Prologue: Exit Stage Right

Anon

As a hairdresser, Anon was used to shitty days… or maybe she was just destined to go from one shitty situation to another. Having a unique name did little to help her situation.

You see… Anon’s mother thought that it would be hilarious to name her daughter Anonymous, given the large number of poems or historical quotes with no known source attributed to ‘Anonymous’ over the years. To be sure… she was the only ‘Anon’ in any of her classes.

What her mother couldn’t have foreseen was the number of jokes or pranks played on her as the years progressed. The same old joke, ‘Oh Anon… we didn’t see you there, you must be going incognito today,’ had gotten old by middle school… but, as we all know, some people never truly leave high school in their minds and such jokes can carry on into the adult workplace.

Years and years of mental or emotional abuse, because of her name, made her into an introvert. She commonly refused invitations to go to school dances, general social functions, parties or other places to simply ‘hang out.’ She had no real friends, and she barely tolerated her co-workers. Her relationship with her boyfriend worked mostly because he spent more time trying to write his manifesto than he did trying to spend time with her. She preferred to be alone, reading and drinking her coffee.

Her job forced her to pretend to be an extrovert in public. She had wished for a job that required less public contact, but college was expensive and going to a trade school to be a hairdresser was the cheapest thing available, and nearly the only education she could afford. Her mother had been stern on the issue… she had to go to school and get a job or be homeless. She cut her losses and took the cheapest route forward.

She found that she had no problem chatting with clients while cutting and styling hair, playing up the usual small talk, given that it was superficial and didn’t mean anything. And she had no problem with short-term dating or one-night stands… so long as the guy left once they were done, before she found her current boyfriend.

Her trust issues and introverted ways made it hard to focus on commitment, fueled by the fact that no one had ever given her much reason to try. Her current boyfriend was a rare exception, but, once again, it literally only worked only because he was a penniless writer trying to ‘make his dream work’ and he respected her boundaries. If she didn’t have a stable job to feed his broke ass, he probably wouldn’t stay either.

And she was proven right… once again.

You see… today… of all days… Anon made a mistake. There was this biker that came in for a haircut and when she asked him what he wanted… he told her to ‘surprise him.’ So… she gave him a mohawk. And he cried like a little girl, complained to the manager and Anon got fired.

And then… Anon went home and told her boyfriend that she got fired… and he yelled at her, broke up with her, and moved out of her apartment. The loser was more than happy to be back in his mom’s basement. It should have shocked her, but it didn’t. So now… here she is, alone, and crying about her many failures. Without a new job soon, she would lose her apartment, and shortly afterwards, everything else she had worked so hard far over the years.

“I can’t believe how forsaken I am! None of this is fair! I hate my life… I’m sick of this world, of my existence! I want to go to a place where magic is real. Where there are ponies, and dragons and everything else that Earth doesn’t have! I want a Prince on a white horse… no, a Prince in all black, to rescue me and sweep me off my feet to a happily ever after! And I want it now. Right now…”

She fell onto her bed and sobbed herself to sleep, despair filling her.

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Celestia

Raven Inkwell brought in another stack of paperwork to Celestia’s already clustered desk. Celestia could feel a migraine coming on… it was going to be one of those days.

“Raven… that is quite enough paperwork. I forbid you from bringing me more of it today.”

Raven tsked. “Now, now, Princess. This is just immigration requests… fast and easy compared to tax reform. It might actually take your mind off some of the more pressing issues.”

She dropped the stack off on the only empty corner of the desk and left. Celestia looked through the requests and signed off on them, approving most of them. One request submitted ‘magically’ without a direct traceable source caught her eye…

“Hmm. Name: Anon. Sex: Female. No listed race. Request for immediate integration into Equestria under pain of suicide if denied. Well… I can’t very well deny that one. Whatever she is going through must be too big to bear in her current place.”

The signature was placed and Celestia’s day continued.

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Anon

She had fallen asleep at some point, but the blowing of the wind caught her attention. It was warm and inviting and yet… out of place.

Did I leave a window open?

She didn’t think so. Opening her eyes revealed her to be in an open field. Her bed and her apartment were nowhere to be seen. She was lucky to still be dressed in normal clothing, having not changed into a nightgown before going to sleep. In every direction she looked, nothing looked like anywhere she had ever seen or been before.

It doesn’t look like I’m in Kansas anymore… makes me wish I had a dog to keep me company.

She swallowed hard before setting off towards what looked like a road.

There has to be someone who can help me.

It appeared to be the middle of the night, with a silence so soft that her ears hurt trying to listen for a sound. She found the road to be deserted, as expected, but she started walking the path anyways, hoping to find somebody soon. It didn’t take her long to run across several lion-bird things with a large cart of sorts.

What in the hell are those? They must be intelligent if they are pulling a wagon…

“Excuse me? Can you help me?

The lion-birds seemed startled by her calling out to them. “Hey! Get a load of this! Have you ever seen anything like her?”

All four griffons surrounded her. They all seemed extra interested in her. Not knowing what else to do, she volunteered some information. “I’m a human… what are you?”

The leader of the group seemed to sneer at her. “We are griffons… and you… are our slave.”

Are these griffons… like… for real?

Anon moved to try to put some distance between her and the griffons, but she had no freedom of movement with the four of them surrounding her. Any thought of trying to fight back was abandoned when she saw their huge lion-like claws. She ended up surrendering meekly to avoid injury. They quickly walked her to the cart, throwing her into a metal cage on a pull cart, and locking the door. The cage itself was clean, with fresh hay in the bottom of the cage. Growing up in the mid-west, she liked spending time with horses and loved the smell of fresh hay, but the normal warm fuzzy feeling was missing with her current situation.

This road must be very abandoned, or they wouldn’t risk such actions. I’m screwed.

She settled into the cage, understanding that fighting back wasn’t something that she would be able to do right now. She would have to time it correctly and hope the time came soon.

Is this better than what I left behind?

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Moon Watcher

Moon Watcher was a bat pony, and loyal to only one pony alive. She took her assignment seriously, knowing that illegal slaving was on the rise. What happened outside the borders of Equestria wasn’t her business but what happened within the borders very much was.

Stalking the night was business as usual for her, but she wasn’t expecting to see four griffons on the road with a large cart and a metal cage. Closer inspection showed a female of some kind in the cage, clearly a slave.

Did I already fail my mission by failing to prevent her from being captured?

She growled to herself. “I can’t take on four griffons alone, but it feels so wrong to leave her to their mercy. I know… I’ll tell the master.”

Quick as could be… she flew towards Ponyville.

It didn’t take her long to find her Lord and Master… Midnight Stalker. He was basking in the moonlight, sprawled out in the grass of a hill near his estate with all the joy of a child playing in the night. Nothing could bring him more joy than the full moon, complete with the beautiful Unicorn Shadow. She landed in the nearby trees and watched him.

According to some of the other bat ponies, sometimes on nights like this, he would sing to the moon. Or other times, he would read a story or tell a poem to the moon. It had been described as romantic by some of the mares and as creepy by some of the stallions. She dismissed any claims of it being creepy due to a bat pony stallion not knowing how romantic a unicorn stallion could be. She had never had the pleasure of being able to see it for herself so she was hopeful that if she stood still long enough that something would happen. She didn’t have to wait long.

Midnight Stalker had stopped his basking and sat on his hunches while pulling a guitar out of a magical storage portal. He took in a deep breath through his nose and smiled. He started to strum out a dark lullaby.

“Come little thestral, I’ll take thee away…

Into a land of enchantment…

Come little thestral, the time’s come to play

Here in my garden of shadows

Follow sweet thestral, I’ll show thee the way

Through all the pain, and the sorrows

Weep not poor thestral, for life is this way…

Murdering beauty and passions

Hush now dear thestral, it must be this way

Too wary of life and deceptions

Rest now my thestral for soon we’ll away…

I can see you in the tree line…”

With that… he stopped playing and looked directly at her.

She gulped. All of the bat ponies in the service of Lord Midnight Stalker knew at least a few basic things about him, but no pony seemed to really know him fully. She knew more than most, given her station on the Midnight Counsel, but of what little she knew for certain, she knew two very important things.

First… the only thing Midnight Stalker valued more than his solitude was his privacy. And second… she knew he enjoyed killing. Enjoyed it a lot… actually.

She gulped as she emerged from the tree line and headed towards him.

I am so bucked…

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Midnight Stalker

I smiled at her and stood up regally. “Come closer, Moon Watcher. Report.”

Moon Watcher bowed when she got close enough. “I can’t believe you heard me…”

I snorted playfully. “I am the darkness… please give your report…”

Her head bowed low. “My lord… I found four slavers with one slave in transit. They appear to be heading towards Ponyville although I suspect they will use the lesser used roads while carrying their cargo. Here is everything I know…”

Moon Watcher gave a through report prompting Midnight to nod.

“They will be here within two days then. I will be waiting for them. Good work, Moon Watcher. I will have to reward you for this good work…”

Moon Watcher smiled. “I look forward to whatever reward you deem fit however I won’t presume to judge the value of my find. Happy Hunting, my lord…”

My grin turned feral. “Fortune favors the bold. All true warriors are bold.”

May the best pony win.

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Chapter 1: Strike at Midnight

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Chapter 1: Strike at Midnight

Midnight Stalker

Midnight Stalker was sitting down in the grass not far from a less-than-often used road near Ponyville. His gaze was pointed at the road, waiting patiently for his target. His thoughts were mingled with reflections of the past, as they often were while waiting silently before a mission.

His unfortunate name, like so many others, was granted to him by the mysterious magical inspiration that momentarily takes over all parents once the foal can be fully seen after birth, which is also sometimes seen as a hint for the pony’s destiny. His fate was further compounded by the colors of his coat and mane. His coat was as black as a starless night and his mane was a dull slate grey while his eyes were a piercing silver. Even worse for a unicorn, his magical aura was a dreary and ominous black, normally reserved for great and powerful villains of the kingdom. Even his parents had been wary of what they had brought into the world.

As a young colt with very few friends, he loved to sneak up on other ponies and scare the daylights out of them. After discovering an affinity for illusion and shadow teleportation magic, his sneaking and pranking skills got better, until one day, his cutie mark appeared.

Oh… what a day that was.

His cutie mark was as ominous as his magic… displaying a lone pony standing in the shadow of the moonlight, holding two crossed swords. Most of the other foals stopped playing with him after that… which only fueled his desire to prank and scare them.

As an adult stallion, Midnight was as big as an Alicorn, given his powerful magical abilities, and was considered to have a very intimating presence when he was projecting himself to have one. He had no real friends… very few ponies even wanted to admit having known him, and now at this stage in his life… he also had no family, which left him feeling a little empty at times.

He had never married and had no foals of his own… to the best of his knowledge anyways. Any lover he had ever taken over the years seemed somewhat shy to admit who the father of any foals they eventually had belonged to… and Midnight had the grace not to push for answers. His own parents had died years ago, and he was an only foal, which was something he had always silently mourned. It hurt not having the kinship of a brother or sister… not that it mattered anymore.

A few ponies once whispered that his parents had been afraid to have more foals, given the dark tendencies of the first one. A simple glare was enough to silence such talk when he had the privilege of hearing it and addressing it in his own subtle way.

It was a clear summer night, the stars beautiful in the sky… warm enough but still chilly when the wind blew, as if understanding the nature of his mission. He took in a deep breath through his nose and exhaled a whisper.

“It’s a perfect night for a murder at Midnight…”

He smiled at the thought.

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Anon

The night was pretty, but she wasn’t looking at the stars. As she looked around herself, she seemed to know just how fucked she was. She mused to herself bitterly.

It must be hard being human on a planet that clearly isn’t Earth.

Anon was sitting in a metal cage, being carted down the road on a pull cart. The cart was being pulled by and escorted by a total of four griffons. She still couldn’t believe her luck. She woke up in the middle of nowhere after having the strangest nightmare ever. She had wondered around aimlessly towards a road only to discover talking birds the size of a lion, creatures that she now knew were griffons, and not only would they not help her, but they tossed her in the cage like some grand prize.

She had been stuck in that cage for two days now and all they given her so far was water and a lot of attitude. The cage had been clean with fresh hay when she was first thrown into it, but the griffons refused to let her out of the cage to answer nature’s call, so like an animal, she had to choose a corner to do her business in. She was extremely self-conscious about the griffons watching her closely whenever she had to drop her pants to answer nature’s call… and so she found that she finally understood why monkeys liked to throw their poop at people watching them at the Zoo. She managed to nail at least one of them in the face with a hand-full of poop and she hoped he got pink eye from it. They seemed to respect her privacy after that.

The griffons were careful to be quiet while discussing plans but the parts of conversation that she was able to overhear suggested that they were making good time and was almost there, although she didn’t know where ‘there’ was. The closer they came to their goal, the more apprehensive she had become.

She was 21, stood at an average height at 5 foot, 6 inches and had short length blonde hair in what some people would call a ‘Karen Haircut’. The perceptions people had of her was funny to her because while she was shy in private, she had a happy-go-lucky personality in public. She was fair skinned, had deep blue eyes, and could be considered to be somewhat flirty but was not normally an easy lay and she generally knew what she wanted. Her current situation wasn’t something that she wanted… nor could she have ever imagined it happening previously.

Anon cleared her throat. “It’s been two days… I’m hungry… when are you going to feed me?”

The leader of the griffons looked at her. “You will get your fill once we get back to base. If you want something in the meantime… you’re going to have to earn it.”

The carnal look he gave her, eyeing her up and down, left nothing to the imagination of how she was going to ‘earn’ her meals. She had a sinking suspicion that ‘getting her fill’ at the base referred to a lot more than just food. She laid down on the floor of the cage and curled up into a ball to try to keep herself warm. She wasn’t crying… but she was close. She whispered a plea so soft that she could barely hear it herself.

God… send someone to save me… I’ll do anything. Anything!

After a while, she forced herself into a fitful sleep.

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Midnight Stalker

I had closed my eyes and was feeling the area around myself with a subtle magic. I frowned. A silent plea could be felt on the wind. Focusing my horn, I used ‘reconnaissance magic’ and was able to hear the plea itself, as if it had been whispered directly into my ear.

‘Send someone to save me… I’ll do anything. Anything!’

I opened my eyes, and my gaze took on a murderous intent.

“Mission… accepted.”

Midnight edged closer to the road, looking both ways. His coat and mane allowed him to blur and blend into the shadows of the night even without magic, and from years of personal training, he knew that. His personal armor and weapons added to that natural effect, which had been planned by somepony that knew what she was doing long ago.

The armor was a pure, dull, matte black… which absorbed light rather than reflected it. True to his cutie mark, he carried twin swords. They were both black and razor thin, but strong. The great thing about a thin sword, was that if you swung it fast enough, it become invisible to the naked eye… and you can’t block what you can’t see. He snorted, settling his thoughts.

My ability to master illusion magic while wearing light absorbing armor and wielding practically invisible swords… I am nearly unstoppable by ordinary means… and I know it. Most of my enemies know it too… which is why they stopped messing around in my territory.

Midnight could hear it now… the sound of a heavy cart and four sets of padded claws. Wait… padded? And claws?

Griffons. I should have known. Did Moon Watcher say they were griffons? I don’t remember…

He grimaced and used his carefully honed magic to make himself completely invisible and stepped out onto the road. And he waited.

He saw the cart come into view and still he waited.

He waited until the lead griffon was right beside him and then… Slash.

The griffon’s head fell off his shoulders and his body fell like dead weight in front of the cart. The cart rolled to a stop, partly since no pony was pulling it now and partly because the dead griffon was now blocking the front wheels of the cart, not allowing the other three griffons to flee with the cart, at least, not without backing up and going around the dead griffon first.

Not that they were going to get away…

I dropped my concealment magic and stabbed another griffon that had come around to investigate why the cart had stopped. His death was both quick and silent. Using magic again, I teleported behind the rear-most griffon, stabbing him in the neck. The griffon’s only response was a silent gurgling, unable to speak with the sword in his neck. The griffon fell, dead.

Not as exciting as I normally would like it to be. Oh well. Maybe next time.

I sighed to myself as I walked towards the last griffon, the leader, it would seem… and he turned and actually saw me. His eyes widened as he seemed to know who I was as well.

“PLEASE, Midnight Stalker. I mean you no harm! I just want to get home with my loot. I’ll even give you half! Just let me go!”

I smiled a sinister smile. I walked up to him casually and jammed both of my blades into his chest.

“Maybe… I’ll just take everything.”

The look of betrayal on the griffon’s face was hard to accept, given that we had no kinship, but it also struck a chord with me.

I guess I am an outcast too… forsaken… in my own way.

I looked over the cart… I was cautious of any traps that the griffons might have left to deter thieves on the off chance that it was ever left unguarded.

The first thing I saw was a large chest of bits… at least 10,000 copper bits, which I quickly moved into a magical storage portal where I stored my money. There was also a ‘beer barrel’ of Hard Apple Cider Ale, which I teleported to the basement in my home. Getting roughly 475 free servings of ale would make the next few months enjoyable. Free ale is the best ale, after all.

A few other sets of clearly stolen items were present that I could sell on consignment at Barnyard Bargains. Filthy Rich never seemed to mind where the product came from so long as his shelves were full, and he got his cut. It was rare to have a business pony ask no questions.

Most ponies would call it immoral, but the extra coin never hurt.

I looked at the cage. Inside was a… mare? Well, a female of some kind, although I don’t recall ever having met one of her kind. Regardless… She was quite attractive…

Was this the source of the plea? She had to be…

I cleared my throat. “Miss? Are you okay?”

She awoke with a start and looked around. “I’m okay… I guess. Where are the griffons?”

I grimaced but told her the truth. I looked her straight in the eyes while speaking to her.

“I killed them. Filthy slavers… Give me a moment and I’ll get you out of that cage.”

She nodded timidly but didn’t move as my magic opened the lock and the cage door swung open.

Part of me expected her to bolt the second the door was open but she slowly, timidly, climbed out. She seemed very passive for somepony that hadn’t been abused. Her behavior confused me.

I felt like I needed to introduce myself. “My name is Midnight Stalker. What’s yours?”

She winced at my name, as so many other ponies do, and cleared her own throat. “My name is Anon. It’s nice to meet you…”

I cleared my throat. “If you are okay with it… I’ll use magic to teleport us to my house and clean you up, treat your injuries and feed you.”

There was a mix of fear, apprehension, hunger, and a sense of loss in her eyes. Her wide blue eyes told a story that words could never fully do justice to… and she swallowed heavily.

“And… what will the price for such help be?”

I blinked. It was a fair question… but it also boiled my blood.

What did those griffons do to her? She is so nervous… I need to try to ease her tension… but how? A joke? Maybe… By Celestia… I’m not good at making jokes. Practical jokes yes… but not joke jokes… For her sake I guess I need to try.

In a passive, almost innocent tone, I replied. “I haven’t given thought to a payment. But to be fair… you begged to be saved and said you would do anything for it. Was that false?”

The look on her face betrayed every logical thought. I could practically read her mind.

He heard my whispered plea? How? It must be magic… he did use magic to open the lock…

Anon shook her head. “No… you are right… I said I would do anything… and I shall. You saved me… and I trust you, mostly. Do what you will.”

I nodded and placed a hoof on her hip. “Close your eyes. I will use my magic to teleport us to my home. Teleporting can be disorienting for ponies not used to it.”

I waited until she closed her eyes and teleported us to my small house.

A final thought nagged at me.

Am I doing the right thing? Whatever… I hope she likes it.

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Chapter 2 - Setting In

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Chapter 2: Settling In

Anon

I opened my eyes almost immediately once the magic left me and gasped.

My voice was a whisper. “It’s beautiful…”

The ‘small house’ was a Victorian style, castle-like manor, that would have been perfectly in place for a retelling of Pride and Prejudice. The opening line came back to my mind.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

Midnight nodded, with a small amount of pride. “It’s been in my family for ages. It’s big for a single pony but I never desired to have a general household staff. I’ll admit that only by casting a spell that prevents dust, that it stays in any way clean. Cleaning is not my favorite chore.”

Anon blinked, the quote repeating in her head once more, and asked. “Single? You’re not married?”

Midnight shook his head. “I was engaged twice… but it didn’t work out. I’ve had my fair share of lovers over the years but… I never managed to fall ‘in love’ again. I guess it’s my loss.”

Anon swallowed her nervousness and nodded. “I would be happy to help with the chores, if only to make myself useful. Shall we go in?”

Midnight opened the doors with magic, and they entered his home. They were greeted by a shining chandelier in the foyer followed by a series of classic artwork paintings on the walls and humble furnishings in every room. He stopped to look at a set of paintings.

