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Pax babbles happily as his family sets off towards the first house, until his mouth is stopped up with one of the candy corns. The colt is still small enough to hold only one in his mouth at the time. Blueblood chuckled indulgently, as he helps Niilaavin fix the snow-sphinx on his back. "This would make a fine decoration for your sleeping-spot in the back garden, as long as it didn't melt." He remarked, as the Sphinx nodded. "Craftstallions such as you were well-regarded in my homeland... though, given we lived in a desert, we'd have sought a diplomatic pact with an Ice Queen specifically *because* the ice would melt, water being so precious... Though, Peanut butter would be a most desireable exotic good as well; those legumes were not grown in our lands." It was just as well Pax was too little to call the lecture boring; Blueblood for his part found it fascinating, and it occupied the group right up until the point where they would knock upon the first door. He'd let little Icy say the magic words, as Pax was too young to. However, he would take point, just so the adorable little colt could aid in charming some tribute from the houses... Meanwhile, back at the Castle Grounds, Star Crusader was getting into character herself, the more stoic counterpart to Anwir's energetic and cackly guard. She fixed her eye on the approaching Moonlight, recognizing her as a young pony that Blueblood had given some good counsel and advice to some time ago. That had led to many changes in her life, mostly for the better. She thought that worthy of special attention, as she fixed the 'spice mare' with a grin. And for a stoic pony unused to expressiveness, that could show up as something rather unsettling crossing her face. Which was just in the spirit of the evening! "I don't know... this one seems already dressed to be a tasty treat for our mistress, much more so than launching pumpkins for candy prizes... And as for this merchant behind her, well, perhaps she might have some exotic wares that would aid her in such a task, hm?"

Also being taken for his first ever trick or treating was... well, another royal foal! Pax may not have had wings or a horn, but he was an adorable little colt all the same, babbling happily as he rode upon his father's back, dressed up in small golden facsimiles of the headdress and bangles of the ancient Pharoah Trottenkhamen. Not that he knew that he was so illustriously garbed, the little earth pony was still too young to see today as anything but a fun time with his family. No, like many such an event ostensibly held for foals, this night was as much about his parents as anything else. While this was far from Prince Blueblood's first Nightmare Night, it was his first time trick-or-treating, his own upbringing being a little too... snooty for such lower class activities (although there still existed in public circulation a photograph of him as a young colt dressed up as a pirate...) As a newly-minted father, he had determined that he was not going to subject his own foals to missing such wonderful memories. Plus, he always did like to get dressed up himself... Using some guidance from a living expert, he'd commissioned a costume wearing the mythogically accurate garb of Anubis, the ancient Neighgyptian god of judgment, complete with a jackal-headdress. Dunnie, his wife, would have a similar getup as Pasht, she of the feline-headed goddess. His other wife, Star Crusader, would be with Luna preparing festivities at the Castle, dressed as the lioness-headed Sehkmet. The whole ensemble, of course, was finalized and made perfect by the living expert himself, Niilaavin the Sphinx! Altogether, the four of them made a magnificent procession down the main avenue of Canterlot, passing in front of the palace in their quest for candy. Seeing a party of fellow festival-goers emerge from the palace grounds, Blueblood launched into a regal greeting in-character of his garb. "Ra in his absence grant his blessings oh- Hold on-!" He stopped right in the middle as his brain flashed him a sudden recognition of the little filly in the snowpony costume. "Icy? Surely not..."

Having listened to the house's host give his explanation, Anubis turned to the pharoah on his back. "Well now, your majesty, which parrot will you have to be your champion?" Pax, giggling, pointed out his favorite. "Dwagon, dwagon!" Pointing out the bird with the dragon wings, fortunately not intersecting with Icy's choice. The race was on! ~~~ Relieved to hear that the many relics brought out of TT's cloak were museum replicas, Star had to give a twisted little smirk at the spiel concerning the total grift that was the Alicorn Amulet. "All sales final, no returns I take it." She had to appreciate the elegance of the self-contained rebuke to the conceited and megalomaniacal magic users. As for Moonlight Glitter... she wasn't anywhere near that bad. She was getting into the spirit of the thing, and not making things weird when "Nightmare Moon" threatened to gobble her up. She'd seen it happen before; Princess Celestia may have said there was no wrong way to fantasize, but she wasn't the sister that had to actually go into the dreams of her little ponies... "The pumka-pult is quite simple. You turn this wheel to aim side to side, this one to move back and forth, then pull this lever to launch the pumpkin. The closer you get to the bulls-eye, the more candy you get."

"Not a bad political move," Blueblood would reply to Niilaavin, indulging in a bit of adult talk before returning to the serious business of foalishly frightening delights tonight, "Though do wait until little Icy's grown up... again, before you do that." He wondered how different his friend's experience was from his own, back during a brief period of magical age regression. That had been a complete regression, leaving no adult memories or development, if he recalled, meaning that not everypony involved showed their best selves. He knew he didn't. But Ice Storm seemed a much happier filly than he knew she'd been at that age. Probably why Luna, or Twilight, or whoever had done this to her. Let her have memories of a happy fillyhood before the literal eternity of adulthood that would follow. And he had to admit, the pony that had decorated the first house the party were going to had definitely gone all out to ensure that any foal would come away with memories! Coming up behind the small alicorn, who gave the traditional greeting, Blueblood nodded with regality at the 'Timberwolf' hosting the game. "And what is this? A sport for kings, wagering sweet treats?" "Game! Treat!" Pax called out from atop his father's back. ~~~ Meanwhile, at the Castle Grounds, Star Crusader was attempting her best try at a smirk in five years. "I am sure the Night Lady is well capable of handling even the great spices of Whinnydia. But the question for you is... can you handle gourd artillery?" That... didn't come out as impressive as she would like, though the dramatic sweep of the wing towards the pumpking trebuchet was on point! Fortunately, her fellow guard was better at putting on a spooky show, backing her up with some offered candy, and of course the Princess wouldn't let such a challenge go unanswered!... Though, she did give a much more sincere glare at the mention of the 'alicorn amulet'. "Don't tell my husband you have that. Either its fake, and he'll be disappointed, or its real, and I'll have to reign in his Imperiousness. Again."

TT was outside Canterlot castle, doing some finishing touches to her costume. It was a rather short trip from her parent's home, where she'd spent a few days catching up with what had been going on - an unfortunate side effect of spending weeks (or MOONS) researching obscure languages in obscure places was becoming totally out of touch with current events. Now reasonably up to date, she was going to the Nightmare Night party as a Manechurian curio merchant. She hid her altered wings under a heavy, wide dark blue cape with silver embroidery that went in a wide spiral, looking like a turtle's shell. It was a minor magic item - a Second Chance Cloak, made by Manechurian folk magic. Held closed by a ying-yang clasp. Underneath the cloak, she'd put on a white vest with many visible pockets (and twice as many hidden ones). One of her mom's uniforms when she was a cardsharp in Las Pegasus. TT had even more trinkets and knicknacks in her satchel - her dad, being a curio merchant, added the stuffed full satchel as a last minute touch. Plus he had some stock he wanted to get rid of, so why not accomplish two tasks at the same time. Of the four necklaces she was wearing, two were minor magical items : a small Klein bottle enchanted to make any liquid inside it glow faintly, and a Fair Play amulet made by artisans from the Tenochtitlan basin. It was rather ugly - like the sculptor started carving a jaguar, then changed his mind halfway through to make a pony, and while trying to fix it accidentally carved a sort of frog-like thing that flowed into coiled up snake. Sort of. The other two were the first place medal of Ponyville's Running of the Leaves, and a luck amulet from a vendor in Saddle Arabia that she picked up on a STAR mission. Or believes she did. The fine silk Winged Slippers almost didn't clash with the rest of the outfit. But then again, a wandering merchant without a wagon would have to carry all their esoteric goods on their person, so the clutter made her more authentic. After all, even the largest backpack can only contain so much ! And it is much easier to display and sell your wares if they are within reach. *** "A rather large turnout." she noted to herself as she looked about, wondering if anypony she knew was here. She noted that at least two groups of ponies had coordinated their outfits : one group of three looked like the snowpony Olaf, Anna, and an Elsa (being portrayed by a grumpy unicorn stallion). It looked like the filly dressed as a snowpony had horns AND wings - must be the newest alicorn. Not sure of what; need to investigate later. The other group was a small pantheon of Neighgyptian deities in nigh perfect, museum quality costumes - the judge of the dead and protector of tombs Anubis, the lioness-headed Sekhmet, and the feline-headed Pasht ('Night Huntress with sharp eye and pointed claw'), a small colt dressed as a pharoah, and an actual sphinx ! Who cast a glorious illusion of a primordial deity. "Glad that's an illusion ..." TT mused to herself, "Primordial deities showing up is never a good thing. They're either evil, and want to destroy everything. Or they're good, and want to make the world better by destroying everything and rebuilding it from scratch." she recalled from the plots of many stories over the ages. "Those must be Prince Blueblood, his wife, and his other wife, and his son there with the sphinx." she figured once she recalled what her mother had quizzed her on earlier. The sphinx seemed to be watching over the little earth pony 'pharoah'. "Oh, right ! Blueblood became a dad recently ! Dang ! I really need to spend more time in Equestria if I needed mom to tell me that !" she noted as she wandered into the courtyard to see what sort of festivities had been set up.

