Luna was greatly looking forward to Nightmare Night, something that surprised even her when considering her initial feelings about the holiday. It seemed odd to her that she would have such fond feelings for a day dedicated to being scared of her, or at least a past version of her, but her experience the previous year had certainly changed her point of view.
Of course, it hadn’t started out very pleasantly. It was partly her own fault for speaking archaically- a habit she still hadn’t kicked despite having a year to practice- but Pinkie Pie had only made it worse by accusing her of attempted cannibalism. Several times. ‘Ponies are herbivores, for Harmony’s sake! Why would we even-!? Sigh.’ Well, no matter. It had been Pinkie’s words, after all, that eventually led to her acceptance from the foals, Pipsqueak in particular.
This year, as she’d promised, she would be returning to Ponyville once more to scare the young participants by utilizing her Nightmare form. She’d been hoping to participate in the festivities beforehoof as well, but now that she had reacclimated to life in Equestria, she had been give more royal duties and therefore had less free time, meaning she couldn’t make her appearance until later in the evening. This would leave her with less time to enjoy the various attractions, but it was better than not going at all.
She signed the final document of the evening with a flourish, giving royal approval for a construction project in Fillydelphia. She eagerly set it to the side to be mailed out and hailed one of her guards.
“Gleam Shadow, prepare our carriage,” she requested, rising to her hooves. “The time has come for our excursion to Ponyville.”
“Yes, my princess!” the stallion saluted, and scurried off to do as he was told. By the time Luna’s steady pace had brought her to the gates, her chariot was waiting for her, two Night Guards already harnessed to it. She settled into her seat and within moments they’d taken to the air.
With as well-trained as her guardsponies were, the flight to Ponyville was swift and short. When the small town came into view, Luna directed the bat ponies to land just out of sight of the Nightmare Moon statue, at which point she disembarked, instructed the guards to wait for her, and walked off to find a better place to sequester herself. She bunkered down behind a bush a few feet behind and to the right of the statue, then lay in wait for her prey to arrive. She had been hiding for mere minutes when she heard the excited chatter of foals approaching.
“Fill up her belly with a treat or two, so she won't return to come eat you!” she heard the same zebra as the previous year- what was her name?- finish out her speech as the children all screamed and then laughed. Luna barely suppressed her smile as she donned her disguise, her coat darkening to the color of the night she controlled. Just as the previous year, Pip was the last foal to leave his candy at the foot of the statue, and Luna chose the moment just before he did so to burst from her hiding place, causing him to drop his bag in surprise as the others crowded behind the zebra’s legs.
“Foals!” she boomed, using the Royal Canterlot Voice to project, one old habit she had managed to eliminate. “Thou darest place such a paltry offering before us!? Such a snack could not hope to suffice! We suppose we will simply have to eat one of you in order to fill our belly!” She swooped dramatically over to Pip and picked him up in her teeth by the scruff of his ninja costume. The younger foals, especially those who had not been present for the previous year, began screaming.
“Wait, Nightmare Moon!” Pip begged, trying and failing to look scared as he held back a grin. “I haven’t added my candy yet! I’m sure once I do, it will be enough to keep you full for an entire year!”
“We shall see,” Luna scoffed, placing the colt back on the ground. “If thou failest to satiate our hunger, the consequences will be dire!” Pip galloped over to his candy bag and emptied it onto the pile. Luna gave an over-exaggerated gasp of surprise, mostly for the younger ones’ benefit. “Impossible! Such a vast quantity of confections will surely placate our hunger for an entire year! Now we will be too full to even consider gobbling young ponies!”
The younger children all cheered and flocked to Pip’s side, lauding him for saving them from Nightmare Moon. Luna kept up the act a while longer by turning to her mist form and spiriting the sweets away to her carriage, where she deposited them (no reason to pass up free candy) before returning to the clearing and reverting to her usual appearance.
“Princess Luna!” Pip exclaimed cheerfully. He was the only foal still waiting in the clearing, with the zebra staying behind to supervise. The others had obviously been sent back to Ponyville to get to sleep; it was, after all, very late for diurnal younglings to be awake. “That was even better than last year! I’m so glad you came! I love Nightmare Night!” He galloped over to her to nuzzle her slightly, a gesture she returned. She had no trouble admitting that she had somewhat of a soft spot for the colt.