One was of a blue filly with beautiful green eyes and a cyan mane. The next was the same pony but as an adolescent with a star filled mane. The third was the same pony as an adult, beautiful and regal. The final painting had taken a darker tone with her wearing armor and looking like a nightmare reflection of the once beautiful mare. He sighed heavily and continued walking.

I wanted to ask him more about the paintings but followed Midnight at a safe distance and had also peeked into a library, a private study and what looked like a miniature throne room as we had passed by the rooms, all of the doors having been left open. Midnight finally stopped and took his armor off with magic, placing it on a pony-sized mannequin. Similarly, he placed his two weapons on a weapon rack. I finally saw his flank and stared at it.

“You have a tattoo?”

Midnight looked at her and smiled. “No. That’s my cutie mark. All ponies magically get one sometime during their adolescence to show what their special talent is. All cutie marks are unique, given that no two marks are ever exactly alike. Mine hasn’t made me many friends.”

Anon swallowed softly as she continued to stare at the cutie mark.

“And… what is your special talent?”

Midnight’s silver eyes seemed to darken as he cast them down to the floor.

“Well, I have a lot of talents that seem to correspond to a particular skill set. I am gifted in illusion magic, shadow teleportation and combat magic. Plus, I have a natural talent for hiding in the shadows and I have a knack for sneaking up on ponies and other creatures. Over the years, I have worked to defend this land from many threats… however, in the plainest terms… my special talent is assassination.”

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Midnight

Buck me… did I really just admit that?

I expected Anon to flee in terror but to my surprise, she seemed almost excited. “Cool! You’re a Ninja!”

I blinked. “I am not familiar with that term but if that is the term your people use for what I have described… then I guess I am. The kitchen is through here… are you hungry?”

Anon nodded with enthusiasm. “Oh god, yes. I haven’t eaten in over two days.”

We walked into the kitchen, and I sat her down at a table in what might have been considered the household staff’s dining room… if I had a household staff. I went to the fridge and pulled out a huge pre-prepared salad and sat it on the table.

Her eyes went wide. “That’s the best-looking salad I’ve ever seen.”

I magicked over a fork and grinned at her. “Dig in. I’ll go get us some drinks.”

I grabbed two glasses in my magic and trotted downstairs to the basement and grabbed two glasses of the newly acquired hard apple cider. I scanned it for poisons, just to be sure, and went back upstairs. I placed the glass beside her and watched her eat. She took a drink from the glass and her eyes went wide.

“This is good! I didn’t think that ponies would have beer.”

I chuckled at her. “That’s more of a cider, but regular beer, ale, and other types of harder liquor are also available. I have plenty more so don’t be shy.”

Anon ate for over an hour and drank at least 2 full glasses of the cider before she was done. She managed to eat nearly two-thirds of the salad. She patted her stomach in appreciation.

“I can’t believe how big that salad was. You ponies really know how to eat.”

I smiled at her. “Actually… I am a busy pony at times so I tend to make large meals once or twice a week and use preservation magic on it so it won’t spoil before I can finish it. The salad that you just ate over half of… normally would have lasted me a whole week.”

Anon’s face went red with embarrassment. “Oh… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean…”

I cut her off with a gentle laugh. “I’m glad you liked it… and like you said, it’s been a while since you ate. Are you ready for a bath?”

She gulped. “…Sure?”

She followed me to the bathhouse, which had a bathtub the size of a small swimming pool. At least eight ponies could bathe in it at the same time… more… if they were on the smaller side.

I looked at Anon. “Get undressed and I’ll grab the soap and shampoo. I’ll join you in a minute.”

Anon looked unsure but did as she was told. When I returned… my eyes went wide as I finally fully saw her in all of her naked glory.

Oh… by Celestia.

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Anon

Shit… his eyes went so wide when he saw at me naked. He must think I’m a freak.

Midnight swallowed hard. “Okay… I have everything… would you like to get into the water?”

I nodded calmly and got into the water and Midnight joined me. I was surprised and a little nervous, but I didn’t feel like I had the right to object.

He took a bottle in his magic and poured shampoo on his hooves. His used magic to wet my hair and gently rubbed the shampoo into it. His touch… was so soft. So gentle. He took his time and washed every part of me, which at times, caused me to blush. When he was done, I felt cleaner than I think I had ever been. I looked at him and smiled.

“Thank you. Would you like me to wash you now?”

He nodded. “If you don’t mind. I’ve used a lot of magic today. It would be embarrassing to get mana burn from taking a bath.”

I nodded as I started to wash him. It was like washing a big dog, which helped calm me some.

I poised myself to ask a question. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

Midnight shook his head. “Go ahead. You are clearly new here so anything I can do to help you understand… well… everything, I’ll gladly try.”

What should I ask? I have so many questions. Midnight has been so nice to me so far and I’m oddly comfortable here. I don’t think I have to worry about basic survival. No. I need deeper answers. I may not want to be here but I’m an adult and I know what I want. What I need.

She decided to start boldly. “Why were you so shocked at seeing me naked? I mean… you told me to undress, after all…” She finished shyly.

Midnight winced. “The ponies and other creatures that make up Equestria all have and use a natural ‘modesty’ magic that hides their more intimate features. Like now… I’m naked… but you can’t see my stallionhood and you won’t see it unless we are about to be intimate. The same is true for griffons, dragons, minotaur’s, hippogriffs, and any other creature native to this planet. But you… are clearly from… elsewhere. I failed to take that into account when I asked you to undress and join me for a bath.”

Anon seemed to digest what he said. “So… did you like what you saw?”

Midnight winced and shuddered, going as red as his black coat would allow. “I…”

Anon placed a hand on his shoulder. “You seem to have been honest with me with everything else. I just want to know your mind, no matter where this goes. Please, be honest with me. I already said I would do anything for you in thanks for having saved me…”

Midnight nodded, slightly reassured. “…Yes. I liked what I saw a great deal… more than I expected, at least. Your intimate features… remind me of a young adult dragoness. Your teats are in a similar place on your chest as a dragoness’ and your… lower marehood, is in a similar place, with a similar shape as well. Dragons don’t have hair or fur of any kind so the tuff of hair between your legs is both cute and unique. I will begrudgingly admit that I have always found dragoness’ to be attractive… and by extension, I find you to be attractive. That being said… in our present situation, you must understand that ponies often bathe with family and friends because oftentimes we need help getting clean. Unicorns do okay with magic but Earth Ponies and Pegasi need help with their backs and other hard to reach places. But even so, our modesty magic stays up, unless we are being intimate on purpose. When I saw you, in all of your sexual glory, it was hard not to react to it in a… primal way. I would suggest that if you were to leave my care to strike out on your own, that you not bathe with other stallions. The temptation of your lack of magical modesty may be too much for them.”

Anon raised an eyebrow. “But not too much for you?”

Midnight swallowed. “I am older than I look. I have a great deal of restraint. More than that… I did save you, but I don’t expect you to buck me as a repayment, despite the insinuation of my earlier teasing. Also… I felt that if you knew I found you attractive, it would make it harder for you to trust me or to sleep comfortably under my roof. I don’t wish for you to distrust me or my motives.”

She thought to herself.

Hmm. Buck must be the pony slang for fuck. And I guess all of that makes sense. At least he finds me attractive and doesn’t see me as a freak. I can live with that. It is a positive start. Now… I wonder if I can push his buttons?

She smiled and asked innocently. “…And what if I am willing to consent?”

He swallowed hard. “…Then… that is a conversation that we will have to have later.”

My smile grew wider. This back-and-forth teasing is more fun than I would have thought possible. This feels like the start of a beautiful friendship… and maybe more.

“Well… you are clean. What’s next?”

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Midnight

I led her out of the bath, and we toweled off. While she was still naked, I examined her injuries. Using both magic and older detention methods, I sniffed and licked at her wounds, checking for illness or inflection. She blushed under the extra attention, both of our earlier allusions coming back into the forefront. Once I was satisfied that there wasn’t any infection, I used a series healing spells to fix all of her injuries. Every cut. Every bruise. Even old scars. Gone.

Anon looked at herself. “Wow. I feel great. Thank you so much, Midnight. So… now what?”

I yawned. “I am accustomed to being up late to deal with issues like the one I fixed tonight, however, it is late, even for me. It’s time for bed.”

Anon drew a slow breath. “Okay. I’m ready.”

I led her to a quest room. I didn’t really have any sleep wear that would suit her, and she seemed to only have the one outfit I had found her in. I turned to her.

“I’ll take you into Ponyville tomorrow to see if I can get you some custom clothing made. It looks like you’re going to have to wear the one outfit you have or simply sleep naked until tomorrow. I’ll wash your clothing tomorrow morning before we leave for town.”

Anon nodded and got into bed. She laid on her back and seemed half expecting me to join her. Perhaps even climb on top of her. I had said that I didn’t expect her to buck me in thanks for having saved her, but it still seemed like she expected me to. Teasing or not, males could be predictable, after all. Her earlier hinted consent was also at the forefront of my mind. To her surprise, I used magic to cover her up and tuck her into bed.

I kissed her on the forehead like a foal. “Goodnight, my little pony.”

As I turned to leave, she spoke quietly. “You don’t want to buck me tonight?”

I stopped. My voice was soft. “I could never destroy what little trust you have in me with such a base action. If you truly desire a relationship with me… at least let me take you out on a few dates before we take this deeper.”

Anon frowned. “I don’t understand why you won’t take your reward. I am willing.”

I turned back and looked at her. “You are willing… but only because you are scared to be tossed back into the world. I won’t forsake you as I was forsaken. I want you to know, right now, that so long as you are in my house as my guest, nothing will harm you within these walls so long as I draw breath. You are under my protection. We will discuss everything else later. Now sleep… and be at peace.”

As I closed the door, I thought I could hear her crying, but I couldn't tell if they were happy tears or tears of fear and regret.

Buck me… did I say the wrong thing?

----------

Chapter 3 - Little Hoof Steps

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Chapter 3: Little Hoof Steps

Anon

It took me a while to calm down after Midnight left, but I was left reflecting on what he said.

Midnight is right… normally I wouldn’t fuck on a first date… and today wasn’t even a date. He did save me and maybe that deserves more of a physical thank you than I would normally give but I’m throwing myself at him like I’m drunk. Am I afraid of him throwing me out? Am I afraid of being kidnapped again without his protection? No… surly not everyone is as bad as those griffons were and besides… he would never abandon me. His pain… is too real. And what of me? He’s a pony… am I willing to commit bestiality to secure my protection and future? Damn it all… these ponies are sapient... can I even call it bestiality without it being a form of racism?

Anon didn’t know when she fell asleep, but she awoke to the comforting smell of freshly cooked pancakes. She followed her nose back to the kitchen to see the biggest spread of pancakes she had ever seen. Midnight had piled a huge stack for both of them, soaked in syrup.

“Ah. Good morning. Are you hungry?” His eyes were as big as a puppy dog, as if hoping for approval. He was so adorable…

I smiled at him. “I’m not as hungry as yesterday but the pancakes do smell good. Thank you for cooking.”

I sat down at the table, and he joined me. He cleared his throat gently. “I’m sorry that I made you cry last night. That wasn’t my intention. Please forgive me.”

I held my breath, trying to think of a reply. I swallowed. “No… it’s not your fault, and there is nothing to forgive. I know that I came on too strong. I feel like I need to explain my behavior.”

I paused and he waited intently, hanging onto every word. I decided to be as truthful with him as he had been with me. I returned his gaze, looking into his big silver eyes.

“Human women, or ‘mares’ as you would call us, tend to use sex as… a payment or reward of sorts… in certain situations. On a date… the girl may feel compelled to go all the way if the dinner was good enough, or if the ‘gifts’ he brought her were expensive enough. Human dating culture has a lot of ‘expectations’ that have been socially engrained into the population and has been hard to modernize into something more fair and less awkward, for both sides.

In my case… being saved from the situation that I was in… in which rape was the only possible outcome… being able to consent to sex is empowering, and a beautiful thank you. Even barely knowing you, I’d rather give myself to you than to have it been taken by them.

No ‘human’ stallion alive would turn down a girl consenting like I did, but you held back. You respected me more than I respected myself, and I’m grateful.

And… I suppose that part of me is worried that you will throw me out if I don’t put out, since no ‘human’ stallion would keep me if I wasn’t ‘useful.’ I don’t understand your culture, so I’m bound to make mistakes. You understand your world… but yet… you still seem so innocent to me compared to a human… and… I love that. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

Midnight nodded. “I guess… that explains a lot of what I didn’t understand. I’m not upset but I didn’t understand why you were so willing. Other than saving you, I haven’t earned your affection. We are barely friends yet. Jumping into bed together seemed a bit extreme.”

I gave him a sad smile. “Humans don’t need to be in love to have sex. One-night stands are common with my people. And I am scared. I don’t know enough about this world to simply leave you. I can promise that I will be honest with you if you continue to be honest with me. I’ll answer any questions that you have if you answer the questions that I have. Maybe we can have a partnership of sorts… even it isn’t a relationship in the traditional sense.”

Midnight raised an eyebrow. “You might be surprised that one-night stands and keeping a mistress happens a lot within pony culture too. We use the terms ‘Saltlicks and Saltines.’ The saltlicks, male or female, spend the bits to pay for outings and buy gifts usually in exchange for the saltines’ time, usually returned in the form of sex. There is a fair amount of slang for it, but I won’t go into it at this time. As for me, I never desired that shallow of a relationship, although I’ve been told I possess the wealth to pull it off if I wanted to try. In the course of my life, any mare I ever took as a lover was always long-term, although I never managed to get married or really fall in love. That being said… do you want a traditional relationship… with me, of all creatures?”

I swallowed. “Actually… yes. I would love to be your girlfriend… or… marefriend, I guess. I’ll probably make my fair share of mistakes. I just hope that you can forgive me and guide me within your culture. I will do my best not to embarrass you.”

Midnight seemed to be lost in thought. “I’m not worried about being embarrassed. I’ll do the best I can in guiding you but I’m sure I’ll make my fair share of mistakes too. Like I said earlier, I haven’t had a lot of friends. They say that your spouse should be your best friend… and I guess that’s why I never managed to get married. I know I’m going to upset you at some point.”

Anon reached out and took his hoof with her hand. “All couples fight. The important thing is to talk and learn and forgive and stay together. We just need to try to understand each other and make careful little hoof steps.”

I tried to smile at him in a comforting way and he seemed to smile back.

Midnight chuckled. “It looks like you are already starting to adapt to how we speak. It’s cute to hear you say those types of words and I think you possess an uncommon wisdom that I might can learn from. I’m… looking forward to seeing where this might go. In the meantime… what would you like to know?”

I took a bite of the pancakes. “The griffons seemed a little shady and they were clearly doing something illegal... but you... you killed them and saved me. I’m grateful not to have witnessed the battle but now that we are speaking to each other so openly… you seem too nice of a stallion to be a killer. What am I missing?”

Midnight was silent for a long while and I thought that maybe I asked the wrong first question. He sighed and nodded slowly.

“I guess that if you are going to be my marefriend, you deserve to know something of my past. The truth is that I am a retired member of the Equestrian military. There has always been a ‘day’ focused Royal Guard and a ‘night’ focused Night Guard. Also, there are the Celestial Legionaries and the Lunar Knights. Celestial Legionaries protect the day, and the Lunar Knights protect the night. In the old kingdom, 1,000 years ago, Princess Celestia controlled the day and Princess Luna controlled the night. Even after Princess Luna’s fall to darkness and banishment to the moon, her Night Guards and Lunar Knights remained to protect the citizens from the darkness of night… although we lost nearly all of our prominence and our numbers were kept small. As for me… I was good at my job. Too good, at times. I served above the rank and file… above the Generals of the Army and Commanders of both the Legionaries and Lunar Knights… as a Death Lord, which is the highest possible station. There was once a time that I led whole armies… and gave orders to Generals and Knights alike… I was obeyed without question…”

His words drifted away, and I was grasping at what to say.

“…Which is where you being an assassin comes into play. You had told me that you would not forsake me as you were forsaken… what did you mean by that?”

He nodded and continued. “The Death Lords were also sometimes called the Forsaken. Forsaken to be feared. Forsaken to be alone. Ponies so good at killing that everyone with any sense of self-preservation avoided us at all costs. In our heyday, the Death Lords were made up of both the most accomplished Celestial Legionnaires and Lunar Knights, and even a few former regular Generals. Our only purpose was to kill. We were the masters of death. We fixed problems that nopony else could solve. When all other measures fail, Death Lords eliminated the problem… for good. I can’t say that I like killing… but I am good at it, and I’ve learned to live with it.”

I frowned. “But… you just said that you’re retired… so what were you doing out there last night saving me? Were you bored or something?”

Midnight shifted in his seat but chuckled. “I am retired, but I still protect Ponyville, and I try to safeguard the ruins of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. Princess Celestia sometimes asks me for help… or for a favor. Equestria is at peace… and has been for a long time. I believe that I am the last of the old Death Lords alive. There hasn’t been a need for more of… me. Something that I both resent and am grateful for.”

Anon could feel the lack of acceptance in his tone. She couldn’t imagine being so good at your job that you were despised for it… but this was clearly Midnight’s situation.

“So… they used you and threw you away?”

Midnight shook his head. “It’s not quite that bad… but my time is past. As for having saved you personally… I simply don’t trust the current Night Guard or Royal Guard to protect my territory. Ponyville has no crime to speak of, so we don’t have a permanent detachment of guards from either order protecting the town. Therefore… saving you became my job, once my spies informed me of possible slavers passing through my area of protection. I don’t regret killing them and I doubt that those griffons will be the last thing I ever kill, but that is the life I trained for. For the sake of Equestria, I can’t let my skills get rusty, least they are ever needed again.”

----------

Midnight

As my words faded, no new words formed to keep up the conversation. We ate in silence until the meal was finished. The weight of my words seemed to be too much for Anon, as a series of emotions seemed to play over her face. I couldn’t leave it like this, so I ventured to ask a counter-question. A question for a question seemed fair, after all.

“So Anon… what do you do for a living?”

She smiled. “I’m a hair stylist. Or… I guess mane stylist, now. It will take some getting used to working on ponies, but I expect that my training will still be useful here.”

I smiled at her warmly. “Ponyville has a spa. And its walking distance from my estate. They are always overbooked so I’d wager that they will hire you as a mane stylist if I introduce you to them. That is… if you’re willing.”

Anon frowned. “That sounds nice, but I wouldn’t want you to trouble yourself.”

I shook my head. “I may not have a lot of experience with humans, but I know creatures. You are a strong, independent mare, and being my marefriend notwithstanding, you are going to want to be self-sufficient. Being able to earn your own bits will make you feel better. And it is no trouble for me to introduce you to the owners. Let’s just say that it’s the least I can do.”

Anon shifted in her seat. “What makes you think they will hire me just because you introduce me to them?”

I smiled. “Because of my military rank as a Death Lord, when I retired, I was given a traditional noble title, as well as an annual retirement pension. During my military service, I had invested my earnings well, and I have earned more on the side, then and now, from battle spoils… As a result, I own the Ponyville bank. Local business owners can’t afford to piss me off.”

Anon smiled. “It’s nice to have a pony with connections as my coltfriend. Are we going to Ponyville today?”

I smiled. “We are. I’m ready when you are.”

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Chapter 4: Introduction to Ponyville

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Chapter 4: Introduction to Ponyville

Anon

Midnight and I walked from his estate to Ponyville. It was a longer walk than I expected but the weather was nice, and the conversation was pleasant. I was listening to him speak.

“Now. Normally I would use magic to teleport us to Ponyville. And I would gladly use magic to teleport you to work, if the spa hires you, however, there may be days that I can’t do that. If or when that happens, you need to understand that this is the walk you will be making. While being late can happen from time to time, it’s important to avoid making it a habit. The spa itself is often overbooked, so being even 15 minutes late could throw off their entire schedule.”

I nodded. “That’s not much different from my world. I know that you are vouching for me, and I won’t ruin your name, I promise.”

Midnight smiled. “I’m afraid that I don’t have much of a name to ruin.”

I frowned at his light-heartedness. “But… you’re a lord, right?”

He shrugged. “Most of the locals treat my title as ceremonial, given that I defer the process of tax collection and other minor ‘lordly’ duties to the mayor’s office. The mayor will ask me for my input for events that I’m expected to attend and whatnot, but I have been rather hoof-off when it comes to day to day political anything. I prefer to live in the shadows where I was forsaken to be. And when I am seen, I’m usually guilty of a joke or prank that causes ponies to roll their eyes.”

