“Come on, Lily,” Carrot Crunch begged as he tried to pull his friend toward the door but began to strain himself while Lily Longsocks remained unmoved.
“I… I can’t, Carrot Crunch.” Lily retracted her claimed hoof and dragged Carrot along with it. He fell to the ground, losing the battle with the filly.
“Why not?” Carrot complained. “Nightmare Night comes around once a year!”
“That’s the problem, Carrot. Nightmare Night is the scariest night of all nights.” Lily brought a hoof to her chest. “If somepony tries to scare me, I might hurt them.”
“But does that mean you hate Nightmare Night?” Carrot asked as he got onto all fours. “Because I know how much fun you have when it comes around.” He picked up his empty trick-or-treating pillowcase and gave it a shake. “And I know how much you love candy and tasty treats down at the fare.”
Images of kettle corn, caramel apples, and the various assortment of colored candy wrappers sparkled in Lily’s little head. She licked her lips, remembering the deep-fried marshmallow from the year before. “I do like candy…” Lily admitted in a tiny mutter. “And marshmallows.”
“Then go throw on that cape and let’s get a move on!” Carrot cried and tried to push Lily toward her room. However, more poisonous negativity kept the pink filly in place.
“But… I don’t want to end up having another joke follow me around for another year…” Lily’s strength left her neck and she dangled her head. Two round balls of hair lightly smacked Lily in the cheeks, her mane feeling a little rebellious.
Carrot stopped his attempt to move his friend and lowered his eye level to Lily’s. “Oh come on. It wasn’t that bad.”
Lily furrowed her brow and puffed her cheeks. “You were laughing at what happened, too.” Not wanting to look at the friend who laughed at her misfortune, Lily walked forward and easily moved Carrot aside with no effort.
“But it was silly,” Carrot painfully admitted.
Lily spun around to give her friend another angry stare. “Yeah, it was totally funny when I punched a hole through the pin-the-tail-on-the-pony game! And it was worse when Diamond Tiara went around the schoolhouse and told everypony to avoid me or I might punch off their tail.” She blinked and her anger was gone. Her light-blue eyes looked down at her small forelegs, afraid of the insane super-strength they held.
The colt lightly nibbled on his lip. “I do agree that what Diamond Tiara did was not nice at all. But that was the old mean rich pony we once knew. Now she is much better thanks to the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”
“That doesn’t mean somepony else might find something to tease me with,” said Lily, still unconvinced the evening’s festivities will go normally.
Carrot made a noticeable sigh and Lily looked up at him. The colt stared at his limp pillowcase with a frown. “I guess I will go have fun by myself. With nopony at my side. All alone. During the scariest nights in all of Equestria.” He slowly began to drag his hooves toward the door, almost tripping over the sack.
Even though Lily knew what Carrot was up to, it still hurt her deep inside. “You don’t have to make me feel bad,” she said with weighted ears in her mane. “I mean, I do want to have fun.”
Her friend didn’t let up on his guilt-tripping. “And I want to have fun with my best friend. It doesn’t help that you want to hold yourself up inside and not enjoy yourself.” The two stared at each other, wondering who would give into the staredown. Carrot quickly lost. “Okay, I admit making you feel bad isn’t the right way to start off the evening. But think about what makes you happy about Nightmare Night, Lily.”
“Well… the candy, games, and bounce-house are what I do like the most,” Lily began. “And, of course, having fun with my friend makes everything so much better.” She stamped her hoof in frustration, cracking the wooden floor, which only further removed any joy Lily attempted to muster up. “It’s just… that!” Lily exclaimed by gesturing to the plank’s injury. “The moment my emotions get the best of me, I lose control. And like I said before, I don’t want to create any bad memories.”
Carrot patted his friend on the shoulder, his massive teeth flashing in a smile. “Then let’s make good ones. Last year was just one time. You will never know unless you try.” Carrot tapped his chin in an attempt to muster up another convincing message. “Remember that time where you didn’t want to come to class because you were worried about failing that math test?”
The memory still raw in Lily’s mind was easily recalled. “I remember.”
“And after all the time we spent studying before the test, I kept telling you that there was nothing to worry about.”
No amount of super strength could hold down the smile lifting Lily’s lips. “And then I passed with a B-.”
“Bingo!” With pride, Carrot marched beside Lily and pointed to the door. “Just outside this home of yours lies a future of candy, games, and good memories. All you need to do is try.” He then leaned toward Lily and whispered through his teeth, “Did I mention Mrs. Cake will have those marshmallows you always love?”
