So, as you all know, Nightmare Night is right around the corner, at least in this universe.
I get to be Pinkie Pie for a night, squee!
I'm getting off topic. Anyways, what I'm getting at here is that the little demons in my head that urge me to stare at ponies and write silly little fanfics about them all day are very impatient, so I had to write the Nightmare Night chapter early. Also, Sonata finally decided to stop by and let me know if she's naughty or nice, so, yeah.
I think I just successfully convinced anypony who wasn't already sure about it that I am completely insane.
Meh. It's probably true anyway, may as well go along with it.
Potato-sheep, Saloons!
Oh, and this chapter is edited/proofread by the wonderful bronzewolf78, who innocently offered to proofread for me. He doesn't know what he's gotten into, but I still send him many hugs and thanks, because ponies.
All hugs are sent via DerpMail, EQ. The author is not responsible for any possible damage during the delivery. Apology muffins may be acquired.

Tambourine pressed her hooves against the window in the front room, staring out at the rain dripping depressingly out of the clouds. It was the night before Nightmare Night, and whereas on any other year she would be jumping up and down in excitement, the rain was, idiomatically, raining on her parade.

Tambourine was disappointed by the weather because, as much as she usually disliked her little sister, the idea of her first Nightmare Might being ruined by a mucky storm was rather sad.

"Mommy, is this icky rain gonna stay all the way until Nightmare Night?" she asked, turning away from the window to face Vinyl Scratch.

Said pony was sitting slumped in an armchair, ears hidden by enormous headphones, probably napping. Or trying to become deaf. That was always a possibility, too.

Tambourine hopped off the sofa and trotted over to her. "Mommy? Are you awake?" She prodded Vinyl's tummy, enjoying the pillow-soft fur.

Vinyl Scratch snorted, knocking her headphones off her ears with a hoof.. "Huh? Wha - oh, yeah, Octy, I'm awake, I'm awake."

"But I'm not Mom, I'm Rine, Mommy. I asked you if you thought this mucky old rain is going to stay and ruin Gracie's first Nightmare Night," Tambourine climbed into Vinyl's lap, resting her chin on her mother's chest and looking up at her.

"Oh! Sorry 'bout that, Baby-kins." Vinyl Scratch patted her filly's head affectionately "I mean, you're grey, she's grey - what's with that look? I has half asleep anyways!"

"Well, is it?"

"Is what?" Vinyl frowned, confused.

"Is the rain going to stay and ruin Nightmare Night?" Tambourine repeated patiently. She was used to having to repeat things over and over again, especially when her mother had her headphones on.

"Oh. I don't know, Sweetie. Do I look like a pegasus to you?" Vinyl glanced backwards, pretending to look for her own missing wings.

Tambourine giggled. "No, mommy. You're a plain old unicorn, like me, silly."

"Oh," Vinyl pouted. "Too bad. I was looking forward to flying later."

"Now I know why Mom calls you ridiculous."

"Is that a nice comment or a mean one, Tamby?"

"A nice one," Tambourine assured her. "Mom and I need somepony to cheer us up with her silliness."

"Uh, thanks, I guess, Filly. Speaking of which, where is your mother?"

Tambourine blinked innocently. "What do you mean? You're sitting right here, in the orange armchair in the living room of 36 Trottingham Way, San Franciscolt, Equestria. I thought you knew that."

"Don't be cheeky, Tamby. Do you know where Octavia, my wife, your mother, and the current watcher of Grace Note is located at the moment?"

"You sound like Mom. And no, I don't. But I think she went to the store with Grace to get candy to give the foals tomorrow night. If it's not still raining, at least."

"Hey, cheer up, kiddo. It'll be fine. And thank you for finally giving me a straight answer. Now, why don't you run along and - oh, I don't know, do whatever you foals do nowadays - text Rose Bud, or Crimson, or something. I want to go back to sleep."

"Okay, fine. I'll be in the backyard on the swing - Rose isn't talking to me and Crimson's on vacation and the time is wrong. Night Mommy."