I pursed my lips in a pout. “But… why would you do such a thing on purpose?”

His face seemed passive. “Do you want a real answer to that?”

I nodded. “You haven’t lied to me yet, so far as I can tell. Don’t start now. I mean… I am your marefriend, and the basis of all lasting relationships… is trust.”

Midnight stopped walking and I stopped with him. He stared into my eyes; all playfulness gone.

“I am stuck in how I was trained. Guard training. Knight training. Spy training. Assassin training. Defer. Deflect. Redirect. By not ‘taking my title seriously’, ponies can assume that I’m lazy or incompetent or both. By playing pranks and cracking jokes, ponies can assume that I’m a harmless fool. If they underestimate me… I already have the upper hoof if I have to fight them. Because… in all honestly, my dear, I am harmless… until I’m not.”

They resumed walking but the wind felt cold on the otherwise warm morning. The silence was punctuated with the crisp hoof steps of Midnight alongside her own softer footsteps.

The facts she had been presented with seemed to click into place and she steeled her resolve to ask another hard question that she needed an answer to.

“Do you think you might hurt me by accident? Is that why… you want to take everything slow? See how this all this will work?”

He snorted. “My stallionhood will rip you in half. I’m going to have to be extra gentle with you if we ever get that far… after all… I am hung like a horse.”

I was shocked at his words but laughed the loudest I think that I ever have. He had said it so seriously that it made everything else that much funnier to me. Once my tears had dried, I stole a glance at him and was happy to see him smiling.

We crested a hill, and the town came into view. Ponyville was a quaint little village but was busy for a small town. As we entered the town proper, I noticed that ponies were staring at me. It was a wonder that they didn’t flee into their homes. As if reading my mind, Midnight spoke.

“They won’t flee in terror because you are walking with a pony. I can’t promise that your first few trips into town unescorted will be as uneventful until ponies get used to you being here.”

I giggled. “I suppose strangers are rare here.”

Midnight nodded. “Ponies are generally wary of outsiders because outsiders tend to cause trouble. Of course… I cause trouble… so being seen with me might not help you much.”

I allowed my laughter at his statement to be heard. The ponies seemed to relax a little more at hearing a carefree laugh escape me while I whispered into Midnight’s ear.

“Maybe we can help each other in more ways than we suspected. I will help improve how these ponies see you so that you will no longer be forsaken in my company.”

Midnight’s ears flattened. “I’m afraid that it will not be as easy as that… although… I’m happy that you are willing to try.”

I nodded. “It’s my pleasure to try. So… tell me about the town?”

He pointed a hoof at a big brown and pink building shaped like a gingerbread house with a cupcake on top. “That’s Sugar Cube Corner. The Cake family owns it… with the towns biggest party pony, Pinkie Pie, as the sole employee other than the actual owners. I dare say that they have the best sweets in all of Equestria, other than the Apple Family’s Sweet Apple Acres ‘apple based’ sweets with their secret family recipes and maybe Doughnut Joe’s doughnut shop in Canterlot.”

He pointed across the courtyard. “That is the Carousel Boutique, owned by Rarity. She makes the best dresses this side of Canterlot and is making a big push to becoming the best dress maker in all of Equestria. The dresses aren’t cheap but I’m hoping to get all of your custom-made clothing from her. We clearly aren’t going to find you anything that fits you that isn’t custom made.”

He pointed again across the street to a big tree. “That is the Golden Oaks Library. The old full-time librarian retired a few years ago and was never replaced. Volunteers work together to run the library when there’s time but it’s a boring job and few ponies want to volunteer. As a result, the library is only open about 3 days a week right now. I’ll have to ask the mayor about any candidates for a full-time librarian.”

As we continued to walk the town, he pointed out City Hall, the School, the various other shops and restaurants and we finally made our way to the Ponyville Day Spa. I realized belatedly that we took the long way around the town so he could show me the whole town before arriving at our destination.

The Ponyville Day Spa was one of the larger buildings in the town, which was odd to me. A frazzled pony stood outside, looking like she was trying to calm herself.

Midnight cleared his throat. “Good morning, Aloe Blossom. Hard day?”

She looked up at us and nodded with a sigh. “Saturdays are always hard. We had four ponies show up as walk-ins before we were even officially open, hoping to be squeezed into between the ponies that had actually bothered to make an appointment. That wouldn’t normally be a problem but one of my staff called out sick. The feather flu is always bad in early summer… I’m grateful that only pegasi can catch it. You know that I would normally never turn down a chance to let you enjoy a spa day since you only occasionally allow yourself one, especially since you seem to be entertaining a guest, but I simply cannot work you in today. My hooves are full.”

Midnight frowned, appeared to be a little lost in thought, but finally nodded and replied with his voice poised in a tone that suggested that he was trying to solve a difficult problem.

“I understand. If you recall… I prefer my spa days to take place on a Tuesday when the customer traffic is lighter. Of course, my favorite mane stylist is normally off on Tuesdays… such a conundrum…”

Anon stifled a giggle and tried to control herself. Okay… I think I can see what he meant by redirect. I think it’s kinda cute watching him play a fool… but only because I know it’s fake and why it’s needed. I can see how other ponies might not think much of him. He’s acting like a typical fairy tale noble with book smarts but no common sense. Or a meat head ex-soldier that has neither book smarts or common sense.

Midnight shook his head and continued. “I was actually hoping to introduce you to my new friend, Anon. She is a mane stylist and needs a job. She freely admits that she doesn’t have any experience with working on ponies, but I was hoping that you would give her a chance anyways?”

Aloe perked up and looked at me. “I would be glad to offer you a job. We provide all the tools, oils, and lotions plus a room to work in. You will work on clients in which you have the skills to serve, and you’ll earn 40% of the price we charge the customers plus 100% of your own tips in a commission-based pay scale. When we have no clients that you have the skills to serve alone, you will train with other ponies that can teach you the skills that you are lacking. I hope that you will accept the offer.”

I nodded. “That is fair, and I look forward to learning what I don’t already know. When can I start?”

Aloe smiled. “You can start right now if you want to. I have ponies that you can serve.”

I looked at Midnight. “Is that okay?”

Midnight nodded back at me. “I have to go to the bank to review some overdue accounts and I have separate business to attend to at Sweet Apple Acres. I have no problem with you starting your work right now. I will come back when my other errands are done if that’s okay with you.”

I gave Midnight a hug and then followed Aloe into the spa.

----------

Midnight

I teleported myself into my office at the bank. It took about an hour to review the end of the week reports of payments made and payments missed. Near the bottom of the list was the report I had been both looking for and expected.

Sweet Apple Acres… Payment missed.

I sighed and wrapped up my business in the office only to teleport myself to Barnyard Bargains. I walked inside the store and found Filthy Rich looking at empty shelves in the consignment area. Empty shelves meant no profit. No profit meant a downgrade in his social status. A quick glance around the store showed a lot of ‘new’ summer merchandise, including a huge brand-new plow, meant to help with the summer planting season. I looked at the plow with interest.

Super-Plow 5000… Big Mac could pull that plow with ease and it would make it twice as easy for him to plant the summer crop. A missed payment must mean that they are having more than their fair share of problems on the farm. Again. I owe it to their parents to make this right.

Filthy Rich noticed me browsing in the store and walked over to greet me. “Lord Midnight. It’s a pleasure to see you. What can I do for you today?”

I smiled at him. “I have a shipment of goods to place on consignment. I was worried that you wouldn’t have space for it, but it appears that my fears were unnecessary.”

Filthy winced. “Yes… I could use some more goods to sell. Are we going to use our standard deal?”

I shook my head. “I want that plow. Can you evaluate the value of my goods and see if you can justify a straight trade?”

Filthy nodded. “Show me what you have…”

30 minutes later, all the goods that had been recovered from the griffons were on the shelves and priced for sale and the plow was in Midnight’s magical storage portal. Filthy was smiling for the first time that day.

“If I’m being honest, you are losing money on this trade. That plow is expensive but your cut from the goods that you gave me was worth more. Why make a losing trade on purpose?”

I nodded at him knowingly. “It’s in my best interest to keep you profitable. I can afford to take a few losses on these goods in order to keep our relationship healthy. I don’t ask for favors often. I expect you to be reasonable when or if I do.”

Filthy nodded, understanding my meaning. With that, I left the store and headed for my next errand.

Sweet. Apple. Acres.

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Chapter 5: Apple Stalker

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Midnight

I teleported to the outer edges of Sweet Apple Acres and looked around for Applejack and Big Mac. I knew that they would be together doing chores and it didn’t taken take long to find them… all I had to do was follow the sounds of arguing.

Big Mac was standing his ground and was being uncharacteristically talkative. “As ah said. The plow is broken again, and ah can’t plow the fields for the summer crop without it.”

Applejack practically screamed in frustration. “Why does the plow keep breaking?”

Big Mac raised an eyebrow and snorted. “That plow is older than we are. Ah think ah’ve replaced every part on it at least once and now those parts are starting to wear out again. Ah know ah gave you control of the farm when we were younger since you seemed to have more business sense than ah do, but as the pony actually using the tools, ah would venture to say that it would be cheaper to replace the plow than to keep fixing it… which is somethin’ ah suggested five years ago when you took out the original loan from the Ponyville Bank to expand the orchard onto land the that we weren’t using at the time. It was hard ta expand the farm without a new plow and even harder ta maintain it. Ah know ya work hard, sis, but ya don’t pull the plow. Ah do!”

Applejack glared at her brother. “A new plow was too expensive back then an' it ain’t no cheaper now… no matter how much cheaper it might have been ta replace it in the long run. Ya know that ah would do anything for the farm, but what more am ah supposed ta do? Put my head down and my plot up, swinging my tail wildly trying ta attract attention, and hope that the stallion that notices is willing ta buy us a plow if ah buck him good enough?”

To the unamused look of her brother, Applejack lowered her head to the ground and raised her plot into the air, swinging her flanks and tail in a wild demonstration followed by flagging… it was very sultry.

In a pitiful yet sultry voice, she taunted her brother. “Oh mister… would ya be willing ta plow me for a plow? My farm needs a new plow soooo badly…”

I cleared my throat. “Oh my, Applejack. I’m more than willing to help you with that… but at least let me buy you dinner first. By the full moon… to buck on the first date though? Scandalous.”

Applejack stopped cold, going pale in the face, and lowered her tail. She stood up quick and turned to face me, a very tight smile on her face with a bead of sweat rolling down her brow.

“Howdy, Lord Midnight. What can ah do ya for?”

I raised an eyebrow. “I came to discuss your missed payment on the loan you took out from my bank… but from the sounds of it, you can do me for a new plow. The only ponies in all of Ponyville that could afford that type of arrangement is myself and Filthy Rich… and his wife would kill you if you tried to seduce her husband. I’ll be gentle, I promise.”

Applejack’s eyes went wide with the implication while Big Mac smiled and eyed Applejack.

“In that case, ah’ll go buck some apples since Applejack has something better ta buck. We need something better than a basic plow so put your back into it and make your plot worth every bit.”

Applejack opened her mouth wordlessly as she seemed to have no retort.

I smirked and replied to Big Mac. “Something more expensive than a basic plow may require more than one midnight rendezvous. Maybe we can work something out?”

Instead of a response, Applejack fainted. Big Mac and I both snorted at the same time.

I looked at him with sincerity. “Big Mac… I may can stall having to foreclose on your farm, but I need information. Why are you unable to repay the loan? What went wrong?”

He sighed. “In years past, we had a spring, summer and fall harvest and used Apple Preserves and Apple Cider ta get us through the winter. AJ used the loan ta buy saplings of a winter apple tree that would give us a fresh winter apple harvest. But three things went wrong. First. Even with magical growth enhancement, these trees take eight years ta reach full maturely compared ta four years fer normal apple trees, so we still ain’t getting a full winter harvest. Second. The presence of fresh apples in winter has been cutting into the apple preserve sales, most ponies preferring fresh apples over the jams. And finally, the Apple family prides itself on not selling bad apples. With a 15% increase in apple production, which will become a 25% increase within the next 4 years… we have been throwing away more apples than we used ta, and the townsfolk noticed. As a result… we had ao lower prices ta sell more apples faster, avoiding waste. We’re working 15% harder and only making maybe 5% more profit. On a good month, we could make the note with bits left over. On a bad month… we barely break even, even without paying the note.”

I nodded slowly. “What can I do to help?”

Big Mac eyed me warily. “Ya really should be speaking to AJ about this as ah don’t want to step on her hooves. However… ah would say that we need a new loan for a new plow and a deferment on the old loan ta account for the new trees not being fully mature. If it’s possible.”

I nodded to myself and frowned, deep in thought.

His request is reasonable but is it legal? Even I have to obey the bank’s bylaws and not give favoritism.

I pulled out the loan bylaws from my magical storage, reviewed a few pages, and then smiled.

“I can defer the loan payments for another 4 years to account for the new trees not being mature yet given the specialized nature of the crop, however, I would recommend you try to make payments anyways to pay the loan off before interest is applied. Also… I just so happen to have a new plow for you… and I’m willing to give it to you for free… if you’re willing to earn it in an unconventional fashion.”

I pulled out the Super-Plow 5000 from my magical storage and placed it near us. Big Mac was practically drooling over the plow that he had clearly wanted.

“What do ya need me ta do?”

My eyes glinted in the sun. “Help me play a prank on Applejack.”

Big Mac nodded eagerly. “Yup.”

* * *

Applejack awoke with a start. She was somehow in her bed in her room. She yawned and wiped the sleep from her eyes.

“Merciful Celestia… how did ah end up in my room?”

She was startled to find that it was now evening and walked down the stairs and was equally surprised to see Midnight Stalker eating dinner with her family. Apple Bloom saw her first and smiled wide.

“Applejack! I’m so happy your awake. Did you rest well?”

Applejack rubbed the back of her neck nervously. “Well enough, ah guess. What did ah miss?”

Midnight smiled at her. “I was just finishing explaining our plan to save the farm from a bank foreclosure. I can explain it for you if you don’t remember what we discussed earlier?”

Applejack nodded and sat down, a little flustered. “Ah would appreciate it… Ah can’t seem to remember much… it must have been… too excitin' for me.”

Midnight continued. “We are going to repackage the Sweet Apple Acres Apple Preserves as a breakfast item to spread on toast and pancakes and sell it year-round at Barnyard Bargains. Plus, we are going to make a Sweet Apple Acres Hard Apple Cider Ale and a Granny Smith Apple Pie Moonshine that is different from your normal non-alcoholic Winter Apple Cider and also sell both the ale and the moonshine at local cider houses and Barnyard Bargains. With the use of apples in making all of these products, there should be zero waste and no apples being thrown out from simply not being sold in time which should allow you to raise the price of apples back to what it was before the perception of you producing too many to sell in a timely fashion. All of your work should make a profit going forward. And more profit than you were getting previously… at that.”

Applejack was pleased but hedged cautiously. “Why moonshine and not some other apple based liquor?”

Midnight cleared his throat. “Moonshine doesn’t need to age to taste as it’s supposed to. Rum, Whiskey, and most other liquors do need to age for a better taste. However… the farm needs more profit now. I won’t go against Granny’s stance on not selling the Apple family non-alcoholic ‘Winter Apple Cider’ at Barnyard Bargains, but an alcoholic Hard Apple Cider Ale and Apple Pie Moonshine are fair game. It’ll sell for a great price and won’t cost much to package and get ready to sell. We can use the same mason jars you use for the apple preserves and zap apple jam for the moonshine and getting ale bottles shouldn’t cost you much more because of the existing mason jar contract that you already have.”

Applejack actually smiled. “Great. When can we get it started?”

Big Mac cleared his throat. “Ah’ve already started the process. Ah got all three summer fields plowed today. That new plow is a wonder. Ah swear that ah did three times the work in half the time.”

Applejack frowned. “What new plow?”

Apple Bloom beamed at her. “The plow that Midnight got us after ya married him. Ya don’t remember?”

Applejack froze. “Say what, now?”

Apple Bloom bounced up and down in her chair, very excited. “Married!!! Ya fainted earlier after some scare and Midnight carried ya ta yar room like a knight in shining armor. He cared for ya until ya woke up and it was like love at first sight when ya saw him in a new light. Ya went into town and got married at the mayor’s office, got Big Mac his new plow and came home. Ya both locked yerself in yer room for a while, which upset me some because ah wanted to spend some time with my new brother-in-law too… but after yer moaning and his grunting stopped, he came out and said that ya were going ta rest until dinner. I’ve been wanting to see yer ring…”

Applejack went a little pale as she tugged on a cord around her neck that she hadn’t noticed she had been wearing until that moment… that also seemed to have a wedding ring attached to it.

Apple Bloom cooed. “Oh… It’s pretty…”

Applejack looked at Midnight. “Married?”

Midnight nodded with a smile. “Yup.”

Applejack fainted again and fell out of her chair.

Midnight snorted. “I guess we can tell her tomorrow that it was a joke.”

Midnight used his magic to carry her upstairs and tucked her back into bed and came back downstairs. He looked at Big Mac and smiled a wide grin.

“This was the most fun I’ve had in ages. You certainly earned that plow. If you will excuse me, I have someone in town that I need to check up on.”

Big Mac bowed his head. “Thank ya fer allowing us the opportunity ta earn such kindness. Ah hope that you’ll pay us a visit again soon, my lord.”

Midnight grinned. “Are you kidding? I’ll probably buy more ale and moonshine than the alehouses do. Let me know when the first batch is ready.”

Big Mac nodded as Midnight trotted out the door.

Apple Bloom frowned. “It was a fun joke, kinda, but ah’ll admit that ah didn’t understand much of what ah was supposed ta say. Can anypony explain it ta me?”

Big Mac winced but Granny Smith sighed. “Ah guess that yer old enough. Ya see… when two ponies love each other…”

----------

Anon

The day had been hard but rewarding. The spa was busy all day and she had earned her fair share of bits even without a lot of training. By the time the spa was closing, Midnight had trotted up.

“How was your day, dear?”

Anon smiled and held up a huge bag. “I made a lot today. Do you want to go a date with me? My treat.”

Midnight smiled warmly. “I have a feeling that you’re not going to be able to eat a hayburger, so I need to pick the restaurant with care. All restaurants carry fruits and vegetables but only one place in town has a carnivore menu for the more exotic creatures of Equestria. I can tell from your features that you can eat meat.”

Anon’s face fell a little. “Oh, umm. Does me eating meat bother you?”

He shook his head. “Ponies do sometimes eat fish and I while I lack typical pony friends, I do have a few dragon friends. I promise that it won’t bother me.”

Anon smiled and followed me to the restaurant.

* * *

Chapter 6 - The Midnight Council

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Anon

Midnight took me the only restaurant in Ponyville that served meat. We sat down and the waiter came over. “What type of menus would you like?”

Midnight nodded. “Two carnivore menus please.”

The waiter gulped, left, and returned with the menus. I glanced over my menu and frowned.

“Midnight… you don’t have to eat meat just because I am.”

He gave me a smile that melted my heart. “Of course I do, dear. At least this one time. I need these ponies to see just how much I accept you. They will look at you funny if you start going around declaring yourself to be my marefriend if we don’t look committed. I mean… in their eyes… it could just be another one of my pranks.”

I ordered a baked chicken and Midnight got a baked trout. We ordered ale and a side salad. I wanted to jump right into telling him about my day, but I was distracted by his prank comment.

“You wouldn’t joke about having a marefriend… or getting married, would you?”

He gulped… “Well… I kinda pulled that prank today, in fact. I guess it was in poor taste given that I am serious about taking you as a marefriend but… in my defense, I haven’t had a real marefriend in a long time and I kinda forgot.” He smiled a little sheepishly.

I shook my head and smiled at him. My innocent little stallion.

“Tell me about the prank.”

The drinks and side salad were brought to us, and he went into the story about going to Sweet Apple Acres to talk about a missed loan payment and learned about the plow being broken. After some raunchy teasing caused Applejack to faint, he talked Big Mac, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith into playing along for a massive prank. Applejack had been under the weather anyways, so he put a healing sleep spell on her, so she’d be forced to rest and fully recover. By the time she woke up later in the day, all the elements were in place to both fix the farm and play the joke. So, everyone played their part and by the end of the joke, Applejack fainted again. Happy with the results, he left the farm to go find her at the spa. He looked at me for approval.

I was laughing hard at the ridiculous story when the main course was brought. We both ate our meals and talked about lighter topics. When we returned to the estate, it was after nightfall and a large crowd was waiting for us.

I placed my hand on his withers. “Midnight?” I couldn’t keep the worry from my voice.

He nodded and looked at me. “It’s okay. Just follow me and watch.”

