This story is a sequel to The Gentle Nights: Audience of One
Derpy Hooves, the heroic Paper Knight of Ponyville, has fallen ill. Unable to protect Ponyville from the coming of Nightmare Moon, she sends her beloved squire on a great and noble quest to meet the Heroes of the Kitchen Table, gather the Sacred Treats and deliver them to the Monolith of the Nightmare.
Travel with Dinky across the town of Ponyville as she makes new friends, battles fearsome foes and outwits wily tricksters. With her loyal mentor and guide Marelin at her side, there's no threat she can't handle!
Except maybe bedtime.
Inspired by a conversation in the comments section of The Gentle Nights: Audience of One. Reading AoO is not at all necessary. Takes place the first Nightmare Night after the events of Luna Eclipsed, but before the episode Magical Mystery Cure.
Pre-read by Mayhew Cullen and Absolution. Thanks, guys!
Awesome new cover art generously donated by KorenCZ11!
This chapter was a great start! Dinky is purely caught up in the fantasy that is the wonder of childhood, especially on Nightmare night I look greatly forward to her quest with
TwilightMarelin!If I had one bad thing to say it would be the first two paragraphs seem a touch to mature but it's not anything serious!
Onwards!
Wait, is Twist wearing a dress made of onions?
Yarr, Pip! Can squires date pirates?
Quack! Quack! Heed the duck!
The Holy Fruit Bombs of Antitrot? Will they be using those on a certain bunny?
I don't suppose it's too much to hope that Diamond and Silver will face the same fates as their counterparts?
Rarity's pretending to be a vampire? You mean she isn't really one?
Too bad Trixie didn't fall into the river. Would that make her melt?
Oh, Discord.
If only they could have truly slain the beast. The world would be a far better place.
Wait, so Derpy was faking it, and they forced the whole town to do this just for one kid? And will do so every year? Why?
Twilight's gonna be pissed.
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This is a perfect example of readers missing the hints, which are spread throughout the story like crumbs on a table. Only a very few ponies were in on the game, and many of the characters who ended up taking part didn't know what was coming next. Twilight wasn't griping about the adventure not going 'according to plan' for nothing, it really was becoming something she'd not arranged. For example, the Crusaders weren't supposed to be involved at all, and Discord stole the show when he learned about the game from Fluttershy – somehow convincing Rarity and Rainbow (the latter of whom was not in on the original game) to be his accomplices.
Was there some game conjured up for Dinky? Yes, but it's nowhere near as expansive as you're thinking. As for the 'doing it every year' thing, the conclusion was just Dinky's childish fantasy playing out. Just because she imagined it as such doesn't mean it actually happened. Being a big child's fantasy was the whole point of the story, after all.
...
Although I wouldn't be surprised if it became some sort of Nightmare Night tradition in Ponyville.
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Glad you liked it! I was worried at times about things becoming too serious, and one of my pre-readers commented that it seems to mature a bit towards the end game. Please point out these instances so I'll know what to look out for the next time I try something like this.
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Oh, I knew some of it was prearranged and others were sudden additions--namely Discord--it's just some of Dinky's behavior and that of others led me to believe EVERYONE was in on it.
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Oh no, not even close. In fact, none of the foals were, not a single one. They just got caught up in the 'adventure.'
6586102 Right, right. Could've sworn the Crusaders were in on it...
Like the best of candies, I saved this story to read tonight, at the very last. And I was not disappointed in the least.
Thank you for a wonderful Nightmare Night story!
And the Audience of One tie in at the end was like finding one last treat at the bottom of the bag.
This story is WAY under-viewed for how good it is. Every chapter was an enjoyable romp, and I especially loved the Python chapter. I was anticipating it after the mention of the Rabbit Fiend of Weird Analog -- definitely a Chekov's Rabbit there -- and you delivered it gloriously!
Dinky was completely adorable and the Crusaders* were spot-on. Feels were definitely a thing when Dinky 'reformed' Luna at the end.
Thank you for sharing this story and reminding me of what Halloween was like when I was a wee one. Have a like and a fave!
(Can we still use 'crusaders'? Isn't that supposed to be un-PC or some such crap?
)
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I was my pleasure, and I mean that! I loved writing every sentence.