Lily licked her lips, remembering the sweet and gooey treat. “I do love marshmallows.” So many goods were fighting against one negative; a super negative at that. But it was too hard to resist her friend’s supportive words. And Lily was convinced Carrot had the superpower of convincing. What was that power called again? Mind control? Regardless of Carrot’s potential of manipulating herself and others with brain power, Lily had made up her mind. “Okay, Carrot. I’ll go get my cape.”
The colt gasped and braced his friend. “Glad to know you are willing to take that step forward.”
Lily began to walk toward her room, towing Carrot along with her. “Some steps are easier to take than others,” she admitted.
***
An evil cackle ran through the night sky as Lily and Carrot approached their first house. Every step Lily made was cautious, more afraid of her hooves than the frightening atmosphere. She looked at Carrot who was observing her obvious nervousness. “Just remember to have fun and not be so focused on her strength, okay Queen Castle?” he said
“I’ll do what I can, Tortellini,” Lily replied. She adjusted her crown, making sure it didn’t slip off again. Lily wanted to be something for Nightmare Night that she could relate to and chose to be Queen Castle, a comic book hero who rules in a faraway land and fights crime. Lily’s costume was a simple getup only consisting of a crown and red cape. As for Carrot, he chose to be the second brother from the Super Macaroni Bros.’ video game series. He, too, wore something on his head; a very large green cap with the letter “T” boldly stamped on the front of the hat. As for Carrot’s clothing, he wore some blue overalls.
It was hard for Lily to contain her worry once she and Carrot stood in front of the door. All her worries about the uncontrollable strength seemed to evaporate. The future was sweet and bright, specifically filled with sparkly candy wrappers and sugary treats. “You know, Carrot,” Lily said, “maybe you were right. Maybe I do worry too much about myself.”
“You do,” Carrot agreed with a toothy smile. “But you should worry about how empty that pillowcase of yours is.”
Lily smirked, “I thought you just agreed that I worry too much.” She rose her hoof to knock on the door. “That’s the last thing I want to do.” Without any control of her strength, the filly punched a hole through the door. Splinters poked into Lily’s arm but none of them stuck. Immediately, she retracted her hoof and Lily was quickly claimed with embarrassment.
“Just a second!” a mare called from inside the house.
Lily dangled her head. “Great… Not one house in and already I did… this.”
As carefully as he could, Carrot said, “It could be worse. Besides, you forget who lives here.”
“And how could me punching a hole through a door not be a terrible thing?” Lily asked.
“On my way!” the pony inside the house cried. Curious to how frantic the mare from within was sounding, the two foals peered into the convenient hole to spy on the resident. A gray pegasus was stumbling over some white bandages that covered most of her body. She was approaching the door but was trying to not drop the bowl of candy she was carrying. The pegasus finally collected herself and took one big step that lead into a big mistake. Unable to gain her hoofing, the gray pony stumbled after the door.
Realising they were in the way of the well-known and clumsy pegasus, Derpy Hooves, Lily cried, “Watch out!” Not too hard, Lily pushed Carrot to the side while she hopped backward. Carrot stumbled a little, the force a little sudden but nothing he couldn’t handle.
Derpy’s head smashed through the door, her eyes rolling around in an undamaged head. A few blinks were enough for her to recover. “Welcome, kids!” she said with a smile, not caring about what had happened to herself.
The two looked at one another before picking up their sacks. Attuned to tradition, Lily and Carrot sang the festive give-us-candy jungle, “Nightmare Night, what a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!”
Derpy pulled her head through the hole. “Sorry, I dropped all the candy,” she said from inside. “Let me pick some up for you two.”
Carrot nudged his friend, “See? Could have been worse.” Lily only remained quiet, still bothered she was responsible for the first hole. “Come on, Lily. It happens. And look at how Derpy is handling it.”
A gray hoof stuck out the hole with candy in its grasp. “One for Her Majesty,” said Derpy. Lily stepped forward and opened her pillowcase to receive her treats. Once Lily got her candy, Derpy retracted her arm to get another hoofful. “And one for the Plummer.”
“I'm a chef…” Carrot spoke under his breath. For a brief moment, Lily was distracted by her upset mood and giggled.
Once more, Derpy pushed her head through the hole in the door. “Enjoy your Nightmare Night!”
“Thanks!” Carrot beamed while Lily gave a light smile and nod. The two foals went on their way, ready to fill their bags with sugary treats. Except, Lily didn't feel that she was off to a great start and slowly trudged away from her friend.
