- >Little boy saves up his allowance.
- >Does extra chores.
- >Collects cans.
- >Everything he can for months.
- >Practically a whole year.
- >Parents keep asking what he's saving for.
- >He won't tell them.
- >Okay, it's amusing. He's doing extra work and being extra good, so they let it slide.
- >Don't say a word about all those costumes they find half-made in his closet.
- >All painted cardboard and scraps of cloth.
- >One week to Halloween, finally lets it slip.
- >Pony Rental place wouldn't rent to a kid.
- >Asks his parents to rent him a dozen foals for Halloween.
- >Dumps his piggy bank out.
- >Won't even cover half the cost.
- >Mom asks why.
- >"Because I have bags and costumes and everything and I'll get way more candy this way!"
- >Mom rolls he eyes.
- >Dad doesn't say anything to the kid. Just makes the call and pulls out his credit card.
- >Ponies show up around noon.
- >Dropped off by surly jackass driver.
- >Dad signs the paperwork.
- >Winces at the cost, but signs it.
- >Driver reminds dad he'll be back at midnight for the ponies.
- >Foals mill around.
- >Some scared.
- >Some trying to act brave by scaring the others.
- >Telling stories about what they've heard goes on.
- >Why people rent this many foals at once.
- >Mom bops those ones on the nose with a rolled up magazine.
- >Shushes them and drives them inside.
- >Boy starts pulling out the costumes he's worked on for weeks.
- >Some don't fit.
- >Some are perfect.
- >Fillies and colts giggle as they put on their outfits.
- >They're literally made of trash.
- >Empty cereal boxes painted bright silver turn ponies into robots.
- >Worn out bedsheets combine with others to become ghosts.
- >One is a pirate, wearing the boy's outfit from last year. Modified, of course.
- >Ponies stop laughing as the boy stomps out of his room carrying a whip and pith helmet.
- >They're just toys.
- >Doesn't matter.
- >Not all of the ponies have unblemished hides.
- >He attaches it to one filly's belt.
- >"You're Daring Do!" he shouts happily, settling the helmet on her head.
- >Filly giggles softly.
- >The rest follow.
- >He disappears again.
- >Mom and dad adjust some of the costumes while he dresses.
- >Little boys have grand ideas, but no idea how big ponies actually are, or how to make things that fit.
- >Doesn't take long.
- >Most are simple fixes.
- >There's some silver spray paint in the garage and cereal comes in a bag.
- >They didn't really need those boxes anyway.
- >Fixes are all done by the time the boy emerges.
- >Simple costume.
- >Black shirt. Black pants. Black pillowcase wrapped around his head.
- >He's a ninja!
- >Mom tells him to go back and -
- >He's got a bag full of flashlights.
- >A safe ninja!
- >Dad asks where he's got them, but boy just shrugs.
- >"Found 'em."
- >Makes sure every pony has a flashlight and one for himself.
- >A little fiddling later and every flashlight is attached to a costume.
- >Tucked into a belt, tied to a leg with a sock, and in one case taped to an overly large shoulder pad.
- >Dad laughs and says son should have gone with glow sticks.
- >Boy tried, but they all went out a few months ago.
- >Starting to get dark.
- >Mom has been at the door handing out candy to all the 'little babies' for a while.
- >Handing out some to the foals too.
- >Sun goes down.
- >It's dark.
- >Time for the big kids to go trick-or-treating!
- >Boy is only 7.
- >Still insists he's a big boy.
- >Doesn't need anyone to go with him!
- >Parents laugh.
- >Fine, but only to the end of the street and back.
- >If he goes any further, he has to come get them.
- >And he has to be back by 9.
- >Halloween or not, it's a school night.
- >He agrees. Reluctantly.
- >It's easy to watch him from the front yard.
- >Parents take the candy bowl outside. Sit on the porch.
- >Watch this bobbing blob of thirteen lights wobble away down the sidewalk.
- >Share a few candies themselves between trick-or-treaters.
- >Have a fair share of ponies come by while they wait.
- >There's one little girl dressed as a cowgirl riding one.
- >Filly doesn't look much older than the ponies the son ran off with, but she's carrying the girl easily.
- >Almost easily.
- >She walks into the fence.
- >"OWWWWWWWW!"
- >"Hey! Go around it!"
- >"You know I can't see without my glasses!"
- >"The Lone Ranger's horse doesn't have glasses!"
- >"Yeah, yeah."
- >She's not hurt, though.
- >Earth ponies are tough.
- >But parents give her some candy too.
- >Neighbor three houses down has one for a nanny.
- >She's walking the kids for them.
- >Implies walking them like pets, and that's almost the truth.
- >One is too young to know better than to run into the street. She's on a leash.