“We art exceedingly glad that thou hast enjoyed thyself, Pip,” Luna said warmly. “We find ourselves enjoying the tradition, as well.”
“Hey, Princess Luna?” Pip asked, backing up so he could look at her without craning his neck too much. “Why do you always say ‘we’? Do you mean you and Nightmare Moon? Are you different ponies?”
“No, no,” Luna said, shaking her head. “‘Tis the royal we. It is tradition to address ourselves thusly.”
“So you mean you and Princess Celestia?” Pip asked, confused. “Why would she enjoy Nightmare Night when she doesn’t even come?”
“Nay, it is just to refer to oursel- me,” Luna corrected quickly. “It is how I learned to speak.”
“Oooh,” Pip said with a nod. “I don’t get it.” Luna sighed, starting to feel a headache coming on.
“Pip, child, it is getting late,” the zebra intervened. “We don’t want your parents to become irate. Hurry now along the road, and swiftly return to your abode.” Luna nodded at the zebra’s wisdom, but Pipsqueak blinked at her uncomprehendingly.
“What?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.
“You’ve had all night to run and roam, but now it’s time to go back to your home,” she said, nudging him the the direction of Ponyville with her muzzle.
“Oooh,” he said. “I only got the last part, but alright. Bye Princess Luna! Bye Zecora!” He waved enthusiastically to the pair of them before running along the path towards town.
“Perhaps we- er, I do need to try harder to use singular pronouns,” Luna mused to herself.
“Your style of speech suits you well,” Zecora protested. “It is enough that you no longer yell. I’ll let you know that there once was a time when I considered giving up my rhyme. I soon realized that it is part of who I am, and to give it up would be a sham.”
“We… had not looked at it in such a way,” Luna said, intrigued. “Perhaps thou art right. However, would it not be best to catch up with the current times? Equestria has changed greatly in the thousand years we have been gone.”
“It may not be what you wish to hear, but you have already been here a year. I believe the reason you haven’t changed yet is because you know that it’s something you’d come to regret,” Zecora told her, glancing to the side. “Although to many your diction seems strange, true friends are those for whom you don’t have to change.”
“Thou showest little reticence in addressing your princess bluntly,” Luna noted. “This is… oddly refreshing.”
“Though it may surprise you to hear it, I sense in you a kindred spirit,” Zecora said with a smile. “Both of us struggle for our speech to be understood, and ponies have only recently begun seeing us as good. Since with normal ponies you are unsuccessful with blending, I thought I might offer some practice in befriending.”
“We do not have many… friends,” Luna admitted, thinking over the offer. “One of the many hazards of royal blood, we suppose.”
“A trouble also experienced by zebrakind,” Zecora pointed out. “We could help each other out, if you are so inclined.”
“Thou art presenting a compelling argument,” Luna decreed, deciding she liked the rhyming zebra. “It is uncommon to find a pony without guise. I do believe I could trust you to advise.” Luna blinked at herself in surprise. “Now you have got us doing it. It is not contagious, is it?”
“If it is, I am not aware,” Zecora shrugged with a smirk. “It has never affected another stallion or mare.”
“A fluke, perhaps,” Luna laughed. “Wast thou planning to return to the village?”
“At this time of night I often return to my tree, but I suppose I could come along for thee.” She paused and shook her head in amused consternation. “Now it appears we are affecting each other. It seems our habits are easier to kindle than smother.”
“It would appear so,” Luna chuckled. “Come, let us journey to the town. There is fun to be had!”
“I’m afraid I cannot truly claim to often take the time to play a game,” Zecora said, falling into step beside already-walking princess. “As such, my skills in this area are lacking; I’m afraid the competition will send me packing.”
“Thou knowest not what thou art missing,” Luna said. “We will take it upon ourselves to instruct thee in the ways of carnival games. The fun shall be doubled! Come, my new friend. You have much to learn.”
The two communicationally challenged mares continued trotting side-by-side along the path to Ponyville, content in knowing they’d found a friend in each other- but neither could guess just how strong their friendship would grow. After all, the best friends a pony can find are the ones who understand and accept their quirks, and the ones they can do the same for in return.