"Dmꜣt!" The noise from Niil's mouth, Pax was once again playing the 'is this a real word?' game all little foals played at his age, a game Blueblood had determined that his son would not be handicapped in through any baby-talk from his parents. The syllables rattled in the little colt's skull, before reaching a hoof to where his mother's feathers were brushing him. "Dmꜣt?" He asked, looking at the giant face of the sphinx, and on hearing the encouraging "Yes!" from Niilaavin, he happily giggled, repeating the game with his father's horn and " ꜥB, ḥnwt!" Laughing happily at two round of the game, he looked over to see ꜥb, ḥnwt his father talk to little Icy, and seeing the Alicorn he called out, "Dmꜣt ꜥb, ḥnwt!" "That's right son!" Proud as any father, he gave Pax a magical pat as a reward, before hitching him back more securely, and incidentally more in reach of Dunnie's wings as he returned her nuzzle. "Alright, I believe you're right dear, it's time to set off! And if the chocolate on offer is as good as that which we got from Candy's shop, this will be a perfect first Nightmare Night for our Pax!" And with that he set out, letting Blizzard and Icy take up point on the procession, out to trick-or-treat their first neighborhood. Pax, for his part, seemed to be paying more attention to the little snow sphinx given to him by Blizzard. A first for many there, whether foal or adult.... From the courtyard, Star Crusader waved goodbye to her family with a wave of a giant wing, before settling back, nodding at Princess Luna. "I will take the games if the General prefers candy duty. I am particularly robust to the rambunctiousness of sugar-filled young ones, and can help them burn off a little energy." Looking over her shoulder at the preparation, she asked, "Is the pumpkin catapult properly calibrated? I'm not sure if its been fixed since last year."

Despite the fairly improvised nature of the sporting event, Blueblood would give a cheer alongside his son worthy of the sport of kings. Or even the stadium cheers of certain buckball fan mobs. "Tenebrae Lux! Light up the night with your winning streak!" "Streak!" Little Pax echoed from Blueblood's back, while up above Niil gave a more feral roar of encouragement. The Prince briefly worried that might panic the birds, but apparently they were made of sterner stuff, as that only encouraged an extra burst of speed on the part of the racers. It was going to be close... Closer, at any rate, than the misfired gourd of Moonlight, which careened wide left into the apple-bobbing tub, displacing water and fruit alike in a spectacular splash! "Mmmm... yup, you're definitely getting gobbled first for that shot." Star spouted in a perfect deadpan. "You are awarded no candy, and may the Nightmare have mercy upon your hide." She gave a smirk towards Midnight and Anwir, who were getting into their own characters. "That is, unless my colleagues think the plainest blood still sweet."

~~~Ice Storm~~~ The small crack of lightning had pulled Ice's attention away from the door that she had just knocked on. What she saw, was Nightmare moon talking to some other ponies and one of them had a couple of artifacts. Both the artifacts, and the pony in question made her heart sink into her stomach. The pony was a member of her own organization. In fact, they were one of the oldest members that were at the initial meeting that she had held in secret in the basement of her Frozen Delight's store here in Canterlot so many years ago. The artifacts were ones that she knew for a fact that they were supposed to be locked in the archives. As soon as she saw the reactions of everyone around them though, she let out a sigh of relief. Of course they would be replicas on a night like this. Ice felt kinda bad that she had even thought otherwise. She was usually so good at looking at the good before the bad, and for some reason she jumped straight to bad. She shook those thoughts though as the door opened, they found themselves staring an elaborate design that looked like a track. A pegasus came out as well, his coat a bright green that reminded her of the leaves from the trees that were in Ponyville. He was also in costume, looking roughly like a timberwolf from the forest that bordered the aforementioned village. He started speaking to them and talked about a parakeet race. As she looked around she could now see signs for it all over. She must have missed that at first. The pegasus started explaining everything and Icy clopped her hooves together. "Oh! Oh! I choose Nox with the cowcolt hat!" she giggled.

Verdant blinked a few times at the group coming up to his booth - it looked like a baby alicorn dressed like Olaf - looking absolutely adorable, a sphinx, and the Prince Blueblood with his family in tow, all in matching Neighgyptian costumes? Verdant swallowed nervously. He sure hoped his game was up to snuff now. As the group approached, he straightened his costume and gave the table one last once-over, mostly making sure his parakeets were here and ready. Nox, the light blue parakeet, nestled into the moss nest, and Lux, who was pure white, fluttered around the table, both looking rather excited. Then he cleared his throat and said in a cheerful voice, "Welcome to the Parakeet Race! Fun for all ages, fun at all stages - just a quick explanation and then we can get on with the race. My name is Verdant Forest, and these are my parakeets, Nox and Lux-" and, just as he had trained them to do, they each chirped and hopped upon hearing their name - "and they are our little racers. You will choose, as two individuals or two groups, which parakeet you want to support." He pointed a hoof at the three props on the table and added, "These will give them certain...'superpowers' but you can only choose one! So choose wisely." The three props he had laid out were a little cowcolt hat, a superhero cape, and miniature dragon wings. Only he and the parakeets knew what they did - and he had carefully trained the parakeets to respond differently while wearing each prop. "Everyone will, of course, get a piece of candy at the end, but the winner, or winners, will get two! So choose your groups, choose your fighters, and choose your prop!"

Nightmare Moon's ear would twitch as she heard the 'excitement' her minions where having with a few of their guests. Her eyes would glance over at Star Crusader, Anwir. A magical fog would surround them, as Nightmare Moon's glowing eyes could be seen approaching towards Moonlight Glitter as she laughed menacingly. "Well well, it appears we have found our first tribute." She would circle the group, concealed within the fog. "Such a bold move for a little pony, though I do enjoy my meals served with a side of ego...." She'd chuckle for a moment. "With fear as a desert. The night is still young little pony. I advise you to enjoy your last hours amongst your friends before meal time. Tick tock little pony. Tick tock." as she would lunge out of the fog to stand between Moonlight and Tongue Twister. "Boo!" She did not forget about the pony behind her presumed dinner, a merchant. "Impressive wares that you carry, though I would hope they are replicas, seeing as everypony is in costume around us. Would it not make sense to be peddling costume jewelry? If somepony was foalish enough to try to use these...trinkets against me, I hope they are prepared to suffer thy wrath!" She'd stop a hoof as lightning would crack around them. "Now then. let me inspect this...alicorn amulet..."

Niilaavin’s ears flicked as his head pulled up and looked at the Castle, head leaning gently to the side as he took in the sounds most ponies would struggle to hear this far away. “Seems some event is starting.” He remarked, mostly to himself. It was where most seemed to be heading now after all. But his pride was not and so he was not. And maybe it was for the best with such a young kitten to look after. Large gatherings were never safe for them and often just too scary… Looking away he eyed up the ponies leaving for the vent, his eyes tracking the young pony named Ice for a moment longer. So she was something important it seemed. He’d take note too remember her and give her a proper greeting next time. Well it was time to move and begin the hunt for treats as he tested the sacks hooked up onto his sides. His servants made his blessing. Well carrying goods was far below him he was willing to do so for Blue and pride. And there was no way Pax was going to get so many sweets as to fill both bags up. Hopefully. But nothing his magic can’t fix later to make it -look- like pax filled up two sphinx sized bags of sweets. “Thinking of ice, the cold of this land is still strang. And too think I plan to claim land even more north of here. We may lack an Ice Queen, but making some deals with ponies talented with the cold is not too far-fetched a plan after all even now.” He added in remake to Blue before looking down at the doorway of the House. As the door opened he had to almost lay down on his belly to look inside as stayed behind the ponies, trying his best to look friendly. Mostly. A giant star cat with six suns for eyes was hardly the most ‘peaceful’ looking thing. Still, he was trying. The cute foal sitting in front of his muzzle did wonders to make one less scary.

Nightmare Night was a fright for any teenager. It was so totally uncool. All the little foals ran around being super grody and screaming about candy. Candy? Uggh. Talk about not watching your figure or diet. They'd regret that when they were older. That stuff went right to your flanks. It didn't really appeal to her very much, at least when it came to just walking around town and getting candy. But there were other aspects that she found pretty rad. Dressing up meant you got to rock a wicked cool outfit. You could get a little silly, a little scary, a little extreme, maybe even a little sexy. That and oncr you got past all the little foals running around for candy, there were tons of parties you could be invited to. And Moonlight? She was invited to a lot of parties indeed. And who could blame them? She was one happening 'chick', as Gallus would say. She was hipper than anypony else and had a killer sense in music, fashion, friends, and fun. Few ponies could compete with her when it came to popularity in the School of Friendship and fewer still were those who thought they could. Weeks ahead of Nightmare Night she had invitations to a half-dozen different parties around town. She decided to attend a party near the Canterlot Gardens. She had friends in pretty high places, and she was excited to attend a party where only the most sweet and elite would attend. It was bound to be...very exciting. She decided she would go as a Spice Mare, one of the members of that similarly named filly group. Costume wise they were loud, bold, and a little risque but nothing too far removed from what one would expect. It was bright pink with some nice sapphires she had sewn in by hoof and some striking boots that went just above her fetlocks. She looked pretty cute. She looked more than cute, she looked great. And she was ready to rock the casbah! Which was the name of the building near the Gardens she was going to. The Casbah. Casbah. She didn't know what a Casbah was, but it sounded totally cool. Anyway, she left the school grounds in a jazzy mood, boarded a train, and was in Canterlot as the day started to bear fruit, getting complimented with word and look many times before she trotted off the train with mane and tail held high, in time passing the castle as the groups preparing there started to prepare themselves for the night ahead...

With the mention of wings, Dunnie extended her own to blanket her foal and pull Blueblood closer as he nuzzled her cheek. The pegasus let her feathers flex and gently pet Pax's face. And her own nose nuzzled up against Blueblood's neck and she held this unabashed public display of affection all while Bluey was talking to Ice Storm. She also overheard Nil's question, but chose not to answer, afterall it seemed Ice wasn't interested in answering the question either. Dunnie released her husband from her feathery grip and then turned to nuzzle her foal. "Nil!" She called out, "[Halt!]" She called out in the Sphynx language, "Er...wait, you've already stopped. [Lower!] Then!" Dunnie called out again. As much as she wanted to, she resisted the urge to steal Pax away from Bluey. "I think it's time to go get those treats, then. Show off our excellent costumes streetside, yeah?"