- >Another is riding on the pony's back.
- >The littlest one.
- >Really should have been out earlier, the child is half-asleep, but the teen was fusing with her costume for *hours*.
- >"I was not!"
- >The adults share an embarassed smile.
- >Parents aren't looking forward to dealing with that age.
- >Offer the nanny some candy too, but she refuses.
- >Offer her a beer.
- >She... hesitates before refusing.
- >Share another smile.
- >A knowing one.
- >Maybe on the way back.
- >It goes unsaid, but the understanding is there.
- >She has little ones to care for.
- >Minutes tick past.
- >The street isn't long, but it's packed.
- >Newish development.
- >Houses barely have space to walk between them.
- >Lots of families with young children.
- >Almost every light is on.
- >Not the Hendersons, of course, but they never participate in anything.
- >First hour passes.
- >Parents aren't worried.
- >They can see the blob of lights bobbing along towards them on the other side of the street.
- >Plenty of children moving in groups, but none as large as their son's.
- >He crosses as he comes even with the house.
- >"Need more bags!"
- >Yep, they're full.
- >Every single one.
- >Ponies giggle and play as he runs inside to get more.
- >"They can leave those here, right?" he asks, coming back out with shopping bags and anything else that will work.
- >"Yeah, sure."
- >Ponies open their mouths and drop their bags on the porch.
- >Some a little reluctantly.
- >"Don't worry, Dad and Mom will take care of them!"
- >Yes, he says 'Dad' and 'Mom' with capitals.
- >He's still at that age.
- >"Of course."
- >Dad nods in agreement.
- >He's got plenty of candy left in the bowl to hand out - and snack on.
- >Asks if anyone is giving him any trouble.
- >Boy is confused until parent nods towards the foals.
- >"Oh."
- >He shrugs.
- >"Some."
- >He shrugs again.
- >Rushes off with his ponies to hit up the rest of the street.
- >Kids start to come by that the adults don't recognize as their neighbors.
- >Ones from outside the neighborhood.
- >A few older ones.
- >A few that are a little *too* old.
- >Some that aren't even wearing costumes.
- >"About time to wrap it up?" one parent asks the other, already knowing the answer.
- >"Not yet. He's almost back."
- >It's not even 8:30.
- >Boy hasn't made it to the other end of the street, but he's coming back.
- >"I bet he wants to enjoy some of that candy before he has to go to bed."
- >"Probably."
- >He does.
- >And to play with his new friends.
- >Parents stay outside for a bit, fending off another wave of trick-or-treaters.
- >Most are in costume.
- >Most.
- >Some are neighbors making the return trip, just swinging by to say hello or who saved this house for last.
- >Laugh quietly at the little child slumbering away on her nanny's back, tiny fists clutching the pony's mane.
- >She nods towards the parents.
- >Can't quite hide her smile.
- >They wave her over.
- >The teen groans and - after a brief talk with the pony - walks home alone.
- >Inside the house, laughter and merriment as ponies play with the boy.
- >Outside, quite talking between adults, trying not to wake the child snoozing away while the other digs into the candy dish.
- >"Ready for that beer now?"
- >Some time during the night, the dad had slipped inside to get one for himself.
- >It's Halloween.
- >No one will care.
- >She smiles again, but shakes her head.
- >Gently, so as not to dislodge the child.
- >"Thanks, but I should be getting back. Maybe next time."
- >"I'll hold you to that."
- >She's not a bad sort.
- >Better neighbor than her owners.
- >Only reason they get invited over to the cookouts is because of her. And, well, because they're neighbors.
- >Street is nearly empty.
- >Jack-o-lanterns being snuffed out.
- >Porch lights being turned off.
- >A few beams of light bounce along the sidewalks as children scurry home - or on to the next street in the hopes that there is any loot left to be looted.
- >Thirteen bags of candy lean against the wall.
- >Dad calls his son outside.
- >Tells him to take those in while he starts cleaning up.
- >Waves his hand towards the decorations.
- >Mother laughs.
- >"You just want to finish my beer."
- >Father laughs.
- >"I just want to finish my beer."
- >Son shakes his head.
- >"I told the ponies they could take that back with them."
- >"But isn't that why you rented them for the night?"
- >"I don't want any of it," he answers with a shrug.
- >Father sighs and sets down his beer.
- >"You know, with the money you'd saved up, you could have just bought yourself a bunch of candy. Or toys."
- >"I know," the son responds, smiling as laughter swells up from inside the house. "This was more fun."
- >He looks back over his shoulder.
- >"I hope I can save up enough to do this next year too."
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twilightgamenight
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twilightgamenight
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twilightgamenight
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twilightgamenight
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twilightgamenight