Silk-Spider Anthologies: Nightmare Nightby PinkamenaPicturesChapters[T] Nightmare Night[T] All Hallow's Eve[E] Night Court[T] Nightmare NightAuthor's Note Genre tags: MLP: FiM, romance, slice of life. Character tags: Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie. Synopsis: Pinkie Pie spends the holiday with an injured Twilight Sparkle. [T] Nightmare Night For most ponies, not being able to move much without help would be a waking nightmare. However, Twilight Sparkle did not mind it as much as she had initially thought that she would. It gave her a chance to briefly forget about being the Princess of Friendship and the Element of Magic, and just read a book in a way she had really not been able to do since she was a unicorn. It was not worth fracturing her left forehoof, breaking five ribs, and dislocating her left wing, but she was glad to find that something good had come from her crash. Pinkie Pie had promised Twilight that she would be spending the holiday with her, but had not offered a specific time of arrival. While waiting, Twilight had decided to start reading the seasonally apt Nightmare Night: Origins by Autumn Bloom. The book was a history of the holiday, but presented the information as though it were a horror story. Although Princess Celestia had been unwilling to discuss the events that led to her sister being immortalised as a demon, Princess Luna had put her all into the project. She gave Autumn Bloom the entire story from her perspective, and then helped the author find other accounts. Twilight also suspected that it was the Princess’ idea to make it read as a novel. Twilight was about to start the seventh chapter -The Eclipse -when she heard something outside the door to her bedroom. Guessing that it was Pinkie but not knowing what to expect, Twilight closed her book and put it aside. Her concern was proven worthwhile when the doors burst open and the room was showered in confetti of black, midnight blue, and orange as well as various candies, none of which were still wrapped. Accompanying the colourful rain was an equally bright earth pony, who bounded into the room with a mighty, yet indecipherable, cry of cheer. Pinkie Pie somersaulted over Twilight’s bed, turning around in the air, and landed over the mare, but with a wide stance kept from actually touching her. “Hello, Pinkie,” Twilight greeted calmly as she turned her head to look up at Pinkie, seeing little more than her wide smile. “Hey, Twilight! Are you ready for dinner?” Pinkie said. A grumble from Twilight’s stomach answered for her, but she still voiced her thoughts. “I am, and I believe that Spike made us something.” “He did, I set it up before coming here,” Pinkie said as she hopped off of Twilight’s bed and landed gently in the centre of the room, somehow not crushing any candy under her hooves as she did so. When she turned back towards Twilight to offer her help getting out of bed, she noticed Twilight giving her an odd look. “What’s wrong?” “You’re Princess Celestia,” Twilight said, confused. Pinkie Pie’s Nightmare Night costume was indeed of the Princess of the Sun. Her mane and tail were dyed in a pastel rainbow, and despite being still almost seemed to move in an unseen wind. She had fake wings tucked against her sides, and a fake horn on her forehead. She was wearing fake golden horseshoes, and a golden yoke and crown each with a magenta gem. To complete the impersonation, she dyed over her cutie marks with a fair approximation of the Princess’. At Twilight’s tone more than her comment, Pinkie’s smile fell the smallest bit. A few months earlier Twilight would never have noticed the change, nor would she have worried about such a small change even if she had seen it. “It's a good costume, I’m just surprised. You were so excited about your other idea, why did you change your mind?” “I just thought it would be more fun,” Pinkie dismissed easily, as though her smile was not strained. “Anyway, dinner is in the Pillow Room. Do you need help getting up?” “Sitting room,” Twilight corrected automatically and pointlessly. It was something that she often did around Pinkie, unaware that Pinkie deliberately misspoke around her for the reaction. “I should be fine, I only need help for prolonged motions.” Twilight braced her upper body with her right forehoof, then carefully and slowly swung her back hooves off the bed. Twilight shifted her forehoof to follow, but failed to notice the hard candy before stepping on it. Her hoof slipped and she began to fall. Before she could realise what was happening, Pinkie caught Twilight with a hoof around her stomach and one on her shoulder. “Thank you,” Twilight mumbled, embarrassed, as she found her stance and Pinkie let her go. “Don’t worry about it! You know that I’ll always catch you no matter how many times you fall.” Pinkie grinned and Twilight could not help but smile, knowing that she was being honest. “I’m more worried about the mess. You are going to clean it up, right?” “Dinner calls!” Pinkie said as she carefully pulled Twilight forward. “We must answer its summons!” Busy giggling at Pinkie’s silliness, Twilight let the matter drop. They walked at a reserved pace, and Pinkie kept a hoof over Twilight’s barrel to stabilise the mare. A short time later, they were seated at opposite sides of a round table in the Castle of Friendship’s sitting room. The sitting room was a few doors down from the castle’s throne room with the Cutie Map, just across from the library. The room was reasonably small compared to most of the castle, but was still larger than the main room of the Golden Oak Library. Although the initial design of the room was done by Rarity, only a little of her influence remained: a tapestry on the west wall depicting a radiant sunrise, the table in the centre of the room with its four seats, and a couch in front of the large northern window. The rest of the room had been decorated mostly by chance. When her castle appeared, nopony in Equestria stayed ignorant to the fourth princess for long. In an effort to gain her favour, many nobles sent her furniture for her new home. A nice gesture, but pointless as her friends had already decorated for her. After filling a store room, Twilight began to throw the extra pillows, couches, and various pieces of bedding into the seldom used sitting room. Twilight had found that the room served very little use to her since she tended to use the throne room, dining room, or library with guests, so she had no issue filling it with meaningless gifts. A little over a year prior, Pinkie had come over to talk to Twilight but could not find her. Instead, she found a room of unprecedented softness. Twilight came back later that night to find Pinkie sleeping with nearly forty pillows. Since then, Pinkie had insisted that they go there while hanging out just the two of them in the castle, and she took to calling it the Pillow Room. The room was more organised than it was when Pinkie found it, but it still had five couches, seven blankets, and thirty-seven pillows. Spike had made them a meal of ratatouille before leaving the castle, all that Pinkie had needed to do to set it up was cut it into portions and plate it. Alongside the meal was a hearty bread and, mostly for Pinkie, a couple bottles of soda. They ate in a comfortable silence, enjoying Spike’s dinner and each other’s company. Once their meal was finished, Pinkie took care of the dishes and brought back a bowl of candy. This time the candy was wrapped as it should have been. They sat down together on a couch designed for only two ponies. Twilight leaned against Pinkie’s left side, her right wing across Pinkie’s back. “Are you certain that you’re alright with this? Missing your party, I mean.” Twilight said as she laid her head on Pinkie’s shoulder. “There’s still time to go back to Sugarcube Corner, enjoy the holiday.” Pinkie answered easily, smiling brightly. “I’m having fun being with you.” “You don’t have to stay, I know how much you love Nightmare Night. The free candy, the costumes, and all the ponies just having fun. You shouldn’t feel like you have to-” Pinkie cut Twilight off by pressing their lips together. As the gentle kiss ended, Pinkie spoke softly. “I am absolutely, positively sure. You’re all the company I need, holiday or not.” Twilight smiled as her muzzle burned. “What if they get suspicious of us?” “Why would they?” Pinkie asked as she unwrapped a piece of chocolate. “They know that