Carrot quickly intercepted the filly’s path. “Lily, listen to me-”
The colt wasn't a difficult obstacle and Lily walked around him. She approached a tall tree and sat under it, away from the busy and bustling foals running about. Once Carrot came close, Lily began to speak, “That was not how I wanted to start my evening…” She tried to lean her head on the trunk but it was not close enough. Instead of scooting back, Lily grabbed the tree and pulled it until it was in the right position for comfort. “I just want to have a normal night as a normal pony. But instead, my freakish strength got the better of me.”
“You can't have a ‘normal’ night on Nightmare Night, Lily,” Carrot said.
“I know you are trying to help,” said Lily as she stood up. The filly put on the best smile she could. “And it is very sweet of you at how much you want to cheer me up.” As quick as it came, Lily’s smile left. “But there is nothing you can do to help.” Carrot was not a pony to quickly give up on his friend and Lily knew shaking him off was difficult.
And as expected, Carrot countered his friend’s doubts, “Then I will think of something that will help you enjoy the evening.”
Lily turned around and faced the trunk of the tree. Frustration boiled in her small body and it quickly overflowed. “Why can't I be normal!” She smacked her forehead on the trunk, shaking the tree to its very roots. At once, all the leaves fell on top of her, further adding more negative weight to Lily’s shoulders. Funny how she has yet to find something she can't lift, but can’t find the ability to be confident in controlling her strength.
As the leaves fell down, Lily heard something fall and let out a “zweee” sound. She shook her head, scattering the leaves from her vision. Several leaves stuck to Lily’s crown but that didn’t interest her for the moment. “Carrot, did you hear that?”
Carrot, too, shivered off all the dead leaves from his body and shoulders to reveal himself; though, the colt was slightly still submerged. “Hear what?”
“I think…” Lily looked up at the naked tree branches and then back at the huge mass of reds, oranges, and yellows. “...something fell from the tree…” Among the warm colors, a tuft of white sprouted upwards in a messy tangle. The two foals looked at it with curiosity, not sure what to make of it. Whatever it was, it didn’t make them afraid of it despite Nightmare Night being underway. Lily slowly walked up to the white cluster and noticed it was hair. “H-hello?” Lily squeaked.
“Go avvay!” a voice spoke with a little honk. Whoever spoke, her voice had a little buzz to her v’s. “Nopony is vere! At veast, nopony you vould vant to speak to.” Being the bigger pony, Lily brushed the leaves away to reveal whoever was submerged under the leaves. When she saw a violet eye with a slit pupil, Lily gasped, not expecting such a feature.
“What?” Carrot asked and walked forward with leaves crunching under his steps. He and Lily worked together to see the mysterious faller was. And when the faller’s face was fully shown, the two stared down at a dark violet filly. But there was something unique about her: a wing similar to the shape of a bat clung to her side and both ears had small clumps of fur at the tips. And to top off the unique foal, a red kazoo was in her mouth.
“Who are you?” Lily asked the scared filly. “And did I knock you out of the tree?”
Found out, the unique pony stood up and answered, “I’m… Kavvoo.” The small instrument buzzed as she spoke her m’s and v’s.
“Cavoo?” Carrot asked, raising one brow.
Kavvoo took the kazoo in her hooves and gently whispered, “Kazoo… That is my name,” and placed the plastic device to her lips. At a much louder voice, though it was still more of a whimper, Kazoo said, “And vess, you knocked me out ov the tree.”
Lily sighed, “Sorry… Once again, my freak strength once again does something bad.”
Carrot looked at his friend. “You didn’t do it intentionally.”
“I agvee,” Kazoo honked. “And I okay. Noffing you did hurt me.” Kazoo turned her head, “But vid you svay ‘freak strength?’ Azz in zuper ztrength?”
Both Lily and Carrot laughed at the silly buzz of the kazoo. “I am more interested in why you have a kazoo when you talk,” Lily said. Kazoo’s fluffy ears fell into her messy snow-white mane and showed a visible sign of shame. “Don’t be sad,” Lily reassured. “I think it is cute.”
“It gives you character,” Carrot added. “And just like Lily, I too have something unique about me.” He gave a wide smile to reveal his massive teeth. “Though what I have is nothing special to my friend, Lily. She has unreal strength.”
Kazoo showed her first smile. “Vow! You two have very cool veatures!”
“But you look so much more interesting!” Lily counter complimented. “Your wings are interesting, your mane is pretty, and even your kazoo is unique.”
Carrot nodded and then asked cautiously, “Not to be rude, Kazoo, but what type of pony are you? I’d guess that you are pegasus but your wings don't have any feathers.”
