Thirty Minute Pony Stories

“Full moon, full moon,

“Who have you released?

“Broken from your cocoon,

“With this strength and power, who do you please?” 

Sweetie Belle gingerly scraped a pewter spoon against the interior of the pumpkin. If she wanted the pumpkin’s body to glow like the others, she had to be delicate. Too deep, and the warm light would leak into the chill of the autumn sky. Her design would also be lost with the large amount of radiating from the thin walls. Too shallow, and no light would radiate from the pumpkin. Sweetie Belle spun the pumpkin and pressed one hoof against the thick rind of the pumpkin. She felt a faint wetness, which meant that the pumpkin would not catch fire if the candle continued to burn.

“Bright dusk, bright dusk,

“Under your splendor, the dead celebrate

“Bathed under the silver, flickering husk.

“Under the calm, the living make haste.”

 She took a wide, stout candle and checked if the wick had enough space to feed a fire. It would be embarrassing if the light were to go out too soon. Sweetie Belle cast a spell, causing the fabric wick to spark and catch fire. The playful drop of fire flickered and danced as a pool of wax grew beneath it. Sweetie Belle placed the candle into the pumpkin and covered the expertly carved pumpkin. She thanked her sister’s meticulous nature; that much she learned from her.

“Bright moon, full dusk,

“The Dead, they play.

“Old laughs, forgotten eyes, rotted tusks,

“The Living join them, as the two mingle, but never stay.”

Sweetie Belle carefully turned the pumpkin around. There was no design. Completely blank. She turned to the sketches of jack-o-lantern she planned to carve into her pumpkin, but was content with the blank expression of the pumpkin that pulsed with an orange glow. Sweetie Belle smiled.

“The breath of Death mixes with the stench of Life.

For one night, let Death steal Life’s strife,” Sweetie Belle sang.

She, like the Mare in the Moon, was most alive when the ponies around her saw her as nothing more than blank figure overflowing with unseen life.

***************************************************

RWL’s Commentary

I really like all the details about how Sweetie Belle carves her pumpkin. She’s quite meticulous and you can tell she puts a lot of thought and effort into making it just right, much like her older sister with her dresses. Singing while she works feels very appropriate for her too, and the song has some interesting imagery. Nice work!