We entered his estate, and the crowd followed us inside without a word spoken. For the first time ever, we went into his throne room. The twelve ponies gathered around, six on each side of the carpet leading to the throne and Midnight took his place upon the throne itself. He raised a hoof to me and gestured that I should stand beside him on the dais. I wordlessly obeyed, not daring to speak. His horn shined with black magic and the ceiling seemed to disappear and resolved itself into the night sky, showing a full moon, complete with the Unicorn shadow.

His words chilled me to the bone. “My friends. I now convene the Midnight Counsel. This is my new marefriend, Lady Anon. In my absence… she speaks with my absolute authority. Please afford her the same respect that you give me.”

My eyes widened as all twelve of them turned to me, bowed so low that their faces touched the floor, and in a raspy voice, they said as one. “My lady… we live to serve.”

* * *

Midnight

Anon cleared her throat and managed to rasp out. “Please rise and be at ease.”

All the ponies did so, and I smiled. “Nice touch, my dear.”

She nodded but didn’t say anything else, content to watch.

I looked at the group. “The information about the slavers were correct. I killed four griffons and freed one captive in transit. Were you able to locate the base?”

One mare stepped forward. “Yes, my Lord. We freed seven other slaves and gathered all the loot. The spoils of battle are now in your basement for review.”

I nodded grimly. “Good work, Moon Watcher. I’ll be sure to pay your usual fee plus a bonus for the tip that allowed me to save Lady Anon.”

Moon Watcher bowed. “No bonus is necessary. We do this work for you because it allows us to continue to serve the mother. We know that you speak for her in her absence.”

Anon watched my features tighten but I schooled those features after a moment of tension and continued.

“Your loyalty is humbling. What other reports would you like to make this evening?”

The twelve ponies each shared information ranging from minor threats to Equestria, to the actions of greedy nobles, to the plight of the common ponies. They also allowed themselves to make suggestions on how to deal with the problems they had uncovered. I assigned each pony to a task and said that I would take care of the rest. I paid them all with a big bag of bits and reminded them of one final thing.

“Next month is the Summer Sun Celebration. The 1000^th anniversary of it, in fact. Stay on your guard and report anything suspicious. We can’t afford to take risks regarding her return.”

They all bowed and left as quietly as they had come, hooded cloaks hiding their faces.

When the last one had left, Anon asked. “What was that?”

I sighed and rubbed my face with my hooves. “The Midnight Counsel. A group of loyal ponies that report directly to me about matters within my territory and surrounding territories. Bat ponies, sometimes called thestrals, as a race, swore loyalty to the Princess of the Night, Luna, and their entire race largely went into self-exile when Luna was banished, fearing punishment for their oaths. However, a few stayed to continue the work of protecting the night alongside the rest of us who couldn’t flee into hiding. My family dates back to before the founding of the Old Kingdom… before the current Modern Equestria and has long served as Night Guards and Lunar Knights or higher. I am the last of my family… but even now… I sit in Princess Luna’s Midnight Throne as her voice… as my family has done since her banishment nearly 1,000 years ago. It wasn’t easy moving the throne from the ruins of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters and I’m not entirely sure if Princess Celestia knows that I have it. As you may have guessed from hearing what they said, their information is what allowed me to save you. And I’m grateful.”

Anon nodded slowly. “I’m grateful as well. I wish… that I had picked up on that more keenly during the meeting and thanked them. I do have one question… You have all this long family history of duty and service and most of it is violent. Why don’t you simply enjoy your retirement? I mean… don’t you deserve some rest?”

I sat there for a long time before answering. “Death Lords never truly retire as we must always be ready to rise again and serve but two reasons stand out as to why I’ve remained more active than a normal retired pony might. First and foremost, I have no heir to pass the responsibly down to, so I’ll continue to serve until I die. And second… I’ve wielded bloodshed for most of my life in the service of my realm and I see no reason to stop now. I kill… so other ponies don’t have to. Such is the burden I bear.”

He got up off the throne and left the throne room, a little moody and very lonely. Anon swallowed a lump in her throat.

I guess he isn’t all innocent after all.

She stalked off after him and was intent on cuddling him regardless of if he claimed to want it or not. She didn’t think that he deserved to be alone. Especially now.

* * *

Anon

The next morning, Midnight teleported me to work. He turned to walk away, presumably to start working on the issues that the council brought to him when I kissed him on the tip of his horn and walked inside. I glanced back briefly to see him staring at me with his jaw hanging open before he shook his head and walked away slowly, his tail flicking briskly.

Aloe was giggling at me when the door shut. “Very bold of you, Anon.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Bold? In what way?”

Aloe blushed and pulled me aside. “I know that you’re new here, so I won’t tease you about it too much, but you do need to know. A unicorn’s horn is very sensitive. Rubbing it with hooves, or hands in your case… or using your mouth on it as most ponies do… is actually a normal part of sexual gratification for a unicorn. You might as well have been sucking his stallionhood. In public. Thank goodness it was a simple kiss…”

My cheeks burned and I looked around myself frantically. Aloe continued to giggle at me.

“Don’t worry too much, I don’t think any other pony saw it… just don’t rub a unicorn’s horn during a mane cut. We aren’t trying to provide a full release service here.”

I bit my lip, hardly daring to speak. “Um. What happens when a horn is rubbed enough? I mean… have you ever dated a unicorn?”

Aloe nodded and smiled. “It releases magic in a way similar to an orgasm from the main shaft. A magic orgasm if you would like to think of it as such. It’s unique to unicorns and works the same way for both mares and stallions. On the bright side, the magic released can’t get anypony pregnant… to the best of any ponies’ knowledge. If you had to call it anything, it’s foreplay. I think your naivety is cute, but not all ponies may see it that way.”

Anon nodded and got to work. She checked the client list and was surprised to see that Applejack was the first pony on her list that morning.

Isn’t that the same pony that Midnight tricked into thinking that she married him yesterday?

Applejack smiled at Anon when she walked into the room. “Howdy. Ah’ve been told that yer new in town but that ya do good work. Ah just need a small trim; it shouldn’t take long.”

I nodded and got to work. My mind was caught up in what I had done this morning and I forgot that part of a mane dressers job was to make the client feel at ease by chatting with them. After a short while of cutting and styling the mare’s mane in silence, Apple Jack cleared her throat.

“Ah. Are ya okay? Ya seem a little down. Can ah help?”

Hmm. I wonder if I can continue Midnight’s joke.

I smiled. “It’s sweet of you to offer but I’m not sure anypony can help me. I lost my coltfriend to another mare yesterday and I’m still very upset. Normally, I might have taken the day off, but I just started working here and I don’t have the bits to find my own place. I’m just so confused.”

Applejack looked understandably upset. “What happened? Do ya want ta talk about it?”

I shrugged and continued to style her mane. “Well, he ended up marrying some other mare without any warning at all after buying their family a plow. A plow… of all things! All of my hopes and dreams… gone! I hope her plot was worth it because I’m not sure if I should strangle him or her. Or both… Of all the little whorses…”

A bead of sweat rolled down Applejack’s face. She looked around herself nervously.

“Ah… that’s a tragedy… ta be sure. Well… that’s enough of a trim. Ah really need ta get going…”

Anon placed a hand on Apple Jack’s barrel. “Nonsense. I’m barely half-way done. We will just continue to chat…”

Applejack sat there and listened to all the ways I was going to hunt down and cook that whorse alive. How dare she steal her stallion. I almost slowed down to drag it out, but I knew there were other clients waiting. Finally, I turned her in the chair to have her look at herself in the mirror. My voice was sickly sweet, as if false or forced.

“Oh. Pretty as picture. Mane styled good enough for a wedding, wouldn’t you say Applejack?”

Applejack cracked under my gaze and burst out. “Ah’m sorry! Ah was told that it was all a joke! Ah don’t know if Ah married your stallion! Please don’t eat me!”

I laughed. I laughed until I cried. Applejack looked bewildered, as if she expected me to attack her at any moment. I finally calmed down and took in a deep breath, smiling widely.

“Of course it was a joke… but I am Midnight’s marefriend and you have to believe that I’m just as good as pulling pranks as he is. I hope we can be friends, Applejack.”

I shook her hoof, and she gave me a genuine smile as she also wiped her brow with her other foreleg.

“Ah’ll admit… that was a good one. Ah wasn’t expecting a follow-up to his joke. Ah think that ya’ll fit right into our little town. If ya like pranks, ya should talk to Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. They might even be able ta help ya prank Midnight.”

My eyes danced. “I think that I’m a long way away from being able to pull that off, but it sounds like fun. Thank you and please come again.”

Applejack left, and the next client came in.

“So, how would you like your mane styled today?”

* * *

Chapter 7 - A Darker Side of Midnight

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Chapter 7: A Darker Side of Midnight

Midnight

I was bored. I had finished setting up all the recommendations of the council, but most of that was administrative and there just wasn’t anything else to do until the current projects were finished or until the next reports were submitted. It had been a light month, overall. Too light.

It had been too long since I had some real action. Saving Anon had been fun and had sated my blood lust, for now, but it wasn’t the kind of near-death experience that I lived for. More to the point, it didn’t use as much dark magic as it needed to. In many ways, I was too good at my job.

My prank on Applejack had been a hoot, made even better by Anon’s follow-up to the joke, and Applejack got a good nervous laugh out of it when it was brought up in conversation, but that was days ago… not that I had gotten much opportunity to tease her about it.

Anon was happy with the job that she had and was enjoying earning her own keep, as expected. To my displeasure, she was always trying to spend her money on me. Buying gifts, taking me out to dinner in town, or some other type of window shopping. I enjoyed spending time with her, but I didn’t need her to spend her money on me. She had no idea how much the ‘loot’ that the council had given me from that griffon hideout had been worth. More to the point, as cute as these dates were, it gave her chance after chance to tempt me into her bed. As old as I was, controlling my emotions and quelling my baser needs felt like it should be easier than it was, made harder by all the innuendo Anon was throwing my way.

She was still as willing to make love to me today as she had been that first day that I had saved her. I was happy that her feelings towards me seemed to be growing and no longer had the urgency of needing to ‘repay me for saving her.’ However… to my personal discomfort, I was starting to have a harder time saying ‘no’ to her.

That revelation had given me pause as I was forced to consider the deeper implications of allowing the relationship between us to continue and strengthen. On one hoof, I did want it, on the other… I was deeply afraid of hurting her. If not physically, then mentally or emotionally. Given the dark secrets of my darker nature, it was a true concern. I wasn’t really seeking a one-night stand or some other short-term lover which made her offers that much harder to refuse. She seemed to be offering me something permeant. Something that hadn’t been offered to me in a long time… something I both desired and was also afraid of.

Today though. Today is a day that I have been dreading. And I don’t yet have a plan.

Anon came down the stairs into the living room area. “Good morning, Midnight.”

I smiled at her weakly. “Good morning, Anon. You are… cheerful, this morning.”

She nodded. “I try to be cheerful every morning but it’s a truly beautiful morning out there today. It’s also my first day off since I started working at the spa and I’m going to the Carousel Boutique to get measured for some dresses for a few different occasions and measured for a few more sets of my normal clothes. The Summer Sun Celebration is coming up and the main event in being hosted in Ponyville this year, so I’ll need a special dress for the occasion. What are your plans for today?”

Her good cheer was almost infectious, but my mood was sour and dark. “Well… umm.”

Anon picked up on my mood and nervousness instantly. She hedged cautiously.

“Midnight. What’s wrong? You know that you can tell me anything, right?”

I looked away from her, as if afraid to speak. She sat down beside me and pulled me in for a tight hug. She held me until she felt me relax and sigh. I was still worried, but I knew she deserved the truth, especially since this concerned her.

“We’ve had a few good conversations since you’ve gotten here but there just hasn’t been time to explain everything. In Equestria, all ponies use magic in some form or another and magic can be very dangerous. For a unicorn especially… magic requires balance. The more powerful the spell caster, the harder it is to maintain that balance. I am a direct descendant of Clover the Clever and… it could be argued that I am the most powerful unicorn alive with the current student of Princess Celestia being a close second to me. Magically speaking… my abilities are only surpassed by the Alicorn rulers Princess Celestia and her younger sister Princess Luna, who is still in exile… and maybe Princess Cadence, although I haven’t seen too many examples of her power so I’m doubtful. Anyways… at least once every few months… it becomes dangerous to be near me if I don’t do certain things to help burn off excess darkness or do other things to contain it. That day is today. I have a hard time admitting it but… there are times that I can’t control my inner darkness. You should take care of your errands in town and then rent a room at the Ponyville Inn tonight. Leave me to my fate.”

Anon’s eyes went wide. “No! I should be here to help you. What do you need me to do?”

She jumped back as a growl escaped me and my eyes started to glow with an ominous black that matched my coat and magic. The silver of my eyes was replaced with a dark, glowing blackness.

No! I’m losing control sooner than I expected. Think. Think!

In as even a tone as I could manage, I spoke softly but urgently. “There is nothing that you can do directly. I must bleed off the excess negative emotions and magical power that I normally use on the battlefield. By modern pony standards, I’m going to have to commit a few serious crimes. I don’t want to hurt you and I am terrified that I will by accident. You claim to want to be my marefriend so for Celestia’s sake please just… go. For one day. I’m begging you…”

A tear escaped her eyes and she replied softly… “But they will punish you if your actions aren’t justified. How will you be able to bleed off your power without anything to fight? I don’t want to lose you Midnight. I’ve been in Ponyville long enough now to know how peaceful it is. What are you going to do?”

I shook from head to tail with pent up magical energy. “I’m afraid that I don’t have a plan. I’m afraid of what I’m about to do. Leave… now. Please! Save yourself!”

The energy seemed to arch from me in an uncontrolled fashion and it looked like I had been struck with lightning… except that we were indoors, and the lightning was coming from within me. With a scream of pain I knew I was seconds away from losing complete control.

Anon walked closer to me, apparently with no sense of self preservation. Out of nowhere, she was struck with dark inspiration.

“Midnight. Ravage me!”

I was lost to her suggestion. I was no longer myself, but rather my alter ego, Midnight Calamity. The darkness covered me like a blanket. I could see, hear and feel what he was doing… but I was nearly powerless to stop it. With a terrifying cackle, he began to stalk her.

Midnight Calamity relished in her possible pain. Without any thought at all, my horn glowed black and Anon yelped as her clothes were teleported away from her and placed, neatly folded, onto a chair in the corner, leaving her completely naked. My magic lifted her into the air and laid her unto her back on the couch. With strings of dark magic, her hands were bound together above her head whereas her hips were drawn up and her legs spread as wide as they could be without physically hurting her. Her eyes went wide as she realized that she was completely at my mercy. My voice was unnaturally dark and deeper than normal.

“Allow me to introduce myself… I am Midnight Calamity… it’s not often that the prey volunteers to be the prey. What is your game, little one?”

Anon gulped. She knew that she wasn’t speaking to the same pony as before. This darkness was something else entirely. Given the nature of magic, this didn’t surprise her as much as it should.

“I love Midnight Stalker and I would do anything to save him. He has been reluctant to take me as a lover however I feel that he is deserving of me. He needs to bleed off this darkness, so I offer myself as a willing sacrifice. Take your fill, you fiend!”

My subconscious mind screamed as the darkness continued to move without my permission. Almost leisurely, he climbed on top of her, our shaft resting on her core, slowly growing harder while he sucked on a teat like a foal. She moaned at the pleasure it was giving her although she was also keenly aware that she couldn’t move and that I wasn’t in my right mind.

With an almost gentle rocking motion, he eased our member into the soft folds of promised pleasure. He pushed in, stopped, pushed in more and stopped again. My subconscious mind was forcing Calamity to allow her to adapt to our size, but it was all I could do to affect the process. Once we were fully seated, we met her eyes and could hear her panting. Anon seemed unable to speak but we could read her silent lips as they moved.

More. Ravage me. Please.

Midnight Calamity seemed to enjoy her request and I lost what was left of my mind as the darkness fully took me. He bucked into her, pushing ourselves all the way in, pulling out and slamming our shaft into her again. He sucked on her teats and worked his way up to kiss her neck. He met her lips and we just lost ourselves in kissing and locking tongues and pounding away. We felt a surge from her core, and we could feel her completion grip us, almost begging us to join her. Our tip flared and our emotions welled up in us and before we knew it, our seed burst from us, filling her up and spilling out of her.

I could feel the darkness release from me with my seed. It seemed like it happened too quickly. It normally took so much more to get Midnight Calamity to release control or to become weak enough for me to seize control back. He almost seemed to taunt me within my own mind.

I like her. She has spirit. Take good care of her… I want her again. I could do more damage, but I am delighted with this outcome and thus I will release control back to you now. Until next time, Midnight Stalker.

The darkness subsided and I fell off of her and onto the floor, unable to stand. I was drawing close to unconsciousness, less from the amount of magic used than from the fashion that it had been used. True evil, or the perception of true evil, drained me more than a mere dark act would. My subconscious was grateful to have the darkness released so quickly but also seemed to realize that my conscious mind would have a harder time reconciling the act.

How do I deal with this?

----------

Anon

As his magic released me from its grip, I stood up off the couch and came to him, wrapping Midnight up into a warm hug. Despite what had just happened, I was not afraid of him, and I was very concerned that he came close to losing consciousness.

“Midnight? Are you okay now? Please… speak to me…”

----------

Midnight

Anon released me as I came back to full awareness and gave me the space to stand. As I looked at her, my eyes went wide in the horror of what I had just done. Her lips were fat from the force of my kisses… and it looked like I had slapped her with my hoof. Her neck was bruised on both sides. Her right teat was also bruised… and was that a bite mark? The blood drained from my face as my gaze continued lower. Her marehood was bruised and puffy, my seed running down her legs. My ears flatted on my head as my mind was having trouble processing all of it.

I… raped her… didn’t I. Oh Celestia… what have I done?

My world spun around me as I sat down on my flanks and started to cry.

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Anon

Midnight’s wailing sounded like a little kid who had come home from school to find his puppy dead. The utter despair of his cries and the thickness of his tears really ground me to a halt.

I don’t trust myself to not make this worse. I’ve been wanting a good bucking since I got here but… damn it… I shouldn’t have triggered it like this. He is going to blame himself. Still… I didn’t think I would like bondage… that was fun.

I kneeled down to him and hugged him again. He nuzzled into me, but his tears wouldn’t stop. I hummed a soft, soothing tune to try to calm him down. Finally, I got an idea.

“Midnight? If it’s not too much trouble… can we take a bath together, clean each other up and maybe you can heal me again?”

Midnight pulled back from his nuzzle and sounded contrite. “Of course… it was rude of me not to offer sooner.”

Without another word, he grabbed my clothes from off the chair with his magic and we went the bathhouse. He bathed me with all the care as he did the first night he had saved me and I washed him just as well. With both of us clean, he cast his healing spells, removing all the bruises and swelling from me. His breathing was still a little ragged from the force of his crying and him having lost magical control. He seemed so sad… as if I was going to leave him…

As what has clearly happened to him before… I am such a fool to place him in this predicament.

I decided to go for broke. Outside of the bathing pool, still naked, I bent over and used my hands to brace myself on the wall. I spread my legs and displayed my pussy at him proudly, whistling to get his attention.

“Now that you’re under control again… maybe you’d like another round?”

Midnight’s jaw dropped at the sight. “But… really? You’re not mad at me?”

I smiled warmly at him. “I provoked that to save you from your magic. In the strictest definition of the law, that might have been rape… or it might have been a very dangerously sexy bondage. Now… do you want this pussy, or should I go get dressed?”

Please don’t backfire!!! If there is a god here, Midnight will just buck me and enjoy it.

Midnight nodded timidly and walked up to me, getting himself into position. He was gentle but less afraid of his actions, given what had happened earlier. I might not have been sure what the rebound of an Earth horse’s ability to mate was, but I was more than a little surprised by just how big Midnight’s member was when he mounted me from behind and slid in, fully seating himself in one long stroke. His hooves gripped me and gently caressed my breasts. He pushed in and out in a measured control that was more pleasure than pain. I sighed in contentment as my orgasm shook me again, shocked at how quickly he was able to build me up, and then gasped when his tip flared a second time and Midnight filled me up again. He let himself down and I stood up and looked at him.

His smile was a little sheepish. “Umm. Another bath?”

I laughed. “How many times can we do this?”

His smile was playful but not innocent. “I can go all day… and I have a free schedule.”

I couldn’t stop my smile from spanning my face.

“Fuck it… I’ll go get my dresses tomorrow.”