Kazoo’s kazoo hummed, the gears in her head turning. “Mavey ve can go somevere more private? I can exvlain vut I am and why I have vis in my mouf.”
***
“You’re from the moon?!” Lily exclaimed as she sat on the floor of her room, while Kazoo sat on the bed. “That's amazing!”
Carrot finished chewing on the last of his candy and said, “I never knew there were ponies calls thestrals. How come nopony ever talked about you or your kind?”
“It’s vecause ve were considered a legend,” Kazoo answered. “Ven you go avay for one-thouzand years, ponies forget avout your exzistence.”
“That's kind of sad,” Carrot moaned. But it didn't take long for him to rekindle his natural positive character. “But here you are, with two of Ponyville’s strangest foals.” Lily gave Carrot a mild scowl, not liking the comment of being called strange. “What? There's nothing wrong with being different.”
A depressed toon sang from the kazoo and the earth ponies looked to the thestral. “There iz most definitely someving wrong vith being divverent…” Kazoo mumbled. She pointed to her red kazoo dangling from her lips. “Tt iz alzo the reason vhy I have vis.”
Lily knew what it was like to be ‘unique’ as Carrot commonly puts it and stood up to approach Kazoo. “Whatever you have that makes you feel different, at least you don’t have to constantly worry about your strength.” Lily easily lifted the bed up. “I am sure your kazoo doesn't compare to my curse.”
“Lily…” Carrot said from behind. “You are not cursed.”
“I avree,” Kazoo said and hopped off the mattress with ease. “You have someving special. I mean, I can’t tell you how many timez I've lost someving under a couch and couldn't get to vit. If vat happens to you, an eazy push is all it takes.”
Lily placed the bed down rubbed the back of her foreleg. “I mean, I know there are practical uses to what I can do.” She looked back at Carrot. “Even he has told me pretty much the same thing.”
“Ven vhy are you so vorried?” Kazoo asked. Her mood quickly deflated as she reached for her plastic instrument. “Vesides, you vouldn’t vant to ve my vriend vonce I do this…” She removed the kazoo and placed it on Lily’s dresser. No longer assisted by her tool, Kazoo remained still, only keeping her eyes on the light-blue painted planks.
“Who said 'we wouldn't want to be your friend?'” Lily asked. “Of course we would like to befriend you.”
Like a mouse, Kazoo whispered, “Not unless you can't control your voice…”
Carrot leaned forward from his spot. “Sorry, I couldn't hear you.”
“I CAN’T CONTROL MY VOICE!” Kazoo cried. The sound ruptured Lily’s ears and knocked her to the ground. The window cracked and the force pushed a few things away from the thestral.
When Lily recovered, she looked at Kazoo with awe. “You…”
Kazoo’s eyes filled with tears and quickly reobtained her kazoo. “I'm zorry,” she buzzed and directed herself toward the door. Lily was not quick enough to catch the thestral when Kazoo bolted for the exit. But Carrot positioned himself to block the fleeing filly.
“Where are you going?” Carrot asked with a frown.
Kazoo gestured to the room behind her. “Vid you not zee vat I just did?”
“I did,” Lily said. “And I want to say that you made me happy.”
The perplexed look Kazoo made was too silly to be taken and Lily smiled even more. “I- I just vruined your window! My voice hurt you!”
Carrot patted Kazoo on the shoulder. “Lily’s strength has hurt me many times and I'm still her friend.”
Lily cleared her throat, “Let’s not talk about me and my mistakes. Our friend Kazoo needs some reassurance that we are still willing to be around her.”
The thestral flinched. “Zoo… still vant to be my vriend?”
“I would love to be friends with somepony who has something very unique about them.” The pink filly pointed a hoof to Carrot. “He and I are friends because of our traits, so we will easily let you fit in with us.”
A joyful “zweee!” erupted from the kazoo and the thestral briskly approached Lily. She did a small hop and Lily put no effort in catching Kazoo. “Zank you, Vily!” Kazoo lifted her head and looked back at Carrot. “Zoo too, Carrot!” When the colt joined in on the hugging session, Kazoo “zweeed!” even more and the excitement radiated into Lily’s heart. She could feel the joy Kazoo emitted, reminding Lily the day she became best friends with Carrot.
“You should thank Lily more for knocking you out the tree,” Carrot joked.
Lily made sure to squeeze the colt’s shoulder a little. “Don't ruin the moment.”