I promised to spend Nightmare Night with you, even before your crash. For once, we have nothing to worry about. So let’s enjoy it.” Twilight could not deny, Pinkie made a compelling argument. One that she was glad to agree with. “Alright. What did you have planned?” After a few seconds of silence, Twilight raised her head. “You do have a plan, right?” Pinkie kept her eyes on the candy bowl as she spoke, slightly embarrassed. “I, um, thought you would?” For a moment, Twilight just stared. Then she shook her head with a sigh and a smile. “How about we tell stories? I know of a few Nightmare Night legends.” Pinkie jumped on the idea. “I know some good ghost stories!” “We’ll take turns, why don’t you go first?” Their impromptu storytime lasted quite a long time, with Pinkie telling four stories and Twilight recounting three legends. Pinkie’s final story was about a ghost in Canterlot Castle, it stalked the halls in the hour of dawn before the sun had fully risen. This ‘ghost’ had turned out to be Princess Luna, who had been trying to avoid her sister while setting up a birthday surprise for her. While Twilight was curious as to how Pinkie knew the tale, mostly it just reminded her of Pinkie’s costume. Twilight looked over the costume again, and was struck by the same confusion she felt when she first saw it. Why did Pinkie decide to change her costume at the last second? Spontaneity was well within the expected behaviours for Pinkie, but she had been talking about her idea since just after the previous Nightmare Night and had put a lot of effort into making it on her own. Twilight waited until Pinkie’s story was over, and then repeated her earlier question. “Why did you decide to dress as Princess Celestia tonight?” Twilight paused. Receiving no response, she continued. “You do not have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I know it wasn’t just because it seemed ‘more fun’ than your previous idea.” Pinkie avoided meeting Twilight’s eyes, and after a couple moments the alicorn was ready to change the subject. Before she could, however, Pinkie spoke. “Princess Celestia is a great mare,” Pinkie’s voice was subdued, almost sad. It sounded wrong to Twilight. “She is refined and elegant, and I’m… not. Nopony would even call her silly or dismiss her as just Celestia, she is the Princess of the Sun and everypony loves her. I chose her because she is slender and beautiful, and I’m just a baker. I’m just-” “Breathtaking.” Twilight interrupted, no longer willing to let Pinkie go on. “Pinkie, you are a great mare. You may not be a refined noble or a slender model, but you are beautiful. You are not Princess Celestia or just Pinkie, you are Pinkamena Diane Pie: one of the greatest ponies I have ever met. I care about you, Pinkie. But even when we were just friends, I still thought that you were beautiful.” Twilight pulled Pinkie into the tightest hug her ribs and forehoof would allow. “Don’t ever think that you are less than anypony else because of who you are. You are the perfect Pinkie Pie.” After a few moments wrapped in Twilight’s embrace, Pinkie pulled back. Her eyes were wet when she met Twilight’s gaze. “Thank you, Twilight.” “I am always here for you Pinkie, whenever you need me,” Twilight said. Pinkie moved closer, but it was together that they bridged the gap between their muzzles. It was not a deep and passionate kiss, nor was it a gentle kiss like they had shared hours before. It was a pure and simple display of the emotions they felt for one another. [T] All Hallow's EveAuthor's Note Genre tags: Equestria Girls, drama. Character tags: Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie (EqG). Synopsis: Sunset Shimmer wonders about her future after receiving an invitation to a Halloween party. [T] All Hallow's Eve The Mirror World’s holidays had never really been of any interest to Sunset Shimmer, as she had been more concerned with claiming what she believed to be her birthright. However, those with clear parallels to Equestria’s holidays had received a little more attention. Halloween and Nightmare Night shared many similarities in how they were celebrated, but the reason for the Mirror World’s was based on fantasy rather than grounded in history. Halloween was the day before an older holiday for remembering the dead, leading to people thinking that the borders between the living and the dead grew weaker near that day. Causing humans to disguise themselves from monsters from beyond. Nightmare Night, in contrast, was a day to fear and revere the mighty Nightmare Moon, She Who Eclipsed the Sun. Ponies hide their faces out of respect for the alicorn’s power, not superstitions. As Sunset Shimmer wandered the streets of Canterlot City’s suburbs while Halloween festivities were in full swing, she was forced to concede that both of the holidays had mostly just become an excuse to dress up and get free candy. Sunset watched as a group of children dressed as sparkly princesses led by an adult in an old fashioned suit covered in gears walked up to a house decorated to look like a spider’s nest and knocked on the door. When it opened, Sunset was certain that their collective cry of ‘Trick or Treat’ could have been heard from the school. Sunset had dressed up in a costume she bought a few hours before the sun fell, a simple outfit of black underclothes, black gloves, a black hooded shawl, and a white ghost mask. At least, she assumed it was meant to be a ghost’s face. In her hands she carried neither the cheap plastic knife from the costume nor a candy bucket. Unlike the rest of the people out in the cold October night, Sunset had no interest in candy nor was she tasked with watching those who did. She was there only to think, and had chosen the scenery deliberately. Just four weeks earlier, Sunset Shimmer had lost everything. She lost the power she held of Canterlot High: her reputation. Yes, she still had all her blackmail material, but it had always been secondary. Without power and influence, no one would listen to her. She was the Queen of Canterlot High, now she was nothing. Worse, at least as nothing she would be ignored, but instead she was mocked, taunted, bullied. After the Fall Formal Sunset had spent two weeks helping a construction crew repair the school, and the week after that was in school suspension. On the last day of that, she was promised after school detention for no less than the rest of the year. Sunset had never expected to miss suspension, but after dealing with the student body without the protection of their fear for her she had begun to doubt her ability to keep going. Sunset persevered however, and had made it through two weeks of torment. Sunset knew that she could manage to endure the punishment because it was nothing less than what she deserved for her crimes. The Element had shown her that much. Walking down the street, it was impossible to ignore the jollity of the holiday. Children running from house to house dressed as their favourite character or monster, the decorations both bright and grim, and the sense of solidarity from everyone hiding their faces. There was so much joy in the air that even with the theme of terror, it was hard to remain unhappy or scared for long. Eventually, Sunset reached her destination: The Canterlot City Park. Normally referred to as The Park, it was a large patch of trees and grass at the edge of the suburbs. The Park was decorated with pumpkins, skeletons, and even a few less than scary scarecrows. In the centre of The Park was a flat, empty space used for events, for Halloween a large dance floor had been set up along with tables for everything one could want for a party. In her locker that morning, Sunset had found, amidst the usual threats and insults, an invitation to the Halloween party before her. The sounds from the party all blended together at her distance, creating a dull roar that covered the sounds of the night. Sunset leaned on The Park's fence, and debated approaching. On one hand: the student body as whole hated her and she did not really want to interact with them. On the other hand: she had been given an invitation, and it could be that she was being given another chance. Of course, if she did go then there was also the chance that they would just trick her into thinking they were not going to do anything just to make her lower her guard for an even bigger humiliation. Sunset shook her head. No. I won't open myself up for that. It is the