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Chapter 8 - The Morning After

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Chapter 8 - The Morning After

Midnight

It had been a long and interesting night but now the morning light was coming through the window, and I sighed.

I love the act of taking a new lover. However… the morning after is always interesting.

Midnight was forced to acknowledge from years of taking lovers that the act always played out in one of three ways, with very few exceptions.

On some occasions, he misjudged the mare and either he regretted it for one reason or another, or the mare did, and it became a one-night stand with no strings. A more common occurrence was the mare having a coltfriend, marefriend, husband or wife that she failed to mention before the evening got started. What could have been a beautiful relationship was often ruined by the cuckold party walking into the bedroom in time to catch the final act. Most of these ponies were often too shocked to do anything about it before he could teleport away, although he also somewhat regretted leaving the unfaithful mare to the wraith of their special somepony. In the rare third occurrence, there were no regrets on either side, and no third party to interfere, and the relationship between them stabilized allowing them to remain a couple until one or both of them decided to move on, usually remaining close friends afterwards.

He didn’t believe in herding while having a lover… although he wasn’t opposed to the idea of starting a herd if he ever got married. In any event, he never got married, although he had gotten close, twice. Both times tore at his heart when he had to say goodbye to his beloved marefriends.

Will Anon be the same? Will I lose her too? Am I just fooling myself?

I looked over at Anon and watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful. I kissed her cheek and she stirred. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she yawned.

“Good morning, Midnight. Did you sleep well?”

I nodded with a smile. “Best sleep I’ve had in 20 years. How do you feel?”

She winced when she tried to move. “I’m sore. I’m not sure I can walk.”

I frowned at her statement and my horn lit up with magic. I scanned her from head to toe.

“Well… there is nothing physically wrong with you that I can fix with magic. I think your muscles are going to have to heal the normal way.”

She groaned, removed the covers from herself and opened her legs, as if to air out.

“I think I should have listened to you when you said four times was enough, but I really wanted to try those other three positions. I think I pushed my luck.”

I chuckled at her. “Why did you want to try all of them in one night?”

She bit her lip and looked away. “…Because… I wasn’t sure if you would still want to be with me once we awoke this morning. I didn’t want any regrets in not knowing what else I missed when I had my chance. This soreness will go away… but my memories never will. I wanted all of you… even if it was only for one night.”

I sighed. So her regret is not being able to have more. Being afraid that I wouldn’t like it. She really is a dragoness in her own way. Greedy for my shaft, in her case.

I got up and stretched. I walked to her side of the bed and looked at her soft folds nestled between her open legs. It was a little red, but it wasn’t bruised, not like the very, very first time after rutting when I had lost control of my magic and Calamity had taken a turn. I leaned in closer and placed my muzzle gently on her core and licked.

She jumped at the unexpected action. “Midnight! What are you doing?”

I met her eyes. “I kissed it to make it feel better.”

The coltish sweetness of my intention wasn’t lost on her. She smiled wide and threw her head back and laughed. “I don’t think it’s going to work given that all it’s going to do is make me horny and there’s no way I can buck today.”

I snorted. “I’ve gone 20 years, more or less, without a steady partner. I think I can survive until your no longer sore. Still… I think the real reason why your so sore is from having me put my horn in you. I’ll admit that ponies sucking on a horn during foreplay is kinda normal, but I’ve never heard of a unicorn actually putting the horn inside the marehood. The magical release did feel better than normal but releasing the magical discharge inside you also kinda felt… wrong. Like a violation of your body. I suppose I could get used to doing it if you really liked it but I’m still afraid of hurting you and you being this sore afterwards isn’t helping my concerns.”

I paused and then asked an awkward question. “Are all humans as kinky as you?”

Anon giggled. “Maybe not all humans, although, I dare say, that some are kinkier than me. As far as me being sore this morning… I wasn’t a virgin, but you have to understand, you have the biggest ‘stallionhood’ of any partner I’ve ever had. It’ll take a few times for me to fully adjust, but I’m sure we’ll get to the point where we can buck as hard as you like without me being sore the next day. I just wanted to make sure that you were enjoying it as much as I was, and Aloe did say that if we ever got this far that I should keep in mind how sensitive the unicorn horn was. I needed this to be special for you.”

I smiled. “You succeeded. Now… It’s time to get dressed and go into town. You still need your new dresses.”

Anon groaned. “Do we really have to do this today?”

I shrugged. “Well… If you want to go after work tomorrow, I can meet you at the Carousel Boutique and we can get you everything that you want. As much money as you’ve spent on me this week… you may not have enough left to get exactly what you’re after. Lucky for you, I have lots of bits and I like shopping. It would be my pleasure to accompany you tomorrow.”

Anon nodded and looked relieved. “That sounds like a plan I can get behind. What should we do in the meantime then?”

I tapped my chin with a hoof. “I’ll bring you breakfast in bed and then we can stay inside and read. A quiet day sounds nice after yesterday.”

Anon winced. She wasn’t sure what to say about it. “Do you want to talk about it?”

I looked thoughtful. “I’m not sure what I can say about it. I was trained for war. My magic is dark. I use shadow teleportation, favored by unicorn assassins to this day, for both my work and my pranks. I have a lifetime of regrets and pain and suffering which feeds my emotional magic. When I can bleed it off, nothing bad happens. When my life is good and I have no outlet for my darker magic, sometimes… I lose control. I’ve lost more than one lover from losing control. They all forgive me eventually… but most ponies can’t handle my dark side, and I don’t blame them.”

I tried to keep my tone causal and unconcerned, but the subtle torment of my own past still shook her to her core. Oddly enough… she couldn’t seem to blame me for my actions.

Anon swallowed. “I was a little scared at one point, but I knew you wouldn’t hurt me. I’m glad I was able to help, although, I’m sorry that I used your weakness to get you into my bed. I should have been more understanding to your words and warning. I know now that you were just trying to protect me. I wish you could give me more details… maybe I could help?”

My expression got very tight; my words clipped. “I was in love once. I was going to get married. I was so nervous the day before my wedding, but I was all smiles. My fiancé kissed me goodnight and told me that the next day would be the best day of our lives. When I awoke… she was gone, and I haven’t seen her since. The wedding was quietly cancelled and nopony spoke of it. The despair from my loss fuels my darker magic and makes it harder to control. It is for this reason that I consider myself to be forsaken. I was abandoned by the one pony who was supposed to love me forever…”

I sighed and Anon held her breath. I continued quietly. “I tried to move on. I tried to love. A second mare that I respected dearly entered my life at a time that I may have been able to forgive my own past, and I was close to proposing… but my previous loss made it impossible to commit. I think she knew… and she never held it against me. I’m still friends with her to this day. I know I’m aloof. However, I no longer know if I’m protecting myself or the mare that tries to get close to me. In any event, in the end, there is nothing but pain. I was trying to spare you that and I’m sorry that I didn’t.”

Tears filled Anon’s eyes. “I… forgive you. I don’t hold your past against you. I accept you and your pain. Can you accept me?”

Midnight gasped at her words. “I accept you too. I wish I could say I love you, but I’m not ready to go so far…”

Anon nodded knowingly. “I wish I could tell you that I love you too, but I know that you wouldn’t be able to accept that it is possible. Let us both prove our intentions with actions. In the meantime… can you tell me more about Midnight Calamity?”

Midnight gulped loudly. “I don’t like talking about him, but he is a part of me. I’m not sure where to start, however…”

Anon smiled timidly. “How about at the beginning?”

Midnight shrugged. “Very well… the world is made up of opposites. For there to be light, there must be darkness. There have been many villains in the history of our land. King Sombra… Discord, Nightmare Moon… a few others lost to history. After Nightmare Moon was banished, the darkness needed a new host. And after many years… it found me.”

Anon’s eyes went wide. “Fascinating. Tell me more?”

Midnight shrugged again. “There’s not much more to tell. I went to Princess Celestia and told her to kill me. I didn’t want to live like this, not after what Nightmare Moon had done to Princess Luna. But… to my surprise, she refused. She trusts me. Loves me as a brother… you might could say. She expressed her desire for me to try to control this darkness and be the yin to her yang. To keep the scales balanced with a pony that she trusts. I do a good job of bleeding off the excess and mostly keep control. She has always forgiven me for losing control although it has cost me many cherished relationships. Few ponies truly understand… and I’ve given up trying to explain it. Words cannot express how happy I am that not only did I not hurt you but that you forgive me. However… If I lose control again in your presence… I cannot promise not to hurt you, and the barest thought of you coming to pain terrifies me. Calamity has already told me that he wants you again…”

Anon locked eyes with him. “Even when lost to the darkness… I could see you fighting for control. I knew you wouldn’t let him hurt me… and he didn’t.”

I wailed. “That was just luck! What if I can’t control him so completely next time?”

Anon deadpanned. “Then I get hurt. Do you think that I would just leave?”

I gawked at her. “Shouldn’t you leave if I hurt you?”

Anon’s eyebrows raised. “And become a Griffon’s slave again? I liked the bondage that Calamity put me through but I’m not sure I’d accept it from a Griffon. Maybe you should give it a try…”

Midnight nodded and smiled. “Maybe I will… when you’re feeling better. Well. I’ll go make breakfast for us. You stay here and rest.”

I turned to leave and Anon called out… “Forget it… I love you, Midnight!”

I smiled and continued walking, a nagging thought lingering for me to consider.

Can I love her? Is it even possible for me to love anymore?

I didn’t know.

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Chapter 9 – Carousel Boutique

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Chapter 9 – Carousel Boutique

Anon

I spent the day recovering and was pleasantly surprised at how well Midnight had doted on me. I never had to ask for anything. He was the perfect boyfriend… or coltfriend in his case. I watched him as he moved throughout the day with his graceful actions of caring for me, but I could still see the reservedness that he held for me in the aftermath of his having lost control. It hurt me deeply to see how much pain he was trying to hide, and it was all I could do not to add to it. There was nothing I could do to make him feel better for the time being and I knew it.

The next morning came too fast, and Midnight teleported me to work, per the usual. Aloe seemed to smile a knowing smile as I waddled to my workstation, still a little sore from the weekend’s antics. I mock glared in Aloe’s direction.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Aloe’s giggle was light and gentle. “You don’t have to. All mares eventually find a stallionhood that’s a little too much for them. Do you need some oil rubbed on you?”

Aloe’s tone was a little suggestive and I smiled. “I’ll be fine, if only I can get through my day.”

Monday turned out to be on the lighter side of clients and I found myself leaving work a little early, having nothing to do. Midnight, early as always, was pleased to have arrived just in time. We walked together heading towards Rarity’s shop and I was dying to break the silence.

“So… I’d like to know more about you. Tell me your three greatest strengths and three greatest weaknesses.”

Midnight frowned in thought. “Hmm. My greatest strengths would have to be my ability to be decisive in difficult situations, my honesty, and my loyalty. My greatest weaknesses are the fact that I can be impulsive, I’m a little bit too playful at times, especially with pranks, and that I can lose control of my magic at times.”

I winced at his statement. “I think everyone is capable of losing control under the right or wrong circumstances so you shouldn’t beat yourself up over something that I’ve already forgiven you for. I also don’t understand how being too playful can be a weakness.”

Midnight snorted. “Okay. Let’s say that I decided to be impulsive and told everypony that we’re getting married, and you decided to play along with it. My playful side would push the narrative to the limits, even if other ponies were uncomfortable with it at first. If we decided to remain 'just lovers', the joke would be exposed, and we'd have a long laugh about it at everypony's expense. But… if it was accepted as fact… and everypony wished us well and a long happy life together, my loyalty and decisiveness would make me follow through with the commitment I made even if it started as a joke. At that point… I would have to hope that you were okay with it.”

I stilled, pausing in our walk. “Would you be willing to marry me?”

Midnight chewed on the inside of his mouth. “Yes. I would. After last weekend… I don’t see how I could not be willing. You accept me for all my flaws. I am a forsaken and broken pony and yet, you seem to love me. I fear that I’m a little too old for you… maybe I’m a little too wary and world wise, but I think I could love you in way that I haven’t loved in a long time…”

He paused and cleared his throat. “I suppose deciding to marry you would be both impulsive and decisive and yet… it feels so right, if only you would say yes to a proposal.”

We resumed walking, Midnight keeping pace with me. I cleared my throat. “I still don’t know how I ended up in this world and I fear that I’ll never be able to return home. If I accept my fate, marrying you would be a blessing. You are strong, wealthy, and seem to care for me. On the plus side… your stallionhood really gets me off… if only I can adjust to it. I am willing to marry you if you are bold enough to propose.”

Midnight seemed to blush, although it was hard to tell with his dark coat. We got to Carousel Boutique quickly enough and went inside. Rarity was working at her workstation.

“I’ll be with you in a moment, darling.”

Midnight cleared his throat. “We are in no hurry, take your time, my dear.”

Rarity’s sewing machine jammed up as she failed to move the fabric through with the proper timing, thrown off by Midnights reply. She jumped out of her seat.

“Lord Midnight! What an unexpected pleasure! How may I help you?”

Midnight gestured to me. “I’d like to introduce you to my marefriend, Lady Anon. She is a unique creature, and I can think of nopony better suited to the task of making her some custom clothing. She wants a few new sets of her normal human attire consisting of a shirt and pants. Additionally, she will need both a formal and informal dress for all four seasons, two general party gowns, one for day parties and one for night parties, a dress suitable for this year’s Summer Sun Celebration, a dress suitable for this year’s Grand Galloping Gala and, if you’re up to it, a wedding dress. The wedding dress I’d like to be extra special. I would expect your best white silk and lace with the whole thing accented with white diamonds.”

Rarity’s eyes got big. “My Lord! Congratulations! I’m more than up to the task. I have soooo many questions for both of you. Oh my… where to start? May I ask how you know she will be attending the Gala this year or when the wedding is? How fast do you need the project done? Is there a budget to consider?”

She looked rather pensive while looking back and forth at both of us. Midnight smiled a winning smile and tried to answer all of her questions.

“There is no budget and no real time limit. Obviously, we will need her Summer Sun Celebration dress before the Summer Sun Celebration in roughly 3 weeks. I am hoping to introduce Anon as my fiancée to the town of Ponyville during the party as kinda of a ‘Coming Out’ announcement. I’m always invited to the Gala given my noble status, although, sadly, I rarely attend. Anon will be my date to the Gala as my plus one this year. It is my hope to introduce Anon to the rest of the nobility during the Gala as well as announce my intentions to Princess Celestia. It is rare, although, not unheard of for a noble to marry a non-pony but I would like the Princesses’ blessing. As to the wedding itself… we haven’t set a date, but it will be after the Gala. Maybe… six months from now? We wanted the dress to be prefect. It may take some time and a few revisions since it’s not a traditional pony dress but I’m hoping you will take the job.”

Rarity nodded happily. “I would be delighted to take the job, darling. Now… let’s get Anon to the measuring station.”

Rarity pulled me to the podium and started measuring me, chatting away. I looked at Midnight with a small smile on my face. Our previous conversation played in my head.

So… is him buying me a wedding dress his way of proposing? I did say I would say yes… I almost don’t care if this is a joke… this is Midnight being Midnight and if it makes him feel better then I owe it to him to play along. I want him to forgive himself. I need him to forgive himself.

It took about an hour for Rarity to be satisfied with her measurements, going through all the materials with me and showing me various designs that she had perfected over the years to get my opinion about what I would like to wear in any given situation. She also examined my current ‘normal human attire’ closely and took notes on how to match it while making the 5 sets of requested ‘normal’ clothing. She took careful notes on my likes and dislikes on materials and styles, stamping her personal policy of nopony having to pay for something that they didn’t like on the work notes. Rarity looked happy with the challenge she was giving herself

“Now darling, I have no other clients at the moment so I should have all 12 dresses done by the end of the week and your 5 sets of normal clothing by the following week. The wedding dress will take a while longer since I need to get the diamonds to accent the gown, but I should have that done as well within the next 3 weeks. Is that okay, darling?”

I smiled at the mare. “Yes. That sounds fine. Take your time. I’m in no hurry for any of the dresses… the only one I have to have anytime soon is the one for the Summer Sun Celebration.”

Rarity nodded, fully understanding that I wanted prefect dresses, not something rushed. Rarity turned to Midnight. “Am I to understand that you will be paying for this order, darling?”

Midnight nodded. “Of course. How much is it going to be?”

I frowned at Rarity’s use of the word ‘darling’ while talking to my coltfriend, though, it sounded like she called everybody darling. Rarity ran some calculations on cost of the materials plus her normal mark up for labor. She bit her lip at the total.

“Um. It’s going to be about 10,000 bits for the 12 dresses plus the 5 sets of normal clothes. The wedding dress is going to be extra and separate. I won’t be able to give an accurate price estimate until I know if I have to buy the diamonds instead of using my special talent to find some myself. Is that okay, darling?”

It was a large amount of money, and it left a sour taste in my mouth. I had gotten myself and Midnight quite a few items and paid for quite a few meals over the last week so I had a fair grasp of how much stuff should cost in Ponyville. Over 500 bits per outfit? That was more than mall prices back home. I never, in my entire life, spent anywhere near that much money on clothing, no matter how special they may have been or for what occasion they had been for. I opened my mouth to protest the price when Midnight nodded and pulled out a boulder sized bag of bits out of a magical storage portal.

“10,000 bits, as requested. As Anon said, please take your time and do it right. I’m not going to pay extra for any mistakes made that costs you extra materials.”

Rarity stared at the bits for a long moment and then shook herself from the shock of seeing such a large payment all at once. “Of course, darling. I will be extra careful. I’ll send word when the first few dresses are done and ready to be picked up.”

Midnight nodded and smiled again. “Very well. We will leave you to your work.”

We left the shop together and I was simply speechless. We walked in silence for what seemed like forever. When we got back to Midnight’s estate, I finally worked up the nerve to speak.

“Are you sure?”

Midnight paused and then frowned. “Sure about what, my dear?”

I bit my lip. “Are you sure about marrying me… you laid out a very convincing plan on how it was supposed to work for both of us. Rarity certainly brought it… and I have no objections to any of it… but I really need to know if you are sure…”

Midnight nodded slowly. I looked at him closely, looking for a sign, anything really, that told me the whole truth. My breath caught when I saw a single tear roll down his cheek.

“I haven’t been this sure about anything since the first time I proposed. I’m hesitant... but I don’t think that you’ll break my heart like she did.”

I kissed him. “Never. My heart is yours, and yours is mine.”

They entered the manor together, content to snuggle the night away.

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Chapter 10 – An Unexpected Encounter

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Chapter 10 – An Unexpected Encounter

Midnight

The next week flowed with a routine that worked. Anon went to work and I dealt with my duties and responsibilities as a Lord; responsibilities that I was taking more seriously now that I had Anon to care for. We ate breakfast and dinner together every day, enjoying every moment together. I was most looking forward to her next day off, even if all we did was walk around the town together and talk. She seemed to be looking forward to it too.

When the day came, it was bright and beautiful, as if I myself had ordered the pegasi to give us prefect weather. Anon was definitely enjoying the perfect summer weather. A quiet walk through the town ended in the markets, as always.

Anon smiled at him. “So… what’s the plan?”

I shrugged. “I’ll admit that I don’t have a plan. I was hoping for a date that includes a good meal and dessert at home afterwards.”

Anon blushed, knowing exactly what he was talking about. “Well… let’s pick a restaurant then. I’m more excited about dessert than I am the meal.”

They both seemed to be considering their options when fate decided to intervene…

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An Earth Pony mare with a pure white coat and a cyan mane walked into the town. Her cutie mark was a quill in an inkwell. Hardy any pony stopped to even look at the otherwise unmarkable mare. She got to the markets, looked around, and frowned.

“Hmm. Lord Midnight Stalker’s domain. It’s been a while since I’ve been here… Ponyville has the lowest unemployment rate and lowest crime rate in the entire kingdom, but I don’t see any guards anywhere. How is Ponyville the safest city in Equestria?”

She took her time to survey the market. She spoke to a few random ponies and asked a few innocent questions about what it was like to live in Ponyville. Was the mayor good? What was the local nobles like? Were there any houses for sale and any businesses hiring? She was a little surprised at how open the townsfolk were to a complete stranger, but she did take mental notes like she was supposed to. She quickly ran out of ponies to ask questions to and considered her next move.

I love going undercover to get answers that no one else can seemingly give me. Or is willing to give me. I probably should do this more often but there is so little time for me to sate my curiously.

Moving to phase two… testing the security of the town… she moved to the local apple stall operated by Granny Smith. Granny was busy with a customer, so the white coated mare had no issues hoofing an apple and walking away.

