Western wind chilled me to the core, promising white winter and painting the leaves in a rainbow of color. It sent the last few remaining tourists inside, looking for hot chocolate and a warm seat. The season was at its end, with only a few stragglers clinging onto the memory of once-warm beach.
Our restaurant had switched from cold drinks to hot a long time ago. We would help those ponies brave the weather, huddled in blankets and watching sunsets over the great ocean until the traditional farewell of the season. Nightmare Night. One last glorious night, a great party from dusk ‘til dusk, before the doors and beaches would close for the year.
Being – as the plaque above the bar proudly stated – the “west-most restaurant in all of Equestria”, our place would be the one to start off the night spooks. As a gesture, princess Celestia would lower the sun later today, so it would disappear right at the stroke of midnight, to a great fireworks show over the sea.
My boss, Glowhoof, told me this was a must-watch, and his numerous retellings made me positively giddy with excitement. I was ready to be a part of it all, even as a server in a small seaside bar. The coming winter would bring me back inland to my family in Smokey Mountains. I had missed them this whole season, but right now, I was already starting to miss the ocean. I had so much to tell them, even without the story of my last night here.
As I was making inventory with our chef Flipcake, our frantic back-and-forth was broken by the sharp chime of the door bell. I glanced up just as mister Glowhoof zipped past me. Before the door even had the chance to close again, he had already made it to his office, all while tying his tie, a mix of fear and excitement etched across his friendly countenance.
“Is this the big day?” I shouted after him.
“Looks like it!” he shouted back, furiously looking for his overnight bag. “I just got the news, I’m on my way to the hospital.”
“Of all the days!” Flipcake exclaimed. “How are we going to manage without you?”
“You can’t stop nature!” our boss replied. “Unless you want me to shove the foal back in -”
He stopped himself and bit his lip.
“You can manage without me, can’t you?” he asked. “I can still run by Caesar’s and ask if he has an extra waiter to spare, he owes me and -”
“I think you owe him,” Flipcake interrupted coldly. “Look, I can manage the kitchen as always. So… I’d say it’s on July here.”
“Oh, I can manage,” I lied with a smile. No pony needs extra trouble when his wife is giving birth on Nightmare Night.
“Uh… The morning shift comes in early, right?”
“I’ll send a word to Blinky to come in early,” Glowhoof said as he threw the bags over his back and started for the doors again. “Thank you, everypony.”
“Sure thing boss,” I saluted.
“Just tell Glitter to hold on tight,” Flipcake said with a smirk. “And have a good Nightmare Night.”
Glowhoof rolled his eyes, pausing as he held the door open. Then, as though the thought just came to him, he looked at me.
“Oh! July? Mister Graymane is coming in today!” he glanced at Flipcake, and then back at me. “It slipped my mind… just…”
His eyes darted from me to our chef.
“Just… do what he wants? He’s an old friend, and while he might be a bit peculiar, he’s not dangerous… and he tips like the Princess herself!”
With that, he was gone.
“What was that all about?” I asked. “He never event mentioned a Graymane.”
“Graymane’s a regular,” Flipcake said with a shrug. “If yearly visits count. I only met him for a couple of minutes, he always seems to be in a hurry. Visits us every year though. Seems nice.”
He took a breath.
“Look, I’m sure Glowhoof can fill you in later,” he said, and I knew not to pry. “Now, we have some pickle jars to count.”
With inventory done and the sun slowly sinking towards the ocean, I flipped the card from “closed” to “open” and armed myself with a smile. It would be a rough shift without Glowhoof around, but I could at least hope the first couple of ponies would be more interested in watching the fireworks than having their drinks served up in record-breaking time.
I watched the sun through the windows and bathed in the red glow for one last time. I’d miss that clear, distant horizon, and the salty wind playing with my mane.
The bell rang softly this time, and I looked towards the door. For a moment, before my eyes adjusted, all I could see was a small silhouette, a little more than a shadow. It slipped inside, its head bobbing left and right as it glanced across the empty tables.
“Good evening!” I chirped. “Can I get you a table?”
The pony stopped, and looked at me. His pale blue eyes seemed to shine like the moon and stare right i my soul. I shivered and then told myself it was just a gust of wind. I knew who he was before he even opened his mouth.
“Good evening,” he said quietly. “My name’s Graymane. I should have a reservation...?”
“Certainly sir,” I replied, proud of my composure. “A table for two I believe?”
“Yes,” he nodded simply. He glanced left, and I could finally move again.
“This way!” I said, my voice an octave higher than I’d like it. I ushered him in, avoiding that icy gaze, and led him to the table. It was the same one I liked to sit at during my breaks. A bit out of the way, right next to the window, with a beautiful view of the ocean.
“Shall I bring you anything while you wait for your guest?” I offered.
“Just an espresso, please,” his wispy voice replied. “And the menu. It will be a long night.”
I nodded and handed him the menu. The coffee was quick to follow.
“Is Sparkly alright?” our sole guest asked. “I... haven’t seen him around?”
“Sparkly -?” I blinked, and giggled. “Oh- mister Glowhoof! He’s fine sir. But his wife is giving birth right about now.”
