Luna Eclipsed

Luna Eclipsed is the fourth episode of the second season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and the thirtieth episode overall. In this episode, Twilight Sparkle tries to help Princess Luna appreciate the traditions of Ponyville's annual Nightmare Night, though its roots in the stories of Nightmare Moon overshadow her effort. The episode's title is a play on the term "lunar eclipse", an astronomical event wherein the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow.
The Nightmare Night festival featured in this episode is analogous to modern-day observances of Halloween.__TOC__
==Production and airing==
The episode was #1 in the We Heart Ponies Fan Favorite Mare-a-thon in the leadup to Hearts and Hooves Day.
Since her appearance in Friendship is Magic, part 2, Luna's character model has undergone a slight redesign that features a flowing mane similar to Princess Celestia's as well as darker saturation of her coat's main color.
According to Lauren Faust, Rarity featured in the episode's original script but had her scene cut for time. In the original version, Rarity is still working on her costume when Twilight Sparkle takes Luna to her to get a makeover and help her look less intimidating. Rarity overdoes Luna's outfit so much that she tears it off. Seeing Luna with a piece of dress in her mouth, Pinkie Pie jumps to the conclusion that she ate a princess and runs off terrified. Archived locally.
A billboard referencing the poster for Poltergeist was put up in Los Angeles. It shows Pinkie Pie with a Spike plushie in front of a TV screen.
A small part showing Pinkie dressed up as a chicken reappears in Cakes for the Memories.
The scene when the colts and fillies give their candy to Nightmare Moon's statue, and Pipsqueak praising her reappears in Memories and More.
==Summary==
===The Nightmare Night festival===
At the Golden Oak Library, Twilight Sparkle premieres her Star Swirl the Bearded costume for Ponyville's Nightmare Night festival to Spike. They answer a knock at the door to find a group of young trick-or-treaters chaperoned by Granny Smith and start handing out candy. As a foal named Pipsqueak tells Twilight it's his first Nightmare Night ever, Pinkie Pie suddenly appears in a chicken costume and presses them to hurry up with the assertion that "time is candy". Twilight shows off her costume to Pinkie, who assumes it's a clown outfit.
 When Twilight and Spike arrive at the festival a short time later, Pinkie approaches them with the group of young ponies and starts talking about their evening only to be frightened away moments later when Rainbow Dash sets off a thundercloud right behind them. Twilight and Spike walk over to the apple-bobbing station headed by Applejack just as Mayor Mare takes to a nearby podium to announce the commencement of the festival. She invites the foals who had been trick-or-treating to follow her and Zecora to a statue of Nightmare Moon for a storytelling session, for which Twilight and Spike tag along.
When the group arrive at the statue, Zecora recounts a myth explaining that they must wear disguises and offer candy to the statue during Nightmare Night in order to stop Nightmare Moon from finding the ponies and eating them. As Pinkie leads the youth to deposit their candy at the statue, a flying chariot carrying a hooded figure appears in the sky amidst gathering clouds and a sudden rush of wind, scaring off everyone except Twilight.
===Princess Luna arrives===
 The chariot follows Pinkie Pie and the foals back to town and stops above the center of a crowd before the rider, revealed to be Princess Luna, alights. As everyone bows in fear, Luna uses a loud voice to announce her desire to turn the "dreadful" Nightmare Night festival into a feast of celebration and admiration for the Princess. Pinkie reinterprets her announcement as a threat to feast on everyone and runs away with the group of foals, prompting Luna to try to reassure everyone that they no longer have reason to fear her. Her effort fails, however, and after her greeting to the mayor goes unanswered, she grows indignant and walks away.
 Seeing that the Princess is having difficulty adjusting from exile, Twilight trails her to the statue of Nightmare Moon and greets her as she sits at its base. Luna recognizes Twilight and compliments her costume, though when the Princess uses a loud voice to laud her restoration through the Elements of Harmony, Twilight points out that the tone and volume of her speech may be causing miscommunication. Although Luna clarifies that the loud voice is customary for speaking with royal subjects, she responds amenably when Twilight suggests learning to speak more softly.
Twilight brings the Princess to Fluttershy's cottage so she can learn pointers on softer speech. Refusing to welcome guests on Nightmare Night, Fluttershy opens the door when Twilight announces herself but slams it back shut in terror when she mistakes Princess Luna for Nightmare Moon. Twilight eventually manages to drag Fluttershy outside in front of the Princess, and after a brief "lesson" conducted mostly by Twilight, Luna hugs a scared stiff Fluttershy in gratitude. Just then, Pinkie Pie and the foals approach the cottage and claim the Princess is about to eat Fluttershy before running away in terror. As Luna tries in vain to call them back, Twilight decides to try a different plan.