The mare snorted. “That was too easy…”

As she bit into the apple, the bite seemed to echo unnaturally loud, as if amplified with magic. As one, every pony in the market turned to look at her and her ears folded back.

Granny Smith was livid. “Apple Thief!!! Everypony git ‘er!”

The town surged to subdue the thief and she just barely dodged and weaved avoiding capture. She was fast… faster than any other pony in town, on foot anyways. Once she was sure that she was outpacing her pursuers, she turned to look forward only to see the lord of the province… Midnight Stalker. He had a feral grin on his face as he pulled two razor thin swords out of a magical storage portal and used his magic to raise them into a ready position. She put her hooves down to stop herself and slid very nearly right into his waiting blades. With only the slightest of adjustments, the blades were at her throat.

Midnight’s smile was as wide as his face. “Going somewhere, young lady?”

She gulped. “I guess not…”

Midnight’s smile faded into a stern expression. “Explain yourself!”

The entire market was as still as death as everypony waited for her to speak. She didn’t often get caught so she didn’t have a lot of excuses on standby for her to use. She swallowed.

“I was robbed by thieves on the road, and they stole all of my bits. I’m just hungry, my lord.”

She bowed her head fearfully prompting Midnight to sigh and put away his swords.

“Then why didn’t you say so? Ponyville would never let a poor mare starve. Follow us.”

The ponies around them all nodded in agreement, and a few seemed to show sympathy. More than a few seemed surprised at how lenient Midnight was being until they saw Anon walking beside him, all smiles at his charity. Her effect on him had been both noticed and appreciated. When they got back into the heart of the market, Midnight went back to Granny Smith’s stall with the mare and Anon in tow.

“How’s the farm doing, Granny?”

Granny Smith smiled. “Just swell. Ah got the first batch of Apple Pie Moonshine ready fir sale. 200 jars in all. The first 100 jars are going ta the ten local cider houses that expressed interest in trying ta sell ‘em, one serving at a time, and another 50 jars is going ta Barnyard Bargains. Ah don’t reckon ah’ve ever seen Filthy Rich lookin’ so pleased with himself, as if it was his idea! Ah got the rest of ‘em here at the stall but ah haven’t sold any of them yet…”

She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “…Ah think folks are a little surprised at me fir openly selling it. Ah mean… Ah’ve always had some fir friends and family but never fir sale.”

Midnight nodded seriously. “Well… I gave you the permits to produce and sell both Hard Apple Cider and the Moonshine commercially. I suspect that it’ll take the ponies a little time to get used to it but I’m sure it’ll make a profit, especially once the Cider Houses start selling it.”

Granny nodded. “Ah sure hope so… my grand youngins’ work too hard fir not enough profit. Ah’m not entirely sure that this will work but ah reckon its better than what we were doin’.”

Midnight smiled. “If you ever need anything, I hope that you’ll ask me. How much for a jar of moonshine, the apple that she took, that apple pie and maybe a pitcher of apple cider?”

Granny hummed to herself. “The moonshine is 10 bits per jar. The pie is 5 bits. A whole pitcher of apple cider is another 5 bits. Ah normally sell the apples for 5 apples per bit. Not much a way to price a single apple.”

Midnight nodded and put 21 gold bits on the counter. “I’ll take all of it. Keep the change.”

Midnight magicked over a jar of moonshine, the pie, and a pitcher of apple cider to a nearby table and motioned for the mare to join him. He cut a slice of pie and gave it to her while also pouring her a glass of cider. They began speaking in low tones while eating and drinking.

The mare asked an open question. “What can you tell me about the local area?”

Midnight frowned. “In what regards? The concerns of the common ponies are vastly different than what concerns nobles. What exactly do you wish to know?”

The mare stared openly at Midnight. “I want to know everything… everything that you personally feel is important. Indulge me as if I was an old friend and you just wanted to tell somepony the things you’ve been noticing…”

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Anon

Anon was smiling, happy at the non-lethal outcome but she also noticed Granny staring at the bits on the counter. “What’s wrong, Granny? Did he short-change you?”

Granny shook her head. “The price was 20 copper bits, 21 copper bits if he wanted to be generous… he gave me 21 gold bits.”

Anon frowned. “I’m sorry… I’m afraid that I don’t understand the difference. I believe that I have only ever been paid in copper bits.”

Granny sighed. “Bits come in three types. Copper, Silver, an’ Gold. 1 silver bit is worth 10 copper bits. 1 gold bit is worth 10 silver bits. So… 1 gold bit is worth a 100 copper bits.”

Anon’s face paled. “He paid 21 gold bits… so that’s… what? 2100 copper bits?”

Granny nodded solemnly. “Ah know what he’s doin’. He’s tryin’ ta help the farm by overpaying fir our goods but we Apples are a proud bunch, and we don’t take charity. Heck… ah never liked borrowing money neither… Ah know he’s not as stupid as he reckons everypony thinks he is. As much as we need the money, Ah can’t take this…”

Anon bit her lip. “Well… I have 21 copper bits in my pocket. I could pay the regular price and return the gold bits to Midnight if you’d like.”

Granny squeezed her eyes shut. “He would be very upset if ya did that. He’s as stubborn as ah am. Ah don’t see a solution here…”

Anon snapped her fingers once. “Midnight has an Ale cellar and it’s nearly empty. Just sell us the next 208 jars of moonshine that you make and have Applejack deliver it to Midnight’s estate. That way you can be satisfied that it’s not charity.”

Granny Smith smiled. “That’s perfect. It doesn’t take all that long ta make a batch of Moonshine and ah doubt that the Cider Houses will sell the first 100 jars as fast as ah hope they will until it becomes popular… if it ever becomes popular. Ah reckon ah can make the next batch of 200 jars sooner than ah planned if Big Mac could buck the apples fir me and we can settle up. Thank ya kindly fir the solution.”

Anon smiled at her. “It’s my pleasure. If you like… I could give you a mane cut for free… just come by the spa during business hours on a day that I’m working. Don’t think of it as charity but as a repayment for helping Midnight. I’m trying to guide him down a less lethal path and today was wonderful. I can’t express my gratitude enough.”

Granny patted her mane. “Ah reckon ah’m past due fir a mane cut, and ah would be honored ta help ya feel like the all the checkbooks are balanced. That reminds me… when Applejack brings the moonshine, she wanted Midnight ta try her new pie. Ah’ll make sure she brings it.”

Anon brightened at the idea. “Oh? What kind of pie is it?”

Granny scratched her chin. “Ah think she called it an ‘Apple Cream Pie’. She is sure that Midnight will like it.”

Anon turned as red as an apple. “I… umm. I’m sure he will like it. I won’t tell him though… I suppose it’ll be best to leave the whole thing as a surprise.”

Anon walked towards Midnight and the mare he was sitting with. She caught the tail end of the conversation they were having with Midnight speaking. “…and there is a new Orphanage being built in Ponyville as we speak. I was upset to hear how over-crowded the orphanages are in Canterlot and I wanted to help. I’m not sure how many orphans the town can absorb with the town being so small and there only being so many jobs and the like, but I would feel worse for not trying.”

The mare seemed pleased with his statement. “I haven’t heard much about the orphanage situation in Canterlot. I suppose it’s all hush-hush.”

Midnight nodded gravely. “100% of all of Equestria’s orphanages are paid for by royal taxes from the Princess herself or from the kingdom’s nobles. Nobles earn a tax break by operating orphanages but there aren’t many other incentives. We haven’t had a war or famine or any other real disaster in ages so I’m at a loss on how to explain why there are so many orphans in the first place. It is truly a mystery.”

The mare frowned but seemed to agree with his statement. She asked him plainly. “Are you looking into it?”

Midnight nodded. “Discreetly, yes. If there is something nefarious going on, I will find it, and I will end it. It is what I do best… when my marefriend will let me spill blood.”

The mare looked over at Anon. “You have tamed the evil lord? I’m impressed.”

Anon furrowed her brow. “He’s not evil… he’s…” She paused. “…bound by tradition.” She finished lamely.

The mare nodded. “Yes, he is. So… now that we have finished… what now?”

Midnight frowned. “Anon hasn’t eaten yet. It wouldn’t be right to leave town yet.”

Anon shook her head. “It’s okay, Midnight. I’ll give Granny Smith her empty Apple Cider pitcher back and we can just take the rest of the pie back to the estate. I’ll have a slice of pie and another one of your lovely salads when we get home.”

Midnight nodded and looked at the mare. “Well then. We will return to my estate where you can pay the price for having been caught stealing in my province… in private.”

The mare and Anon both stilled. Anon hedged cautiously. “Midnight? You will be kind, yes?”

Midnight shook his head. “Nope. She will pay for her mistake fully. And if I don’t like her performance… she will regret ever having been born…”

The mare and Anon both gulped in unison as they followed Midnight back to the estate.

----------

Midnight

The conversation with the mare had been a little odd… as if she didn’t mind having been caught stealing. Her reaction to the possible punishment was to be expected but was also at odds with what actually happened as they started the journey to the estate. It didn’t take long to get back to the estate, despite the deliberately slow pace of the trot, which was designed to create a sense of dread. Anon was barely controlling herself despite not being the target. However… the mare, who never gave her name, was faring better than one would think she should be under the circumstances. The pieces of an old puzzle clicked into place, and I found myself smiling at the situation.

I guess that explains the pointed questions she asked in town, completely separate from the light teasing. I should have realized sooner. Hmm… how long has it been? 10 years? She is a little early for our usual meeting… Although… we have never had a witness. I guess that will be different… and fun. Hmm. I really want to have some fun with this… I guess it’s time to pull out the old book of bad puns.

My grin was nearly feral when the estate finally came into view…

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Chapter 11 – The Decennial Meeting

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Chapter 11 – The Decennial Meeting

Midnight

The double doors that made up the entrance to the estate opened with the glow of magic as the trio entered and then the doors slammed shut behind them just as they cleared the doors, causing Anon to both jump and yelp.

“Midnight! Was that necessary?”

I smiled at her. “Of course. I have to create the ambience, my lady.”

They both quietly followed me to a sitting room that Anon had never seen or previously used. It became clear to her that this room was used to entertain guests… rare though that actually was.

The mare also looked around the disused room, her gaze falling on the framed primary feathers and locks of tail hair, complete with name plates. She raised an eyebrow and smiled a knowing smile and decided to start her verbal fencing, halfway knowing I was expecting it.

“You are very bold, my lord, to keep such trophies.”

I didn’t answer her as I simply smiled while opening the moonshine I had just purchased and started to pour servings into shot glasses to serve to the mares.

Anon raised an eyebrow to the mare. “What trophies?”

The mare gestured to the framed items with a hoof.

“A pegasi primary feather is very special. Most pegasi will only give one to a very special pony, usually a lover… to symbolize their bond. Also… Earth Ponies and Unicorn’s will sometimes gift a lock of their tails to symbolize their tail having been taken. Every framed feather and lock of tail is a love conquest of the great Lord Midnight Stalker. For a pony with no friends… I dare say that my lord has had more than his fair share of lovers…”

Anon’s eyes widened as she took in all the frames… there were so many…

I cleared my throat as I magicked over the moonshine. “To be fair… most of those are from my younger years. I found myself quite… ah, needy, after my fiancé abandoned me.”

Anon winced. “I’m not judging you, my love. I just didn’t know.”

The mare raised an eyebrow at Anon, less than pleased by the lack of reaction, and simply shot her moonshine. Plan B, it would seem, was needed.

“I am ready to start my punishment. What would you have me do, My lord?”

Midnight shot his glass as well and answered. “The estate has a number of chores you could do. I suppose I should pick one that is beneath the duties of my dear lady.”

I thought for a moment and smiled. I waited until Anon started to take a drink from her shot glass.

“I know! You can wash my cock.”

Anon spit out her moonshine all over herself. “WHAT! You can’t be serious…”

I smiled at her. “Of course I am. He’s an old, fat, and dirty cock and he needs a good bathing.”

Anon looked both angry and distraught. The mare nodded in fake resignation, playing along.

She sighed loudly. “I suppose you’ll want a lock of my tail too?”

Anon’s eyes widened so much I thought they would pop out of her head.

I continued. “Only if you’re willing. I won’t force you, of course…”

That… was her breaking point as Anon stood up and screamed, glaring at me. “I’m going to beat you to death with your own armor! How dare you threaten such actions on this mare, no matter her crime! You know you’re better than that!”

I smiled at Anon which caused her to frown. She is already willing to defend my ponies. Even from me… that is perfect. Exactly what I was hoping for.

The mare in question also smiled, pleased as well. “She’s rather feisty. So… where is the cock?”

I huffed. “In the chicken coop with the rest of the chickens, of course. What a silly question.”

Anon’s jaw dropped. “Chicken coop?”

I raised an eyebrow at her. “Of course… what do your people call male chickens?”

She face palmed, blushing fiercely. “Some people call them cocks but most people refer to them as Roosters because cock is also used by my people as slang for a stallion’s… shaft.”

I laughed at her. “Oh my… you’re so red… would you like to lie down?”

Anon finally giggled at the situation. “No… I think I’ll help her. The faster I can send her on her way, the happier I’ll be.”

I chuckled at her. “Still trying to keep me to yourself, eh. I don’t suppose I can blame you. Just find me when you’re finished. I think I’ll take a nap while I wait. I’ll see you later, my dear.”

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Anon

I led the mare out of the sitting room towards the backyard. It didn’t take long to reach the chicken coops, pig pens and other farm animal housing. I looked at it with wonder, seeing it for the first time. The mare also seemed to notice this.

“Is it your first time out here?”

I shrugged, a little embarrassed. “For most of the last two weeks, I’ve simply gone to work, taken Midnight into town for a date night out or stayed inside. I was never much of an outdoorsy person, and it never occurred to me where Midnight was getting the eggs and ham for my meals. I suppose a noble would have to maintain a supply of meat and other uncommonly consumed items to entertain non-pony guests. It’s just… I guess he does all these chores himself. He’s never asked for my help with the farm chores.”

The mare nodded as they walked towards the chicken coop. “Tell me more about yourself and how you came to be here.”

I found myself speaking as if compelled to. Her tone was very motherly, and I easily responded to it. “I’m not sure how I got here. I went to sleep in my bed and woke up in a field. I was then kidnapped by griffons and Midnight saved me… and I’ve been staying here with him ever since. I work at the Ponyville Day Spa as a mane dresser, and I have been courting Midnight openly. The ponies in town seem to accept me given my gentle nature and my calming effect on him. I believe that Midnight had intended to introduce me to Princess Celestia during a weekend day court and to the rest of the nobility during the Grand Galloping Gala. We have already ordered a wedding dress for me although I’m not sure if that was for my benefit or for his.”

The mare stopped and looked at me. “Do you doubt his intentions?”

I swallowed, painfully aware at how personal the conversation had gotten. “I believe that he has been hurt so many times that he is afraid to love. I think he wants to love… but he no longer seems to know how to. I’m patient… I’ll guide him until he’s ready.”

The mare nodded in approval. “You seem to be a good fit for him. Keep doing what you’re doing, and things should work out.”

I rubbed my eyes and sighed. I can certainly hope it will but how does she know this?

When I looked at her again, the white coated cyan maned earth pony mare was gone and standing in her place was a taller white coated mare with huge fluffy wings, an extra-long horn, and a flowing multicolored mane and tail. I knew from the paintings in the entrance hallway that this was Princess Celestia. I blanched as I bowed. “Your Highness…”

She cut me off. “None of that. You may call me Tia. Midnight does.”

I swallowed hard… “As you wish… Tia… I confess myself to being a little confused… can you explain what’s going on, please?”

Celestia nodded. “Every so often, I leave the comfort of my palace to see Equestria for myself. I use a magical disguise so I can see the real kingdom. And… I often try to test the nobles in the provinces I travel to, to ensure that they are doing their duties and are both fair and just. Me and Midnight have played this game for a long time. Sometimes I get away with whatever I’m trying to do and sometimes he catches me. The outcome is usually the same though… we usually end up spending the night together. He is one of my only real friends. The only pony I trust to be completely honest with me no matter what is going on. I’m… grateful… that he has finally found somepony to be with. I just wish it didn’t take him so long to find happiness.”

My jaw dropped. “So… Midnight is your lover?”

Celestia cocked her head to the side. “We have made love… but the term lover would imply a long term and consistent relationship. We are more like… friends with benefits. When I need him… he is there for me. When he needs me… I am there for him. He does have one of my primary feathers and a lock of tail framed though… I believe he keeps it in the master bedroom. He is my other half, magically, however. The darkness to my light. I would marry him if I could, but it wouldn’t be right, and we both know it. That being said… I approve of you, and I wish you both all the happiness you can find.”

I blurted out… “You can still sleep with him if you want!”

Celestia’s eyes widened as she cocked an eyebrow. “Oh?”

I swallowed. “I understand that herding is quite common due to the lack of stallions, and you have a prior claim to him. I would never, ever, want to get in the way of your friendship even if that friendship includes the occasional rut. My kind doesn’t often share their mates but it’s not entirely unheard of. If I had to share him with anypony, I think I could accept you the most.”

Celestia smiled. “Your permission means a lot to me. But… we still have a cock to wash.”

I gaped at her. “What? You’re still going to do the chore for having been caught stealing?”

She smiled with a wide grin. “That’s part of the fun of the game. I don’t mind, really. Being a princess is very… tiring. It’s nice that Midnight treats me like a normal pony.”

They finally arrived at the actual chicken coop and went inside. After a brief search, they found what had to be the oldest and fattest Rooster that Anon had ever seen. And unlike a lot of birds that could groom their own feathers… this rooster was actually too fat to groom his own back and, as a result, he was quite dirty.

I was slack jawed at the sight. “That really is an old dirty cock.”

I slapped my hands over my mouth, very embarrassed that the words had left my mouth but to my delight, Tia was laughing so hard that she was practically crying. Through gasps of air, Celestia finally said with mirth.

“Okay… let’s get this over with so we can move on to Midnight.”

I resigned myself to what I had agreed to, but it really was the right thing to do.

Jealousy serves no purpose. I wish I understood this more though. It seems like I’m missing a key piece of information… but what?

----------

Anon

The rooster was washed in a timely fashion and we both went back inside. I followed Celestia to the master bedroom and watched as she walked in without knocking. Midnight was asleep on his bed, uncovered. It was a warm day but was somehow still chilly inside the house. The manor was as drafty as an old castle, but maybe that was the point. It’s not like the ponies had air conditioning. Without any warning or invitation, Celestia crawled into bed with him and laid beside him, covering him with one of her huge wings. Midnight seemed to both groan and sigh when the wing covered him and Celestia nuzzled into him. They were both so causal about it… it’s like they had done this a hundred times. Maybe they had…

I was dumbstruck as I watched them, but like a voyeur, I couldn’t seem to tear my eyes away from the scene. My ears strained as I heard Midnight whispering to her.

“I’m so glad that you’re here, Tia. I feared that we wouldn’t get to enjoy one last night together.”

Celestia whispered back. “Nonsense. Anon has given me permission to be with you so this won’t be our last time. She told me that the two of you are getting married and you have my blessing. I’ll be the best saltine a pony could ask for… you’ll never have to spend a single bit on me.” Celestia kissed him on the cheek, and he sighed.

I watched them both closely and I was stuck by just how old he seemed in this moment. If I didn’t know better… I would think he was just as old as she was.

“That’s not what I mean. The Summer Sun Celebration is in two weeks. And she will return to take her vengeance. You’ve grown soft in the last 1,000 years, Tia. I fear that you can’t defeat her. She was always more martial than you even in your younger days. When you fall… it’ll be up to me to face her… and I don’t think I can bring myself to kill her, no matter her faults… you will need to find some other pony to finish her off when I inevitably fail.”

Anon stiffened in the doorframe and Celestia stiffened in bed. Celestia answered softly. “You don’t have to kill her… just defeat her or subdue her. Is that so hard for you?”

Midnight nuzzled her neck softly. “I was trained in quick strike assassination. I was trained to kill. Nightmare Moon is a darkness with an Alicorn host. I doubt my ability to win in a prolonged battle where I’m forced to withhold my best lethal techniques. I will fail.”

Celestia was forced to consider her options. “The only other pony that stands any chance of victory is my current personal student, Twilight Sparkle. I believe that you are her Godstallion, being a close family friend of Twilight Velvet and Night Light. She is powerful but untested. It is a huge risk. I’m not sure what else to do.”

Midnight nodded. “I will weaken Nightmare Moon for the killing blow, but Twilight will have to finish her off. I can’t do it. I won’t do it. You have two weeks to get Twilight ready for her destiny. You may not believe it… but she is ready.”

