"Are you feeling better, my little pony?" Celestia asked.

Nyx sniffled, smiled, and nodded. She started to wipe her nose on her leg; Celestia hastily procured a handkerchief from thin air(1) and magically whisked it over. "Blow," she ordered. Nyx complied. Another handkerchief moistened in the viewing bowl quickly cleaned the filly's face. Celestia chuckled. Some things never changed, she thought. Not all that long ago, the Princess of the Sun had to help another little indigo alicorn filly wipe her nose. How time flies.

"Thank you," Nyx said. She looked down at her hooves. "I'm sorry I'm such a baby."

"Nyx, you are anything but a baby," Celestia chided gently. "But you are little, and you are young. And you've been facing fears that ponies countless times older than you have struggled with. Such things can make anyone feel helpless and small." She nuzzled the abashed filly. "And there's not a thing wrong with wanting to cry, or wanting someone to comfort you while you face your fears. Growing up doesn't have to mean standing all alone." She stepped back. "Now, promise not to hide things like this from Twilight anymore?"

Nyx looked a little abashed. " I promise," she said.

"Good, now-- feel like rejoining the party?" Nyx nodded happily, then sort of half frowned as she looked herself over. Her costume had gotten more than a few rips and tears from her tumble into the thorn bushes. "Um, do you have a sewing needle?" she asked timidly.

Celestia's horn gleamed briefly; instantly the dozens of tiny rips and holes vanished. "Ooh, neat! Thank you!" Nyx said.

"I'm afraid it's only temporary," the Princess apologized. "The holes will reappear once the sun comes up. You'll have to fix them with a thread and needle then."

"That's okay," Nyx said. "It's still pretty neat." She looked herself over in the mirror, straightening her watch-tiara and making sure her bangles were still glowing.

"Ah, Let me guess--- Princess of Time?" Celestia said.

"Princess from the Future," Nyx said-- then gave Celestia an awkward sidelong glance. "uhm.... our group theme was Ponies from the future, and, um..."

Celestia grinned and held up a hoof, pretending to examine it. "I can't blame you," she sighed. "We Princesses are always in fashion." She turned her hoof left and right, as if she were admiring her hooficure. Nyx giggled. "Oh, speaking of costumes---" a swirl of midnight and stars bloomed up from the floor, surrounding her. When it flickered away, there stood Nightmare Moon. "Shall we go then?" she asked, with a most un-Nightmarelike grin.

Nyx looked askance at her. "Oh come now," Celestia wheedled at the filly's apprehensive look, "aren't I allowed to have fun on Nightmare Night too?"

Nyx bit her lip. "Well, maybe a little bit of pranking," she said. She held up a hoof. "But please don't scare Dinky or Truffle too much." She leaned forward and whispered. "They kinda wet themselves when they get scared too bad."

'Nightmare Moon' cocked an eyebrow. "I'll keep that in mind," she said drolly. She dropped the echoing Nightmare voice.  "I'll say you already look a great deal happier than you were."

Nyx beamed. "It's... all that stuff... I feel better about it so much. The best part is-- I know Twilight is my real Mom." she paused. "I mean, she already was, but I mean really real..." she paused again. "I mean I know it's not supposed to make a difference..." she said a little plaintively.

"But it does, all the same," Celestia said. "I understand."

Nyx looked pensive for a moment, staring at the wall. Then her eyes went wide and started to cross. "Hokey smokes. Does this mean that Princess Luna is my Dad?"

She said this just as Princess Celestia had been taking a surreptitious drink from the viewing pool.(2) Nyx was consequently the only pony in history to witness Nightmare Moon doing an epic spit-take. Celestia coughed and spluttered madly as her brain tried to discombobulate itself. She and the befuddled filly stared at each other for a brief eternity as the gears turned in their heads--- then they both shook their heads emphatically, grinning.

"Naaaaaah....."

Ink Spot and Twilight had been unable to quite enjoy the festivities after their encounter with Zecora. Twilight had been too busy fretting about Nyx, and Ink Spot had been unable to set her at ease. "I can't believe I was so blinkered," she said. "It should have been obvious to me that Nyx would be upset by Nightmare Night, I mean I remember how hard a time Princess Luna had with it. And if anything Nyx would have an even harder time. I'm a terrible mother--"

"No, no you're not," Ink Spot said firmly.