~~~Ice Storm~~~ Ice chucked a bit with Candy when she joked about Blizzard making a house out of Ice and Snow before she paused. "Huh, I guess that's more common than I would have thought. when I got my cutie mark, I woke up in an igloo that I've always assumed was made with my magic. I don't know for sure though. All I remember was I was in a blizzard on Canterhorn Peak when I felt a surge of energy, blacked out, and then woke up in an igloo with my cutie mark. But I guess that's another thing we have in common with each other!" Ice giggled. Watching Blizzard get into things a bit more after her nudge made Ice Storm smile even more. Tonight was definitely not the night to be moping about. That is, unless you were the kind of pony that was easily scared by things, then Ice could see nightmare night not being fun for them. Unless they were a pony that had fun by being scared... then... Ice shook her head briefly to keep herself from going down the expanding rabbit hole of what ifs. She heard Blizzard introduce himself as Queen Elsa before hearing Candy refer to her as Olaf. This made her giggle quite a bit before her attention was turned back to Blueblood and His friends. She then saw Dunnie next to Blue and she seemed to be surprised as Ice nodded again. It was becoming increasingly apparent to her that she was the center of attention at the moment, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. Ice would nod when Blue mentions that the decision for her ascension was not one that was made lightly by Twilight. "I can imagine just simply on the kind of test I had to go through. I had to fight a copy of myself, and walk into the center of a compressed star. I must say that this wasn't the outcome that I was expecting, but... I'm not complaining in the slightest," she replied as the sphinx had made its way up them. It was quite a sight to see indeed, and it at least looked to be friendly. He asked Blue if he knew her, and Ice would nod. "Blue and I actually go way back! I think I was still living in Ponyville when I first met him and we hit it off as friends. I don't remember what we were doing, but I did remember that of all ponies, he was the one I least expected on changing my views on Nobility. Rarity made him sound completely different than how he was, and from there we just kinda became friends, though my dealings with STAR and other Equestrian Military expeditions limited me from taking things any further than that," Ice spoke. "But this isn't the night for old stories. This is a night of fun, and I as Olaf, hereby decree that we are going to have the best Nightmare Night ever!"

Because the sphinx was closely associated with him, Blueblood thought Niil's display was absolutely magnificent. He'd have felt quite differently if the big guy was showing him up at a party, of course, but that was just the ego that came with Royalty. He was sure the sphinx would understand that. "Wing! Wing!" Pax called out from atop Bluey's back. Their precocious little colt had just begun to learn his first words. And thanks to Niilaavin's active interest and aid in raising the little tyke, some of those words were in sphinx! Blueblood appreciated this commitment to bilingualism; it would make it that much easier to restore sphinxes as a species and culture if their native tongue could be used and understood by others. Chuckling as he nuzzled Dunnie, the prince whispered in her ear, "Just wait until we get to the first house!" Chocolates would no doubt be given in quantity as tribute! In the meantime, though, there was the other members of their party to greet. Including the newly minted alicorn... "Well, I suppose its good to have my opinions validated. I should have you know, that this wasn't a decision that Twilight took lightly..." Indeed, given the argument he had with Twilight over whether Ice Storm had earned the, in his mind, lesser reward of an official hereditary noble house title, he had to imagine some more recent accomplishments and changes had been behind this decision. And inwardly... well, he was jealous. The green streak of wing envy in him still sent a stab of pain, even after all these years of character work and therapy. Tamping down on such feelings as inappropriate to the holiday, he nodded towards Blizzard and Candy. "Your welcome is most appreciated." He replied, returning to his in-character tone for a moment, though he couldn't resist cracking, "And I do have to say, Your Majesty, you look almost as good in a dress as I do." Meanwhile, Captain Star Crusader, sparing a moment to spot the rest of her family going off to meet with the other trick or treaters, nodded towards Anwir. "He is good-looking, yes." Even though it was Blueblood's other wife that was the foal's dam, she still felt maternally towards all the foals in her herd. There'd be another coming soon, once Pax was old enough to understand and appreciate being a big brother.