Celestia’s voice broke. “Midnight… if you won’t kill, or at least try to stop Nightmare Moon… she will kill you. We both know this.”

Midnight snuggled into Celestia more. “…then in two weeks… I’ll die. I have no regrets.”

Celestia gasped but then closed her eyes and replied softly. “Is there anything I can do?”

Midnight nodded into her neck. “Bear witness to my final request. I, Midnight Stalker, being of sound mind and endangered body, hereby bequeath my titles, lands, wealth, and all my worldly possessions to my Lady Anon. Without any other known heirs… she is worthy to succeed me. I trust her to rule my ponies with a loving grace.”

A huge tear rolled down my face as I took in the enormity of what I just heard. I was even more shocked by Celestia’s reply…

“As you wish, Midnight. I approve of her… It shall be done.”

With that, they both seemed to cuddle closer and fall asleep. I was surprised that they didn’t rut, with or without a witness… not that I wanted to actually watch them do that… I walked away, very confused, and fearful of the future.

Am I fated to lose him so soon?

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Chapter 12 – Secrets Revealed

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Chapter 12 – Secrets Revealed

Anon

The next morning came too fast given that I didn’t get any sleep. Breakfast was ready for me, as always. I sat down and I was picking at my food. I knew the food was fresh, but it tasted stale. It was as if the whole world was a little darker with the knowledge I had gained last night.

Midnight noticed quickly and asked in a gentle tone. “Are you okay this morning, my dear?”

I sighed, knowing that I couldn’t lie to him even if I tried to. “Where is Tia?”

Midnight nodded once, understanding the intent of the question. “She went back to the capital this morning to resume her duties. Her secretary, Raven Inkwell, seemed to know exactly where she would be this morning, so it didn’t take much convincing to get her back to work. Did you have plans for today?”

I paused at the information. I didn’t hear them rut at all last night, not that I was listening for it… no, never… so maybe they both just needed the comfort of a close friend, but it was still difficult for me to accept. I never figured out how I managed to get the weekends off given that the weekends should be the busiest two days of the week at the spa, but it was still a day off for me. We really didn’t get the date we had planned the previous day, but something felt wrong about just trying to continue on as if nothing had happened. I needed to clear my head.

“I think I’m going to take a walk to clear my head.”

Midnight nodded. “I’ll keep you company.”

I sighed again knowing that I couldn’t talk him out of it. I simply left my breakfast where it lay, and I walked out the backdoor with Midnight on my heels. I walked along a lesser used path to a hill that overlooked the entire town. I nestled under a shade tree and was silently pleased when Midnight laid down beside me without my prompting. He was a rock that I needed more than ever. Except that ever wasn’t forever, it seemed…

The breeze was cool for a summer day and the shade helped to break up the heat from the sun, although the heat was also welcome. I sat there looking at the peaceful town for only Celestia knows how long before I got the creeping suspicion that if I wanted answers to my questions, I would have to be bold about asking them.

“You have a lot of secrets, Midnight… When were you going to tell me…?”

The question was nonspecific, but I could feel him wince beside me… he knew exactly what I was asking. Midnight cleared his throat.

“Secrets long kept… are hard to share. There never seemed to be a ‘right time’ to address any of them properly. Those blessed or cursed with a long life will tell you the same.”

I chuckled dryly. “No… I suppose there hasn’t been time. I love you, Midnight, but if you want me to accept your death as something that has to happen and then to rule Ponyville in your stead afterwards… I need to know what is going on and why it has to be this way.”

Midnight nuzzled his head at my waist. “It’s a long story…”

I cut him off sharply. “And I have alllll day. So spill it.”

He sighed but didn’t move… “It all started over 1000 years ago…”

----------

Midnight

I can’t believe I’m going to tell this story. I swore I would never tell it.

“As a young stallion of noble heritage, it was easy for me to bypass the Night Guard and join the Lunar Knights directly. The Old Kingdom wasn’t very peaceful back then and it was easy for me to prove myself in battle. With each battle, I gained prestige… rank… more titles… and finally… the posting as personal bodyguard to Princess Luna. It was a dream come true for me…

As the battles continued, Princess Luna wasn’t content to sit on the sidelines and so we would often court death on the battlefield together… cutting through all of our foes. I held her as she cried for the fallen, the ponies that died following her orders… and she would hold me as I cried for my lost friends. We cried so much that we eventually forgot how to. War and battle forged a bond between us that was unbreakable. We were closer than friends. Closer than lovers. Our bond was indescribable. We were everything the other needed. We simply… were.

I continued to rise through the ranks until there was no higher for me to go. Luna, herself, created the position of Death Lord to promote me and a few other select ponies to, to denote our prowess on the battlefield. Our special lethalness. She designed my weapons and armor personally. It did help me on the battlefield and gave me a reason to continue to stay close to her, despite no longer being her personal bodyguard at that point. It also made other stallions a little jealous. They were… dealt with… on a case-by-case basis.

After a few decades of serving together, we discovered that we were in love with each other. As the wars were settled and peace started to be more common, and lasted longer, we found ourselves with more time to explore our feelings for each other and we were confused by our limited options. Luna didn’t want to upset her sister and I didn’t want to overstep my authority.

After a consultation with Princess Celestia, it was agreed that Luna could marry me and name me a Prince of the Kingdom once I retired from military service. At that point, I had served for 50 years and was pushing 70 years old, everypony agreed that I had earned my retirement, so plans were made. I retired in grand fashion and our wedding was announced shortly afterwards.

The kingdom was abuzz for weeks. The night before the big day… I was so nervous. I knew that she would outlive me, and I knew that losing me would break her heart, but I wanted to give her all of my love. A love that would transcend the ages. A love that would survive me. She gave me a potion that she said might solve both our problems and I drank it with no hesitation because I loved her, and I trusted her. She kissed me good night. And when I awoke, she was gone.”

Anon swallowed. “Your first love… your first fiancé… was Princess Luna? How old are you?”

Midnight sighed. “I’ll be 1070 this autumn. I don’t overly try to hide my lack of aging but for some reason, ponies, except for the few families I have maintained ties with for unbroken centuries, seem to not know how old I am. I partly blame my illusion magic for that… my glamour spells come a little too naturally.”

Anon went numb with the information. She swallowed. “Please, continue.”

Midnight shook his head slowly. “I’m afraid I don’t know much more than what other ponies have told me. Something happened that night while I was under the potion’s effects. I was told by a doctor that worked in the castle, that for all intents and purposes… it looked like I had died in my sleep. Luna, of course, was distraught. My ‘death’ pushed her over the edge and all the feelings of loneliness that my love was holding back in her mind… All the jealously… All the rage… It manifested and she became Nightmare Moon. Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to seal Nightmare Moon into Luna’s moon, and Celestia has ruled alone ever since. I woke up the next morning in what was left of the hospital wing of the castle while the staff was starting to evacuate the castle. I gave that nurse quite a fright when I asked her why I wasn’t in my room.”

Anon smiled weakly. “I suppose that would scare anyone if they thought you came back from the dead. What happened next?”

Midnight continued. “Celestia was informed of my resurrection and with my help, we magically built a new castle in a day. Canterlot Castle on the Canter Mountain. The city of Canterlot that formed around the new castle took much longer to build, of course. I helped relocate the staff and the castles more important supplies, Celestia opting to leave behind more than she really wanted to. I think she couldn’t bear to remove more than absolutely necessary because of the memories they would invoke. She gave me my retirement pension as an annual allowance and allowed me to build my current home where it is now. I’ve trained for centuries in how to defeat Nightmare Moon without killing her, but I’m not sure I can do it. Underneath that black armor is my love… and I don’t believe I could harm her any more than I could harm you.”

Anon was lost in thought. “What about the Elements of Harmony? Can’t they be used to purify her? Or re-imprison her?”

Midnight sighed. “The Elements were tied to both sisters. Celestia only had natural control over three of the six. Bending all of them to her will broke her bond to the elements. If she had more control over all six of them, she could have purified the darkness in Luna 1,000 years ago and this wouldn’t be happening now. The elements lost all of their power and turned into stone. An Alicorn could, probably, wield all six, but it would better to find six ponies, one of each virtue, to wield them and restore harmony. I believe that Celestia has been doing that. Trying to place the pieces and hoping that they come together with a few carefully planned nudges. We want to purify Luna. We don’t really want to send her back to the moon. Not again.”

Anon felt a tear roll down her face. “I see. So… were you afraid to love because you’re hoping to reclaim what you lost? Do you still want to marry her?”

Midnight snorted. “I’m afraid to love because that potion made me ageless. Everything I love… dies eventually. I could marry Celestia but that wouldn’t be right considering I was engaged to Luna first. If we are able to save Luna… she may still be willing to marry me but to be honest… I’m not really her stallion anymore and I haven’t been in quite some time. I was telling the truth when I told you I wanted to marry you, Anon. My heart feels the love I have for you, but I was afraid to say it or share it knowing that I might not survive my battle with Nightmare Moon. I have to be pragmatic if nothing else. But, if I’m willing to play Tartarus’ advocate, despite my love for you, I have very little holding me to this world. Believe it or not, soldiers fight better when they have something to fight for. I just… don’t have much. I care nothing for wealth. My house is ‘quaint’ by the standards of the Canterlot upper crust but it’s more than enough for me. All I have left is my duty… and if Luna can be returned to her proper place, I won’t even have that anymore.”

Anon swallowed her tears and gasped, trying to hold back more tears. “If I can find you a reason to live… will you fight for your life as if you have to right to enjoy it?”

Midnight gasped, shocked at the question. “…Yes. If you can create a miracle of some kind to reenforce my will to live… I will live… for you.”

Anon stood up and Midnight stood up beside her. She looked deeply into his silver eyes and then closed hers, leaned in, and whispered. “I swear on my life… I’ll find a reason.”

With nothing else to say, she wrapped her arms around his neck and started to cry. He held her softly, nuzzling her face and wrapped a set of big beautiful black wings around her. Anon didn’t understand what was happening at first, she just knew that she was warm and deeply loved. When her tears dried, she pulled back, and gasped, jaw practically hitting the ground.

“…Y… You… You’re an Alicorn?”

Midnight smiled sheepishly. “I have been for about 1000 years. Luna’s potion didn’t just make me ageless… it transformed me… I guess I had to ‘die’ to transcend. Even Celestia doesn’t know. I keep my wings hidden under my illusion magic. I suppose I will have to come clean about it someday, in the meantime, it’s our little secret.”

Anon swallowed, suddenly understanding the ramifications of such knowledge. “I know I can keep it… I just hope I don’t have to for long. In the meantime… I’m on a quest to find you a reason to fight. A reason to live.”

Midnight snorted, amused. “Go right ahead… if you need some help, I’ll be in the master bedroom taking a nap.”

Anon giggled. “You take a lot of naps for a pony that doesn’t really need to.”

He shrugged and hid his wings under his illusion magic again. “I suppose that goes back to hiding what I am and keeping up appearances. A pony my age should be sleeping half the day. Besides? What would I do with myself if I stayed awake? Work? Pfft. Boring.”

Anon laughed loudly as they walked back to the house. Midnight went to the bedroom for his nap and Anon headed to the one place she was sure would help her.

She was off to Sweet Apple Acres.

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Chapter 13: A Simple Plan

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Chapter 13 – A Simple Plan

Anon

Sweet Apple Acres was a short walk from Midnight’s estate, given that their lands practically bordered each other’s. Sunday ideally should be a day of rest, but a farm had chores that couldn’t wait… seven days a week. Anon walked briskly onto the farm and found Apple Jack loading the cart with what looked like 208 jars of moonshine.

“Hiya, Apple Jack. Are you delivering Midnight’s moonshine today?”

Apple Jack looked a little startled for a moment before she smiled. “You betcha. We worked all night to make another batch, but it seems like it was worth it. We have no unused apples that we have to throw away and it settles Granny’s debt with Midnight from the market yesterday. Ah wish he would let us make him a couple of beer barrels worth of Hard Apple Cider to settle the loan.”

Anon frowned. “I don’t know how much a beer barrel worth of Cider would sell for but that is something you could discuss with him. He seems more than willing to accept barter for the repayment of debts. Of course… your offer would have to be both reasonable and fair.”

Apple nodded seriously. “Of course… Ah would never offer anything less than something reasonable and fair. So what brings you here so early?”

Anon steeled herself for the most awkward conversation she had ever started. “You should be in estrus now for the summer mating season… I need you to let Midnight get you pregnant.”

Apple Jack’s eyes bulged out of her head. “Whoa, there. Slow down…”

Anon wasn’t moved. “I’m serious… let him impregnate you.”

Apple Jack took a few deep breaths to steady herself. “What is this all about?”

Anon trembled slightly. She didn’t exactly have this conversation planned out in her head. She decided to speak from the heart and be honest about the situation.

“Well… Midnight needs an heir. I fear that I will never be able to produce the heir that he needs. Amongst my people… some mares will act as surrogate mothers, carrying a foal to term in the case that the wife cannot. They are paid handsomely for their time and efforts. I will pay you 5,000 copper bits to let Midnight impregnate you so that me and him can raise the foal together.”

Apple Jack swallowed… That’s nearly a quarter of the loan… can I really afford to say no?

Apple Jack hedged around the offer. “Payment up front or upon delivery?”

Anon smiled timidly. “Upon delivery… a miscarriage wouldn’t count, of course. We need a living heir, naturally.”

Apple Jack needed to make sure of something. “Ya know that a pony carries for about 11 months, right? It’ll be a whole year before you get your foal. And there’s no promises that ah’ll get pregnant with a single rut. Are you sure you’ll be comfortable with me rutting your finance multiple times trying to get pregnant?”

Anon winced but nodded. “Humans don’t always get pregnant in a single rut when we ovulate either. Herding is kinda normal here from what I understand, and I don’t mind sharing him in a limited fashion. I’m okay with waiting 11 months… but Midnight needs to know that he has an heir coming. Something to give him hope… hope that I can’t provide…”

Apple Jack rubbed the back of her head nervously. “That sounds fair… how do I go about it?”

Anon smiled a little brighter. “I’ll do your hair and tail really quick, gussy you up some, and then you can deliver the moonshine and make the offer directly to Midnight. You will carry our child to term so that he and I can have a foal to raise. You’ll be an ‘Aunt’ to the foal, and possibly the Godmare as well, so you’ll still have some interaction with the child that you carried for us. We will keep it friendly, yet professional. I’ll pay you once you give birth. Everypony wins…”

Apple Jack blushed but agreed to the terms. Anon worked on her mane and tail, adding ribbons to her mane, and braiding her tail into a thin, tight strand. Once she was finished, Apple Jack’s tail barely covered her plot. It was like an all-naturelle thong.

Big Mac came trotting up. “Ah thought you’d be long gone heading towards Lord Midnight’s estate. What are you still doing here?”

Apple Jack blushed. “Ah was getting gussied up before Ah went to see him… do you like it?”

She turned around in a circle to show him her mane and tail and then turned back to see his expression.

Big Mac swallowed hard. “Ah’ll be… behind the barn, meditating, if anypony needs me.”

He trotted off without another word to the frown of Apple Jack.

Anon giggled. “Has he ever masturbated to the thought of you before?”

Apple Jack turned as deep a red as Big Mac himself. “If he has… he’s been real quiet-like about it. Though… Ah suppose that if Ah can turn my own brother on… Midnight doesn’t stand a chance against this plot.”

Anon sighed but replied honestly… “That’s exactly what I’m hoping for.”

Apple Jack met her eyes and could see the earnestness there. “Ah can’t promise that Ah can talk him into it, but Ah can promise to try.”

Anon nodded and swallowed. “I suppose that’s the best I could hope for. Just… be yourself.”

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Apple Jack

Apple Jack hitched herself to the cart and nodded. “Ah’ll head over right now. You can stay here or go into town… Ah would suggest not interrupting us at the estate if you want this to happen.”

Anon’s face fell. “Yeah… maybe I’ll go for a massage at the spa. I’ve never used the services although I do get an employee discount…”

Anon headed into Ponyville while Apple Jack headed to the estate. Even with the cart, it didn’t take her long to get there. She unhitched herself from the cart and knocked on the door. Midnight answered the door with a glaze in his eyes that spoke of him just having awoken from a mid-afternoon nap. Apple Jack bit her lip but then smiled warmly.

“Howdy, Lord Midnight. Ah have your order of Apple Pie Moonshine.”

Midnight frowned. “While I do plan to be your farms largest customer of both Hard Cider and moonshine… I don’t recall having already ordered more?”

Apple Jack’s smile tightened a little. “Well, to tell ya the truth, sugarcube, when ya paid for your goods yesterday with 21 gold bits… it became something of a pride issue for Granny. She doesn’t want charity and she knew that you wouldn’t take the bits back… so Anon proposed selling the estate 208 jars of moonshine to balance the books. With the new equipment that we just got, we are set up to make 200 jars of moonshine at a time so there was no issue bucking the apples and making a fresh batch… just for ya. We threw in 8 jars that hasn’t sold yet from the original batch and so… here’s your order.”

Midnight looked her over. He could tell that she had worked all night… “Despite how pretty you are with all those ribbons, I can tell that you are quite exhausted. I’ll use my magic to put away the moonshine, so you don’t have to bear the burden of all this extra work.”

Apple Jack turned to open the cart so Midnight could work his magic and his eyes were glued to her flanks. Her tail… that beautifully braided tail… that covered almost nothing…

Midnight cleared his throat, her heat causing desire to color his voice. “Who braided your tail?”

Apple Jack turned her head towards him, still showing her flank. “Anon braided it this morning before going into town. She’ll be gone all day… so we have time for whatever you want to do after we get all this moonshine put away, sugarcube…”

Midnight swallowed hard. “Your offer is as tempting as it is obvious. I can smell that you’re in heat… why are you doing this to me, Apple Jack?”

She dropped all pretense and was honest with him. “Anon wants me to let ya get me pregnant and has offered to pay me to carry your foal. She wants to give ya an heir that the two of ya can raise together. Ah am willing to be a surrogate mother… just give me your seed and we can go about our business. It doesn’t have to be romantic… and Ah do consent. You can be as gentle or as rough as you want to be, sugarcube. Let’s just get this done…”

Midnight took a step back, unsure about what he had heard.

Pure… unfiltered honesty. Almost as if she could be the ‘Element of Honesty?’ Perhaps…

He took a hard line with her. “You’re willing to let me get you pregnant… for money? What would Granny say?

Apple Jack sighed. “Ah’m a grown mare and Ah don’t need Granny’s consent. The farm is still in bad shape no matter how badly Ah’d like to say otherwise. We had a lot of expenses to cover to put everything into place to do what you wanted us to do. It’s not like we’ve always had the ability to make 200 jars of moonshine in a day. Your bank isn’t the only creditor we owe. A lot of our older creditors were willing to invest more into the farm, since this was your idea, and they are being patient since we are starting to make a profit, but patience comes to an end sooner or later. Anon’s offer was too good to pass up… Ah don’t have a stallion of my own and Ah’m not sure Ah’ll ever have one. It would be nice to have a foal… even if Ah give it to you and Anon. She made a lot of promises that warmed my heart and endeared me to the process. This is best for everypony… just… take me… right here… please, sugarcube…”

It was hard for her to flag with her tail braided. Her tail seemed heavier somehow… but she did display her plot for Midnight in a way that was more personal and more sincere than the scene he had walked up on when Apple Jack had been arguing about the plow with Big Mac.

Midnight closed his eyes but spoke softly. “Is this really what you want, Apple Jack?”

Apple Jack was shaking in nervous anticipation. “More than anything…”

With a glow of his horn, all of the moonshine disappeared, most likely into his storage cellar. He walked up behind her. His presence seemed to fill the air even though she wasn’t looking at him. He seemed to just… wait. Her tail was in position, out of the way, and he seemed to be inching closer… but at a snail’s pace.

Apple Jack was panting. “What are ya waiting for? Buck me like a tree!”

Midnight lowered his muzzle to sniff the aroma wafting off her plot. “Shush. Enjoy the moment. Life is too short to rush the truly important moments… moments like these that can turn into the fondest of memories.”

Apple Jack sighed and tried to relax but the waiting was killing her.

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Midnight

I took in her aroma. There was desire there, but it was twinged with fear or uncertainty. She kinda wanted it to happen but she wasn’t fully committed, and I knew it. I sighed. I did want an heir. A true heir that was truly mine. My heart danced with the knowledge that Anon had managed to hit the nail on the head so perfectly, yet this was a flawed process. Apple Jack owed me money so her participation felt a little forced, despite her claim that this was consensual. I knew it would break her heart a little to be turned down, but I couldn’t do this under these conditions. I opened my mouth to speak when I was cut off by a distant scream.