“Okayokayokay!” Carrot begged and Lily eased off the tension. After the three broke off from one another, Carrot gestured to the door. “Shall we get going? The night is still young and filled with fun and candy!” All positive vibes died out when Lily heard the suggestion. She and Kazoo looked at one another with uncertainty and Lily knew her new friend felt the same way.
“I'm not sure it would be a good idea for me to go out again,” Lily said.
“Zame here,” Kazoo nodded. “I don't zink I vould make your Nightmare Night vun.”
Carrot’s ears fell back. “I feel like I have seen this before.” The colt shook his head. “Lily. Kazoo. I myself can't go outside alone. Not without my friends.”
“But I don't want to punch my hoof through a door again,” Lily argued.
“And my voice vill get really annoying because of my Kazoo,” the thestral said.
Carrot let out a sigh. “Girls, when are you going to learn…” With a clear of his throat, the colt adjusted his green cap and began to sing:
"I know it may be hard
To want to go on outside,
For fear of something
Might go amiss.
But eventually
You both will have to
Exit this room.
So please come near and here this…"
Eager to listen to Carrot’s advice, Lily and Kazoo came close to the singing pony to hear what he had to say next.
"You… Have… To
Understand what's
Deep inside you,
Embrace the pony
That defines you.
I know is not easy,
Trust me.
We all come in
Shapes and sizes,
Have many features
That defines us.
It is the way that it must be.
But that's okay
Because there’s one thing
That I can say:
I'm strange like you
And you’re strange like me."
Lily couldn't understand how a sudden musical number that possessed her friend, nor how Kazoo managed to hum along with her instrument. But once again, Carrot’s words of encouragement strengthened her spirits.
“When you put it that way, I am just like you,” Lily said. “I mean, I do have my super strength and Kazoo has her loud voice.”
“Don't vorget about Carrot’s large teeth,” Kazoo added.
“Yes, those are features that make us ‘strange,’” Carrot said. “But that's only a small part of what really makes us special.” The two fillies cocked their heads, unsure of Carrot’s message. “It's our character that makes who we are.” Once more, the colt began to sing:
"Lily, I know your strength
Does fill you with worry.
It's hard for me to know
How you feel when things break."
Lily didn’t know where Carrot was going with his simple toon and felt her ears hide. She watched Carrot walk over to Kazoo, the thestral still humming into her little instrument. He pointed to Lily with a smile and resumed:
"But when you’re determined
You can’t go wrong
Because when you are
You can’t be stopped.
That’s what makes you truly strong."
Carrot took a few paces away from Kazoo and sang to her:
"It’s not been an hour
Since we have met.
But my ears can tell by
Your tone your voice
Is what makes your mood sour."
Kazoo’s musical humming did not falter but her eyes did indicate sadness and she nodded in agreement.
"But use your ears, please.
My news will give you ease.
For when you’re filled with glee
You’re kazoo makes a “zwee!”
Unlock happiness with your key.
Because I understand what's
Deep inside you,
Embrace the pony
That defines you.
I know is not easy,
Trust me.
We all come in
Shapes and sizes,
Have many features
That defines us.
It is the way that it must be.
But that's okay
Because there’s one thing
That we can say:"
A strange power engulfed Lily Longsocks to her very soul. A bond she never knew was there linked with Kazoo and both sang the line:
"We’re strange like you!"
And to conclude the stanza, Carrot finished:
"And you’re strange like me."
The three children sang together in giggles. Lily couldn’t understand what was happening but let the musical number take control and didn’t question it. She looked to Kazoo and smiled at her. “Your kazoo does make me happy,” Lily admitted. “Especially when you do ‘zweee.’” Kazoo flushed and flapped her wings with unbound joy, letting out her signature “zweee!”
Carrot took a step toward Lily. “And when you put your mind to something you want to do and accomplish it, you make me feel like I can do it too.”
“Zoo are too kind, Carrot,” Kazoo said. “Your vords are music to my ears, quite literally.” Her smile did weaken but not into a frown. “But even though ve three have strange abilities and good character, who else can relate to us?”
Lily nodded in agreement. “She is right. I am glad we are all friends. But who else can relate to us?” She and Kazoo waited for their encouraging friend to feed them any advice that may convince them.
“I have some ponies in mind,” Carrot said after thinking for a moment.
“Who are zay?” Kazoo asked.
The colt gestured to the door. “Follow me outside and I will show you.” As expected, both fillies showed resistance. “I’ll give you a hint on one of the five ponies who will definitely give is some help: the Princess of Friendship. We do have a small issue among ourselves and even I can’t answer all our problems, so-”
Lily took Carrot by the hoof and dragged him along. If she was going to be helped by Twilight Sparkle, Lily did not want to pass up the opportunity. “Then let’s not waste any time!” For once, Lily didn’t care about her door or her strength and just ran right through it. Kazoo happily followed along, buzzing like a happy bee.