motto of the holiday after all, trick or treat. "What'cha doing?" Sunset jumped in surprise at the voice, and turned to see a plague doctor looking at her from about a metre away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Just wondering what you're doing out here?" The doctor's voice was familiar to Sunset, but she could not quite place it. The doctor was wearing a long dark brown coat with a hood, tall leather boots, leather gloves, and the iconic beak mask made of dark leather and metal. Her eyes were hidden by tinted glass. Sunset decided to play it safe, and lowered her voice to keep from being recognized. "I could ask the same of you." "It would make sense too, asking the same question back once or twice. Supposed to be about who I am though," The doctor said nonchalantly as she moved a bit closer and leaned on the fence with her elbow. "What is your name then?" Sunset asked. "No names!" The doctor chastised in a way that made Sunset feel like a foal. "It's Halloween! I am The Doktor." "Right." They stood in silence for a few seconds, the awkwardness palpable. Then, mercifully, The Doktor gestured towards Sunset to ask about her costume. "I am a... ghost, I guess. I just bought the first costume I saw." Sunset confessed, slightly embarrassed to admit that to someone who clearly put so much effort into her costume. "That explains it. Most people would've asked for my favourite horror movie by now," The Doktor said, a smile clear in her tone. “Why would I ask about movies?” “You’re a slasher villain,” The Doktor said matter of factly. “From a very popular comedy horror series. I think that the first stands very well as both, but I like the series less and less as it goes. You clearly haven’t seen those, but do you watch any horror?” “Not really, I’ve never put any time into such things.” Sunset immediately wondered why she admitted that. To a stranger no less. Perhaps it was time to take control of the conversation, take the offence. “You never told me what you’re doing out here.” “I’m talking to you, and soon I’ll be going to the party over there. What about you?” The Doktor suddenly stood and leaned her masked face towards Sunset, so close that Sunset could smell the rose and lavender in the beak. “What are you doing here?” Sunset glanced between the Halloween party she had been invited to and the curious person next to her. Finally, she stepped back. “Leaving. I am going home.” Sunset turned to leave, and began walking. She had only made it a few steps when she was stopped by The Doktor’s voice. Not the words, the no longer muffled voice. “You’ll miss a great celebration,” Pinkie Pie looked at Sunset with her mask in her hands, her hood pulled back. “I was kind of hoping that meeting you here meant that you had accepted my invitation, Sunset.” Through her slasher villain mask, Sunset stared at one of the girls who had stolen everything from her just four weeks earlier. Pinkie was the one who invited her, but why? Sunset had tried to kill her! Sunset knew better than most that Pinkie was more than giggles and gumdrops, but even so -or perhaps because of that -how could she forgive so easily? Pinkie’s eyes, sky blue and deep as the sea, spoke to her sincerity. "Why go somewhere everyone hates me? Where everyone knows what I've done?" Sunset asked, not willing to believe Pinkie and no longer trying to disguise her voice. However, Sunset did not give Pinkie time to respond before turning away. She did not take three steps before she was once more stopped by Pinkie. This time, it was the words spoken. "I don't hate you. I know a lot of what you've done, but I don't hate you." Pinkie took Sunset stopping, even without turning around, as a sign to continue. "I didn't invite you to mock or humiliate you, or whatever you think. I invited you because I want to be your friend." The words hung in the air, and for a time neither girl moved. Pinkie was about to give up when Sunset broke the silence. "I'm not going to a Halloween party," Sunset said quietly and without turning. "But if you're serious, maybe you can show me that horror movie sometime." While Sunset walked away, Pinkie watched her with a hopeful smile. Pinkie looked back towards the party and vaulted the fence. She put her mask and hood back on as she walked, while remarking to herself how well her first conversation with Sunset after the Fall Formal had gone. I haven't ever given you the second chance you deserve, but I will make it right with you, Sunset Shimmer. Thank you for this chance, I won't waste it. [E] Night CourtAuthor's Note Genre tags: MLP: FiM, slice of life. Character tags: Raven Inkwell, Princess Luna. Synopsis: Raven Inkwell works to give Princess Luna the holiday off. [E] Night Court Although she would never admit to it aloud, Raven Inkwell was the most informed pony in Canterlot Castle. As Princess Celestia's Royal and Personal Aide as well as Seneschal of Canterlot Castle, Raven had to know everything about everything. For Day Court matters, Raven Inkwell was in charge of filtering through requests to ensure that only relevant cases reached Princess Celestia's ears and was expected to be able to advise the Princess on said relevant cases. Raven was also expected to be able to make quick judgements on cases that are taken to Day Court without an official request. Her Royal Aide duties were mostly related to Day Court and politics, both domestic and foreign. As the Princess’ Personal Aide, Raven needed to keep to date on Princess Celestia’s physical and mental health and take steps to ensure that they are always positive. Beyond that, being a Personal Aide meant being a twenty-four hour servant. The Seneschal of Canterlot Castle kept order in the castle, ensuring that everything was on time and functioning effectively. Raven delegated some of these responsibilities, the Royal Chef organised the kitchen for instance, but she always knew what was happening. Since Prince Shining Armour married Princess Cadance and moved to the Crystal Empire, Raven had to help the Royal Captain Pro Tempore coordinate the Royal Guard until the next Royal Captain was chosen. Every meal, every movement of the maids, every rotation of the Royal Guards, every case in Day Court, every political move made in the world, Raven Inkwell needed to be able to anticipate it and plan for it. When Princess Luna came back, and later reopened Night Court, Raven was anticipating the Princess of the Moon to take a Royal Aide of her own fairly quickly, which would have made both of their jobs easier. This was the first of many mistakes that Raven Inkwell made in predicting Princess Luna. — It would be the fifth Nightmare Night since Princess Luna's return, and it would be the fourth time that Raven Inkwell was expected to host Night Court in her stead. The first Nightmare Night after the Night Court had been reinstated Raven had been asked to fill in for her at the last minute, so she had thought that Princess Luna had not been planning on missing Court but did not want to cancel it. When she was asked again the year after, she began to wonder if she had been mistaken. The third year, she knew that had been. This time, Raven had prepared. She had slept in the afternoon so that she could stay awake all night, and she had gotten Princess Celestia’s Honour Guard Captain to fill in some of her roles for the day and morning after. She had read all Night Court requests so that she would know what to expect for the night, save for the fact that Princess Luna invites walk-in cases, and she had researched Princess Luna’s previous cases to understand her precedent. Raven was waiting in front of Princess Luna’s chambers, having been called for. Even as the door opened and she was greeted warmly, Raven Inkwell, the mare who needed to know everything about everything, could not begin to anticipate why she had been called or what the Princess of Night would say. “Welcome, Miss Inkwell. Please sit,” Princess Luna said with a smile, gesturing to the seat cross from her. Princess Luna was seated on a cushion behind a low table, the table was relatively small but would still be able to comfortably sit four. Raven sat down after greeting the Princess in kind. On the table there was a tea set and beside Princess Luna was a book that Raven did not recognise. “Miss Inkwell,” Princess Luna began. “We are certain that you are curious as to Our summoning you here, but fear not, We merely wished to assist