Lucky Melon's pumpkin patch fun!(Open!)

[Melyn]

"Ah, it feels good to be back home!" Lucky Melon exclaimed as he reared on his back-hooves, tossing his hair back over his shoulder. His hoofs hit the moist soil and he breathed deep; his nostrils were filled with the smell of cinnamon and the fresh harvest. His journey from Ponyville to Fillydelphia had been a long one, but seeing his town so close at hoof made it all worth it. The great red harvest moon hung over his home-town; it almost felt like the light was leading him there. A grin spread from cheek to cheek on the happy pony as he trotted closer, but he was soon distracted by another wonderful attraction; an enormous festive pumpkin patch! Ponies were browsing over ripe orange pumpkins, big and small.

Lucky Melon smiled as he watched the foals carve decorations into the orange flesh of the great fruits. His ears perked up as he heard an excited scream in the distance, and his tail swished in excitement.

"I've just got to carve a pumpkin! Ohh, I haven't done it since I was a colt." He thought to himself as he looked at the plump pumpkins and colorful squashes.

His eyes shined with delight and he started toward the pumpkin patch, dodging between the smaller orange masses, looking for the perfect pumpkin. The wind tousled his braided hair; the leaves swirled around his hooves as he searched desperately for his soul-pumpkin. The tall trees shifted as he trotted beneath their branches, leaves slowly fell down around him, like wild confetti, and dew coated the bottom of his legs as he walked through the grass. Lucky Melon turned a corner, glanced left, glanced right, and gasped! There, right in front of him, was the perfect pumpkin. Big, round, sturdy, a few grass and dirt stains here and there, but it was his pumpkin! He pressed up against it and grinned, nudging it with his nose as he hugged it.

"Perfect!" He exclaimed happily as he squeezed the pumpkin with his hooves.

His horn was put to work quickly, and he began to carve a face into the pumpkin. He went around the pumpkin, carving consummate v's for a mouth and large round circles for eyes. When he was done, he looked the pumpkin over and smiled to himself, then blinked.

"Something is wrong." He stared at the pumpkin, tilting his head a little, eyebrow raised. Something wasn't right. He quickly realized what it was, and let out a loud laugh.

"I forgot to take out the pumpkin's middle!'

He cut off the top and gutted the pump, admiring his work afterwards. The pumpkin smiled at him, and he smiled back. He nudged his muzzle under the pumpkin and hoisted it on his back, heading towards the front to pay.

[Lilia]

Lilia had traveled back to Fillydelphia to be with her mother and baby sister for Nightmare Night, her joy at seeing the pumpkin patch bringing back all sorts of memories.  She paused at a largeish sized pumpkin, the bright orange making her eyes sparkle.  This was the same size she had carved last, maybe a bit bigger.  It was a matter of moments before she settled it onto her back and began trotting to the carving table.  She froze when she saw the unicorn stallion.  She blushed, shaking it off as she struggled to get the pumpkin onto the table.

"Oh, dash it all, you cursed thing!  Go onto the table...I have such a clever idea, and...by...Celestia...I...will...carve it! Ha!" She grumbled, finally hefting the thing onto the table.  As she cut the top off and gutted the pumpkin, she began to sing.  Softly at first, then more confident.

"It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark

Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart

You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it

You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes

You're paralyzed

'Cause this is thriller, thriller night

And nopony's gonna save you from the beast about strike

You know it's thriller, thrill-" She sang, stopping cold when she realized what she was doing.  By the time Lilia had stopped however, the pink earth pony had carved an intricate design of Princess Luna and Princess Celestia's cutie marks along with the cutie marks of any pony nearby, including Lucky Melon's and her own.  She blinked.  She hadn't intended that to happen, but...well, now that it was done, she was impressed.  She didn't know she could do any kind of work like that!  Placing it upon her back again, she shifted the weight of the pumpkin to her flanks, more able to maneuver it onto the counter to pay.  She eyed the smiling pumpkin of Lucky Melon, kicking herself for not going with a much simpler plan.

[Melyn]

Lucky Melon trotted along obliviously, thinking to himself how wonderful this would look on his parents doorstep. He was hoping it would get a few smiles or screams from the children in the neighborhood. He hopped nimbly over a puddle and hoisted the pumpkin up, then he heard singing. He turned his amethyst eyes in the direction of the singing and saw a pink mare carving a pumpkin herself. He stared for a few seconds at her magnificent carvings, and edged a little closer. He quickly realized what all she was drawing and started,"Wow! She's so talented!" His tail swished and his ears perked up as he grinned to himself, he always had been a admirer of arts and crafts. The very last thing he wanted to do was come off as a creepy gawker though. He turned his attention back towards the counter to pay, turning back to her when she headed in the same direction.