“There’s that determination I love to see,” Carrot laughed.
***
Thanks to Kazoo’s above average voice, she was able to use echolocation to identify where Twilight Sparkle was. On the ground, Lily and Carrot followed the thestral as best as they could as she Kazoo flew in the sky. She was kind enough to keep them in her sight and didn’t fly off. Once more, Kazoo let out another wail to confirm Twilight Sparkle was at Sugarcube Corner. A roar of screams followed her cry, slowly making Kazoo return to her original sadness. She shook her head to remove the negativity and listened to the returning echo. Kazoo knew what Princess Twilight looked like and kept the picture of the alicorn’s silhouette in her mind. When the noise returned, Twilight was still where she was.
In one fast dive, Kazoo landed beside her friends. “Zhe is at the bakery,” she said.
“Excellent!” Carrot beamed.
Lily walked up to her friend and hugged the thestral. “Thanks for being super helpful, Kazoo.” Even though Kazoo trusted her friend and respected Lily’s strength, she winced, hoping the embrace wasn’t going to be bone-crushing. Thankfully, it was soft and caring. Kazoo returned the kindness and hugged Lily back.
Kazoo looked to Carrot to see him observing her. “Is something wrong?” he asked.
Kazoo realized she was frowning and her shoulders dropped down, sad her facade was so transparent. Lily removed herself and she too took notice to the thestral’s sad expression. “Vas my voice too loud? I heard others scream ven I did my call…”
Carrot batted his hoof with no worry. “It’s Nightmare Night. Sudden surprises are expected.”
Lily nodded in agreement. “Besides, we know it is just you, so there is nothing to worry about.” She looked around nervously. “Though, I hope nopony tries to scare me… I wouldn’t want to hurt them…”
Seeing the pang of worry befall Lily’s face, Kazoo was quick to encourage her. “But it is all in good vun. Remember that it iz all pretend.”
“Okay.” Kazoo let out a victorious “zwee” when Lily’s smile returned from its small departure. “Come on!” Lily cried and once again grabbed Carrot’s hoof.
Before he was towed along for another ride, the colt said, “I can walk on my own.”
“Oh, right…” A shy grin lifted Lily’s cheeks. “Sorry… Just a little excited to have Princess Twilight help us.”
As Carrot was given his hoof back, Kazoo sucked on her red instrument. “Are you sure the princess will help us?” Initiating the walking cycle, Kazoo took the first step forward and her friends followed.
“Trust me,” Lily reassured, “when there is a friendship problem, Twilight will not rest until it is solved.”
“Oh!” Carrot bounced up and down. “Remember the time she charmed a doll and made everypony love it in order to reach her quota for Princess Celestia?”
Lily giggled, “Thank goodness I wasn’t around or nopony would have gotten to that doll.”
Carrot gave a toothy grin, “I don’t want to think about that.”
Kazoo’s jaw slacked and the tool fell from her mouth. “Twilight did that?!” Her friends winced at the thestral’s loud volume but it didn’t change their moods. She quickly obtained the kazoo and said, “Zorry about zat…”
“I’ve done worse,” said Lily.
The three walked through the town, their little heads looking here and there, observing the smiles and screams they saw. So much fun was being had but they had a task to focus on. Carrot Crunch noticed they were passing Derpy’s house and saw some foals approaching her door. In his peripheral, he noticed his friends looked at him and then to where he was looking. The moment the foals who were hunting for candy gave the door a single knock, Derpy’s head sprung from the door’s hole and let out a roar. At once, the children before her let out a shriek before shaking off the scare with smiles.
Carrot and Kazoo laughed at their misfortune while Lily quietly smiled. “Looks like Derpy is making the best out her hole,” Carrot said.
“I guess,” Lily squeaked.
Soon, the three reached the end of the street and turned right. Up ahead was the Sugarcube Corner decorated with all sorts of Nightmare Night decorations. Near the entrance, Twilight Sparkle sat at a bench, enjoying various foods with her five friends. Lily felt a little pang of nervousness and excitement as she and her friends briskly made for Twilight. She did want the princess to help but didn’t want to intrude on her night.
Being braver than she could, Carrot spoke up to Princess Twilight Sparkle who was dressed as a witch, “Excuse me, Princess!” All six heads at the bench looked down at the trio and Lily quickly bowed, not just for Twilight but for all of her friends. They have saved Equestria several times after all and showing some respect couldn’t hurt. She saw Kazoo do a much less scrambled curtsy while Carrot looked at the two fillies with wonder.