you in your task to-night.” Although Princess Luna was getting much better at using modern speech patterns, she rarely referred to herself with singular pronouns in private and still tended to err towards formality. She also tended to slip back when at either extreme of comfort or stress. Her use of you/your in place of thou/thy told Raven that the Princess was taking this seriously, and was not totally relaxed. “We understand that in previous years, you have felt you were doing little more than advising a mare you never desired to serve. In an effort to alleviate that feeling, We would like to give you this.” Princess Luna held out a small box in her magic. “Thank you, Princess,” Raven said respectfully as she took the box. She opened it to find the Moon’s Seal, a silver emblem -this particular one in the form of a pin -that carried the authority of the Diarchy. It was enchanted so that its bearer could be identified as Princess Luna’s chosen by pressing their hoof against it. “We hereby grant you the right to speak in Our place and with Our voice,” Princess Luna said when Raven looked up. “If you feel that something should or should not be granted royal support, you may now make that choice.” “Princess, with all respect, I cannot take this. I am the Solar Aide, not the Lunar.” Raven set the box down on the table. Princess Luna’s smile fell, but she did not appear upset. “We know who you are. It is because of that, not in spite of it, that We offer this. We have known you to be a good mare, and believe that you shall not abuse this right. But if you do not wish it, We will not force it upon you.” “May I speak freely?” “Please.” “You give your trust too easily,” Raven said, looking straight in Princess Luna’s eyes as she spoke. “I have served you as any in this castle would have, but I serve your sister first. This should only be given to your most trusted ally; your Lunar Aide.” There was a moment of silence before Princess Luna spoke. “Over one thousand years ago, We -I had a Lunar Aide. He was my sister’s second choice, so I got him. He resented me, and I resented him. I sent him away within a year of hiring him, and have since not had an aide. My sister will always be the Princess of Equestria, the one everypony loves and everypony wants to serve. I trust you because you have never hidden your intent: to serve Equestria. To you it is not about a princess, it is merely what is best for Equestria.” Raven thought about Princess Luna’s words, and made a decision. She reached over and took the Seal, pinning it to the left side of her collar. “... For the night, I will wear it. I shall give it back in the morning.” — Raven Inkwell sat on Princess Luna’s throne on a raised dais in the Stardust Hall, where Night Court was held. The hall had been an unused section before Princess Luna’s return, and had been redesigned for her use. The walls and ceiling were glass with marble archways spaced throughout, the floor was the same deep blue and purple marble. The hall was lit with blue-flame torches on every other pillar, and the other pillars held a bundle of white lilies. The glass and low light allowed those inside to appreciate the night sky. Night Court had opened, and Raven had already dealt with the usual tricks meant to make her say yes to something one of the Princesses already refused. The rest of the night would be new business. Raven had seen a trend in Night Court in her previous times hosting: as time went, more and more Night Court became a place for artists to make requests of the crown. Day Court was all political, state affairs, and concerns of nobles. In contrast, Night Court found museums, galleries, and others seeking to expand their collections or host events. While Raven listened to petitioners' requests, she considered what could have led to the difference in the matters the courts handled. In Day Court the only individuals were nobles seeking Princess Celestia’s favour, but in Night Court Raven was about to rule on a pegasus’ request to host a debut showcase for his paintings and those of others like him. “It is my belief,” Raven said after Acrylic Ocean finished his presentation for using the Royal Gardens as a venue. “That Princess Luna would support your endeavour. You shall be given the venue for your show, come back in one week for specific arrangements.” Raven punctuated her statement by signing his official request with her name and then Princess Luna’s cutie mark. Acrylic Ocean thanked her profusely before leaving, leaving Raven alone to wonder if Princess Luna actually would have approved his request. Before she could be too distracted by doubt, Raven nodded to the guards to let the next pony in. The night had only just begun, she could not afford to second guess herself. Night Court passed slowly, a few cases were approved, some were denied, but most of them were left for Princess Luna’s review with a verdict suggestion from Raven. Raven used a simple language in both courts to leave advice for the princess: a mark on the upper right corner of the official request. A circle meant that Raven thought it should pass, an ‘X’ meant she thought it should not pass, and a dash meant that she had no advice to offer. After eight hours of petitioners mixed with paperwork, the clock struck six and Night Court closed. Raven still had to fill out some paperwork, and also ensure that all the documents would reach the correct places and be processed properly. About two hours after Night Court closed, Raven began walking towards her room to go to sleep. Raven reached her door and began to open it when she heard somepony behind her. She glanced over without much interest, and saw Princess Luna walking towards her. The Princess was still wearing her costume, most likely a vampony, and was not wearing her crown. “Greetings, Miss Inkwell! We were worried that we would not reach you before the wings of sleep enveloped you.” Occasionally, Raven wondered if Princess Luna actually used to speak in such dramatic turns of phrase, or if she was just enjoying that nopony ever called her out on them in modern times because they believed that she did. “How can I help you Princess?” Raven asked despite how tired she felt. “We wished to inform you that We spoke to sister, you need not worry over your duties for the day. They shall be handled by another, you must simply rest.” Raven had to admit, that was a pleasant surprise. She had been planning on only being able to sleep for a few hours, this would make her schedule much easier. “Thank you, Princess. Did you enjoy your holiday?” Raven asked, mostly to be polite but also because she was curious. “T’was a jovial celebration of horror and sweets, most enjoyable.” Princess Luna thought for a moment before speaking again. “Next year, you should join Us.” In her surprise and lack of sleep, Raven momentarily forgot decorum. “What?” “Four years now you have worked hard to allow Us a night of freedom, and something tells Us you are the type to never take time off.” Raven could not deny it, she only missed days if she was truly, deeply sick. “You shall be pleased by Ponyville’s Nightmare Night, We think.” “Princess, with all respect, I do not want to visit Ponyville for Nightmare Night. I enjoy my work and I do not care for holidays,” Raven said carefully, not wanting to upset the Princess. “We shall not press the issue now, but do not think that We have given up. Sweet dreams, Miss Inkwell.” “Sleep well, Princess.” Raven entered her room as Princess Luna walked away. Princess Luna never said ‘good night’ or ‘sleep well’, instead she always said ‘sweet dreams’. Although Raven had to admit that this was one of the less peculiar facets of the Princess of the Moon. Raven skipped her normal routine in favour of getting to sleep faster, simply taking her collar, hair tie, and glasses off and putting them on her bedside table before slipping under the covers. It was not until she had just about fallen asleep that she realised she had forgotten to give back the Moon’s Seal pin. Raven briefly considered getting up to find Princess Luna, but decided that it would be easier to just return it at dinner later that day. Raven had no way of knowing that Princess Luna would not be there, nor that the next time they did speak Princess Luna would try so hard to convince her to join her for Nightmare Night that the pin would be forgotten. Through habit formed in the months that followed, putting the Moon’s Seal onto her collar became a part of Raven’s morning routine.