"Yes I am!" Twilight insisted. Her wings were fluttering in such agitation that she was hovering a foot off the ground. "How could I have possibly overlooked something so obvious? "

"Because you're flesh and blood, like everyone else," Ink Spot said."You made a mistake. You're allowed to; that's why pencils have erasers!" he tugged on the hem of her skirt and pulled her back to the ground. "Now you need to stop-- flying off the handle," he said.

She bridled a bit at that, then softened. "You're right, you're right," she lamented.  " I just feel like I let her down."

She barely heard the clip-clop of tiny hooves coming down the tower stairwell behind her. "Mommy!" Twilight turned around; here came Nyx, galloping as fast as her hooves would take her. She collided with Twilight with an audible whumpf, hugging her fiercely. Twilight's hug back was just as fierce.

The two of them began babbling apologies to each other at almost the same time.

"Nyx, it's my fault, I didn't tell you--"

" I was wrong, I didn't talk to you about--"

"all about Nightmare Night ahead of time---"

"--the things that I was scared---"

"I just wasn't thinking and it never--

"--- of and I wanted to but--"

"occurred to me that you didn't know and--"

"---the words just wouldn't come out and--"

"I'm so sorry...."

"I'm so sorry..."

The two of them stopped and laughed a bit. "I guess we have a lot to sit down and talk about," Twilight said.

Nyx hugged her again. "It's okay, Mommy," she said. "I was kinda dumb not to figure out Nightmare Night was about Nightmare Moon." she stuck her tongue out. "We live in a library, duh. I coulda looked it up. It's okay anyway."

Twilight nuzzled her. "So you're not upset about that, then?"

"Well there are some things about it I'm not thrilled about," the alicorn filly amended. "But I'll live." A sad look crossed her face. "There were other things-- stuff I shoulda talked to you about. But I was too dumb and too scared to..." she went on, telling Twilight all about her fears, wondering if she really was real, afraid she would find out she wasn't...

Ink Spot stood aside, watching the mother and daughter have their heart to heart. "I'm glad to see they both decided to talk," he murmured to himself.

"At times like this, you often say everything you need just by showing you listen."

"Hm, true indeed," Ink Spot agreed. He turned to face the speaker. "You don't mind if I quote you on tha---"

Looking him in the eye from not a foot away was Nightmare Moon. He gave a "Yeek" and nearly backpedaled right out from under his pith helmet. Twilight looked up-- then did a double take and a yelp of her own. She jumped up and landed foursquare, facing the spectre.

Who winked at her.  "Gotcha," she said with a smirk. Nyx giggled.

"Oh, Princess Luna," Twilight said, relaxing. "Nightmare Night. Right. Sorry."

"Guess again," the Princess said. The costume melted away partially, revealing Celestia's rainbow mane and snowy white face.

"Princess Celestia??" Twilight said, eyes wide.

"Standing in tonight for Luna," Celestia explained briefly. "A bit hard to run a ball and play Nightmare Moon at the same time."

Twilight surprised everyone by chuckling. "Poor Pipsqueak," she said. "he's going to be so confused."

Nyx's mischievous giggling turned to squeals of laughter. "He's already confused as it is," she managed to get out. "We're still trying to explain to him who I am."

"Poor boy," Ink Spot said sympathetically. "Nopony warned him that women can be cruel. Ow," he complained as Twilight jabbed him in the ribs.

Celestia's magical costume reformed. "Well, I'll try to be kind to the poor lad," she said. "Oh, Nyx? You almost forgot this." She reached under one wing and pulled out a trick or treat bag filled with candy canes.

"Oh! Thank you," Nyx trotted over and accepted the bag. She threw it over her withers and looked around.(3) "Now how am I going to find Flitter?"

"Who's Flitter?" Twilight asked.

Nyx shrugged. "A filly who hung out with us. She's wearing a Changeling costume," she said. "Have you seen her, Mom?"

Twilight tapped her chin with her hoof. "I can't say I have," she admitted. "Do you remember seeing any fillies dressed like Changelings, Ink Spot?" Ink Spot merely shook his head.