Dunnie seldom ever looked as uncomfortable as she did now. Despite her best efforts to put on a regal air for the procession, so carefully prepared, the pegasus held the visage of a statue. As if too scared to move lest she broke the facade and revealed the truth that she was bad at being a princess. She had experienced many Nightmare Nights, but never one of this social status. So there she stood, in one hoof holding up an ankh made of two khopesh swords attached at the hilt with bronze blades which gleamed like wayward suns. Her face was covered in a thin layer of makeup everywhere except her eyes which were highlighted by aggressive eyeliner. The mother of Pax was right next to him. Even though Blueblood had the foal on his back, Dunnie was hardly ever a wing's length away from her offspring. With the backdrop of Niilaavin's beautious display of illusory magic, and Blueblood's impression. Dunnie was getting ready to say her line that she had been reciting. But, it seems Bluey got distracted. Suddenly, all the tension in the mare's body dropped and she smiled and giggled while covering her mouth with a wing. "Bluey!" She smiled at him, "Your impression was so good it's a shame you stopped!" Dunnie looked down to the light blue Filly. He chuckled gently, "Wow, that is you Icy." What a bizzare sight, one she had never expected to see.

~~~Ice Storm~~~ Ice Storm bounced in place happily as she anxiously awaited everypony else that was getting ready. She couldn't help a bit when everypony came out in their costumes. They all matched perfectly. Ice knew that this would be a good idea! She heard Candy ask about the inside joke that she seemed to be missing. When Luna said that she should be the one to explain it, Icy giggled. "Well, like myself, Blizzard is an ice mage, and also like me, he didn't have a kind upbringing. The only difference is that instead trying to tackle the problems head on he ran away from them to the frozen north for a while before he came back and everything started working itself out. Pretty much exactly like the Snow Queen from the movie! So I thought it was a perfect fit!" Icy explained. Her mind was drawn elsewhere though as she heard another familiar voice. He was dressed like the ancient Neighgyptian god Anubis, and was making it look real good, but there was no mistaking the voice of Blueblood. She could tell that he recognized her as well because of the falter in his introduction and calling out to her in disblief. She would nod to confirm his realization. "Yup! it's me! It turns out that you were right when we were talking over tea not that long ago. Though apparently the ascention had some side effects, so while I'm mentally the same, I'm stuck in the body of a pre-teen filly, among other things that have seemed to worsen..." She said with a faint blush, but it didn't last long. "But, that's all okay because it gives me a second chance to have what Golden Hoof took away from me growing up. I just have to figure out what I'm going to do about STAR. I can't turn it over to just anypony, but that's an issue for a night that's not nightmare night. This is my first true nightmare night as it was meant to be! and I wanna go out and have fun!" Ice said in a chipper voice. "Candy is Anna, Blizzard is Elsa, and I'm Olaf!" she continued giving Blizzard a small elbow to get into character, and then gave him the big pouty eyes when he looked towards her. It was then that two other ponies showed up, neither of which she had recognized. Well, that wasn't entirely true. She'd seen the unicorn around a few times in the castle since she'd been back here. They'd never been formally introduced prior to now though. She wasn't sure how much of the conversation the new ponies had heard, but she did know that they were here now. One of them didn't even appear to be a pony, but a sphinx. That was very interesting. Then they started opening their wings... and then their wings opened wings... and then their wings opened wings, and then... you know what, there were a lot of wings. It was a really cool display and one that would have made Mythie proud. She clapped happily at the display, and waved to the new ponies as they arrived.

NIILAAVIN THE FIRST, Blessed by the Eternal Flame forever in the sky, Tyr of All Territories under the Sky, Guardian of the Lands and Skies, Champion of His People, the Conqueror, the Unyielding, and Protector of the Realm, Imperator of the Dragonflames of the Lower World, Grand Guardian of Kitten and Foal, Lord of Worlds, First Protector, et cetera. Made his way behind Blueblood, Dunnie and their new kitten… Foal. Ponies were so picky with such naming. One may think they’d be honored he called them such! At least Blueblood understood such and let him use the term without fuss. Niilaavin towered over his companions standing thrice the height of even Celestia nowadays he walked with a lion's grace and the silenced paw-steps of a leopard. Even normally he was a sight to behold. But today was not a normal day. He personally found the theming of Blueblood and kin dull. He wanted to dress up as some lord! A king! Such was still new and interesting to him. But blueblood wanted this and so, it shall be. And he had to admit it was fun helping them dress up and get the eyeliner spot on. Why were ponies so stiff with such? It made one's eyes all the more stunning! But he was not to be outdone by them. No, he was putting his illusionary magic talent on full display today. And so he was not just ‘dressed up’ as some god. Why copy one? Let alone some gods the silly ponies worship. He was a Sphinx and they respected only two. The mother of them all… And themselves. And so displayed himself as only a god can be. As the party came to a stop he reared up and opened an impossible amount of wings. Wings behind wings spreading out into a huge fanning crest of feathers as six front limbs reached up, claws displayed as the stars themselves seemed to dance around his very body in worship. Gazing down with six eyes, glowing with the heart of the sun inside each he looked truly celestial. As if the galaxy itself stepped down from the heavies and took the shape of a truly grand feline. Was he going overboard? Maybe. Did he care? No. Not at all. He relished how the ponies looked at him. Jaws opened, eyes wide. This is what his kind lived for. Content with his godly appearance and endless amounts of impressed faces he gazed around the main avenue, amused by this celebration. It was his second one but the first he truly took part in. The treats were next to useless to him and that was not his part to play. It was for the young! And what a funny fact that was. The young ran about and played dress up and got treats. The adults did much the same, but payment was in the approval of others for their skill of mimicry. Most seemed too favor ‘scary’ outfits, but some like bluebloods family branched out into other topics to walk about as. It was all so… Amusing. And charming he must admit. But it seemed something grabbed Blue’s eyes. Looking down at the small filly. Some Icy was it? He felt he heard that name passing about in circles. But not with the face of such a young mare. The rest of the party seemed rather cold themed. Cute… Was it related to film? He swears he saw other youth running about in such outfits. They were adorable nonetheless. Almost as adorable as Pax. Blueblood did have a wonderful son with his pride mates and Niilaavin did feel a kinship to the foal. He may lack a litter of his own to pamper so he’d make do with Blues. Not that Blueblood and family seemed to mind all so much the huge cat bonding with and looking after the foal when needed. You can’t ask for a better sitter than that.

FOR OLD TIME'S SAKE WHY NOT POST A COVER

None of you are ever, or were ever, wastes to me.

Verdant Forest clapped his hooves together excitedly as the princess and little royal colt made their picks. He gently placed the cowcolt hat onto Nox and fastened the dragon wings to Lux, making sure that they wouldn't hinder either. The little birds hopped eagerly to the starting line on the table at a whistle from Verdant, twittering and fluttering their wings. Verdant turned back to the group at his table, saying, "Both of them will make a full lap of the yard before returning and landing on this line-" he pointed to the finish line at the other end of the table "-and whichever bird lands first will secure the prize for his team. Now, ordinarily, I would say there would be no foul play, but since you've chosen the cowcolt hat, Nox will be able to try to grab Lux's feathers to prevent him from getting ahead. Of course, Nox isn't going to pull any out, just slow down his competitor." He nodded at Ice Storm and then turned to Prince Blueblood and Pax. "And the dragon wings add a little extra power to Lux's flying - he may be able to easily outpace Nox now!" Verdant took a deep breath and then began the race by saying, "Ready, set, go!"

"For unique, one of a kind items, you pretty much have to take what you can get." TT replied with a shrug, "So 'no refunds' is sort of standard practice. If a customer notices something wrong with an item, dad will most likely give a discount. But once the sale is made, any and all problems are then the buyer's responsibility. As they say : Caveat Emptor - 'Let the buyer beware.' So far, nearly all of the creatures that bought an 'Alicorn Amulet' from dad are in prison. They tried something nefarious, believingthey were nigh invincible. They weren't. And so were readily caught and arrested. Apparently, the fact the amulet was a fake does not diminish the intent behind using such a thing very much." TT listened to the instructions of the pumka-pult. There were a row of bullseyes set up quite a few dozens of yards away. And nothing behind them - the last thing anypony would want is a stray pumpkin launch splattering against their house. Or going through a window and splattering all over their living room !

Upon seeing Luna, TT bowed her head for a moment to show respect to one of the ten most powerful beings in Equestria. Upon hearing Star Crusader's statement, TT's left ear twitched and her smile tightened a bit. "We can assure you that both this Deck of Calamity and this Alicorn Amulet are merely museum quality replicas." TT stated as she retrieved it for Nightmare Moon/Luna, "We can say that because we used to work in a museum, making replicas ! Dad has five more amulets just like that one in a drawer back in his shop. The profit margin on that item is, well, monstrous ! Put it in a case without a price tag and, within a month or two, a few minutes before closing time some pony in a hooded cloak points to it to buy it. It costs twenty bits in material to make half a dozen 'Alicorn Amulets', and dad would sell one for ten bits or so, but they never ask how much it costs ! They just toss a huge bag of bits on the counter right after dad says 'the amulet can grant great power, but such power comes at a terrible price.' And hey, if they want to toss a big bag of bits his way, he is certainly not going to stop them ... !"

Blizzard and Candy had followed Ice Storm to their first house, actually it was the first house outside of Canterlot Castle's courtyard. As they awaited Ice's treats, Blizzard would turn around at the sound of a magical lightning bolt from within the courtyard not far away just in time to see 'Nightmare Moon' scare some fillies senseless. He almost felt his heart jump for a moment before turning to the pony that answered the door. He'd take a few breaths and look down to the little alicorn, quickly getting into character again as the door swung open. Instead of the typical Nightmare Night greeting that Ice Storm had just given, he'd just smile. Candy on the other hoof, couldn't resist and also resist the poem. "Nightmare Night what a fright, give us something sweet to bite!" Meanwhile, Blizzard noticed that they had gotten slightly separated from Blueblood and his party, looking over to the neighbors house. That had to be their next stop as it seemed he had his own game set up. Blizzard would make sure to point it out to Ice Storm once they received their first sweet treat as that was the house to hit next.

Gourd artillery? Well, Moonlight would give the minion an A- for effort and a C for execution. She wasn't sure it'd be possible to make the term Gourd Artillery ever sound threatening but at least the effort was in the right place. Not that she really wanted to hock gourds to and fro, not when she was needed somewhere. "I guess that makes sense. You don't get as old as she is without, like, having to eat some totally blegh stuff. I guess maybe I wouldn't be too spicy, just too well-crafted for her. I mean have you seen my mane, evil minion number one?" She asked, flipping it and showing off her costume. In the middle of it, she watched the second minion get to work on the pair of 'victims'. Moonlight watched the candy bathed in a green sickly light dance in the wavering embrace of the night before it landed in an outstretched hoof. She let out a small giggle, enjoying the performance more than her normal demeanor would perhaps let alone. "Oooh, something sweet? Like, I won't indulge toooo much because it would totally kill the mood at the party later but, like, I'd be crazy to not take something from such a totally grody and super-evil minion of miss Nighty Night, right?" She said before tossing it into her mouth. It tasted minty at first, but then it went off in a direction she couldn't quite discern. "Hmm, that was kinda totally awesome. Not so bad, evil minion two, not bad at all!" As she chewed on the candy she had to look over the wares on display. They were all pretty cool in their own way, clearly taking after the real artifacts. It was a fun gimmick, as any student worth her salt knew half of these relics and their histories thanks to Twilight's incessant schoolering of the ponyfolk at the School of Friendship. She knew a few ponies who could do with a lot of cutie mark restructuring herself, and she think she'd look fine as the sun with a rocking pair of wings, but she had something better in mind. "Ooh, The Deck of Calamity? I know a colt who deserves a little calamity his way. Nothing too grody, right?" She asked as she eyed up the item. It would make for some spooky fun with the fillies as they dished on the colts at school for sure. As she imagined herself toying with the colts some, the main event arrived. The big cheese. The head honcho. Princess Luna doing her best Nightmare Moon impersonation, which was impressive considering she had been one and the same. She concealed herself in the fog and moved around at the edge of Moonlight's vision. Once she started getting magical and spooky with it, the effect certainly got a lot better. Plus she was right; Moonlight was a full course meal served up with a side of ego. How could she not be? Did the Moon Princ- err, evil Nightmare of the Moon realize how ten outta ten Moonlight was? She found herself getting closer to the merchant out of an innate sense of herd proection, losing track of Nightmare Moon briefly. It was this loss of tracking that made it so when Nightmare Moon did show up to give the filly a fdright, it totally worked. "Gahh!" She yelped out before galloping for a few seconds away from the area before slowing to a canter and giggling. "Gahahaha, hehehe," she let out impishly, her tails swishing from excitement. It was fun getting scared! She had also launched herself towards the gourd artillery. Once close enough she started inspecting it, because...well, she was here, wasn't she? "Heeeeey evil minions numero uno and numero dos! How do I even, like, get this thing to work?" She said, pawing at it ineffectually with a smirk.

Going to have to do my posting as two posts tonight. Got Luna up first, Expect Blizzard and Candy's post soon.

TT listened as the teenager conversed with the 'minions' of Nightmare Moon. She seemed to know one of them. Upon Sehkmet's question, TT replied, "In all honesty, all that we could offer her dark majesty in this case are some antacid tablets. To ease her stomach from eating such a spicy meal.", indicating Moonlight Glitter. "I must say that the detail on your Sehkmet costume is top notch ! Museum quality ! You a member of Blueblood's entourage ?" she asked Star Crusader. But, if you're looking for esoteric or exotic items, we at Caveat Emptor's Discount Emporium specialize in exotic and esoteric items !" Tongue Twister announced melodramatically, "Strange and unusual gifts for the strange and unusual creatures in your life. Such as : " she states as she rummages through her satchel to find items to show off. A candle made from smoky blue wax, in an elaborate candleholder with an inscription in an unknown language around the rim "A Neighpalese Candle of Illumination." A heavy silver torc necklace with a sea green cabochon, "A Melodian Voice Tuner." "Geniune imitation glowpaz, in various shapes and sizes !" A golden disc with a grinning stallion and the word 'YES !' on one side, and a grumpy scowling unicorn's face and the word "NO !" on the other, "Dither's Disc of Divination." A coin-sized disc, made of darkest blue crystal, with the word 'Caput' on one side, and 'Cauda' on the other, "Rattail's Disc of the Heart's Revelation." A deck of playing cards, with the tattered pack displaying an unknown language, "The Deck of Calamity. Its cards bring random misfortune to all who dare deal from it. Perfect for folk who like to live dangerously. Or a thoughtful gift for ponies you really don't care for." A polished oval of smoky quartz, about the size of an apple, "The Wandering Eye gem." TT looks through it, and all can feel like someone is watching them from the balcony behind. (If anyone looks, they'll see an eyeball of black smoke looking at them. Which vanishes the moment TT stops looking through the gem.) A medallion made of grey metal, shaped like a broad pair of wings and a unicorn stallion's head and neck, a blood red gem in the center. "An Alicorn Amulet." she states with a roll of her eyes before dropping it back in the satchel. A twisted piece of wood with two prongs at the top (longer than the satchel it was pulled from). "Starlight's Staff of Sameness. Now, if this were an actual artifact, it could rip the cutie marks off even an alicorn's flanks, stripping them of all special powers, skills, and abilities. Those wares exotic enough for ya ?"

