The winds were fierce and the clouds did loom as the party sprinted through the pass. After surpassing so many great hurdles, at last they came upon the very target of their quest; the Monolith of the Nightmare. No sooner had they arrived than wicked laughter erupted through the clearing. All eyes turned skyward as a vile black chariot soared through the clouds, its dark passenger gazing upon them all with eyes of blinding white that sent chills down the spines even of the bravest of heroes.
“We’re just in time,” declared Marelin. “Hurry, everypony, we must deliver the Sacred Treats!”
“No!”
A choir of gasps erupted as the Paper Squire stood before her party, her head held high and certainly without a wobble in her knees.
“What are you saying?” asked Tom Dumb. “If we don’t give her the Sacred Treats, Nightmare Moon will eat us instead!”
And Twilight – not Marelin, not the fearless wizard who had guided them all this time, but Twilight Sparkle herself – stepped forward with concern and confusion in her gaze. “Dinky, what are you doing?”
“Indeed,” spoke an ominous voice, “we would ask the same.”
And the Paper Squire turned to find, looming over her like a mighty warlord, none other than the armored and glaring Nightmare Moon. Her mane sparkled like the stars themselves, her coat as black as pitch and her fangs more wicked than even those of the heinous Rabbit Fiend! The squire set eyes upon this majestic monstrosity and knew then that she looked upon the very face of wickedness.
She might have gulped. She’d have never admitted it, but she might have.
“Give her the Sacred Treats!” cried the witch Anti.
“She’ll eat you if you don’t,” reminded Ben.
But the Paper Squire stood tall before the Scourge of Equestria… or at least as tall as her certainly not quaking legs would permit. “I won’t do it. I won’t give you the Sacred Treats.”
Nightmare Moon reared back, her cry of fury rivaled only by the strike of lightning that accompanied it. “How dare you deny us our spoils! We will devour you, little pony, and all that you hold dear. Give us our confections and we may spare thy friends!”
“Do as she says,” pleaded the cowering Pip. “Before she eats us!”
Twilight stomped her hoof and backed away from the wicked alicorn. “For the love of Luna, Dinky, be reasonable!”
“It is for the love of Luna!”
At the Paper Squire’s words, a sudden silence fell upon the clearing. All eyes, even that of the Scourge, were affixed upon the squire, and this attention did embolden her heart.
So she stepped forward and held her head high. “I won’t give the Sacred Treats to Nightmare Moon. I will give them to Princess Luna!” And she took the fiend’s hoof in her own and nuzzled it, offering the brightest smile she could.
But the nightmare did jerk away from her touch, her face transformed into a scar of villainy. “What trickery is this? There is no Luna! We are thy Princess of the Night! If you will not give us our prize, we shall be forced to take it!”
“Don’t be bad, Luna. You’re good! You don’t have to take the candy, we’ll give it to you. As a gift. So please, don’t be mean anymore.”
The Nightmare wavered before this noble showing, but still it refused to release its mighty hold on the princess’s heart. “N-no, we don’t believe you. We don’t require your kindness!”
But then the Paper Squire did gaze upon the alicorn with eyes that shimmered, of a size that rivaled even the brilliant moon.
“Princess Luna, won’t you be our friend?”
Such a showing of Harmony proved too much even for the Nightmare’s dark heart, which cracked like an eggshell upon the wall of the squire’s devotion. Before the eyes of all, the alicorn gave a pitiful wail, her body engulfed in a white light as her wretched armor fell away. Black faded to the most regal of blues, and the wickedness of her eyes did fade. Soon there was naught left but a beautiful creature of the night.
And those moist eyes did take in the tiny squire standing before them, and the once-fanged lips turned up into a smile so lovely as to rival even that of the Timeless Lady Glen-of-Years.
“I accept.”
The adventurers stood dumbfounded for some time, but then all did cheer! None had anticipated such a glorious moment as this, to witness such bravery and goodness within the form of their beloved leader. As one did they welcome the reformed Princess Luna amongst their ranks, offering her treats and smiles and love aplenty, and the princess did grace them with her smile.
Marelin approached the young squire, her eyes shining with pride. “Dinky, that was amazing! Whatever made you think to befriend Nightmare Moon?”
And Dinky smiled upon her mentor. “I saw so many things on this adventure! And loved her sister Timberjack, Ben wouldn’t fight her friend the Swindler, Dreaded Pirate Pip always stood up for his friends! Even Bonnet and Clydesdale fought with us against Sir Laughs-a-Lot. I’ve made so many friends, and everypony we fought became nicer when they got friends.”
She turned back to Princess Luna, who was surrounded by laughing and talking adventurers. “So I thought, why is Nightmare Moon so mean? Maybe she doesn’t have any friends.”
Upon hearing this wise conclusion, Marelin embraced her protégé tightly. “That’s wonderful, Dinky, absolutely wonderful! Your mother will be so proud of you!”
It was then that the princess inquired as to the absence of her loyal Paper Knight. With great sadness did the Paper Squire inform her of her mother’s dreadful illness.
“Well, this simply will not do,” announced Princess Luna, setting the squire upon her back. “Come, my little ponies! We have a sick knight to visit.”
So did the band of victorious ponies parade through the village of Ponyville. The citizens did gape upon the noble procession in alarm and fear. But, when it became absolutely clear that no foals would be devoured this night, there was much rejoicing and festivities, and all were merry within the basking brilliance of the moon.
And the heroes paid visit to Chateau Hooves, descending upon a surprised and overjoyed Timekeeper and Paper Knight. With words of delight and pleasure did Marelin recount to all the glorious adventure of the Paper Squire and her merry friends, and the Paper Knight’s pride was so great that her smile did glow like the sun.
All would recall this glorious evening as one of the greatest adventures in the annals of the Paper Knight and her beloved squire. Many more Nightmare Nights would come, and time and again the Nightmare would return to torment the beloved princess, but always the Paper Squire, later to be a knight of her own title, would be there to save her.
Granted, if the princess would but heed the squire’s advice and meet with a doctor over her unfortunate medical condition – scientifically dubbed Nightmaritis, if she recalled correctly – then they could all be saved the trouble every year. But Luna was a princess, and who understands the ways of a princess? Certainly not Dinky. She just chalked it down to stubbornness and eventually resigned herself to the duty.
Anyway, many a Nightmare Night would come and go, but all would most fondly remember that particular adventure.
For it was the stuff of which legends are made.