'Nightmare Moon' pondered, then seemed to brighten. "Ah, here is somepony who might know," she said. "Pomp! Ah... Circumstance? Oh whichever one you are--- "

Down the corridor came a nattily dressed and very flustered looking unicorn with a monocle and a crown-and-scepter Cutie Mark. He seemed to be looking through every doorway and down every hall he passed for something. He gave a little "yeek" when Celestia called his name, composed himself and hustled over. "Yes...ah, your majesty?" he said, obviously discomfited. He knew it was Celestia under the disguise, but he really wished she had better timing. He was currently trying to track down the Captain of the Guard, who was about someplace in the palace gratuitously abusing his privileges as the Headless Horse and scaring the cutie marks off the upper class guests.

"Nyx here is having trouble finding one of her friends," Celestia said. " Perhaps you know of someplace she might have gotten to?"

"Her name is Flitter," Nyx interjected. "She's dressed up like a Changeling."

"I'm sure she would be at the foal's party," the harried unicorn said. "There's a room set aside, um, in what used to be the barracks. Down the spiral staircase at the end of the hall, then the fourth door to the left." He bit his lip and fidgeted like a foal who needed to go to the bathroom. "Your majesty, please, I must be going, I have several minor crises at hoof. Despite our best efforts your sister is demanding to know where that dreadful entertainer she hired has gone, there are two ponies wreaking culinary havoc on the buffet line, there was a complaint earlier--- something about birds in the gardens--several of the noble guests are starting to get irritable..."  from somewhere in the distance came the sound of clanking armor and an echoing, ghostly moan, followed by a rather operatic shriek. Pomp shot a glance down the corridor. "Oh dear, there goes the Duchess Winterbottom. Please forgive me, your highness..." he scurried off, frantic to throw oil on the troubled waters.(4)

Celestia watched him go, eyebrows raised. Things must be rather exciting for Pomp and/or Circumstance to be so badly agitated. She hoped her sister wasn't giving them too much grief; good help was hard to find. "If you'll excuse me, my little ponies. Nightmare Moon does have her rounds to make." She grinned and gave them all a broad wink. "And I do believe I haven't said hello to Duchess Winterbottom yet. Ahem. Mi mi mi, la la la, ah there we go...." She let out a most un-Celestia like 'muhahahahah' and vanished in a cloud of indigo smoke.

Ink Spot and Twilight stared at the dissipating smoke, then at each other. "She wouldn't." Ink Spot said.

In the distance a distinct voice was heard. "Booga Booga." There was another Wagnerian shriek and the sound of somepony crashing to the floor.

"She would," Twilight deadpanned.

Applejack was having a fair to decent evening, she realized. Bruce Mane was a fun fella to talk to; he was a savvy businesspony with more than a few smart ideas, and had a subtle but clever sense of humor. He had taken her for a few twirls round the dance floor, then had fetched them both some punch; they were out on one of the palace's many balconies, sipping their punch and catching a breath of fresh air.

"....and the next thing we know, wham! Sonic Rainboom," Applejack said. "She snagged Rarity and all three Wonderbolts right before they hit the ground. Must've pulled every muscle she ever thought of havin', but she did it. Blew everyone in Cloudsdale away."

"I can imagine; I remember seeing the light burst from my office window," Bruce Mane said. "Must've been something to see up close."  He regarded from behind his Batstallion mask. "You have an extraordinary circle of friends, Miss Apple. But I notice you haven't said much all night about yourself.."

Applejack blushed a bit. "I was always taught not to toot my own horn," she said. "Besides, half o' what I might brag about everyone already knows." her expression turned wry. "And the other half I ended up stickin' my hoof in it right afterwards. One week I stop a cattle stampede from making a mess of town, and the next I start a rabbit stampede that does the job anyway."

"A rabbit stampede?"

Applejack rolled her eyes. "It's a long story. Let's just say that 'one step forward, two steps back' seems to be my personal motto."

"I think you're a bit hard on yourself," Bruce interjected. "From what I've heard you seem to be doing rather well. The Sweet Apple Acres brand gets more famous every day, and not because of who your friends are. Someday the Apples going to be as big as the Rockerfellers or Fancy Pants or, well, the Manes." he gave a half chuckle.