The princess’ giggle brought the foals’ attention to her. “You two fillies are so sweet but you didn’t have to bow.”
“Zorry for bothering zoo, Princess Twilight,” Kazoo spoke up. “But ve believe ve have a vriendship problem and vould like your assistance.”
“Uh, oh!” Applejack laughed and looked down at the foals. “Yall said the ‘f-word.’ Or… ‘v’ in your case, Sugarcube.”
The princess sprung into action and pulled out a convenient notepad and pen from her hat. Her other friends didn’t seem to care about the intrusion and resumed talking and eating among themselves. “I would be glad to help,” Twilight smiled. “Now, what seems to be the problem?”
Because he was the one who brought them to the Princess of Friendship, Lily and Kazoo pointed their hooves at Carrot. He immediately shrank when Twilight looked down at him. However, the colt persevered and spoke, “You see, my two friends here are unique in their own way.”
“Mmhmm…” Twilight mumbled, scratching down at the notepad. “Go on…”
“And I told them that they, in a good way, are strange because of not only what they can do but who they are as well.”
The princess removed her eyes from the notepad but the pen kept moving on its own. She looked between Lily and Kazoo and asked them, “What seems to be bothering you two, then? Because it sounds like your friend really cares about you, yet you both don't listen to his kind words.” The independent pen halted and waited. “Do you not believe him?”
“I do believe him,” Lily said. “Really, I do believe him! It’s just…” The pink filly looked at Kazoo for assistance. Lucky for her, the thestral came to the rescue.
“Ve don’t know anypony who can relate to us,” Kazoo concluded. “I feel zat I am too strange for other foals my age. Yes, I am happy to have my two friends. But I don’t vant to annoy others vith my loud voice and kazoo.”
“And I don’t want to destroy everything I touch because of my strength,” Lily added. “What do we do?”
Twilight levitated her notepad and pen back into her large hat before answering, “Listen to your friend.” Carrot was glad he was the solution to the problem and stuck out his chest with pride.
“Zat’s it?” Kazoo asked.
“Mmhmm!” Twilight beamed. “I also have a few things to address, myself.” Just like Carrot did before, the princess began to sing a joyful toon:
"It may sound simple and quite plain,
But my advice is clear as day.
Your friend wants to keep you align
And keep you from going the wrong way.
Before my wings were spread
I wanted no friends at all.
But each of them has their
Special way to speak, behave, and be."
Twilight winked at the three foals and continued:
"And just like you
my friends are strange like me.
Pinkie Pie who’s filled with laughter
Has a little twist.
‘Cause when her tail begins to twitch
Something is amiss.
Fluttershy’s kindness is strong
Even though she’s shy.
Her words can reach the animals
Who run, and swim and fly.
Rainbow Dash is quick to aid
Her friends with loyalty.
When she does the sonic rainboom
Her colors really show."
Lily rose her hoof to politely interject. “But a sonic rainboom is not strange. It’s awesome.”
“So is having super strength,” Twilight beamed before returning to the song:
"Applejack for example
Does have quite the kick.
Honestly, go ask her
And she’ll show it’s no trick.
Rarity can sense a gem
Deep under a rocky mess.
And if it suits her needs
Expect it to be on a dress.
And when I’m told a friend needs help
There is nothing I can’t do.
Except when things become a mess
I sure know how to stress."
Lily, Carrot, and Kazoo laughed at Twilight’s little joke at herself before they, including the princess’ friends all broke out into song:
"We understand what's
Deep inside us,
Embrace the pony
That defines us.
We know is not easy,
Trust me.
We all come in
Shapes and sizes,
Have many features
That defines us.
It is the way that it must be.
But that's okay
Because there’s one thing
That we can say:
The foals and Twilight’s friends pointed at the princess, shouting aloud, “We’re strange like you!”
In one final breath, the Princess of Friendship concluded:
And you’re strange like me!
Everypony laughed and cheered, thrilled by the joy that choked the scary atmosphere around them. Eventually, the giggles died down and both of Lily’s friends began to talk with Twilight’s friends. Lily looked to Carrot who was getting his hat rubbed by Applejack, and then noticed Kazoo was playing her little instrument for Pinkie Pie. To the pink filly’s surprise, Twilight Sparkle approached her and smiled. “I understand you might be scared of what you have deep within you. But there is nothing to be afraid of.”