Actually, I think one of the major points is that they'll never stop being the Crusaders because being the CMC is their special talent.
Honestly? I think it just got crushed under the sheer number of stories released for the Halloween season.
This was one hell of a read. The story perfectly fills the gap in normal, "episode-like" stories that appeared a long time ago in MLP fanfiction and still exists. Seriously, everyone goes dark or adventure tales, and stories filled with filly imagination come in very little amounts. I thing the last good I've read was "The Battle for Cranberry Hill".
I loved the plot, as well as the fact that you managed to fit in almost every character from the show in some role. Not the mention the huge amount of references (with Monty Python's killer rabbit on top). And the word-plays, I love word-plays.
Only the epilogue felt strange for me, but that's because I haven't read the previous story. Still, if you don't read the epilogue at all, "The Quest for Sacred Treats" actually can be treated as a stand-alone story. So I'm not really sure how much of a sequel it is.
Nice Clock tower reference.
A delight to read good sir. Bravo!
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A-ha! I was beginning to think nobody would notice.
Cute start!
Will be reading more
[youtube=NmPhaG1ud38]
They got better...
This is adorable.
Killer rabbits, you say?
That picture of Nightmare Moon on the cloud looks like she's just fat, but it's her thigh.
That took me way too long to figure out.
TIS BUT A FLESH WOUND
That was an infinitely adorable read.
Perfect after reading Twilights Inferno.
Well, Twilight Time definitely established that many of the youth of the town look up to her, so I can see how Dinky would be excited.
Wait, there is? I'd assume there'd be more venom aimed at Applebloom for dropping her like a hot potato.
Not exactly, I actually hadn't put any thought into who it would be before one showed up. I was busy admiring your ability to work in all those vague parallels to Arthurian characters.
Actually you should probably mention the "dreaded Rabbit Fiend of Weird Analog" is the "The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog" in your notes, even though a lot of people are likely to get that one.
You know what's really annoying? If I use fimfiction's helpful download chapter buttons, all these interesting author's notes disappear, which is too bad, since I doubt everyone is going to get all the references.
It's the little touches, like Applejack being a terrible liar with shifty eyes, that I enjoy.
I'll just try not to read too much into the fact that Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara dressed up as a couple for this, shall I?
Interesting that they picked villains, if well-remembered ones. I suspect it shows they know their own plans aren't right on some level (as does their desire not to have their parents told).
It works pretty well. You never get everyone dressing up in costumes that all match a single theme on Halloween.
That's oddly appropriate for Rarity, but I'm not sure she'd realize that herself. Nice of you to emphasize the similarities with her own obsession with fleeting youth.
I'm less sure about the parallels between 'swindler' and 'grendel', though. I would have said the Gingerbread Man, from the taunting and fleeing.
I did not expect Trixie for some reason. It was a fun chapter to read, so I'm glad it was fun to write.
If I remember the first couple games right, blows to the groin were also a significant weakness (if you mashed the struggle button hard enough), but tripping featured pretty heavily. I blame poor posture.
And here I expected the final villain would turn out to be Pinkie.
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From my understanding Twist is one of the least-liked characters in the fandom. Or at least, that's what I've heard in the past.
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Well, her lisp is mildly annoying and she doesn't have any redeemingly interesting qualities, but I can't see any reason to seriously dislike her, especially when there's characters like Blueblood and Diamond Tiara.
This was so good. Late to the game, but I'll be singing the praises of this little treat for many years to come, I think.
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Heh, I figure this one will remain one of my 'hidden gems' forever. Glad to see there are still some people finding it, though!
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Well I had Audience of One on my read later list for a long while, and after I find something good from a new author I go and poke through the rest of their catalog. Glad I gave this a try.
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Well, it's good to know people are still discovering me, considering how uncommon it is for me to post new material these days. Hopefully you'll enjoy more than these two in time!
This was thoroughly delightful and adorable. Thank for a fantastic adventure with Best Filly. I wish I'd read it years ago.
Now to see precisely how that particular pairing came to be...
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Glad you enjoyed it! And here's hoping you enjoy the LunaTavia piece, as well. It's certainly one of my favorites.
I love finding well-thought out references to familiar serial killers in children's stories. Really warms my heart.
(It's actually hilarious.)