~~~Ice Storm~~~ Ice followed Blizzard and Candy for the most part, not wanting to get separated too much from them. True, just because she looked like a filly didn't mean that she had the fragileness of one. The biggest part right now was the fact that she was still learning to control the massive influx of magic that she had obtained from her ascension. She was afraid to use her magic too much at the moment because she was afraid that she could hurt somepony if she did anything other than levitate. She then heard the announcement from "Nightmare Moon" and it made her giggle a bit. Hearing her do the usual nightmare night proclaimation, Ice pretended to be scared before following the group as they started heading for the first house. "Eeeee! This is going to be so much fun!" The streets were loaded with their usual spooky decor for the night and the creepy organ sounds were adding the perfect ambiance to the night. The fact that it was also somewhat cool, or at least most ponies would think it's cool, made Ice happy. She followed along, hearing the pop pony speak about something, but she didn't quite catch what it was. Ice was too focused on the task at hoof, and that was getting candy. They had made their way to the first house and they passed through all the decorations to the front door and knocked. She waited for the answer at which point she started the traditional Nightmare night greeting. "Nightmare Night! What a Fright! Give us some-thing sweet to bite!"

Sounds good to me, it would make a nice stop for the trick-or-treaters in the thread.

Verdant Forest fussed with the vines on the table he had set up outside his house, trying to get it just right. He had been planning this thing for the whole year, and it was supposed to be perfect. He knew, okay, maybe it was a little extra - as he looked at his neighbor's houses, none of them had anything beyond a few pony skeletons and tombstones in their yard, but he wanted to stand out. This was his first year really celebrating Nightmare Night - he had been too busy to do anything since he was a young colt, and he knew he had to do something special. He had sat at his desk, drawing and redrawing ideas for a while, but he finally settled on some sort of game. He wanted to do something interactive, so this seemed perfect! He had set up a basic table, with a banner overhead proclaiming, "Parakeet Race! Prizes for everyone!" Then he had added some branches and vines wrapping around everything to get it looking more nature-y. The props used for the race were set out in the middle in a bed of moss which he just knew the foals would tear apart instantly, but it looked nice. He couldn't wait to explain the game. He leaned on the table, chin in his hooves, and sighed in worry, flapping his wings idly. Verdant Forest had done everything he could to fine-tune this process, so nothing should go wrong - but there was always the what-if factor. His two parakeets, a key part of the game, chirped and hopped on the table beside him. The smaller one, Nox, pecked at his hoof and twittered at him, and Verdant Forest sat up. "You're right, I'm stressing over nothing. Tonight is gonna go great and everypony is going to love what I've done." He ruffled Nox's feathers gently and said, "You've got all the hard work to do tonight and you're not even a little flustered - I gotta be more like you." Nox chirped again and hopped away, back to his buddy Lux. Verdant Forest had no idea if Nox had actually said anything along those lines, but it helped his confidence to pretend he had. Verdant Forest was also excited to show off his costume - he had made it himself, sewing it together by hoof and building some of it, and while it had some...flaws, it wasn't the worst thing he had ever seen. He was dressed as a Timberwolf - not super accurate, of course, so as not to scare the fillies and colts, and anyway his sartorial skill was nowhere near that high - but still, you could tell what he was. He had wrapped foam around his legs and painted it to look like wood grain. Around his body was a vest that he had attached sticks and branches to - he had even attached little leaves to the feathers of his wings to make them look more woodsy. A half-mask covered his upper face, though the effect was spoiled somewhat by his round, anxious eyes peering out from the eyeholes. It was supposed to match the theme of game, and Verdant Forest thought he did pretty darn well for it being hoofmade. All in all, he was ready! Nothing - nothing - was going to go wrong tonight. So he sat and waited for his first few trick-or-treaters to come along.

The reel, as it usually did, brought the whole party together. There was magic in the dance, as there was in all dances, a celebration of life and community in the literal darkest hour before the dawn. That they had all been joined by changelings was significant, in its way, though Blueblood himself couldn't say that he knew how much. "I'll take red velvet, Auntie." "Yellow for me." The Prince and his wife took their cake, bowing to the Princesses, and then to the general. "It was good to spend some time with you, Anwir. May we meet again, in less... frantic occasions. And same with our new friends." He gave them smiles, seeing Erzats and Midnight getting along quite well. Perhaps something might come of that, perhaps not... but in either case, he wanted a little time with Star, alone together to watch the sunrise...

Luna launched into her full Nightmare Moon performance, and for a moment Moonlight felt fear. Not in the sense that she believed there was any real danger. Filly, she had *seen* Luna before and that mare was as threatening as a kitten with a ball of yarn. And not like a sphinx- look at that beautiful sphinx and that smaller, cuter, super adorable, she wanted to pet it kitten sphinix!!!- either. Maybe it was her size versus Celestia, or how soft she appeared, or even the fact that the biggest Luna simp she knew was a super nerd, but Luna felt infinitely less threatening than her attitude would try to convey. For all that and a bucket of corn however, the fear existed, and it came from the part of her that so easily could get into the world of passion that the Nightmare brought forth. She was a drama filly at heart and within moments she didn't see Luna, Princess of the Night and Guardian of Dreams, but rather the terrifying Nightmare Moon. Spooky! So Spooky that she stopped and stomped her hooves in appreciation as her minions went to work and the jaunty music began. As she walked, she couldn't help but loosen somewhat as she looked around. Moonlight didn't doubt for a second that the groups of fillies and colts she saw detaching and heading off into town would score big. They were dressed all sorts of silly and as she heard all the giggles and the laughter she found herself tempted, if briefly, to just skip the party and go trot about and scare up some candy of her own. Such an evil thought, disabused by her figure and how totally humiliating it would be for a teen, was squashed quick enough. Not that she should have been; some stallion was dressed up like a Princess. Endless sympathy from Moonlight; she knew the struggle better than anypony could guess of making a dress like that work for you. He needed to pick up something that complimented his figure more. Not that it mattered; he was probably doing it for what he assumed was his daughter who was dressed up as an alicorn? She smiled at them all as she walked past. What a cute family! Between them and the Blueblood contingent it was shaping up to be quite the evening. It was then she was accosted by one of Nightmare Moon's terrible minions, some lion-headed pegasus said some untrue things. What was she supposed to be, some sort of reverse griffon? In any case, Moonlight put her hoof to her chest in faux offense. "A treat? As if!" She said dramatically before kicking one back leg out showily and near-booping the mare with an outstretched front leg. "I'm a full meal, filly!" She leaned in as her front hoof came down. "Your mistress, like, couldn't even handle me when I'm looking this choice!" She laughed. "Rad costume bee-tee-dubs, like, super cool."

She would chuckle "It's a skill. With enough grace I think it could count as a dance?" The Changeling would look at his hoof as it touched hers. Erzats would smile "I've seen so many before; but only recently put what I've observed to use. No worries about the hooves, I'm liable to trip over myself anyways, balance is.. tricky." The changeling would note the discolor on his face, wondering to herself.. Though, she'd move along as they began, resting one of her hooves along his waist, watching her steps to make sure she didn't make a mistake right at the beginning.

