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In all of Equestria there's one night that is fun and exciting with a dollop of scary: Nightmare Night. Everypony loved, Nightmare Night even Princess Luna, despite the fact that it highlighted a time in her life she didn't want to remember. This year, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and their families were going to spend it in Ponyville.
♡♡♡
Luna looked at her daughter. Northern Lights wanted so much to be like her mother and hated it when ponies brought up that her mom used to be Nightmare Moon. This made Luna a little worried about bringing Northern Lights to Ponyville for Nightmare Night since there would be images of Nightmare Moon everywhere.
"A little," Luna said adjusting Northern Lights' sea pony costume. "Here we have a costume ball. In Ponyville its more like a festival. And you and your cousins will get to go door-to-door collecting candy."
Northern Lights got excited at that. She loved candy.
"Let's go before the candy's all gone!"
♡♡♡
Ponyville was all decked out for Nightmare Night. The Main Six, their friends, and their children had agreed to meet at the Castle of Friendship to get their children (and themselves) ready. Even Fluttershy was there having gotten a little braver about Nightmare Night since she and Thunderlane got together.
"How do I look, Mom?" Sweetheart asked showing off her Mage Meadowbrook costume.
"You look perfect," Fluttershy said.
Sweetheart, Streamer, Cinnamon Apple, Gemstone, Lighting Bolt, and Sun Flare were dressed as the Six Pillars (Streamer was Somnambula, Cinnamon Apple was Rockhoof, Gemstone was Mistmane, Lighting Bolt was Flash Magnus, and Sun Flare was Star Swirl the Bearded). The others had chosen different costumes. Confide dressed as was Gummie, Piñata was dressed as Boneless, Swift Wind was dressed as Daring Do, Zala was dressed as a witch, Zimba was dressed as a timberwolf, Wanda was dressed as a magician, Sparks was dressed as Scorpain, and Morning Radiance was dressed as a siren.
"Can we go get candy now?" Sparks asked.
"Not yet, Sparks," Smolder said as Rarity helped her put the finishing touches on her princess costume. "We're waiting for the others."
"We're here!" Discord called out as he, Celestia, Cadance, Shining Armor, Luna, and Luna's husband Alucard entered the room with their children.
Celestia was dressed as an angel, Discord was dressed as his Ogres & Oubliettes character, Shining Armor was dressed as a knight, Cadance was dressed as the goddess of love, Luna was dressed as the moon goddess, Alucard was dressed as a vampire, Mirage was dressed as a hippogriff, Copy Cat was dressed as a griffin, and Flurry Heart was dressed as a changeling.
"You guys look good, too," Shining Armor said admiring Twilight's Athena costume, Flash Sentry's dragon costume, Spike's royal guard costume, Pinkie Pie's Alice in Wonderland costume, Cheese Sandwich's Mad Hatter costume, Rainbow Dash and Sorin's Shadowbolt costumes, Fluttershy and Thunderlane's Princess Odet and Prince Derik costumes, Zicora and Cattail's forest goddess and shaman costumes, Trixie's wizard costume, Applejack and Caramel's cowgirl and cowboy costumes, and Rarity and Fancy Pant's Cinderella and Prince Charming costumes.
"Can we go get candy now?!" Sparks asked tugging on his mother's wing.
"Yes we can," Smolder said.
♡♡♡
"We've been looking forward to this ever since our parents said we were coming to Ponyville for Nightmare Night," Copy Cat said.
"Next year you should all come to Canterlot," Celestia said. "We have a very nice costume ball. It's not the Grand Galloping Gala but it is fun."
"I like fun!" said Pinkie Pie.
Everyone laughed. Luna turned to make a remark to Northern Lights only to discover her daughter wasn't there. Looking back, she saw her standing in the road, a look of shock on her face.
"Northern Lights, are you okay?" Luna asked as the others stopped and looked back.
Northern Lights didn't say anything. Her eyes just took in all the Nightmare Moon decorations before turning around and running off.
"Northern Lights!" Luna called.
"I'll go find her," Alucard said.
"No," Luna said. "I'll go look for her, Alucard. I think she and I need to have a mother/daughter talk."
♡♡♡
Luna found her daughter on the outskirts of town not far from the Everfree Forest.
"I remember my first Nightmare Night. I was so determined to prove that I wasn't anything like Nightmare Moon. But it seemed like every time I would get comfortable something would happen and the other ponies would run off screaming."
"They hate Nightmare Moon," Northern Lights said.
"They don't hate Nightmare Moon," Luna said. "She was just the last one to be banished 1,000 years before Twilight and the others connected with the Elements of Harmony. It could have easily been Gorgar, Tierik, the Pony of Shadows, King Sombra, or even your Uncle Discord."
"But still all the foals screaming at the sight of Nightmare Moon isn't fair."
"Northern Lights," Luna said raising her daughter's muzzle with her wing. "Let me tell you something I learned on my first Nightmare Night. Sometimes it's really fun to be scared."
Northern Lights looked at her mother in amazement.
"So," Luna said. "Do you want to go back and give Nightmare Night another try?"
Northern Lights nodded.
♡♡♡
The other princesses and their families had been invited to spend the night at the Castle of Friendship rather than make the long trip back to Canterlot and the Crystal Empire.
"Did you have fun?" Alucard asked his daughter as Luna tucked her in.
Yawning, Northern Lights nodded.
"That's good," Luna said leaning forward to kiss her daughter good night. "Happy Nightmare Night, my little moonbeam. And happy birthday."