"I have to say, that's a wonderful pumpkin you've carved!" He said with a smile, tilting his head a little.

He glanced up at the moon and stood over his pumpkin, hooves on both sides as he grinned over it."Mine's simple, I'm not so much of an artist. But, I think it'll be neat enough for a doorstep! What do you think?"

Lucky Melon put all four hooves on the ground and looked over her way, then promptly payed the stallion who was ever so patiently waiting for him to pay. The change was set on the counter, and Lucky Melon's horn glowed as he pocketed the change in a small bag that he stored on his back, under the braided pink hair that touched his shoulders.

[Lilia]

Lilia nodded when she was addressed by the stallion, blushing lightly.  She beamed, realizing that he had asked a question.  "Oh, of course!  Much more suited to scaring the colts and fillies than mine is...and I'm not the artist of our family, that would be my sister, Violet...lucky filly, getting the Magic..." She grumbled lightheartedly, not at all jealous of her sister for being born a unicorn.  She beamed at the stallion behind the counter and placed her bits in front of him.

"Keep the change...it's the least I could ask for using your tools the way I did...y'know, Earth Pony style and all..." She chuckled, her own light blue eyes reflecting the warmth of her generosity.  She turned to Lucky Melon, her eyes meeting his before going to the pumpkin.

"That...is a big pumpkin.  You could hide in it and scare the foals as they come up, give 'em a Nightmare Night they'll never forget..." She mused, walking around him to see the pumpkin from all angles before nodding.  "Yeah...Worth every second inside there...and as a unicorn, you don't need a candle...truly worth seeing everypony jump...a prank of the ages!" She giggled, forgetting that she had a pumpkin on her own flanks until she felt it slide.

[Melyn]

"That's exactly the plan!" He grinned at the mare, keeping the pumpkin carefully balanced against his back and neck. He looked back and watched her walking around him, glad someone was admiring his pumpkin. "Though, I wouldn't want it to be too scary...it's supposed to be fun!" He smiled and reared a little. He glanced over at the mare and noticed her pumpkin sliding back, reaching up a hoof to steady it,"Oops! Careful, thing almost fell." He beamed at her and steadied her pumpkin with a hoof, then looked towards his destination.

"So, where are you headed to?" He asked curiously, staring out over the top of the treeline. He admired the city-scape in the distance and thoughtfully considered his journey ahead, then turned to her again."I suppose I should drop off this pumpkin at home, will you be back anytime later? There's something around here I still want to check out! You could tag along." His tail swished as he quizzed her.

[Lilia]

Lilia flushed when the stallion assisted her, his question making her think a moment.  

"I do believe this should go to my family's home here in Fillydelphia.  I'd rather it be here...admired.  Though I will be coming back...I have to find a pumpkin for some pies!" She laughed, hesitating a moment before nodding.

"I'd love to accompany you.  I live nearby here, at least until after Nighmare Night...Family before apprenticeship, and all that..." She admitted softly, impressed that he would ask about her joining him.

"My name is Lilia, by the way." She smiled, realizing that she hadn't introduced herself yet.

[Melyn]

"Oh! That's exactly the same thing I'm doing." He replied brightly. "I was hoping this would make a nice decoration for my families porch. And the colts and fillies who come to visit, of course." He noted. A wind stirred up the leaves around his hooves, and shook the lanky branches above them. He breathed into the cool air and relaxed in it, admiring the cool season before responding to her offer to come with him.

"That would be nice. It's always better to walk with a friend than alone." He commented, giving her a warm smile as he straightened himself up, standing tall under the bright harvest moon. He looked up at it, enjoying it's warm glowing light; he had always been one for a full moon. "Now, I could gladly walk you to where you're going first, and then you could come with me to my home. Then we could explore around here! What do you think?" He grinned at her, excited at the prospect for company. In the back of his head, he was hoping they ran into something super spooky to write about tonight. After all, you never know what could happen on Nightmare Night!

"Lilia?" His ears perked up and he looked over at her."That's a nice name, I completely forgot to introduce myself too. I'm Lucky Melon!" He extended a hoof and beamed at her, glad to have made a friend.

[Lilia]

Lilia beamed in delight.  She nodded, accepting Lucky's offer.

"I would love to!  I should warn you before we go to my home here...my sister, Violet...well, she likes this holiday best...so don't be surprised if we're greeted by an illusion of a Dragon or something...." She said, sighing at the idea of a Dragon being doorkeeper to their home this year.

