Nightmare Idiot

Prince Blueblood stood behind the podium, staring out at the crowd that had assembled before the makeshift stage. Pegasi, Unicorns, Earth Ponies, even a Gryphon gazed back, their expressions ranging from curious to downright murderous. Royal Guards lined the front of the stage, keeping the mob away from Blueblood, and a shielding spell had been erected in case a particularly peeved Unicorn decided to lob something at the Prince. Despite all this, Blueblood's knees quaked from nervousness.

"Ladies and gentlecolts of Ponyville, by now I'm sure that all of you know who I am and what I did to your fair town two days ago. For this, no apology can possibly suffice." Mutters from the crowd. The Prince paused for a moment to let them simmer down. "As Nightmare Atlas, I nearly ruined this wonderful place in my greed and vanity. I could have killed hundreds, even thousands of ponies, and I'm still not entirely certain how only one death occurred. This death will not cause me to lose any sleep; no nightmares will plague my mind at night because of the demise of a monster. I do not mean the monsters of flesh and blood that ravaged the streets and building of Ponyville. I mean the real monster, the one behind all of this destruction and chaos - the Nightmare."

Silence.

Blueblood cleared his throat, twice. "This foul creature will never again threaten Equestria. Of that, I am positive, and so are my aun- the Princesses. We have searched with every spell imaginable, and I can assure you that no trace of the NIghtmare remains." Another pause, letting the information sift in. "This, however, is only the past. What matters now is the future, and as penance for my actions I have decided to donate my entire fortune towards the recovery process. This is not meant as an apology, as nothing I can say or do will ever be enough to undo my actions. Instead, think of it as a promise, from me to each and every one of you." Gaining confidence, the Prince locked eyes with various members of the crowd, some of whom even gave small smiles of encouragement. They truly are a forgiving bunch. Pulling out a piece of parchment, he began to read from it. "I, Prince Blueblood of Equestria, do solemnly swear to be the best pony I can be. I will no longer lie and steal to fulfill my own selfish wants, but will instead work hard and honestly. I will treat others with kindness and respect. I will never, never, harm another pony for my own gain. And finally, I will do something I have never had cause to do before. I will make friends." He signed the document with a flourish.

At first, nopony reacted. Then, near the front, a familiar mint-green mare started clapping, followed by a grotesquely muscular Pegasus, continuing until the entire crowd was applauding. It was not the applause that follows a spectacular play or a stirring call to arms. It was the gentle applause of ponies who were willing to forget and forgive, ponies who recognized that holding a grudge would ultimately cause more harm than good. It was steady for almost a minute, then it went away as quickly as it had appeared. Still Blueblood stood behind the podium. Gazing out into the sea of ponies, he opened his mouth one last time. "If anypony has room under their roof for one such as me, it has been suggested that I stay here both to assist in the repairs and to learn the magic of Friendship. I understand if you do not want me in your homes; I have given you much reason for distrust."

He needn't have worried. Two dozen hooves were in the air before he finished the second sentence.

"We- I am sorry."

Blueblood's eyebrow shot up. "Whatever for, Auntie Luna? None of this was your fault. If anything, I should be apologizing to you."

Luna bowed her head in shame. "We treated thou with great disrespect and cruelty two days past. Our taunts and insults were not deserved by thee. At least, not entirely. We see now that while we fell easily under the Nightmare's foul spell, thou didst possess the mental fortitude to escape from its vile clutches on thy own. Truly, we are not worth thy forgiveness." A solitary tear crept down the Princess's cheek.

Blueblood wiped it away and drew his Aunt close in the first true gesture of affection they had ever shared. "You are most certainly worthy of my forgiveness, but I'm not going to forgive you for the simple reason that there is nothing to forgive. I had been possessed by the Nightmare for all of eight hours before I escaped, and contrary to what I told Ponyville I have had horrible nightmares every night. You suffered at that thing's hooves for over a thousand years - it stands to reason that you would react extremely to the Nightmare's presence. Had I been in your hooves, I would have gone stark, raving mad at its first appearance. So no, I cannot forgive you for a crime you didn't commit."

The tears were flowing freely now, and the white Unicorn could do little to stem the tide. It ran itself out, eventually. The pair raided the kitchen for some sweets ("the moon pies shall last forever!") and spent the day romping around the castle like a couple of foals. They ate ice cream for dinner and played with wooden swords and shields, knights of a kingdom as old as the first child. In the evening Luna took Blueblood to the Observatory and showed him the stars. He found a new one and she let him name it. His choice mystified her, but she decided that really, it wasn't her business to question it. Celestia found them sleeping on some pillows on the floor. She covered them with blankets and silently bade them good night.

Dear Prince Blueblood,

You probably don't know who I am. We talked for a while before the incident but you didn't seem to be too interested. That's understandable, I suppose; I'm just an average pony and you're a Prince. I don't even know if you'll read this letter. You must have much more important things to do. On the off chance that you do, though, I'd just like to say thank you for saving my life. I was the mare you saved from the falling hydra (that's what its called, right?). You could have been killed, but you helped me anyway. Even through the Nightmare your goodness got through, and that makes your other actions meaningless. Yes, you destroyed millions of bits of property, but when one little life was in danger you sacrificed all of your ambitions to save me. My great-grandma always said, "You can tell a lot about a pony's character by the way they wash their vegetables." In hindsight, that made more sense when I was five, but the point is that you're a good pony. I would be honored if you would like to live with me and my friend while you take care of your business in Ponyville.

Sincerely,

Lyra Heartstrings

P.S. Bon-Bon says to tell you that she said hi.

Prince Blueblood read through the letter for the fourth time. He contemplated it for a long minute, then reached for a quill and parchment.

Dear Ms. Heartstrings (and Bon-Bon),

I would like nothing more than to enjoy your hospitality during my stay in Ponyville. If it isn't too much trouble, could you by any chance put me into contact with a mare named Rarity Belle? I have some apologies to make...

THE END OF A NIGHTMARE, THOUGH MOST CERTAINLY NOT OF AN IDIOT