Vinyl levitated her discarded headphones from the floor and fitted them over her ears, settling back into her comfortable position and closing her eyes.

The little voice in her head - Vinyl was pretty sure it was called her conscience - whispered at her that sleeping when she was supposed to be taking care of her daughter might not such an Octavia-approved idea. The worst part was that for some reason the nasty little bugger had taken on her wife's voice, as well. But Vinyl shrugged it off with the excuse that Tambourine was old enough to take care of herself.

Octavia navigated the crowded supermarket with deft ease, pushing the cart through the hoards of ponies with one hoof and protecting the assorted groceries from her filly with the other. Grace Note was going through a chewing stage, it seemed, and at the moment she was busy reaching her little hooves out to grab and gnaw on anything she could reach. Which happened to be the shelved items at the store, such as packages of cereal and energy bars, random bottled drinks, and other, not exactly filly-safe things.

Octavia was, admittedly, rather proud of her abilities - she'd had a lot of experience over the years, considering Vinyl seemed to have an irrational fear of any sort of general housework, including shopping. The poor mare would either get distracted and leave the store without purchasing anything, or end up shouting random profanity at other customers in her way. There was that one time she ended up trying to play "extreme fruit ninja" in the produce aisle, when Vinyl had unpackaged a knife and requested random ponies to through produce at her. Octavia had to drag her away from a screaming mare who claimed it was an attempt on her life - but that was another story.

"Excuse me, Ma'am," a soft voice startled Octavia, who was stopped in the middle of an aisle looking at her list.

She scooted her cart over carefully, muttering, "Sorry," as the other mare brushed past her.

"Getting a bit preoccupied, are we?" A familiar voice said at Octavia's shoulder. "Really, Octavia dear, you must learn not to drift off like that. You've been married for ten years now, I think you can go for a moment without day-dreaming."

"Hello, Mother. What are you doing here? And I wasn't daydreaming, I was looking at my grocery list," Octavia sighed impatiently. Here we go again.

"Just checking up on you. How is everything? I suppose little Tambourine is looking forward to Nightmare Night tomorrow?"

"Yes, she is." Octavia turned the corner into the next aisle, not looking at the blue mare hurrying to keep up with her.

"And I see Grace Note is growing up to be an adorable little filly, as well. Why, I could just kidnap her - " Sonata stopped at Octavia's hard look.

"Did you really just say that?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't think - I don't want to - oh, good Celestia, I've ruined any possible trust I may have earned now, haven't I?"

Octavia nodded, frowning. "Uhuh."

"Listen, I'm sorry, Octavia. I can't believe I just said that."

Octavia smiled in a way that was only slightly murderous. "I think it might be good if you just left now, don't you?"

"...Yeah," Sonata backed away awkwardly, leaving a grimacing Octavia to finish her shopping.

"Well, that was awkward," Lyra trotted up the the still backing away Sonata.

"Yup."

"...Are you gonna do anything to make it up to her?"

"Nope."

"Do you want to tell me why?"

"Nope."

"Ummm..." Lyra tried to think of something else to say.

"I don't even know why I said that - it just sort of came out, you know? Oh, Celestia, Lyra. What am I going to do now?" Sonata turned to the green unicorn with tears in her eyes.

Lyra sighed, rubbing a hoof across her old client's back soothingly. "I-I'm sure you'll - I mean, we'll think of something, Sonata. I'll talk to BonBon tonight, okay? She's good at getting ponies to like her - maybe she can help."

Sonata shook her head. "No... don't do that. I don't want to intrude on your date."

"It's alright, really."

"No... no it isn't. You've already helped me more than I deserve. Just go, alright? I'll figure something out."

"If you're sure, Sonata..."

"I'm fine, Lyra, dear. Go and meet you're marefriend. I'll be fine."

"Well, alright..." Lyra sighed. "I'll see you tomorrow, alright. Goodnight, Sonata."