[T] Nightmare NightAuthor's Note Genre tags: MLP: FiM, romance, slice of life. Character tags: Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie. Synopsis: Pinkie Pie spends the holiday with an injured Twilight Sparkle. [T] Nightmare Night For most ponies, not being able to move much without help would be a waking nightmare. However, Twilight Sparkle did not mind it as much as she had initially thought that she would. It gave her a chance to briefly forget about being the Princess of Friendship and the Element of Magic, and just read a book in a way she had really not been able to do since she was a unicorn. It was not worth fracturing her left forehoof, breaking five ribs, and dislocating her left wing, but she was glad to find that something good had come from her crash. Pinkie Pie had promised Twilight that she would be spending the holiday with her, but had not offered a specific time of arrival. While waiting, Twilight had decided to start reading the seasonally apt Nightmare Night: Origins by Autumn Bloom. The book was a history of the holiday, but presented the information as though it were a horror story. Although Princess Celestia had been unwilling to discuss the events that led to her sister being immortalised as a demon, Princess Luna had put her all into the project. She gave Autumn Bloom the entire story from her perspective, and then helped the author find other accounts. Twilight also suspected that it was the Princess’ idea to make it read as a novel. Twilight was about to start the seventh chapter -The Eclipse -when she heard something outside the door to her bedroom. Guessing that it was Pinkie but not knowing what to expect, Twilight closed her book and put it aside. Her concern was proven worthwhile when the doors burst open and the room was showered in confetti of black, midnight blue, and orange as well as various candies, none of which were still wrapped. Accompanying the colourful rain was an equally bright earth pony, who bounded into the room with a mighty, yet indecipherable, cry of cheer. Pinkie Pie somersaulted over Twilight’s bed, turning around in the air, and landed over the mare, but with a wide stance kept from actually touching her. “Hello, Pinkie,” Twilight greeted calmly as she turned her head to look up at Pinkie, seeing little more than her wide smile. “Hey, Twilight! Are you ready for dinner?” Pinkie said. A grumble from Twilight’s stomach answered for her, but she still voiced her thoughts. “I am, and I believe that Spike made us something.” “He did, I set it up before coming here,” Pinkie said as she hopped off of Twilight’s bed and landed gently in the centre of the room, somehow not crushing any candy under her hooves as she did so. When she turned back towards Twilight to offer her help getting out of bed, she noticed Twilight giving her an odd look. “What’s wrong?” “You’re Princess Celestia,” Twilight said, confused. Pinkie Pie’s Nightmare Night costume was indeed of the Princess of the Sun. Her mane and tail were dyed in a pastel rainbow, and despite being still almost seemed to move in an unseen wind. She had fake wings tucked against her sides, and a fake horn on her forehead. She was wearing fake golden horseshoes, and a golden yoke and crown each with a magenta gem. To complete the impersonation, she dyed over her cutie marks with a fair approximation of the Princess’. At Twilight’s tone more than her comment, Pinkie’s smile fell the smallest bit. A few months earlier Twilight would never have noticed the change, nor would she have worried about such a small change even if she had seen it. “It's a good costume, I’m just surprised. You were so excited about your other idea, why did you change your mind?” “I just thought it would be more fun,” Pinkie dismissed easily, as though her smile was not strained. “Anyway, dinner is in the Pillow Room. Do you need help getting up?” “Sitting room,” Twilight corrected automatically and pointlessly. It was something that she often did around Pinkie, unaware that Pinkie deliberately misspoke around her for the reaction. “I should be fine, I only need help for prolonged motions.” Twilight braced her upper body with her right forehoof, then carefully and slowly swung her back hooves off the bed. Twilight shifted her forehoof to follow, but failed to notice the hard candy before stepping on it. Her hoof slipped and she began to fall. Before she could realise what was happening, Pinkie caught Twilight with a hoof around her stomach and one on her shoulder. “Thank you,” Twilight mumbled, embarrassed, as she found her stance and Pinkie let her go. “Don’t worry about it! You know that I’ll always catch you no matter how many times you fall.” Pinkie grinned and Twilight could not help but smile, knowing that she was being honest. “I’m more worried about the mess. You are going to clean it up, right?” “Dinner calls!” Pinkie said as she carefully pulled Twilight forward. “We must answer its summons!” Busy giggling at Pinkie’s silliness, Twilight let the matter drop. They walked at a reserved pace, and Pinkie kept a hoof over Twilight’s barrel to stabilise the mare. A short time later, they were seated at opposite sides of a round table in the Castle of Friendship’s sitting room. The sitting room was a few doors down from the castle’s throne room with the Cutie Map, just across from the library. The room was reasonably small compared to most of the castle, but was still larger than the main room of the Golden Oak Library. Although the initial design of the room was done by Rarity, only a little of her influence remained: a tapestry on the west wall depicting a radiant sunrise, the table in the centre of the room with its four seats, and a couch in front of the large northern window. The rest of the room had been decorated mostly by chance. When her castle appeared, nopony in Equestria stayed ignorant to the fourth princess for long. In an effort to gain her favour, many nobles sent her furniture for her new home. A nice gesture, but pointless as her friends had already decorated for her. After filling a store room, Twilight began to throw the extra pillows, couches, and various pieces of bedding into the seldom used sitting room. Twilight had found that the room served very little use to her since she tended to use the throne room, dining room, or library with guests, so she had no issue filling it with meaningless gifts. A little over a year prior, Pinkie had come over to talk to Twilight but could not find her. Instead, she found a room of unprecedented softness. Twilight came back later that night to find Pinkie sleeping with nearly forty pillows. Since then, Pinkie had insisted that they go there while hanging out just the two of them in the castle, and she took to calling it the Pillow Room. The room was more organised than it was when Pinkie found it, but it still had five couches, seven blankets, and thirty-seven pillows. Spike had made them a meal of ratatouille before leaving the castle, all that Pinkie had needed to do to set it up was cut it into portions and plate it. Alongside the meal was a hearty bread and, mostly for Pinkie, a couple bottles of soda. They ate in a comfortable silence, enjoying Spike’s dinner and each other’s company. Once their meal was finished, Pinkie took care of the dishes and brought back a bowl of candy. This time the candy was wrapped as it should have been. They sat down together on a couch designed for only two ponies. Twilight leaned against Pinkie’s left side, her right wing across Pinkie’s back. “Are you certain that you’re alright with this? Missing your party, I mean.” Twilight said as she laid her head on Pinkie’s shoulder. “There’s still time to go back to Sugarcube Corner, enjoy the holiday.” Pinkie answered easily, smiling brightly. “I’m having fun being with you.” “You don’t have to stay, I know how much you love Nightmare Night. The free candy, the costumes, and all the ponies just having fun. You shouldn’t feel like you have to-” Pinkie cut Twilight off by pressing their lips together. As the gentle kiss ended, Pinkie spoke softly. “I am absolutely, positively sure. You’re all the company I need, holiday or not.” Twilight smiled as her muzzle burned. “What if they get suspicious of us?” “Why would they?” Pinkie asked as she unwrapped a piece of chocolate. “They know that I promised to spend Nightmare Night with you, even before your