I Don't Know Why I Doubted Myself For A Second

I Don't Know Why I Doubted Myself For A Second
By Kendell2
Commissioned by Alexwarlorn

Dear Diary;

I've had such a wonderful Nightmare Night this year. I admit, Nightmare Night has never been a favorite holiday of mine. Everypony dressed up in a different scary costume. All the houses done up in so many terrifying decorations. So many different scares and terrors. It was just so...overwhelming. I've never been able to enjoy it before. I normally simply stayed home and locked myself inside.

Well this year that wasn't an option. Simply not possible. So I had to wonder out on one of my least favorite nights of the year, and worse yet into town! I couldn't get the food I needed otherwise, it just had to be done.

At first it was everything I assumed it would be. Ponies in a hundred different spooky outfits and no two houses the same kind of scary. It made me scared just looking at them!

But the strangest thing happened. Something I'm still a bit surprised by!

I ran into some friends. I talked with them, they talked with me, and eventually I decided I should give things a shot. I was uncertain, it was so different than anything I'd ever been used to. I'd never been asked or even attempted anything like this ever before. It was so outside my comfort zone I froze a bit, but my friends were surprisingly convincing. I made an effort at being scary myself...and admittedly fell flat. I suppose because I attempted to show them what scared me, not what scared everypony.

But I did try again, this time trying to vary things a bit more. It did work! I scared them so badly they were cowering before me!...But it just didn't feel right. Just because you're good at something, doesn't mean it's right. Just because something different is something you can do doesn't mean it's ever something you should do.

But it did make my friends happy. I explained why it didn't work for me and they accepted. I told them I had fun, but thought I'd stay in my comfort zone, and they agreed. They agreed with everything I said. And the more I spoke, the more I thought. The more ideas I had. So I asked them if they'd like to come home with me.

I admit, I had to be a little dishonest here. I told them the shed behind where I was living was a haunted house I'd set up. Well it wasn't a lie, what was inside would probably be scary at first. I convinced one of them on the way to agree without a fight, poor soul felt so isolated and confused and just wanted to belong.

Once we were there, I got to work. I may not have the proper tool to get the illusion one hundred percent correct, but I didn't need it right now. A few seconds and no more Cutie Marks.

It took them a few weeks of learning, but they're my friends well and true now. They've accepted Equality truly and thoroughly. Though I'm going to have to be on constant guard to make sure none of them are tricking me. Sleep with one eye open, remember the last time.

But an enjoyable Nightmare Night all things considered. I've made new friends my way, not that of poor misguided Twilight's way. Everypony will see the truth sooner or later.

I don't know why I doubted myself for a second. Now that is what I call a perfect Nightmare Night.

Starlight Glimmer.