Candy would rub her ear with a hoof after hearing the great sphinx speak. His own language may have been the loudest thing she had ever heard. She'd blush as he called her a princess in response to her costume. It was well made, something that could be worn more then once, so she'd be glad to add it to her closet after tonight. "I hope you find something sweet as well. I can't speak for all Canterlot, but I know the chocolate that Princess Luna...er um...the castle staff will be handing out was hoof made by me. You got to try a peanut butter cup, that is if sphinxes like chocolate and peanut butter." She'd turn her attention to Blueblood, his wife, and his little foal. "I don't hope he has too much of a sweet tooth," she'd giggle. "I take it you were sastifed by the order you got from my shop," she'd wink. "You know, come to think of it, I believe the sisters from the Snow Queen also loved chocolate," as she'd put a hoof around Blizzard. "Right Elsa?" Blizzard would nod, his embarrassment beginning to wear off, as he was starting to enjoy playing the Snow Queen. The look in little Ice Storm's eyes made tonight worth it. She was enjoying a second foalhood, and seeing her happy made him happy. He would nod to offer a bow to Blueblood in character, only for a slight blush to appear on his cheeks about the dress comment. Trying to take his mind off of it, he'd return to character. "Anna and I hope that you will find our kingdom's sweets to your liking. The chocolate at the castle comes from a family recipe that dates back to our grandmother. Olaf has personally taste tested them to make sure they are up to our standards." Blizzard's horn would glow once more as he moved his hoof in synchronization with his snow and ice magic. "Though it is not a sweet, allow me to bestow the first treat to your little one." Snow would form in his hoof as it slowly grew into small snow sphinx as small streaks of ice magic would flow from his horn as he tried to match the style from the old film. Smiling, he'd levitate it to Pax. "Now then, who's ready for an adventure into the unknown of Canterlot?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I am so glad to see so many ponies enjoying Nightmare Night," Luna would say with a smile. "I am glad that Twilight talked me out of canceling the holiday moons ago in Ponyville. I look forward to it every year now." She'd take a few steps back into the throne room where the chocolate was being stored. "Captain, General, Who wishes candy duty and who wishes game supervisor?" Waiting for them to decide, Luna would put a set of fake fangs into her mouth. She'd look to both her helpers and smile, making sure to show off the pointy teeth. "Remember, what happens next is for the foals. I have not returned to my evil ways, for it is just an appearance. Tis almost showtime." Luna's horn would glow as her appearance changed into that of her darker self. Using her tongue, she make sure the fangs where sent in place. She'd adjust her breastplate and helmet before beginning to laugh maniacally for a few moments. "Still got it," she'd wink to Anwir and Star Crusader. "On the sixth stroke of the clock tower, I shall make my appearance on the main stage to officially begin the celebration."

The shouted calls of ‘wing, wing!’ pulled Niilaavin's gaze away from the gathering mass of ponies. A deep, amused purr rumbled deep in his chest. A sound that moved up into a thundering roll when the young foal added in some less the pony sounding words. “Yes, many dmꜣt.” Then with blade sized claws, tapped Blue’s horn. “One ꜥb, ḥnwt.” It almost made his ‘outfit’ falter, shimmering like a mirage before solidifying again on his display as his mind wandered, his focus stolen for a moment by the young one. Realigning himself on the events around them his ears perked as one young mare got so brave as to speak to him. A Candy Corn it seemed. Pony names are still amusing, even after a few years of hearing them! So he chuckled and leaned down, his ‘six eyes’ gazing at her like six rageing suns. “Mtj, ḥmt. Nj ꜥšꜣ.” His words echoed in her mind and Candy felt them as much as heard them. They sounded as if words came from all around her, inside of her, within her. And for as grand as it sounded, as otherworldly. Blue knew every word just fine even if the young mare did not. As they always have since first meeting Niil. He said [Correct female, not many of us.]. He then grinned at her and winked with six eyes. “Thank you, I try to be regal. Learning from the best. But I may be outmatched by the likes of a princess such as yourself.” He added, this time in perfectly understandable Ponish. “The pleasure is all mine. May this day be fruitful and you earn much riches of sweets.” looking over at the young mare's friend he noticed she had wings and a horn. That was special or something was it not? Did she come from the bloodline of the sun and moon? She hardly looked the part. No moon or sun markings… But then one was pink and all about love… Ponies. But she seemed to be something of a show stopper with everyone talking or looking at her… He hated to admit that it stings some. But like Blue, he had to keep his Ego in line. Mostly. He was better, that was just a fact. But you can't hurt others feelings about it. Then they get all upset and make a mess of things. “You know her?” He asked, gesturing a large paw at the filly well looking over and down at Blue and Dunnie. He was not trying to be rude. He wanted to know if she was some kitten from the Dynasty! That was very important too know! He’d hate to disrespect them after all.

Candy would chuckle as Ice Storm told her of Blizzard's running away to the Frozen North. "I suppose he even made a house out of snow and ice as well." Blizzard would lower his head and nod. "And the magic stuff?" He'd nod again. Candy would get a chuckle. "Now he just needs to let go, right Ice Storm?" Candy would say with a giggle. Blizzard and Candy would both hear Bluebloods greeting as they would follow Ice Storm. Everypony seemed to be getting into character, and with a few nudges and Ice's pouty eyes, Blizzard would sigh before busting out his best royalty voice and take up a queenly posture. Something about the hips he could remember from the film as he took a few steps closer to Blueblood's Trick or Treating party. Clearing his voice, he would address Blueblood and offer his own salutation. "Greeting Anubis, I am Queen Elsa." Blizzard's horn would glow as he held a giant snowflake in his hoof. "Welcome to our kingdom. My sister and I and Olaf hope you will enjoy our hospitality and partake in all the sweets there are to offer tonight." He'd look to Ice Storm to gauge how he was going before turning back to Blueblood, Dunnie, and Nilaavin . "Your young one is simply adorable, as is the rest of your party." Candy seemed to be amazed by the Sphinx "Hi, I'm Candy Corn...I mean Princess Anna. It's a pleasure to meet you," as Candy would curtsy. "I hope you're as excited for Nightmare Night as we are, right Ice Sto....Olaf." she'd giggle. "I've never met a sphinx before. You are quite regal." ----------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Luna would watch from a distance with a smile as those closest to her, as well as their friends and family where enjoying the holiday. She would put a hoof on the shoulder of Anwir. "Tis moments like these that bring me the most joy," Luna would say with a smile. "At first I was insulted by what I thought was a silly celebration of who I once was. A mockery. Twas not till I say what joy it could bring that I fully embarrassed Nightmare Night. As a wise foal once told me...sometimes if fun to be scared. And as I have discovered, sometimes it is even funner to do the scaring." Luna could not help but stifle a laugh as she watched the Lieutenant attempt to match the Snow Queen's walking style after Ice Storm nudged him. "Nightmare Night can also be quite entertaining in it's own ways," as she pointed a hoof at Blizzard and Ice Storm. "Greeting Captain Star Crusader," Luna would say. "I am glad to have both you and Anwir with me tonight. I must command both of your costumes. They are quite well done."

~~~Ice Storm~~~ Once again, Ice Storm found herself being stronger than she was expecting and had apparently, quite easily, knocked her friend off her hooves. She was quick to recognize her though, and even quicker to return the hug. That one simple act, was enough to calm a lot of Icy's nerves. Maybe her friends wouldn't think that differently of her after all. She was still the same pony. Just a bit more fun-sized, and had some of the side effects that went with it. "Hehe, guilty as charged," Ice would say when Candy said she figured out where Luna got the idea to order from her. "I was actually trying to get her to order more of the chocolate strawberries, but told me I would have to share them... so we went with peanut butter cups instead," Ice giggled. She sat back down as Luna told Candy about the order and the request to go trick or treating with them. A request that was immediately accompanied with pouty eyes from Icy until Candy said yes. "Yay! Candy's coming with us!!!" she said happily, hearing the door across the room open. Icy clopped her hooves happily as Blizzard came in wearing the Elsa dress. It was a perfect fit! Even more so when Luna zapped the beard away, making Icy giggle. "I dare say, you look quite smashing," Icy replied putting on the most horrendous Trottingham accent anypony in the room had probably ever heard before listening to Candy and Luna and going to get ready herself. After all, it wouldn't do them much good if everypony else was ready and they were still waiting on her. After a few moments, and a few of the castle staff helping Ice Storm get into her costume, The cute little filly made her way back into the room, her body covered in three round white snowballs that looked like they were made of actual snow. Only the slight trace of the zipper going up the back could be seen to prove otherwise. The costume only seemed to add a bit of waddle to the new alicorn as she walked into the room, candy bucking following in her levitation aura. "Okay, I'm ready whenever!"