crash. For once, we have nothing to worry about. So let’s enjoy it.” Twilight could not deny, Pinkie made a compelling argument. One that she was glad to agree with. “Alright. What did you have planned?” After a few seconds of silence, Twilight raised her head. “You do have a plan, right?” Pinkie kept her eyes on the candy bowl as she spoke, slightly embarrassed. “I, um, thought you would?” For a moment, Twilight just stared. Then she shook her head with a sigh and a smile. “How about we tell stories? I know of a few Nightmare Night legends.” Pinkie jumped on the idea. “I know some good ghost stories!” “We’ll take turns, why don’t you go first?” Their impromptu storytime lasted quite a long time, with Pinkie telling four stories and Twilight recounting three legends. Pinkie’s final story was about a ghost in Canterlot Castle, it stalked the halls in the hour of dawn before the sun had fully risen. This ‘ghost’ had turned out to be Princess Luna, who had been trying to avoid her sister while setting up a birthday surprise for her. While Twilight was curious as to how Pinkie knew the tale, mostly it just reminded her of Pinkie’s costume. Twilight looked over the costume again, and was struck by the same confusion she felt when she first saw it. Why did Pinkie decide to change her costume at the last second? Spontaneity was well within the expected behaviours for Pinkie, but she had been talking about her idea since just after the previous Nightmare Night and had put a lot of effort into making it on her own. Twilight waited until Pinkie’s story was over, and then repeated her earlier question. “Why did you decide to dress as Princess Celestia tonight?” Twilight paused. Receiving no response, she continued. “You do not have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I know it wasn’t just because it seemed ‘more fun’ than your previous idea.” Pinkie avoided meeting Twilight’s eyes, and after a couple moments the alicorn was ready to change the subject. Before she could, however, Pinkie spoke. “Princess Celestia is a great mare,” Pinkie’s voice was subdued, almost sad. It sounded wrong to Twilight. “She is refined and elegant, and I’m… not. Nopony would even call her silly or dismiss her as just Celestia, she is the Princess of the Sun and everypony loves her. I chose her because she is slender and beautiful, and I’m just a baker. I’m just-” “Breathtaking.” Twilight interrupted, no longer willing to let Pinkie go on. “Pinkie, you are a great mare. You may not be a refined noble or a slender model, but you are beautiful. You are not Princess Celestia or just Pinkie, you are Pinkamena Diane Pie: one of the greatest ponies I have ever met. I care about you, Pinkie. But even when we were just friends, I still thought that you were beautiful.” Twilight pulled Pinkie into the tightest hug her ribs and forehoof would allow. “Don’t ever think that you are less than anypony else because of who you are. You are the perfect Pinkie Pie.” After a few moments wrapped in Twilight’s embrace, Pinkie pulled back. Her eyes were wet when she met Twilight’s gaze. “Thank you, Twilight.” “I am always here for you Pinkie, whenever you need me,” Twilight said. Pinkie moved closer, but it was together that they bridged the gap between their muzzles. It was not a deep and passionate kiss, nor was it a gentle kiss like they had shared hours before. It was a pure and simple display of the emotions they felt for one another.
[T] All Hallow's EveAuthor's Note Genre tags: Equestria Girls, drama. Character tags: Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie (EqG). Synopsis: Sunset Shimmer wonders about her future after receiving an invitation to a Halloween party. [T] All Hallow's Eve The Mirror World’s holidays had never really been of any interest to Sunset Shimmer, as she had been more concerned with claiming what she believed to be her birthright. However, those with clear parallels to Equestria’s holidays had received a little more attention. Halloween and Nightmare Night shared many similarities in how they were celebrated, but the reason for the Mirror World’s was based on fantasy rather than grounded in history. Halloween was the day before an older holiday for remembering the dead, leading to people thinking that the borders between the living and the dead grew weaker near that day. Causing humans to disguise themselves from monsters from beyond. Nightmare Night, in contrast, was a day to fear and revere the mighty Nightmare Moon, She Who Eclipsed the Sun. Ponies hide their faces out of respect for the alicorn’s power, not superstitions. As Sunset Shimmer wandered the streets of Canterlot City’s suburbs while Halloween festivities were in full swing, she was forced to concede that both of the holidays had mostly just become an excuse to dress up and get free candy. Sunset watched as a group of children dressed as sparkly princesses led by an adult in an old fashioned suit covered in gears walked up to a house decorated to look like a spider’s nest and knocked on the door. When it opened, Sunset was certain that their collective cry of ‘Trick or Treat’ could have been heard from the school. Sunset had dressed up in a costume she bought a few hours before the sun fell, a simple outfit of black underclothes, black gloves, a black hooded shawl, and a white ghost mask. At least, she assumed it was meant to be a ghost’s face. In her hands she carried neither the cheap plastic knife from the costume nor a candy bucket. Unlike the rest of the people out in the cold October night, Sunset had no interest in candy nor was she tasked with watching those who did. She was there only to think, and had chosen the scenery deliberately. Just four weeks earlier, Sunset Shimmer had lost everything. She lost the power she held of Canterlot High: her reputation. Yes, she still had all her blackmail material, but it had always been secondary. Without power and influence, no one would listen to her. She was the Queen of Canterlot High, now she was nothing. Worse, at least as nothing she would be ignored, but instead she was mocked, taunted, bullied. After the Fall Formal Sunset had spent two weeks helping a construction crew repair the school, and the week after that was in school suspension. On the last day of that, she was promised after school detention for no less than the rest of the year. Sunset had never expected to miss suspension, but after dealing with the student body without the protection of their fear for her she had begun to doubt her ability to keep going. Sunset persevered however, and had made it through two weeks of torment. Sunset knew that she could manage to endure the punishment because it was nothing less than what she deserved for her crimes. The Element had shown her that much. Walking down the street, it was impossible to ignore the jollity of the holiday. Children running from house to house dressed as their favourite character or monster, the decorations both bright and grim, and the sense of solidarity from everyone hiding their faces. There was so much joy in the air that even with the theme of terror, it was hard to remain unhappy or scared for long. Eventually, Sunset reached her destination: The Canterlot City Park. Normally referred to as The Park, it was a large patch of trees and grass at the edge of the suburbs. The Park was decorated with pumpkins, skeletons, and even a few less than scary scarecrows. In the centre of The Park was a flat, empty space used for events, for Halloween a large dance floor had been set up along with tables for everything one could want for a party. In her locker that morning, Sunset had found, amidst the usual threats and insults, an invitation to the Halloween party before her. The sounds from the party all blended together at her distance, creating a dull roar that covered the sounds of the night. Sunset leaned on The Park's fence, and debated approaching. On one hand: the student body as whole hated her and she did not really want to interact with them. On the other hand: she had been given an invitation, and it could be that she was being given another chance. Of course, if she did go then there was also the chance that they would just trick her into thinking they were not going to do anything just to make her lower her guard for an even bigger humiliation. Sunset shook her head. No. I won't open myself up for that. It is the motto of the holiday after all, trick or treat. "What'cha