The colts and fillies of Ponyville were already gathered in the town square when the CMC came rolling in. They pulled in at the back of the crowd and spilled out. "Everybody grab one of your candy bags,"(1) Applebloom said, hopping to the ground. The others grabbed their bags off the coat hooks along the inside of the Time Machine. Nyx grabbed hers and followed, puzzled.

The children were gathered around the podium in front of Town Hall. The mayor was there in her vampire costume, still struggling with her teeth. "Ashenshion, ewwypon-- PFOO!" The offending fangs sailed out over the crowd and disappeared. "Oh confound it all anyway-- Attention, children, attention everypony! Gather round, gather round... we're about to begin!"

"Now everypony, I'm sure you remember our guest from a few years back. She has agreed to join us again, and be our storyteller for Nightmare Night---"

Nyx perked up. Storyteller? This might be good.

"--So give a warm Ponyville welcome to our own ZECORA!" Whistles and hoofstampings greeted the name. There was a billowing cloud of sparkling green smoke, and the zebra appeared onstage. She was dressed this year in a cloak and shawl trimmed with tiny skulls that clicked and clattered as she moved.

Nyx gulped and shrank back. She was already at the back of the crowd, but it didn't seem nearly far enough.

To be fair, Nyx knew-- in her head, anyway-- that she should have had absolutely no problem with the exotic herbologist. Zecora was Mom's friend. She was Applebloom's friend too, for that matter.  But Zecora was strange and spooky and mysterious. Whenever Nyx met her, the zebra potionist seemed to be staring straight through her. Judging her.

And worst of all, she lived in the Everfree forest. The wretched, horrible, awful Everfree forest, where all the worst and most dreadful times of Nyx's short life had happened. Where she'd been born in a thunderstorm in the dead of night. Where she'd been tricked into going by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon and had been attacked by one of Nightmare Moon's wayward spell-shreds. Where all the monsters had come from that had half-leveled Ponyville and nearly killed her. And Zecora lived there, like it was nothing, brewing her weird potions and---

Nyx couldn't help it. To her, in some way, Zecora was the Everfree Forest.

Zecora was speaking. Nyx tried to listen.

"Follow me, little ones, and you shall hear

the cause of all that you fear

Come with me, and very soon

you shall hear the tale of Nightmare Moon..."

Nightmare.... Night.... mare....

Night, mare, MOON?

Nyx's jaw dropped.  Nightmare MOON?

What followed was not so much the penny finally dropping as the payoff bell at Las Neighgas. Nyx sat there, croggled, as penny after penny after penny dropped for her. Only one thought surfaced from the cacophony; This whole holiday is about m--- about Nightmare Moon?

But-- that doesn't make any sense! Why would anyone have a holiday about Nightmare Moon?

The crowd of foals was moving. Zecora was leading the herd, guiding them down a well worn path-- into the Whitetail Woods, Nyx saw with relief. Baffled and curious, she picked up her candy bag and followed.

"--- presenting the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and guests!"

Their entrance was everything that Rarity could have dreamed. The six of them stepped forward, their dates slightly behind them,  their costumes-- and their dazzling, rainbow-hued wings-- sparkling in the soft light of the royal throneroom. There was an exclamation of delight from the crowd and approval from the gentleponies and mares in attendance, followed by an enthusiastic smattering of applause.

The throneroom had been redone quite thoroughly. It was sweeping and open, with high ceilings-- even higher than the ones in Canterlot, Twilight suspected-- and delicate chandeliers. Most of the ceiling was in fact skylight , and the entire wall behind the throne was replaced with paned glass and french doors that opened out into the night. The floors were marble tile of deep indigo and the blue of midnight clouds, broken only by a red velvet carpet that ran from the stairwell to the foot of the plush throne, where Luna sat in repose.(2)  

A brief pause, and they made their way down the flight of steps and down the velvet carpet to the throne. They bowed; Luna quickly bid them rise. "No need for that from dearest friends," she said with a smile--- and thankfully not in the Royal Canterlot voice. "We are pleased that thou hast braved the night to join us." She gave Fluttershy an impish smile. "I suspect twas more of a challenge for some...."

Fluttershy smiled awkwardly and squeaked. The others chuckled.

"Allow us to present our dates for the evening, your Highness," Twilight said. "This is Ink Spot, of--"

"Informative Publishing, yes," Luna said. "We are acquainted."

"She bought a few books from us in person," Ink Spot explained.

"Really? Which ones?" Twilight asked.