~~~Ice Storm~~~ It only took a few moments before the filly shook her head and righted herself. She gave a nod to Blizzard when he told her that she had to be careful when running through the castle. "I know... especially when I haven't gotten completely used to this body yet. I don't know how the pegasi do it. It's so much harder to stop with wings than you would think," she spoke, listened to Luna speak up as well, asking if she was going to say hi, and then revealing to Blizzard who she was. She waved with a smile. She wasn't surprised that he hadn't recognized her. Shoot, she barely recognized herself when she looked in the mirror when she was in the room with Twilight after she came out of the test. She sat back down, and giggled as Luna recounted to Blizzard what their evening was going to be like. "I remembered that you said that we should go trick or treating together a few weeks ago, and well, I decided to make it happen. I also couldn't pass up the opportunity to see you in this costume... hehe," she giggled, watching as he was sent to put on his costume. When Luna said that this would be entertaining, Ice nodded. "This is going to be so much fun! I didn't get to do this when I was a filly! I didn't really get to experience my first Nightmare night until I was already well into my years at the school of magic! honestly... I never thought I'd every get a chance to do anything like that again." Ice sighed. "You know, it's funny really, when I was here a few weeks ago helping Blizzard watch the shifts while Fire was out on leave, I told Blizzard that I would give anything a chance to have what was taken from me when I was little. I had no idea that I was actually going to well, have that happen. The fact that I still have all of my memories and that my mind is still fully intact after everything that happened, only makes it even more enjoyable. I just hope all of my old friends don't end up hating the new me because of how different I am now..." she said. As if on cue, Luna had then told her that one of said friends was coming tonight. "Oh! Who is it!? Who is it!?"

~~~Ice Storm~~~ To say that Ice Storm's life had been turned completely upside down, would be an understatement. Usually when things happen like that, it's in a bad way, but for Ice, it was a weird way, and not unpleasant in the slightest. While her mind was still as sharp as ever, and had all of her memories and her core beliefs intact, her body was now very much different. Instead of being a fully grown unicorn mare, she was now in the body of what she could estimate as a ten-year old filly, with her shoulders just barely above the underbarrel of most ponies. But that wasn't the biggest change, nor was the fact that her little overnight issue had become a more permanent problem, leading her to stay padded up all the time. Honestly, even when she was a full-bodied unicorn she was expecting that at some point. IT was the nature of disabilities like that. They either got better, or regressed, and now she was nearly completely at the whim of her body on that regard. No, the thing that shocked her the most about the new body, was the set of wings that she now had on her back. The wings themselves were the same icy blue that her coat was, but they transitioned into the dark blue that was around her flank, albeit covered by the while foalish garment with cloud prints all over it. The newly annointed alicorn filly was excited for the night! This was her first Nightmare Night as a filly again, and Luna had told her that she had a surprise for her, but no matter how much Icy begged, Luna wouldn't tell her what it was. Now that it was Nightmare Night, she'd finally get to know what the surprise was. The alicorn filly was sooming through the halls with a crinkle the entire way to the throne room, which was where Luna had told her to go. She made her way through the door, and being the excitable filly that she was now, while getting going for her was easy, coming to a stop with her new wings giving her more momentum now... not so much. The throne doors opened just in time for Ice to see Blizzard standing in front of Luna, but not in time for her to hit the brakes. "Whoa... Whoa... Whoa... WHAAA....*thud*," came from her as she tried to stop on the polished throne room floor only to slam into Blizzard, and then landing on him. She sat up with her eyes swirling around in her head. "Owwie..." she said, disoriented.

Luna would sigh listing to the mare speak, but continue dancing. "Tolerance has come a long way in a short period of time in Equestria Anwir," as she gave her a twirl carefully. "Not every pony however is such a fast learner however. Thine own subjects ran from their princess, believing that I was still Nightmare Moon. I felt that pain every day till Celestia encouraged me to attend Nightmare Night in Ponyville with Twilight Sparkle. Though that event did not begin favorably, thine subjects and I began to heal and earn a respect for each other." Dipping Anwir, she would continue. "Is it not possible that this event is meant to serve as something similar? As for the guest of honor," Luna would look to Blueblood and wink, "I may have come up with the idea just before I entered the ballroom tonight..." As the song began to near it's end, Luna would smile to Anwir. "I will end with a lesson I learned upon that first visit to Ponyville. It is not the number of friends one surrounds themself with, but the quality of said friend. I'm sure you will make many lasting friendships tonight." As the song ended, Luna would end her spell, setting Anwir back down gently. She would take a bow and then motion for Anwir to take one as well. After a few moments she would begin making her way over to her nephew and the 'Duke' "I must apologize for any inconvenience that tonight may have caused you...however if tonight is not to your standards, may I suggest the door? There are many ponies who have come here tonight to celebrate the night and honor all those in service to Equestrian." Luna would then put her wing over the young Duke. Something that would normaly be seen as an honor would send a chill down that stallion's back as she would speak just loud enough for Anwir and Blueblood to here. "You are here because of a formality of title...one that I may add has been handed down over generations, not earned. I knew thy ancestors and they would be ashamed. Apologize or make your way to the door."

The sun had just begun to rise over Ponyville, casting a warm, golden glow across the sleepy town. Applejack, the ever hardworking farmer and former element of honesty, stood outside her newly expanded apple stand at the bustling Ponyville marketplace. With determination in her emerald eyes, she took a deep breath, ready to embark on a new chapter in her entrepreneurial journey. The apple stand had undergone quite the transformation over the past few weeks, thanks to the help of her friends and family. The structure had been enlarged and reinforced to accommodate the increasing demand for Applejack's delicious apples. It now stood tall and proud, adorned with vibrant banners that proudly displayed the Apple family crest. It was twice, maybe three times bigger, and it had a nice covered cart attached to it for cooking for fresh pies and other goodies. In front of the apple stand was an outside cafeteria setup- tables with umbrellas for cover. Apples, pies, all sorts of treats and goodies, but also some warm foods and apple bread. As Applejack surveyed her domain, a sense of anticipation bubbled within her. She knew that today would be a busy day. The whole family had chipped in. Some had worked on the construction, others (okay, it was all RD) paid for it, and most of them went ahead and offered their help on the first day. They had already offloaded crates of freshly picked apples, others had helped arrange it onto the display shelves, arranging them meticulously to entice the customers. Applejack admired their dedication and work ethic, grateful for her supportive family. With a bandana tied snugly around her neck, Applejack busily arranged jars of apple butter, bottles of apple cider, and various apple-themed products on a nearby table. The scent of cinnamon and fresh apples permeated the air, creating an irresistible aroma that promised a delightful culinary experience. Applejack glanced at her reflection in the polished apple-shaped mirror that adorned the stand. Her freckled face was framed by her signature blonde mane, neatly braided to keep it out of her way. She was more aged than the last time she had opened a new stand, and she could still feel a cold breeze along her spine bringing more than shivers. Still, no matter what today was going to be amazing. She adjusted her stetson and let out a contented sigh, ready to face the day head-on. As the marketplace began to stir with activity, ponies of all kinds started to trickle in, curious about the buzz surrounding Applejack's newly expanded stand. Excitement danced in Applejack's eyes as she wiped her hooves clean on a nearby cloth, a gesture of pride and determination, an eye on a clock behind the counter. She opened not a minute early nor a minute late, same with closing. Not because she didn't want to work as long and hard as possible for her ponyfolk. No, instead she felt that routine and ritual was as important in business as it was in farm work, and hopefully ponyfolk would appreciate her consistency. With a final nod of approval, Applejack stepped back, her heart pounding with anticipation. She had worked tirelessly to build her business and provide the best apples in Equestria, and today marked the newest culmination of her efforts. It was time to open her stand to the world, to share the fruits of her labor and the love of her family with everypony who walked by once more. A confident smile broad and proud on her face, Applejack extended a hoof and swung open the doors of her newly enlarged apple stand, revealing row upon row of gleaming apples, glistening in the morning sunlight. The sight drew gasps of delight and admiration from the onlookers, who quickly formed a line, eager to get their hooves on the succulent fruits. "Welcome, everypony!" Applejack called out with genuine enthusiasm, her voice carrying across the marketplace. "Come on in and taste tha finest apples in Equestria! We've got 'em sweet, tangy, crisp, and everything in between!" As the customers flocked to her stand, their eager expressions and joyful chatter filled Applejack's heart with warmth. She knew that her hard work had paid off, and she was ready to serve them the best apples they had ever tasted. With her trusted hat shading her eyes, Applejack stood tall, ready to make this day a success. The marketplace echoed with the sounds of laughter, conversations, and the delightful crunch of apples being enjoyed.

"O-kay, mama!" Amby was always happy to help her mama, whether it be showing off with magic, counting apples, fetching books, or just being the cutest little salesfilly ever. And the big kitty was so nice too, giving her the first tip! She could hardly remember even being scared of him. Sure, he might have teeth even bigger than those of the Timberwolf in Little Red Riding Apple, but they were only used for smiling, not gobbling up little ponies! Well, maybe only the naughty ones, which she wasn't, so why be afraid? Maybe Diamond should be worried, though. She didn't understand a lot of what was going on, but it looked like Mayor Rich's not-so-little filly was making her sad. Which was an awful thing to do to a mama! Spoiled would have agreed, if Ambrosia had said so out loud. As it was, all she could do was sigh and tell Applejack. "Rebellion I could deal with, even shouting is communicating. This... feels more like secession." Not wanting to discuss the matter further, she took her apple out. "In any case, thank you, and have a good day." Turning back to Niilaavin, she took a bite out of her apple, musing as they went along. "I cannot take the whole day off, but a little time at the lake should help clear my head. Bringing troubles to the office never solves them, it just adds to the ones that are already there..." And with that they were off, leaving Applejack and Ambrosia to greet the next customers!

