Friendship is Magic Issue 71

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #71, titled Happy Haunts, is the seventy-first issue of IDW Publishing's. In the issue, Twilight Sparkle's School of Friendship students experience Nightmare Night in Ponyville for the first time.

Summary
On Nightmare Night, the Young Six—some of whom dress up in costumes—join their many friends in town for the "Grim Grinning Gala". A creepy pony in a cloak approaches and invites them to visit a haunted house at the Castle of the Two Sisters. Gallus immediately recognizes the cloaked pony as Principal Twilight Sparkle, but he and his friends decide to humor her nonetheless. Upon arriving at the old castle, the students find a variety of things waiting for them, such as Nightmare Night decorations that jump out and scare them and a giant papier-mâché boulder that nearly flattens them.

Meanwhile, Twilight meets up with her friends at the School of Friendship, excited about the bonding experience that their students are having. She asks Pinkie Pie if she got her note about the castle decorations, but the rest of the Mane Six believe Twilight's note was addressed to them and state that they put up their own decorations as well: Rainbow Dash set up a bunch of booby traps, Fluttershy included some of her animal friends, Rarity put up silk draperies, and Applejack lit a bunch of apple-scented candles. Fearing that such a combination of mismatched decorations would create a deadly environment for the students, the Mane Six and Spike rush to save them.

Back at the Castle of the Two Sisters, the Young Six wander into an area where their teachers set up their decorations. The environment seems inviting at first, but Ocellus accidentally triggers one of Rainbow Dash's booby traps, causing bladed pendulums to swing down from the ceiling. They get snagged on Pinkie Pie's decorations and Rarity's drapes and catch on fire from Applejack's candles, whipping the animals into a panic. To make matters worse, one of the swinging pendulums breaks and smashes into the door, trapping the Young Six inside.

As everything around the Young Six goes up in flames, they become paralyzed by fear. Yona, however, uses her fear as a stimulus to escape and encourages her friends to do the same. Smolder uses her natural immunity to fire to clear a path to the door, and Yona and Sandbar smash through it. Ocellus transforms into a dinosaur to scare and evacuate the animals, and Silverstream and the others fight past numerous Nightmare Night decorations. They eventually escape through the castle's front doors just as Twilight and her friends arrive.

Twilight apologizes to the students for putting them in such danger, and she and her friends are relieved that no one got hurt. They express how proud they are that the Young Six overcame their fears and promise that the next Nightmare Night will not be as scary, but Silverstream greatly enjoyed the experience and wants to do it again.

Quotes

 * Silverstream: I couldn't decide which costume to wear—so I wore 'em all!
 * Ocellus: You look really cool, Silverstream!
 * Smolder: Yeah, like a closet threw up on you.
 * Silverstream: Thanks, Smolder!


 * Twilight Sparkle: Psst! Hey there, friends! How'd you like to experience an authentic Ponyville haunted house?
 * Gallus: Uh... Haunted house?
 * Twilight Sparkle: A spectacle of spooks! A festival of frights! All for you to experience, this Nightmare Night!


 * Ocellus: Who was that strange pony?
 * Gallus: That was Principal Twilight in a disguise, trying to send us on a secret friendship lesson. Might as well humor her.


 * Silverstream: Wow! You didn't tell us about the obstacles on Nightmare Night!
 * Sandbar: That's 'cause usually there aren't any!


 * Twilight Sparkle: My trick was a success! Our students are heading to our haunted house—unaware that the mysterious stranger who led them there was none other than Principal Twilight Sparkle!


 * Fluttershy: Wait, so—our students, along with lots of cute, fuzzy, easily frightened creatures—are in an old, crumbling castle filled with tricks, traps, and obstacles—as well as hundreds of lit candles and flammable silk draperies?


 * Gallus: What is with this place? We've gone from deathtraps to an apple-scented petting zoo!


 * Silverstream: I thought this was supposed to be fun, not terrifying!


 * Yona: Fear is energy! Fear is encouragement!
 * Gallus: I thought yaks wouldn't feel fear!
 * Yona: Yaks feel fear! But fear is not your enemy! Fear makes you want to move! Makes you want to do! Trick is not to let fear freeze you! Don't deny fear! Let fear give you strength! Strength to escape and defeat what you fear!


 * Ocellus: Take that, creepy monstrosity!


 * Fluttershy: All the animals got out okay!
 * Applejack: An' it looks like the castle's just fine—nothin' damaged but Rarity's precious silk draperies!
 * Rarity: My draperies! Noooo!


 * Twilight Sparkle: I promise your next Nightmare Night won't be quite so terrifying!
 * Silverstream: Are you kidding? This was great! Can we do it again tomorrow?