doing?" Sunset jumped in surprise at the voice, and turned to see a plague doctor looking at her from about a metre away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Just wondering what you're doing out here?" The doctor's voice was familiar to Sunset, but she could not quite place it. The doctor was wearing a long dark brown coat with a hood, tall leather boots, leather gloves, and the iconic beak mask made of dark leather and metal. Her eyes were hidden by tinted glass. Sunset decided to play it safe, and lowered her voice to keep from being recognized. "I could ask the same of you." "It would make sense too, asking the same question back once or twice. Supposed to be about who I am though," The doctor said nonchalantly as she moved a bit closer and leaned on the fence with her elbow. "What is your name then?" Sunset asked. "No names!" The doctor chastised in a way that made Sunset feel like a foal. "It's Halloween! I am The Doktor." "Right." They stood in silence for a few seconds, the awkwardness palpable. Then, mercifully, The Doktor gestured towards Sunset to ask about her costume. "I am a... ghost, I guess. I just bought the first costume I saw." Sunset confessed, slightly embarrassed to admit that to someone who clearly put so much effort into her costume. "That explains it. Most people would've asked for my favourite horror movie by now," The Doktor said, a smile clear in her tone. “Why would I ask about movies?” “You’re a slasher villain,” The Doktor said matter of factly. “From a very popular comedy horror series. I think that the first stands very well as both, but I like the series less and less as it goes. You clearly haven’t seen those, but do you watch any horror?” “Not really, I’ve never put any time into such things.” Sunset immediately wondered why she admitted that. To a stranger no less. Perhaps it was time to take control of the conversation, take the offence. “You never told me what you’re doing out here.” “I’m talking to you, and soon I’ll be going to the party over there. What about you?” The Doktor suddenly stood and leaned her masked face towards Sunset, so close that Sunset could smell the rose and lavender in the beak. “What are you doing here?” Sunset glanced between the Halloween party she had been invited to and the curious person next to her. Finally, she stepped back. “Leaving. I am going home.” Sunset turned to leave, and began walking. She had only made it a few steps when she was stopped by The Doktor’s voice. Not the words, the no longer muffled voice. “You’ll miss a great celebration,” Pinkie Pie looked at Sunset with her mask in her hands, her hood pulled back. “I was kind of hoping that meeting you here meant that you had accepted my invitation, Sunset.” Through her slasher villain mask, Sunset stared at one of the girls who had stolen everything from her just four weeks earlier. Pinkie was the one who invited her, but why? Sunset had tried to kill her! Sunset knew better than most that Pinkie was more than giggles and gumdrops, but even so -or perhaps because of that -how could she forgive so easily? Pinkie’s eyes, sky blue and deep as the sea, spoke to her sincerity. "Why go somewhere everyone hates me? Where everyone knows what I've done?" Sunset asked, not willing to believe Pinkie and no longer trying to disguise her voice. However, Sunset did not give Pinkie time to respond before turning away. She did not take three steps before she was once more stopped by Pinkie. This time, it was the words spoken. "I don't hate you. I know a lot of what you've done, but I don't hate you." Pinkie took Sunset stopping, even without turning around, as a sign to continue. "I didn't invite you to mock or humiliate you, or whatever you think. I invited you because I want to be your friend." The words hung in the air, and for a time neither girl moved. Pinkie was about to give up when Sunset broke the silence. "I'm not going to a Halloween party," Sunset said quietly and without turning. "But if you're serious, maybe you can show me that horror movie sometime." While Sunset walked away, Pinkie watched her with a hopeful smile. Pinkie looked back towards the party and vaulted the fence. She put her mask and hood back on as she walked, while remarking to herself how well her first conversation with Sunset after the Fall Formal had gone. I haven't ever given you the second chance you deserve, but I will make it right with you, Sunset Shimmer. Thank you for this chance, I won't waste it.
[E] Night CourtAuthor's Note Genre tags: MLP: FiM, slice of life. Character tags: Raven Inkwell, Princess Luna. Synopsis: Raven Inkwell works to give Princess Luna the holiday off. [E] Night Court Although she would never admit to it aloud, Raven Inkwell was the most informed pony in Canterlot Castle. As Princess Celestia's Royal and Personal Aide as well as Seneschal of Canterlot Castle, Raven had to know everything about everything. For Day Court matters, Raven Inkwell was in charge of filtering through requests to ensure that only relevant cases reached Princess Celestia's ears and was expected to be able to advise the Princess on said relevant cases. Raven was also expected to be able to make quick judgements on cases that are taken to Day Court without an official request. Her Royal Aide duties were mostly related to Day Court and politics, both domestic and foreign. As the Princess’ Personal Aide, Raven needed to keep to date on Princess Celestia’s physical and mental health and take steps to ensure that they are always positive. Beyond that, being a Personal Aide meant being a twenty-four hour servant. The Seneschal of Canterlot Castle kept order in the castle, ensuring that everything was on time and functioning effectively. Raven delegated some of these responsibilities, the Royal Chef organised the kitchen for instance, but she always knew what was happening. Since Prince Shining Armour married Princess Cadance and moved to the Crystal Empire, Raven had to help the Royal Captain Pro Tempore coordinate the Royal Guard until the next Royal Captain was chosen. Every meal, every movement of the maids, every rotation of the Royal Guards, every case in Day Court, every political move made in the world, Raven Inkwell needed to be able to anticipate it and plan for it. When Princess Luna came back, and later reopened Night Court, Raven was anticipating the Princess of the Moon to take a Royal Aide of her own fairly quickly, which would have made both of their jobs easier. This was the first of many mistakes that Raven Inkwell made in predicting Princess Luna. — It would be the fifth Nightmare Night since Princess Luna's return, and it would be the fourth time that Raven Inkwell was expected to host Night Court in her stead. The first Nightmare Night after the Night Court had been reinstated Raven had been asked to fill in for her at the last minute, so she had thought that Princess Luna had not been planning on missing Court but did not want to cancel it. When she was asked again the year after, she began to wonder if she had been mistaken. The third year, she knew that had been. This time, Raven had prepared. She had slept in the afternoon so that she could stay awake all night, and she had gotten Princess Celestia’s Honour Guard Captain to fill in some of her roles for the day and morning after. She had read all Night Court requests so that she would know what to expect for the night, save for the fact that Princess Luna invites walk-in cases, and she had researched Princess Luna’s previous cases to understand her precedent. Raven was waiting in front of Princess Luna’s chambers, having been called for. Even as the door opened and she was greeted warmly, Raven Inkwell, the mare who needed to know everything about everything, could not begin to anticipate why she had been called or what the Princess of Night would say. “Welcome, Miss Inkwell. Please sit,” Princess Luna said with a smile, gesturing to the seat cross from her. Princess Luna was seated on a cushion behind a low table, the table was relatively small but would still be able to comfortably sit four. Raven sat down after greeting the Princess in kind. On the table there was a tea set and beside Princess Luna was a book that Raven did not recognise. “Miss Inkwell,” Princess Luna began. “We are certain that you are curious as to Our summoning you here, but fear not, We merely wished to assist you in your task to-night.” Although Princess Luna was getting