“Do you know anypony who has had the same problem like me?” Lily squeaked, still overwhelmed that a princess was talking to her.
Twilight looked around suspiciously as if to make sure nopony was listening in on her talk with Lily. “You mind keeping a secret?”
The fact Twilight wanted to share a secret with the filly thrilled Lily to the very core. “Yes!” she loudly whispered.
Leaning into Lily’s ear, Twilight said, “In another world I have been to, there is another… Twilight Sparkle.” Lily gasped and almost let the secret slip from her lips. Instead of letting out the princess’ super-secret, the filly continued to listen carefully. “She was once corrupted by magic and vowed never to use her powers again.”
“But she ended having to use it later on, didn’t you- I mean she?”
“Yes,” Twilight nodded. “Thanks to my friends there, they helped Twilight embrace her power and prevented the magic from taking control. Now, she has no issues.” A gentle hoof touched Lily’s shoulder. “And I know for sure that your friends will help you control what you are afraid of. I promise.”
It was difficult for Lily to imagine a corrupted Twilight Sparkle and she didn’t dwell on it for long. It did comfort Lily that the other-worldly Twilight was helped by her friends. Lily began to reflect at how she wanted to aid her new friend and asked the princess, “Well, Kazoo is afraid of her voice being too loud around others. But I know she is a good pony. Do you think I can help her as well?”
Twilight gestured her head toward the thestral. “Why don’t you go ask her?” The moment Lily stepped forward, Twilight said, “Remember: what I told you is a secret. Keep that between you and me.”
“O-of course, Princess!”
The alicorn laughed a little. “Please, call me Twilight.”
Lily and Twilight concluded their talk with a nod and turned away from each other. Lily noticed the fun she was having with Pinkie Pie and let the two finish their moment. A triumphant toot concluded Kazoo's little song and Pinkie Pie let out an over-the-top applause that rivaled the thestral's voice. The attention Pinkie Pie brought to Kazoo made the filly look elsewhere with blush in her cheeks. When Kazoo's slip pupils met with Lily, both walked toward one another to allow the thestral to escape the one loud audience member.
"You seem happy," Lily began but wasn't sure how to approach Kazoo with asking for help.
"I'll ve honest, itz been a long time zense I have zmiled so much," Kazoo said. She hugged her strong friend and "zweed" with a loud squeak. "Zank you, Lily."
When Lily returned the favor, everypony around her let out an "aww!" Both fillies blushed and Lily wanted Kazoo to carry her away from the embarrassing ponies. "Your welcome, Kazoo," Lily said.
A tap on the strong filly's shoulder brought Lily's attention to Carrot standing beside her. "Can I join you two?" The colt was quickly claimed by a strong hoof and had himself sucked into the body of affection.
"Kazoo and Carrot," Lily began, "Can I ask you both a favor?" The hugging session dissolved and Lily's two friends looked at her with respectful attention. "If we all go and enjoy our Nightmare Night together, can you two help me control my strength as much as you can?" Lily directed her eyes at Kazoo. "In return, I will do my best to help you, Kazoo. I know you may not like your voice but I still want to be your friend and here you talk to me and Carrot."
Carrot bounced in place and Lily knew he was excited to get a move on when she mentioned she wanted to enjoy Nightmare Night. Kazoo smiled but did look a little unsure about the situation. "Zoo promise to help?" Kazoo asked. "Becauze I promise zat I vill help zoo as well if you help me."
Lily rose her hoof, "I Pinkie Promise."
In the background, the foals heard Pinkie Pie, "You here that! She means business!"
"Zen... let'z go enjoy our Nightmare Night," Kazoo smiled.
"Alright!" Carrot beamed and began to jog in place. "The night is young my friends but it will come to a close eventually!"
"Settle down, Hasty Pants," Lily said, amused by Carrot's impatient mood. "First, I need to get my pillowcase and one for Kazoo as well."
Carrot pawed at the ground, "Then let's race to your house." Without warning, the colt took off. "Last one there is a changeling!" Lily kicked off the ground and bolted after Carrot and had to sprint in order to catch up. Just as she was about to pass him, the sound of a dull hum buzzed behind the running children. Kazoo easily flew past Lily and Carrot and even did a loop as she made no effort to slow down. "Hey!" Carrot shouted. "No cheating!"
"You didn't give any firm rules," Lily smirked as she "lightly" pushed Carrot into a bush.
Author's Note
Thanks for reading the first chapter of my story (or at least getting to the bottom of the page). Comments and critiques are much welcomed but don't feel obligated if you don't wish to do so.