"I'd like to hope so. I'm gettin' tired of seeing my family scrape for every bit. All these years, watching my brother break his back to fill in for our parents, watching Granny Smith have to put up with her hip, seeing Applebloom doing with less than any of her classmates... " she bit her lip. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I'm complaining, or ungrateful for what we have. Don't need to be pouring troubles in other people's ears. After all, we got a lot of what money can't never buy."

"I can see that," Bruce said. "But don't be unfair to yourself. My father used to say "it's easy to say 'the best things in life are free' when your belly's full, and the roof don't leak, and the bills are all paid. Only a Changeling gets by on nothing but love." He was right; ponies need food and clothing and shelter and safety. That's why it hurts when you can't provide as well as you'd like for the ones you love."

"Is that why you run so many charities?" Applejack asked.

Bruce Mane nodded. "And why I make so many loans to start-up businesses, and invest in so many others," he said. "Give a pony an apple, he eats for a day..."

"Give him an apple seed, he eats for life," Applejack finished the old proverb. "Though as for that, you'd think there'd be a seed or two in the core."

"Eh, well, not every proverb is flawless, but most people get the point," Bruce admitted. "I hear the gryphons use a similar one about catching fish-- Eh, what's this?" There was the sound of someone whimpering and sniffling. He looked behind him. Standing on the balcony with them was a tiny purple filly. She was wearing aviator goggles and a wicker basket, with two or three balloons tied off with twine floating overhead. She gazed up at the philanthropist with huge teary eyes, the saddest little balloonist ever.

"Oh, please help me, Mister BatStallion---!"

Applejack nearly choked on her punch. She started to chuckle.... then nearly jumped out of her skin when her date turned to face the filly and said, in a deep gravelly voice that was a dead ringer for Christian HayBale in the movie:

"What seems to be the trouble, young citizen?"

The filly looked intimidated, but pressed on. "My- my mommy's missing," she said woefully. "She told me to meet her by the punch bowl but she never came... can you please help me find her, BatStallion?"

"Of course," 'BatStallion' said. He knelt down. "Hop on." The little purple filly climbed onto his back. He straightened up and turned to Applejack. "Wait here, Butterfly Wonder. I'll be back shortly." He trotted off into the ballroom, the filly clinging to his back.

As if, Applejack thought. She tailed after them, her eyes never leaving the millionaire industrialist or his tiny rider.

It didn't take long to find the missing mother. The problem was evident; there were two buffet tables and two punch bowls, one on either side of the archway. Bruce Mane found the mother, a purple mare with a berry-themed cutie mark, standing by the second punch bowl--- apparently she had been recruited into supervising the mixing--- with a distressed look on her face. The two were reunited with a hug and relieved thank yous from the mother. The Dark Nightsteed bowed and took his leave.

"Thank you, BatStallion!" the filly called after him, waving. "You're an even better superhero than Mare Do Well!"

There were chortles all around. Mane stopped and looked back. "It was my pleasure, young citizen. Off to help others--" and with a rather impressive twirl and flare of his cape, he was out the doorway and gone, followed by laughter and not a little applause.

Chuckling, Applejack made her way back to the balcony to find Bruce Mane waiting for her. "why I do declare, Bruce Mane!" she said, wide-eyed. "You just missed seeing BatStallion save the day!"

"Really? Darn the luck," Mane said, grinning. "I always seem to be someplace else when he shows up, can you imagine?"

They both chuckled at the joke. "Really, I oughta be scoldin' you a little," Applejack said.

"Oh? what for?"

"For fibbin' to that filly," Applejack said. "Pretending to be the real BatStallion..."

"Ah, Element of Honesty thing, huh? Well, isn't that the point of BatStallion?"

"Beg your pardon?"

"I mean, that's the point. He could be any pony under that mask."  He gave her a quirky smile. "A little girl needed a hero, just then. Maybe in a way, for just five minutes there, I was him."

"Hmmm..." Applejack sipped her punch, half smiling.

"Well the real question is this..." he continued.

"Are you and the other girls going to be jealous that she liked BatStallion better than Mare Do Well?"

This time Applejack did do a spit-take.