The time had come again in Ponyville. Nightmare Night is the best night for fun, games, candy, and pranks. Fillies scurried around town chanting “Nightmare Night, what a fright! Give me something sweet to bite!” as they filled their goodie bags with candy. Mr. and Mrs. Cake sold sweets at their stand while Pinkie Pie (who was dressed as a marshmallow) carried Pound and Pumpkin Cake on her back, going around and collecting candy. Granny Smith and Big Mac took a group of ponies through the Haunted Hay Ride while Applejack monitored the Bobbing for Apple's game stand. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were chatting with each other about their next CMC adventure after helping a filly named Harmony to realize that her cutie mark, a small flurry of music notes, meant that she loved singing despite the fact that she still needed to practice.
Fluttershy, having found her courage from last year’s Nightmare Night, was out with animals for a night picnic under the full moon. She did get a little jumpy from time to time but knew it would be ok. Rainbow Dash was zipping around, dressed like a Changeling, pulling pranks on any pony she could. Scarring some with a lightning cloud and others by just startling them. There was one moment when she thought to gather a lot of clouds and make it into something that might scare the whole town, but knew that would be a step too far. Rarity was in her boutique working on her new winter line, Winter’s Bliss, and had made plans to leave early the next morning for Canterlot so she needed her beauty sleep. Princess Twilight Sparkle, dressed as a guard, flew around Ponyville, making sure everything was in order before landing near the spot where Zecora was telling the tale of Nightmare Moon and the candy offering to little fillies.
“Everything’s going smoothly. Everypony’s having a fun time and there are no problems to speak on. Although…there’s one thing I’d like to check on.” Twilight took off in the direction of the Everfree Forest and went to the Castle of the Two Sisters. The castle stood perfectly pristine with its smooth stone walls, marble floors with elegant tapestries and carpets…and was filled with bats. After Ruby and her pet bat Midnight had taken over the castle, and Princesses Celestia and Luna graciously let them have it, they wasted no time redecorating. Twilight went inside, her steps echoing in the empty corridors.
“Hello? Ruby? Midnight? It’s Princess Twilight…well just Twilight. It’s Nightmare Night. I wanted to invite you to come.” She said, her voice and the sounds of bats in rafters echoing around.
“Princess Twilight. I told you to send a message before stepping into my castle” Ruby’s voice said, the sound waves bouncing everywhere so the source wasn’t known.
“I know, I’m sorry. But it’s Nightmare Night and I wanted you to come.” Twilight looked around, her ears flopped downward. After a few moments of walking around, a Pegasus named Comet came into view. His light grey coat contrasted with the midnight blue shade of his mane and tail, his gentle violet eyes greeted Twilight along with a small chuckle.
“I’m sorry for Ruby. We would love to go to Nightmare Night, but we have plans. We’re actually having a nice dinner in the garden. Princess Luna’s moon is just too beautiful to waste. I thought it would be a good idea to celebrate our…unofficial marriage.” Comet said and ruffled his wings a bit.
“Unofficial marriage? You two? Oh my goodness, congratulations Comet.” Twilight fluttered off the floor a bit before settling down.
“Yeah, I think it would be nicer if we had a more official wedding, but Ruby is still pretty scared to go into Ponyville after what happened. And we both know no pony would be willing to trek through the Everfree Forest.” His ears flopped downward.
“I’ll figure something out if you really want an official wedding. For now, get back to your romantic evening.” Twilight smiled and in a flash, she teleported back to Ponyville.
Comet extended his wings and flew up to the rafters to settle a few bats then went back to the garden. He landed a few steps from where Ruby was sitting. Her sky blue eyes are a contrast to her dark red coat along with her black and red mane. The table in front of her had remnants of a delicious meal and a cinnamon apple pie waiting to be cut into. “Ruby, you could’ve been a little nicer to Princess Twilight. She did plead to the Princesses on our behalf to let us live here.” He sat next to her and gently nuzzled her. Ruby’s ears flopped down and she sighed.
“I know, I’m sorry. You know how I feel about what happened…what I did during apple buck season…let alone to all of Ponyville. What if they still haven’t forgiven me?” She said.
“They have, I know they have. And I know this sounds bad, but if it weren’t for that incident, we wouldn’t have met.” He set one wing around Ruby and held her close and she nuzzle Comet lovingly.
“You’re right Comet. I would’ve been lonely if it weren’t for meeting you. There was nowhere in this Equestrian world that accepted me. I basically spent my days living in caves or comfortable dim places until I stopped here.” She sighed. “But let’s not dwell on that. Let’s have dessert and then go for a fly. I think I found a nice clearing where we could listen to nature.” She picked up the knife on the table and cut it into the pie and served up two pieces.
“Sure thing, my crimson rose.” Comet rubbed his nose against hers before they started eating. One thing about Ruby was that she didn’t really have table manners since she became a bat pony but she did nibble on the pie in a ladylike manner. After finishing one slice, they continued eating till the pie was finished.
“Your cooking is amazing as always. Are you sure you weren’t supposed to have a cutie mark for cooking?” Ruby smiled, stretching out her bat wings, and stood up.
“I’m better known for my rapid flying than my cooking skills. Third best to Rainbow Dash and Spitfire.” Comet flapped his wings and hovered off the ground. “Ready for our fly?”
“Of course I am.” With one flap of her wings, Ruby was already in the air with Comet following close behind. She flew him to the clearing and landed on the crisp, cool grass. The view in the clearing covered the entirety of the Everfree Forest but also Ponyville and a few mountains in the distance. “Isn’t this view amazing?”
“It certainly is. And even more amazing with you.” Comet laid down and put his wing around Ruby as soon as she was next to him. With the moon overhead, shining brighter than the stars. Ruby and Comet spent their time talking the night away. Just before the Celestia started to raise the morning sun and Luna began to lower the moon, ending Nightmare Night, they were asleep and cuddled together as the gentle breeze came rolling through.