"All of them," Luna sighed. "Tis a bit of a read, catching up on a thousand years of history..."

They went around the group, with each of the mane 6 introducing their dates. Luna smiled and graciously welcomed them all, every bit as elegant as her elder sister. "Do mingle and enjoy thyselves. The entertainment shall begin soon surely, and the banquet is already open..."

"Yay, chocolate fountain!" Pinkie Pie cheered and bolted for the buffet line, Pokey right behind her.

        "Excuse me highness--" Rarity said in a panic, dashing off after the two to keep them from sticking their heads in the melted chocolate.

Luna chuckled at the antics of the Element of Laughter and her date. "Oh, Fluttershy... perhaps you might enjoy a walk in our night gardens," she said. She pointed to a pair of french doors that led out to the garden. "...And if you do wish to speak with the animals, I am sure this time they will be a bit more friendly."

        Fluttershy meeped and blushed. "Thank you your highness..." She and Caramel made their way to the gardens.

Soon the others had dispersed as well. The princess sat back in her throne and pondered. She had been delighted to see them all, but their arrival (and full points to them for that entrance; already they were the talk of every gossip in the room) had underlined something for her. She glanced around; the gaily costumed guests were socializing, the buffet was filled with delectable hors d'oeuvres, and pleasant chamber music-- played by the ever-optimistic Octavia and her quartet-- filled the air. She caught Pomp's eye as he circled the room and with a gesture summoned him to the throne. "How may I be of service, your majesty?" he said smoothly.

"Pomp?" She ventured. "How is every little detail going?"

"Quite well, your majesty."

"Food and drink in plenty? Music arranged? Dance floor open? Guests and entertainment all arrived?"

"Of course, your majesty."

"Then tell me something, dear Pomp," the princess said idly. "Why do none of those things I arranged for seem to be present?"

Pomp froze in place. "I don't believe I understand, your majesty," he said carefully.

"The food? the music? The citizens of Ponyville?" she pressed. "I do recall commissioning Sweet Apple Acres and Sugarcube corner, yet I do not see one caramel apple or pumpkin pastry on the buffet. My DJ seems to have gone missing and been replaced with a cellist. And the only citizens of Ponyville I have seen yet this night have been the Elements of Harmony and their consorts for the evening...."

Pomp should have gone to Neighgas with a poker face like that. "I'm sure I don't understand, Highness," he said again. He pointed through the archway at the end of the throneroom. As you can see, the, ah, citizenry seem to have all congregated in the main ballroom...."

"Mmm Hmm," the lady on the throne said.

A tiny bead of sweat formed on the majordomo's brow. "... And so we did arrange for the, ah, more popular music and festival fare to be arranged in the ballroom accordingly...."

"Do tell."

"... so as not to inconvenience anypony, of course."

"And tis sheer coincidence I'm sure that nopony from that room has walked through that wide archway into this one," The indigo alicorn said.

"Surely."

"Surely?"

"Well it may be that they are... intimidated by the presence of so much nobility 'round the throne," Pomp said.

"Really?" The princess said. "For my part, I would have guessed that it were the fault of the "please ignore me" spell that somepony cast upon the archway."  

Pomp bit back a groan. The princess crossed her forehooves daintily and shot Pomp a glare that nearly left his spine covered in icicles. "Now, I know I'm a naive little thing, poorly versed in the very sophisticated ways of these complicated, modern times.... not nearly so observant or knowledgeable as my dear sister... so I am sure it was just a mistake on someone's part to cast that spell and divide my party in twain."

"Yes, a mistake," Pomp mumbled.

"And I'm sure that whoever made that little mistake will soon, that is to say immediately, undo it. Am I correct?"

Pomp gulped. "Yes, your majesty," he said.

"The entertainers I commissioned, wherever they have been waylaid, will be allowed to set up at once."

"Yes..."

"And the rest of the 'carnival fare' will be brought out and set up, tut suite."

"Of course your Highness...."

"That will be all."

"As you wish..." Pomp began walking backwards away from the throne.

"And fetch me a caramel apple while you're at it, there's a dear."

1)At this point the Crusaders were each in possession of a huge cotton bag full of smaller paper bags--- one for each street they'd looted. Each of those bags was full of candy. Pip and Dinky were liable to need physical help getting theirs back home--- at this point their haul outweighed them.

2)In all things Luna intended to differ from her sister. Bedamned if she was going to stand in a stairwell and shake hooves all day at her own party.