>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."