===Trying to fit in===
 Princess Luna follows Twilight back to Ponyville, where the festival attendees once more bow before her in fear. Seeking advice on how to help the Princess fit in, Twilight heads over to Applejack, who suggests playing games and having fun. Luna appears unfamiliar with the concept of fun but grows excited as she tries out some carnival games. When the residents begin to cheer for the Princess, she requests that they refer to her simply as "Luna".
 Twilight, Applejack, and Luna head toward the apple-bobbing station to find Pipsqueak about to fall in the water. Luna rushes forward to rescue the colt just as Pinkie Pie arrives with the youth group and claims that the Princess is eating him. As Pipsqueak flees in terror with the rest of the group, Luna expresses anger at the apparent falsehood, causing the onlooking residents to draw back in fear. The Princess tries to regain their trust with "fun" but ends up causing havoc across the town. Fed up and offended, she declares in a loud voice that Nightmare Night is canceled forever:
===Scary, but fun===
 When the commotion dies down, Twilight finds the Princess at the edge of town and tries unsuccessfully to console her. A short time later, Pinkie Pie encounters a trail of candy in town and follows it down an alleyway before being ambushed by Twilight, who demands she not scream before introducing Princess Luna to her. As the two are about to make peace, Rainbow Dash sneaks up and sets off her thundercloud, which sends Pinkie running off in fright. Twilight tackles her and insists Luna is no longer dangerous, whereupon Pinkie reveals that she knows it full well but wants to be scared regardless to have fun. Inspired by the revelation, Twilight comes up with another plan.
While residents clean up the mess in the town square, Zecora and Mayor Mare remind the foals that they still have candy to offer at the statue of Nightmare Moon. They travel together to the statue, though as the youth deposit their candy, Princess Luna appears disguised as Nightmare Moon and frightens them. Seeing the children run away, Luna starts to question Twilight about the plan before Pipsqueak interrupts and asks if she can return and scare them next year in lieu of Nightmare Night. Surprised to learn how much the foals enjoy the festival and getting scared, Luna proclaims that Nightmare Night is reinstated, causing the young ponies to cheer.
 The festival resumes, and Luna joins the rest of the townsfolk in various games and practical jokes. In a friendship lesson to Princess Celestia, Twilight reflects how one of the best things you can do with friendship is to give it to others and help them find it themselves. She notes how everyone in town learned that even if someone is intimidating or scary, when you offer them your friendship, you'll discover a whole new person underneath.
==Quotes==
:Fillies: Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!
:Twilight Sparkle: Happy Nightmare Night, Granny Smith!
:Granny Smith: I should have been asleep five hours ago.
:Applejack: Howdy Spike. Hey Twilight. Nice costume.
:Spike: Thanks, I'm a dragon.
:Twilight Sparkle: She means me, Spike.
:Twilight Sparkle: I'm gonna go talk to her.
:Spike: You can't talk to her! She's Nightmare Moon!
:Twilight Sparkle: No, she's not. I saw the Elements of Harmony change her back to good. But it seems like she's having some trouble adjusting after being gone for a thousand years.
:Twilight Sparkle: You kinda sound like you're yelling at me.
:Princess Luna: But this is the traditional royal Canterlot voice! It is tradition to speak, using the royal we, and to use [booming voice] this much volume when addressing our subjects!
:Twilight Sparkle: You know, that might explain why your appearance was met with... mixed results.
:Fluttershy: Go away! No candy here! Visitors not welcome on Nightmare Night!
:Twilight Sparkle: Fluttershy, it's me, Twilight!
:Fluttershy: It is you. Oh, and Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon? [scream]
:Pipsqueak: Help! My backside has been gobbled!
:Princess Luna: 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!
:Pipsqueak: I know there's not gonna be any more Nightmare Night, but do you suppose maybe you could come back next year and scare us again anyway?
:Princess Luna: Child, art thou saying that thou... likest me to scare you?
:Pipsqueak: It's really fun! Scary, but fun!
:Princess Luna: It... is?
==Gallery==
==References==
es:Luna Eclipsada
id:Luna Terkejut
ja:ナイトメアナイトの夜
ko:악몽의 밤 축제!
pl:Luna odmieniona
ru:Затмение Луны
th:Luna Eclipsed
Category:Holiday-centered works
Category:Featured articles