Nill let out a long purring chuckle at Applejack’s remarks. “I do not think they or myself can live on such alone. But your apples are very good and worth having at paw.” He then lowered his head down to be at Ambrosia's level. “And you keep up this fine work, I know you will be just as important as your mother to keep this town going down. Work hard, train and don’t forget to study.” He flashed her a cat’s grin before glancing over at Applejack. “You know what, five bits from that bag will go to her. For all her hard work” He winked at Ambrosia. “Spend it wisely!” With that he pulled his focus onto Spoiled. He knew more than most about what was going on behind closed doors with the poor mare. And it did not take a cat's cunning to understand this dealing with a family doing so well was pulling up the roots of some things best kept in the dirt for outsider viewing. “That sounds lovely, and wise. Lest we forget the toure you gave me… I have only gotten bigger and the doorway is only smaller.” He chuckled and leaned down to gently nuzzle his Rasha, doing such in the open was something he knew held some risk. But he was not about to stand about like some fool with her looking so downcast! This was a pleasant outing and something to be enjoyed, not lost in dark clouds. “Well let's not take up more of Ms’ Applejack’s time. We are hogging up her stall after all! Maybe I can give you a lift to the lake and we can enjoy some peace before you work? Unless you’d be willing to take some time off today and we can spend the day at your place?” He asked, gently leading her way from the stall. He tossed a look back and gave a swift bow of his head. “Thank you Ms’ Applejack and Ambrosia, may you have a wonderful day.” He added, as to not run off them without some well wishes.

Flashcards! Amby's eyes lit up at Niilaavin's little show, recognizing the technique. Twilight would use it to teach her basic runes during her magic lessons, and at the filly's current age, her mind was supple and growing enough to comprehend multiple alphabets and symbologies all at once! With each dropped apple, she repeated the number, fixing the glyphs in her head, "Chick, chick-chick, sea-chick..." Her pronunciation could still use some work, though; she couldn't quite imitate the feline voicebox. "Sissy-sah!" She called out in triumph, placing the last of the apples and stepping back to see the sphinx crunch and chew the lot. She was beaming at the praise from both him and her mama, she was a clever little filly, for sure. She even remembered her manners! "Thank-you, Mistah Neel-ah-veen!" Mayor Rich, meanwhile, was trying to put as brave a face as she could at a situation that was becoming unexpectedly painful for her. It was slightly ridiculous, really, when one thought about it; why should seeing a daughter work so well with her mother, and enjoying some mutual praise and loving between, hurt so much? *You know why.* The deep dark voice whispered from the depths of her mind, the same voice keeping her awake on her now-lonely nights. *You had your chance for this, and now its gone. Diamond's not coming back home to you, not anymore.* Setting her lips to hide her gritted teeth, she wrestled both corners into a smile as she responded to Applejack's attempted encouragements and condolences. "I do like to think I'm doing well in this role, its just... During the election, we were closer than we'd been for a long time, but shortly after, it all just seemed to fall apart, and I just don't understand..." Oh no, no no no no, this was bad, her mask was slipping. She needed to get out of here, before she did something dreadfully embarrassing. Seizing on Niilaavin's offer like a lifeline, she nodded. "Yes, I'd appreciate that. A large house does get very lonely. And with the nights so warm and balmy... I may join you in the gardens to sleep. You couldn't exactly fit up the stairs into my room, after all."

Apple math might not have been respected by Fancy academics, mostly because it wasn't easy to translate into their special hieroglyphics. And as for sphinx math... actually, the academics probably would respect that. A numbering system born in hieroglyphics and based on standard points and subtraction from them was just the sort of intellectual puzzle that sort loved. But if you wanted to teach a little filly how to think practically, Apple math was the best math! Counting along with her mother, Ambrosia lifted apples one by one with her magic, gently depositing each inside of Niilavin's maw. "... nine... ten... eweven... twelve!" She giggled to see them snapped up and swallowed down, the distance afforded to her through using her magic relieving her of any fear of being eaten. Well, that and momma would buck open the middle of anyone who tried! Spoiled, meanwhile, was taking the rare risk of eye wrinkles as she smiled at Niil's attempt at covering the bill. "And here I thought it was the sphinx females who were in charge of bringing home food. Or have you truly gone native, Niilaavin?" Her eyes sparkled with the easy humor of a mare joking among friends, common enough in Ponyville, only remarkable for it being seen on the Mayor's face in particular. She hadn't exactly lived the sort of life filled with truly meaningful joy like that, and such a lifestyle had its consequences. Thus, while Applejack had a large and growing family to boast about, all coming together under the greater Apple clan, Spoiled had... a distant husband, and an absent daughter. "Yes, Diamond has decided to complete her education abroad. Filthy is accompanying her to help her settle in, and look into expanding the business." Her tone was easy and polite enough, but the humor and happiness had drained from her eyes. Not a good sign when a pony was talking about family.

Silly fillies, the lot of you!

Why pardon you, Sir! MOI? The Fawkesequus? Desperate for attention? AND CRINGE!? Why, if I didn't know better, I'd say you've been interpreting ALL of my actions over the past decade ENTIRELY wrong! For example, look at THIS classic example: *stands on a sentient throne colored like one of those anal paint-explosion paintings* *does a queer little twirl and a gay little flip and an entirely heterosexual bow* *top hat falls off* *it doesn't do anything because its just a top hat* *face morphs into a Fawkesequus-version of the Chad face* Seeeee, my friend? Not cringe at all. PURE cool. Only rad dudes roleplay in off-topic MLP forums, after all~ 😎 But for realsies though Yeah, I was in the exact same boat yo. Sitting in a dorm room at an out of state college I had no interest in being at, zero friends around, dumped by my high school sweetheart. Funny pony show is somehow decent WHICH REMINDS ME "OH YEAH, forums and chat rooms exist for folks with interests who have few to no friends IRL HUH???" Find this cozy little nook, and they have ROLEPLAY to boot?? Hey, I used to do a bunch of that! AND WHATSTHIS!? A funny little thread full of funny little creatures competing for the.. "last... post..???" Hm. Hm hm. Hmmmm. Weird. Very weird. What a bunch of weirdos. I think I might like them. .....yeah, that looks like a pretty good place to built a li'l mini cult~ >:3 AND LOOKIT US NOW! SOMEHOW still semi in contact (some more than others) with each other A DECADE later! Thats fuggin' amazing!! Hell, it was this thread and you peeps and our little clan that got me super into event organizing/managing! And NOW I'm on the board of directors for Furrydelphia and I direct their entire dealer's den. Ab-so-LUTELY wouldn't have happened without this thread and all of you. *whispers* And damb, this thread has actually gotten me laid more times than any pickup line too... AND REALLY, I COUNT THAT AS *ALL* OF US HAVING GOTTEN LAID~ :'3 BUT MY POINT IS I owe a hell of a lot to ALL of you weird, cringe, demented, beautiful, mad little gremlins. Thank you, truly. For just having been here and for being you~💗💗💗

A fresh morning was hardly the place or time he’d like to be. No, he’d rather be napping stretched out over the royal garden as his servants tended to him. But such things were pushed aside for something far more important. The morning walk with his Rasha, Spoiled Rich. Almost every morning they’d meet up and go for a short walk around the town before she slipped into the office to carry out the job of mayor. And well at first he was rather put off from walking at the crack of dawn he found it as enjoyable as she did to start the day. And so the town was greeted with the familiar presence of the giant sphinx walking down its paths. When he first arrived here a few years ago he was already taller than an alicorn and in the passing time he’s grown and grown. Now he towered over the ponies standing taller than two celestia’s standing on top of the other. And even then he was still growing, still eating more and more as his body grew. It will be many years yet before he is a full grown sphinx… But for all his size no pony seemed all that alarmed. They were rather used to him by now thankfully. And so Nilaavin walked into the marketplace parting the sea of ponies like an icebreaker over a frozen sea as Spoiled Rich walked alongside him. He’s changed over the years and not just in size. Cultural exchange and adapting to a new place and time has seen him pick up some more pony customs and fashions. He still kept his eyeliner, that was staying. But he now sported some new earrings and a huge cloak made out of fine fabrics and lined with thick furs. A pony might faint if they learned how much it cost to have it made. And even his claws were now decorated with a layer of gold gilding. He preferred the look of silver in all honesty, but silver gilding was hard to come by and even more hard to track down a pony willing to do his claws. At least the gold claws matched the golden magic bands around his four legs and neck. In many ways he looked more like some old duke or lord from old pony history and less like the sphinxes of old. And that was a change he liked. He felt more like fit in with the ponies, in a way at least. He’d never lower himself too much. But among the nobility his change in dress was doing wonders and helping him settle into a new life with blueblood as his guide… And speaking of a new life his eyes passed over a young filly at some stand. It took his brain a moment to register it was an apple stand run by a Ms’ Applejack. He’s never spoken to her formally or her kittens. He’s passed by plenty, but never once stopped down in the farm. And it looked like her farm was fruitful this year. Well he much preferred meat one must learn to eat less enjoyable food around ponies. And so he was not shy about apples. Better yet he can give his Rasha a treat. Fuss as she may, he can what her stomach and knew that once again she did not eat at home. Again. So he led the way to the stand and lowered his head down until was at eye level with the mare and the young kit. He looked at the older mare with a ‘friendly’ smile, as friendly as a giant pony-cat can smile, then looked at her young kit. “Hello small one, I’d like some of the very best apples you have. A hard task, as all of them must truly shine and taste better than all the rest. Two for Spoiled, and no do not fuss I can hear your stomach. And… Well, a dozen for me.” He chuckled and grinned. “A big cat needs big meals.” In truth, a dozen apples is hardly a meal for him. You'd need a dozen ponies for that. “He then looked back to AJ and ‘bowed’ with a dip of his nose. “And good morning Ms’ Applejack. The farm is doing you well? I heard you picked up a new tenant with some kittens of her own on the way soon.” He still had an odd accent in his words, one born from his odd place in this world. He after all natively spoke a dead language. Outside of scholars none knew it so learning to speak the pony language was a must. And it blinded oddly with his natively spoken tongue to give him a truly unique accent. Such was far from a bad thing, he found out many ponies found his voice… Nice.

The call-out is absolutely so correct. I very much needed attention, and also did not understand myself whatsoever (but thousands of dollars worth of therapy has helped immensely). I always thought you were hilarious too penumbra and I'm glad that my humor shone through the nastier bits. I'm sorry to hear, but also grateful to know, that you were in a similar boat of alone-ness. Glad we could be there for each other as best as we could with what we knew and what tools we had at our disposal :')

Ohmygosh its nasty. And with good ol' Fawkes actually showing their slithery butt up in a record breaking THREE TIMES in a year, it almost like some kind of renaissance. This must have been what the Italians felt like when they invented painting and clocks. We where all insecure cringe bags back then. I may not have understood it back then, as I barely understood myself. That much is obvious from the sheer amount of desperation for attention I (and everyone. Thats right chums i'm calling you all out) displayed. But I understand it now, this may have been a shock but I was also quite very alone around that time aswell! You made this place you're internet-home, as we all did. You don't need to apologies for being at home in your house. (I secretly thought you were a bit funny.)