and gained a sense of motivation. He was going to find out the identity of this mysterious ninja and return the headband to her.
Author's Note
I wrote this as a creative writing final project for my introduction to folklore class.