much better at using modern speech patterns, she rarely referred to herself with singular pronouns in private and still tended to err towards formality. She also tended to slip back when at either extreme of comfort or stress. Her use of you/your in place of thou/thy told Raven that the Princess was taking this seriously, and was not totally relaxed. “We understand that in previous years, you have felt you were doing little more than advising a mare you never desired to serve. In an effort to alleviate that feeling, We would like to give you this.” Princess Luna held out a small box in her magic. “Thank you, Princess,” Raven said respectfully as she took the box. She opened it to find the Moon’s Seal, a silver emblem -this particular one in the form of a pin -that carried the authority of the Diarchy. It was enchanted so that its bearer could be identified as Princess Luna’s chosen by pressing their hoof against it. “We hereby grant you the right to speak in Our place and with Our voice,” Princess Luna said when Raven looked up. “If you feel that something should or should not be granted royal support, you may now make that choice.” “Princess, with all respect, I cannot take this. I am the Solar Aide, not the Lunar.” Raven set the box down on the table. Princess Luna’s smile fell, but she did not appear upset. “We know who you are. It is because of that, not in spite of it, that We offer this. We have known you to be a good mare, and believe that you shall not abuse this right. But if you do not wish it, We will not force it upon you.” “May I speak freely?” “Please.” “You give your trust too easily,” Raven said, looking straight in Princess Luna’s eyes as she spoke. “I have served you as any in this castle would have, but I serve your sister first. This should only be given to your most trusted ally; your Lunar Aide.” There was a moment of silence before Princess Luna spoke. “Over one thousand years ago, We -I had a Lunar Aide. He was my sister’s second choice, so I got him. He resented me, and I resented him. I sent him away within a year of hiring him, and have since not had an aide. My sister will always be the Princess of Equestria, the one everypony loves and everypony wants to serve. I trust you because you have never hidden your intent: to serve Equestria. To you it is not about a princess, it is merely what is best for Equestria.” Raven thought about Princess Luna’s words, and made a decision. She reached over and took the Seal, pinning it to the left side of her collar. “... For the night, I will wear it. I shall give it back in the morning.” — Raven Inkwell sat on Princess Luna’s throne on a raised dais in the Stardust Hall, where Night Court was held. The hall had been an unused section before Princess Luna’s return, and had been redesigned for her use. The walls and ceiling were glass with marble archways spaced throughout, the floor was the same deep blue and purple marble. The hall was lit with blue-flame torches on every other pillar, and the other pillars held a bundle of white lilies. The glass and low light allowed those inside to appreciate the night sky. Night Court had opened, and Raven had already dealt with the usual tricks meant to make her say yes to something one of the Princesses already refused. The rest of the night would be new business. Raven had seen a trend in Night Court in her previous times hosting: as time went, more and more Night Court became a place for artists to make requests of the crown. Day Court was all political, state affairs, and concerns of nobles. In contrast, Night Court found museums, galleries, and others seeking to expand their collections or host events. While Raven listened to petitioners' requests, she considered what could have led to the difference in the matters the courts handled. In Day Court the only individuals were nobles seeking Princess Celestia’s favour, but in Night Court Raven was about to rule on a pegasus’ request to host a debut showcase for his paintings and those of others like him. “It is my belief,” Raven said after Acrylic Ocean finished his presentation for using the Royal Gardens as a venue. “That Princess Luna would support your endeavour. You shall be given the venue for your show, come back in one week for specific arrangements.” Raven punctuated her statement by signing his official request with her name and then Princess Luna’s cutie mark. Acrylic Ocean thanked her profusely before leaving, leaving Raven alone to wonder if Princess Luna actually would have approved his request. Before she could be too distracted by doubt, Raven nodded to the guards to let the next pony in. The night had only just begun, she could not afford to second guess herself. Night Court passed slowly, a few cases were approved, some were denied, but most of them were left for Princess Luna’s review with a verdict suggestion from Raven. Raven used a simple language in both courts to leave advice for the princess: a mark on the upper right corner of the official request. A circle meant that Raven thought it should pass, an ‘X’ meant she thought it should not pass, and a dash meant that she had no advice to offer. After eight hours of petitioners mixed with paperwork, the clock struck six and Night Court closed. Raven still had to fill out some paperwork, and also ensure that all the documents would reach the correct places and be processed properly. About two hours after Night Court closed, Raven began walking towards her room to go to sleep. Raven reached her door and began to open it when she heard somepony behind her. She glanced over without much interest, and saw Princess Luna walking towards her. The Princess was still wearing her costume, most likely a vampony, and was not wearing her crown. “Greetings, Miss Inkwell! We were worried that we would not reach you before the wings of sleep enveloped you.” Occasionally, Raven wondered if Princess Luna actually used to speak in such dramatic turns of phrase, or if she was just enjoying that nopony ever called her out on them in modern times because they believed that she did. “How can I help you Princess?” Raven asked despite how tired she felt. “We wished to inform you that We spoke to sister, you need not worry over your duties for the day. They shall be handled by another, you must simply rest.” Raven had to admit, that was a pleasant surprise. She had been planning on only being able to sleep for a few hours, this would make her schedule much easier. “Thank you, Princess. Did you enjoy your holiday?” Raven asked, mostly to be polite but also because she was curious. “T’was a jovial celebration of horror and sweets, most enjoyable.” Princess Luna thought for a moment before speaking again. “Next year, you should join Us.” In her surprise and lack of sleep, Raven momentarily forgot decorum. “What?” “Four years now you have worked hard to allow Us a night of freedom, and something tells Us you are the type to never take time off.” Raven could not deny it, she only missed days if she was truly, deeply sick. “You shall be pleased by Ponyville’s Nightmare Night, We think.” “Princess, with all respect, I do not want to visit Ponyville for Nightmare Night. I enjoy my work and I do not care for holidays,” Raven said carefully, not wanting to upset the Princess. “We shall not press the issue now, but do not think that We have given up. Sweet dreams, Miss Inkwell.” “Sleep well, Princess.” Raven entered her room as Princess Luna walked away. Princess Luna never said ‘good night’ or ‘sleep well’, instead she always said ‘sweet dreams’. Although Raven had to admit that this was one of the less peculiar facets of the Princess of the Moon. Raven skipped her normal routine in favour of getting to sleep faster, simply taking her collar, hair tie, and glasses off and putting them on her bedside table before slipping under the covers. It was not until she had just about fallen asleep that she realised she had forgotten to give back the Moon’s Seal pin. Raven briefly considered getting up to find Princess Luna, but decided that it would be easier to just return it at dinner later that day. Raven had no way of knowing that Princess Luna would not be there, nor that the next time they did speak Princess Luna would try so hard to convince her to join her for Nightmare Night that the pin would be forgotten. Through habit formed in the months that followed, putting the Moon’s Seal onto her collar became a part of Raven’s morning routine.