“Ah, Glitter, always choosing the wrong time,” he said with a mild chuckle. “Last year, she dodged me with a broken hoof, if you can believe it.”
And just like that, the blue fire in his eyes became warm for the first time.
Graymane sipped his coffee, slowly, savoring the smell.
“I do love this blend,” he said, and chuckled nervously. “And it kicks like a mule – I’ll need that tonight.”
“Oh?”
“I’ll be traveling all the way to Manehatten,” he replied. “With several stops along the way.”
“Enjoying the festivities?”
“Stretching the day,” he replied, and sipped again. “I haven’t seen you around last year. Are you taking this shift all alone?”
“There’ll be more help coming in later, sir,” I replied. “It’s quiet enough now anyway.”
“Oh, it gets much worse…” he chuckled. “But I’ll try not to get under your hooves.”
He paused, and licked his lip.
“Although my requests might strike you as odd… but I’m sure Spark- mister Glowhoof, briefed you?”
“As much... as the time permitted, sir,” I said slowly. “So not much, really.”
“Hm...” Graymane looked over the ocean, then over the empty restaurant, and finally, at the wall clock. “We should have some time, but I’ll be brief.”
He took a deep breath.
“First, I would like you to bring me a flambé torch,” he started, and lifted his hoof just as I opened my mouth. “Yes, it sounds strange, but we do this every year. Ask Flipcake, I’m sure he still works here.”
He sipped his coffee again.
“I will set a few things on fire throughout the evening, but I won’t cause any harm to ponies or property. And I will try to be as discrete as I can. The food you will get for me might be… a bit strange. Just bring it. And… if I may?”
He looked up at me again.
“Please don’t ask about my guest?”
All I managed was a weak nod.
Flipcake had the torch ready when I came in, bewildered. He simply glanced at the clock and started cutting onions.
“Did he order yet?”
“Not yet, Flipcake...” I muttered. “I… what’s with this guy? He kinda gives me the creeps...”
“It’s a long story,” the chef replied, and continued with preparations. “Tell him I said hi, and to say hi to Cloud. Oh, and I’m sure he wants the order to come before midnight.”
Right then the door bell chimed again, and the strangest shift of my life really started.
Guests began pouring in gradually, and I’d almost forgotten about Graymane until he ordered two meals, a bottle of wine, two glasses, and told me to ‘do make sure to make it by midnight please’.I brought him the wine, and opened it for him. He tasted it, approved, and let it sit to breathe a bit. After all, his guest still wasn’t in.
I continued zipping around the restaurant, the kitchen bell rang almost as fast as the door bell, drinks poured like the orders, and the sun slowly sank down. As it touched the horizon, the guests grew quiet and looked to the windows, watching the skies.
The order bell broke the silence one last time – this one for Graymane’s table.
“Flip,” I said, furrowing my nose, “I can’t bring him this!It looks like you killed it!”
The plate assaulted my every sense and sensibility, especially in contrast with the other one. Tomatoes fried to a crisp, salad cut and reduced to paste, sauce as black as tar...
“That’s how he wants it!” Flip said. “Trust me. Now go, you don’t want to be late.”
I grabbed thefood and quickly walked to Grayhoof’s table, quiet as not to break the mood in the room.
“I’m sorry, sir, the food,” I whispered, but he lifted his hoof again, watching the sunset.
“The food is fine,” he said absentmindedly, watching the sun. He poured wine into the glasses, and placed one next to the burnt food. It almost looked like a romantic dinner for somepony with no taste buds. But the seat was still empty.
“I think the fireworks should start soon, right?” Grayhoof asked, and I nodded. I wasn’t sure if I should look at the sun, or at him as he produced the flambé torch, aiming it carefully at the wine glass.
“What are you-”
“Three, two, one,” he muttered as the sun gave one last glorious spark of red light spilling across the horizon and disappearing, taking my breath with it. Nightmare Night hit Equestria like a heavy blanket of silent darkness.
For a second, there was just nothing - not even a heartbeat. I just stared at the horizon as darkness washed over me like a tide, coming right through the windows and freezing me down to the marrow.
Then, the horizon exploded. White fireworks streaked across the sky, each spark lingering until it became a star in the night sky. The sound shook the windows, and my heart skipped to life. I watched as the black velvet was painted with glorious colors and patterns of burning stars, galaxies and nebulae, free from the glow of the city, unshackled from the brightness of day. Warmth filled me as light filled the skies.
As I marveled at the sight, a white glow came from the sea, then a great white orb broke the horizon, majestic, marked and pocked, bright, but for the first time, inviting. Over the glow of the moon rose the silhouette of Princess Luna, and from below came her great chariot. The cackle of Nightmare Moon broke the night, and I giggled, thinking of all the fun coming tonight. With one last triumphant explosion, and to a vigorous applause, the Nightmare Night truly began.
I never even noticed when Graymane set the wine on fire. I just looked down when the sweet fruity smell hit my nostrils. As I took a step back, the pony smiled at me.
“Too bad the day can’t last forever,” he said longingly.
He turned to his guest’s seat, and gazed lovingly across the table with murdered food and slaughtered wine. And for a split second, I could swear I saw a feint silhouette of a mare looking back at him.