"Pleased to meet you, Lucky Melon!  It's always good to know the names of your friends." She grinned, turning to the exit.

[Melyn]

Lucky Melon responded to her statement with a nod and watched her turn to go. He jumped ahead a little to walk beside Lilia, careful to avoid some of the longer grass beside the road. He swished his hair back and rolled his shoulders up to steady the pumpkin on his back.

"That sounds interesting. I honestly never grew up with the holiday. We were always too busy harvesting at this time of the year! But, when I saw it being done around the bigger part of the town, I decided to bring it home with me. That was just last year, my first real Nightmare Night." He told her.

Lucky Melyn hopped over a little puddle and kicked a rock ahead with his hoof, watching it roll as he walked with her to her home.

[Lilia]

Lilia blinked in surprise.  This was only his second Nightmare Night?  She sighed.

"Well, then.  You'll have to see how the Bloom family does Nightmare Night.  Starting with Violet, of course!" She laughed, leading him to her home only to find an illusory Discord sitting in front of the door.  She sighed, trotting through it.

"Vi, open up!  I've got a pumpkin for you to use for Nightmare Night!" She called, knocking on the door.

[Melyn]

He nodded and watched her go up, wide eyed with amazement at the illusory discord sitting in front of her door. He stared ahead and listened, wondering what her sister would be like.

"That thing is amazing! I've never actually seen one." He whispered in awe to her, skirting around it a little, looking it over.

He looked at the door when she knocked and waited patiently, his tail swishing a little in the wind. His back straightened and he braced his pumpkin, making sure it wouldn't roll from his back.

[Lilia]

A violet pelted foal opened the door, her horn glowing as she stared at her sister. "Hey, Mom! Lilia's home! And she brought her coltfriend! And a gigantic pumpkin! Hey, can I use that for this year's Nightmare Night?" The little foal called, beaming and dropping the illusion briefly to allow Lucky past. She re-established it behind him, leaving the door open for the two to enter.

Lilia simply laughed, trying hard to not dash in behind her sister and force an apology. She turned carefully, settling the pumpkin next to 'Discord' before smiling warmly at Lucky Melon.

"And that would be my baby sister, Violet. Vi, this is Lucky Melon...he is NOT my coltfriend...he's just a friend...and this happens to be his very second Nightmare Night, so we have to give him the Bloom tradition!" She beamed, her eyes glittering as she tried hard to not laugh at her sister's antics.

[Melyn]

Lucky Melyn grinned at the young violet foal and bowed his head. As he bowed, the pumpkin rolled down his back and he stumbled a little to straighten it."Wah!" He stood on two hooves, teetered, then caught the pumpkin and gave a nervous laugh."Alright, I got it." He glanced at the illusion and entered the house, looking around. "Woow!" He blinked and looked at the two, then listened to the sisters talk.

He glanced at the pumpkin as she sat it down and smiled brightly, then blinked and his pelt stood a little on end,"Oh no no! I'm just a friend." He looked at her with an embarrassed smile before turning his ears to Lilly, listening to her talking about the tradition. In the back of his head, he was really curious about this "Bloom tradition." He looked at them both in anticipation, unsure of whether he should be excited or nervous; he was eager all the same!

[Lilia]

Violet stopped and turned to her sister, yellow-green eyes shimmering. "I see...So, just friends and you're here for a Bloom tradition? Oh boy....Here, put your pumpkin by Lilia's. I'll be RIGHT back!" Violet laughed, using her horn to indicate where he could place the pumpkin. She looked Lilia over before smiling. "You too, Sister. You have to help! It's the BLOOM tradition, not the Violet Way!" She said firmly, nudging Lilia along leaving Lucky Melon to himself for only a few moments.

Lilia eeped in shock, smiling apologetically at Lucky Melon before being dragged off. Soon the lights went out and the images of ghosts of ponies past drifted within the hallway where he stood. There was no sign of the Bloom fillies, only the ghosts...

[Melyn]

Lucky Melon watched the sisters curious, with an excited somewhat oblivious look on his face. He grinned when they nudged themselves away and waited around. When they left the room, he trotted back and forth for a few seconds, then waited patiently for something to happen.

The lights went off; his eyes went wide. He stared around, wondering if this was part of the trick. He jumped and squeeked at the ghosts when they appeared, startled a little, then watched them wide eyed with amazement. Wow! He had never seen anything like this. He stopped and watched in awe, mumbling a "oooh." Under his voice as they floated around.