Me and Apple Jack focused on the scream, and we exclaimed together… “Apple Bloom!”

We both took off towards the scream. Apple Jack could have been faster than me with her Earth Pony stamina fueled by fear, but my longer legs allowed me a long stride that let me keep pace.

It wasn’t long before we were past the orchards and in the Everfree Forest. I grimaced as my armor clicked itself into place onto my frame with magic, pulled out of my magical storage portal. I readied my weapons, but I wasn’t sure what I would be facing so I couldn’t fully prepare.

I’ve been spending so much time with Anon that I forgot to cull the forest. Buck me on a stick.

I yelled towards Apple Jack. “What the buck is she doing in here!”

Apple Jack shook her head while continuing to run. “No idea! But if she survives this, I’m going to kill her!”

We rounded a corner and we saw Apple Bloom pinned to the ground by a Timberwolf. It looked like it was just about to go for the kill… A bolt of magic leaped from my horn as I exploded a tree right behind the Timberwolf. The Timberwolf jumped back, caught off guard, releasing Apple Bloom out from under its paw.

I yelled at Apple Jack. “Get her out of here! I’ll distract it!”

The Timberwolf was definitely an Alpha. It may as well have been the biggest Timberwolf Apple Jack has ever seen. She grabbed Apple Bloom and threw her on her back, running as fast as her legs could carry her. The Timberwolf was focused solely on the only threat, me. I ran towards it so it wouldn’t chase it’s fleeing prey. Its mouth came down and I jumped up. With one giant gulp, it swallowed me whole…

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Apple Jack

Apple Jack had looked back just in time to see Midnight get swallowed. A gasp escaped her as a tear rolled down her face.

What am I supposed to tell Anon?

The Timberwolf wasn’t chasing them, and it seemed to be struggling with what it had just swallowed, so Apple Jack stopped and turned to look. Out of nowhere, the Timberwolf exploded from the inside out. Flaming timber flew everywhere as Midnight seemed to walk out of the remains of the permanently destroyed Timberwolf, a little shaken but apparently unhurt. Apple Jack put Apple Bloom down and ran back to Midnight.

“Are you okay, sugarcube?”

Midnight nodded. “Just a few bumps and bruises. I need a bath and some moonshine… and maybe another nap. I’m too old for this dragon shit.”

Apple Jack seemed to digest that statement. “Do you need help washing up, sugarcube?”

Midnight met her eyes and could still see a trace of lingering hope. He sighed. “I’m not really in the mood for anything after being swallowed whole by an Alpha Timberwolf. How about we talk about ways to pay off your debt without getting you pregnant?”

Apple Jack rubbed the back of her head. “That sounds okay. What did you have in mind?”

Midnight shrugged. “I was never expecting to have over 200 jars of moonshine but it’s just taking up the space that would normally go for wines and other hard liquors. The beer and ale portion of the cellar can hold up to ten beer barrels worth of Hard Cider and I only have one barrel right now. How fast could you make me nine beer barrels worth of cider and how much will it cost?”

She considered it. “Well… since ya would be taking the barrel itself, Ah’d have to charge ya for the cost of making the barrel. Ah suppose going forward, if ya bring an empty barrel back to be refilled it’ll be cheaper… but the first nine are going to cost you 1500 copper bits each.”

Midnight nodded. “And how much profit does that give you?”

Apple Jack furrowed her brows. “About 500 bits per barrel. We get the apples for free, from our own trees, but the other ingredients cost a pretty copper. And the barrels themselves aren’t cheap to make. Nine barrels will give us a solid 4500 in profit, but it’ll take about two weeks for us to make it if we still want to have time to make moonshine and cider for Granny’s other customers plus the other normal chores.”

Midnight smiled. “Does that cover what your losing from the other deal falling through?”

Apple Jack winced. “Almost… Anon offered 5,000 copper bits to carry a foal to term… plus the chance to be the foal’s Godmare and an unofficial Aunt so Ah could still be a part of the foal’s life. It’s a good deal for me… a good chuck of bits that Ah could throw back at the loan plus all the joys of being a mother without the responsibility. She’ll be disappointed that this didn’t happen.”

Midnight frowned but nodded. “I guess we’ll have to talk about it more, later. You should get Apple Bloom home. She probably needs a bath and a nap after the scare she took.”

Apple Jack sighed in agreement. “Your right, of course. Ah’ll see you later, sugarcube.”

Midnight bowed his head. “Of course, Apple Jack. Take care of yourself.”

With that, he headed home, leaving Apple Jack feeling happy that she made a deal for the cider even if she was sad about everything else. But… she did still have chores to do… chores that wasn’t going to do themselves.

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Chapter 14 – Back to Square One

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Chapter 14 – Back to Square One

Anon

Anon went to the Ponyville Day Spa for a hoof massage. She wasn’t sure what to expect but it turned out to be an experience that was better than she had hoped for and yet… it hadn’t really passed the time all that well. She had no other errands to do in town and she knew she couldn’t return to the estate, so she went back to Sweet Apple Acres.

Maybe I can help Big Mac put the bucked apples in the barrels. Anything to pass the time. I need to wait until Apple Jack returns to the farm before I go home.

She smiled to herself at that last thought. She was so happy to think of the estate as home, yet it still made her sad. She still felt out of place here even though Midnight was doing all he could for her. At least Celestia had accepted her.

As she entered the farm, she could sense something was wrong, made worse by the soft sounds of crying. She followed the sounds to behind the house where Apple Jack was washing a young filly outside with a water hose and was apparently pulling large thorns out of the filly’s flank.

Anon gasped at the sight. “Oh my goodness! Your hurt! Let me help.”

Anon rushed to Apple Jack’s side and immediately started helping remove the thorns and apply bandages, her fingers able to do the job better than teeth or hooves. The filly seemed very grateful once the last thorn was pulled.

“Thank ya so much for helpin, Miss Anon. My sister has told me a lot about ya and I’m glad to finally meet ya. My name is Apple Bloom.” The little filly smiled at her warmly.

Anon was still concerned. “How did you get all those thorns in you? Some of them were big and deep…”

Apple Bloom winced. “Ah was exploring the edges of the Everfree forest. Some of the rare plants in there can fetch quite a few copper bits if ya know who ta sell them to. Ah wanted ta buy a few things for myself, but Ah couldn’t ask my sister for the money. Ah guess Ah got careless, and Ah was attacked by a Timberwolf. Am’m very lucky that Apple Jack and Lord Midnight heard me scream for help. Ah… almost didn’t make it…”

Anon winced. She knew the Apples were in debt to Midnight, but she didn’t realize just how poor the family actually was. She quickly recovered and smiled at the filly.

“I’m so glad you’re not hurt badly. Here. Take this and buy whatever you want.”

Anon handed Apple Bloom a bit and she blanched. “Ah… Ah can’t take a gold bit. It’s too much…”

Anon stood firm. “I insist. Buy whatever you want. If you still think it’s too much… then you can help Midnight with some of the Estate’s farm chores when you’re feeling better.”

Apple Bloom nodded seriously. “It would be an honor ta help out on the estate. Maybe it’ll keep me out of trouble…”

Apple Jack cleared her throat. “Don’t make promises that ya can’t keep, sugarcube.” She cleared her throat a second time, more forcefully, and continued. “Now that you’re clean and bandaged… eat up and go ta bed. Rest will help you heal. With any luck, there won’t be a scar.”

Apple Bloom nuzzled her sister before going inside. Apple Jack sighed deeply after the door shut. She turned to Anon with a little shame.

“Lord Midnight saved my sister today and Ah can’t be more grateful. Ah’m sorry… Ah wasn’t able to seduce him… Ah think he was close… but then we heard the screams…”

Anon winced but then leaned down and hugged Apple Jack. “Your family is clearly more important than what I wanted to happen. I’m so glad she is okay…”

Apple Jack wrapped a foreleg around Anon, returning the hug. “Ah’m grateful that you’re not mad. Maybe there will be another chance in the future.”

Anon wiped tears from her eyes. “I hope so too. I’m just sorry that the deal fell through. What are you going to do now?”

Apple Jack smiled a bittersweet smile. “Ah secured a sale of nine barrels of Hard Apple Cider Ale to the Estate. It don’t pay as much as your offer, and it will be a lot more work ta pull off without other things falling through, but it’s better than nothin’.”

Anon nodded. “Better than nothing, indeed. Was Midnight hurt?”

Apple Jack shook her head. “Ah don’t know, sugarcube, If he was, he hid it well. But… he was swallowed whole by an Alpha Timberwolf and then used magic ta blow it apart from the inside out. Midnight is amazing, but Ah wouldn’t be shocked if he was able to hide some injuries. Maybe ya should go check up on him. He turned down my offer ta help him clean up.”

The blood drained from Anon’s face as she considered and then pictured what Apple Jack just said.

She asked in a deliberately slow tone. “Did you say… that he was… swallowed whole, by a Timberwolf? How the fuck big are they?”

Apple Jack winced. “Err… yes… Alpha Timberwolves can get as big as ma house. Ah suppose it’s still shocking ta hear about anypony getting swallowed whole though…”

Anon was close to losing it but she held on to her last nerves. “On my world, the only things big enough to swallow a pony or a person whole, are things that live in the oceans. It’s hard to imagine any land-dwelling creature being that big.”

Apple Jack rubbed her hooves on her face. “Yeah… most of Equestria’s most dangerous monsters live in the Everfree Forest. At times… Ah don’t know if Princess Celestia gave my family this land because she wanted us to tame the forest or if it was because this land needed ta get used and no one else was crazy enough to actually buy land that close ta the forest. Ah lost both of my parents ta monsters in that Tartarus damned forest. Ah would move the farm completely if it was possible. But… branches of my family have farms all over Equestria… if Ah abandon or lose this farm, there isn’t anywhere else for me to go.”

Anon could feel sorry for Apple Jack’s situation but she was more worried than ever about Midnight. She knew that he was a capable pony… but there was difference between planning and preparing for a battle and having to randomly jump into a dangerous situation.

Anon cleared her throat. “Well, I’m going to go check up on Midnight. I hope that you and Apple Bloom have a good night.”

Apple Jack gave her a friendly nod as she turned for the door and Anon walked calmly towards Midnight’s estate but once she was out of sight of the farm, she ran for all she was worth. As the front door came into view, Anon’s breath hitched. The front door was left open, slightly ajar, as if the pony who had entered didn’t have the strength to close it behind him.

Anon entered the home and closed the door; her ears caught on the soft squishing noise of having stepped in a puddle of something. She looked down at the floor and gasped.

She was standing in a puddle of blood.

“MIDNIGHT!!!”

Anon franticly searched the house for him, seemingly coming to the bathhouse last. She walked into the bathhouse and froze. The water of the bathing pool was blood red and Midnight was floating on the surface of the pool, unmoving and looking very dead.

“MIDNIGHT!!!”

He seemed to stir from a nap or mediation. “Ah… Anon. Thank Celestia you are here. I can’t seem to get this last thorn out of my wing. I can’t heal myself until it’s gone.”

She jumped into the water still wearing her clothes. He presented his injured wing to her and showed her the thorn. The thorn was as big as her fist and was wedged in a bad spot.

“Jesus, Midnight. How did you get a thorn this big in your wing?”

He laughed without mirth. “Funny story, really. I was swallowed whole today! Nopony knows it… but Timberwolf’s have thorns in their throats that shred their prey as they swallow them. I was wearing my armor, but it didn’t matter… the armor doesn’t cover my wings. Alicorn or not, I’m lucky to be alive.”

Anon cringed at the truth she heard while trying to figure out how to help him. “I’m going to have to push it through. It’s going to hurt…”

Midnight’s horn lit briefly. “Do it.”

Anon pushed on the thorn and nothing happened. She tried again with no luck. Left with no choice, Anon clasped her hands together and swung a double-fisted punch, hitting the thorn with all her might. To her horrified delight, and with a loud pop, the thorn pushed through and popped out the other side. Free of the thorn, but not the pain, Midnight’s wings flared.

“Harder Mommy!”

Anon slapped Midnight in the face without thinking about it. She was momentary shocked at her own actions until he smiled at her with a shit eating grin. Her index finger automatically pointed at him in disapproval while her eyes narrowed, still breathing hard from her efforts to help him.

“You… How dare you make light of such serious injuries?”

He shrugged as he folded his wings back into place. “Given the things you’ve said in bed, it seemed the like the absolute worst thing I could say given the situation, so I went for it.”

Anon’s face turned as red as the blood she was standing in, but her eyes also narrowed. “I know you like your pranks. How much of all this is real and how much of it is an illusion?”

Midnight winced. “Unfortunately… most of these injuries are quite real. The thorn in my wing certainly was. I… might… have exaggerated some of the blood around the house with illusion magic and this bathing pool is an illusional masterpiece. I don’t think I have this much blood in my body to give to such an effect… that being said… I don’t trust myself to drop my illusions completely and show anypony the real me. I’ve been hiding in plain sight for 1,000 years.”

Anon found herself with nothing to say, a little less than content with the explanation. Without any further delay, Midnight cast a spell that seemed to heal all his injuries and then a second spell that cleaned up all the blood. A third spell placed both of them in his master bedroom.

Midnight groaned as he climbed back into bed. “I think I’ll be asleep for the next couple of days. I need to fully recover. Please take care of yourself while I’m indisposed.”

Anon nodded. “I promise I will. Please rest well, my love.”

Midnight’s eyes closed and didn’t reopen. Anon instinctively knew he was in some kind of magical sleep healing trance. She also knew not to try to wake him.

She left the room and muttered to herself. “Back to square one… now what do I do?”

She went back to the living room and considered everything that had happened and everything that she knew. After some thought, she wrote a letter to Princess Celestia, asking for a favor. She went back into town to mail the letter at the Ponyville Post Office and then went to Carousel Boutique to talk to Rarity.

Rarity beamed at Anon when she saw her. “Oh Darling! The gems came in. You must see them.”

Anon was pulled over the chest of gems that held the stones Rarity was planning to use for Anon’s wedding dress. Anon was shocked at the quality of the stones.

“Is it really okay to use these stones for my dress?”

Rarity scoffed. “Of course!!! You paid for them, after all. By the way, I have all the clothing you ordered finished except for the wedding dress. It’s all really for pick up. When can Midnight come by to teleport it to your estate?”

Anon winced. “Midnight was hurt fighting a Timberwolf. It’s going to be a few days before he can leave the house again. I’m surprised you finished the dresses so quickly… it was a large order. I trust that you’ll have no problem holding them for me until he can swing by?”

Rarity’s eyes got big. “Of course darling. I have a modest sized storage room for finished orders and to my displeasure… I don’t have a lot of orders to work on for the moment. Did you have anything else for me, darling?”

Anon nodded. “Midnight is worried about an upcoming event that he’s not sure he can face without some support. I was hoping to get the wedding dress done as quickly as possible so I could provide him with the support he needs.”

Rarity smiled. “Darling… you are already his fiancée… what more support could he need?”

Anon was as still as a stone and as serious as anypony Rarity had ever seen. “He needs the support of a spouse. Of somepony that will never leave him. It may not seem to make much a difference to a pony that has never been engaged or married… but trust me… it makes a world of difference. He needs this as much as I need this. I need to make some last-minute changes to the dress… Is that going to be possible?”

Rarity smiled. “I haven’t started on it yet so no materials have been used… what would you like to change?”

Anon went over more fabric choices and changed a few key elements of the dress that really shifted the look in an unexpected way. It was almost exactly opposite of what Midnight had originally asked for. Anon looked at Rarity once the changes were finalized.

“Please tell me you can finish my wedding dress in less than 2 weeks?”

Rarity was moved by her words and nodded. “The dress will be done in under a week. I promise.”

Anon sighed, her features sagging in exhaustion. “That is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you so much for your hard work.”

As Anon turned to leave, Rarity moved to stop her. “Perhaps you’d like to have some tea with me? You look like you could use a friend…”

Anon nodded and burst into tears. She hugged Rarity hard and cried into her shoulder. Rarity was caught off guard by such a turn of events, but she held Anon close and made calming sounds and tried to comfort her. Rarity tried to make a joke to lighten the mood.

“Oh my, darling. I’ve never seen anypony burst into tears over an offer for tea.”

Anon laughed and dried her tears. “I don’t have a lot of friends and your offer moved me in an unexpected way. I’m not sure I knew how much I needed this, myself.”

Rarity smiled warmly. “Of course, darling. I’ll always be here for you. Shall we move to the kitchen and enjoy some tea?”

Anon nodded and smiled at the mare. “Lead the way…”

With that, they enjoyed some late afternoon tea. It helped Anon a great deal but still left her worried about the future.

How do I help Midnight?

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Chapter 15 – Preparations for the Main Event

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Chapter 15 – Preparations for the Main Event

Anon

Four days… four long days…

She had watched over Midnight like a death vigil… and still… he slept, unmoving. She kept the room spotless and filled with fresh flowers, not that it seemed to help. She would have tried to change the sheets, but she was terrified of trying to move him, lest she make something worse.

The whole town had heard from Apple Jack about how Midnight had saved Apple Bloom and of his on-going condition. The Spa was more than understanding about her being unable to work while she took care of Midnight. She had cried herself to sleep every night since the battle with the Timberwolf and she just wanted him to wake up. She took care of herself, as she had promised him, but she just wasn’t doing well.

A few ponies had come by the estate to pay their respects and Anon allowed them to view Midnight sleeping, but steadfastly prevented them from doing anything that would wake him. His condition stunned them, and they left unsettled.

On the 5^th morning, things seemed no different. A gentle knock on the front door roused Anon from the daze of trying to clean. She opened the door to find a white coated pony with a blue mane wearing the golden armor of the Royal Guard. She looked and saw his rank on the shoulder cuffs and recognized it from the military rank chart that Midnight had hanging in the library.

She cleared her throat. “Can I help you, Captain?”

He seemed uncertain. “Um. Who are you?”

Anon smiled timidly. “My name is Anon. I am Lord Midnight’s marefriend. And you are?”

He smiled, a little sheepish. “My name is Shining Armor. I am the Captain of the Royal Guard in Canterlot, and I was sent to review the security preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration being held in Ponyville this year. It’s nice to be able to work with a pony I know for a change. Uncle Midnight is a close friend of my mother and was both mine and my younger sister’s godstallion growing up. He’s been like a second father to both of us. I haven’t seen him in quite some time and I’m looking forward to catching up with him. Is he home?”

A tear rolled down Anon’s face as she pulled Shining Armor into a hug. He seemed surprised but didn’t break the hug, although he also didn’t return it. He steeled himself for bad news and waited patiently for her to speak. He didn’t have to wait long.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. He was injured fighting an Alpha Timberwolf. He’s been in a coma for the last 5 days… I’ll take you to see him, but you can’t try to wake him. He’s under some kind of sleep healing trance.”

The look on Shining’s face was hard to describe. “That… doesn’t sound possible. He is the best warrior in Equestria… maybe the best warrior alive in any nation… He hunts Timberwolves for fun. How could he have been injured?”

Anon shuddered. “He… saved a filly that had wondered into the Everfree. He fought an Alpha Timberwolf and was forced to use himself as bait. This wasn’t one of his regular hunts. When forced to fight when you’re not ready… or when there are civilians nearby… mistakes can be made.”

Shining’s mouth hung open. “Uncle Midnight always said to be prepared at all times. I can’t believe that he wasn’t…”

Anon tried to suppress a sob. “I’ve afraid that he’s been quite distracted by me and my actions. It’s probably my fault that he was caught unprepared.”

Shining didn’t know what to say so he asked the only question that he could. “May I see him now?”

Anon nodded, still teary. “Of course, right this way.”

She led him to the master bedroom and opened the door. Midnight was now standing in the middle of the room, looking like he had recently showered and smiled warmly at Anon and Shining Armor.

“Good morning, my dear. It’s nice to see you Shining…”

Midnight didn’t get a chance to finish as Anon slammed into him sobbing. After recovering the air in his lungs, Midnight wrapped his forelegs around her.

“It’s okay love… I’m fine now. You did good. The flowers were delicious.”

Anon laughed while crying, looking around the room and now noticing that all the fresh flowers in the room had been eaten. “Are you really okay?”

Midnight smiled at her. “Of course, that particular healing spell can be disturbing for those not used to seeing it. I wish that I had more time to explain what was going to happen. I am sorry that I worried you so…”

Her hug cut off any attempt to keep speaking. “I love you and I trust you. I really wished you would have said it could take 5 days or longer to wake up! I was really worried.”

Midnight chuckled. “And that’s why I have lovers and not marefriends. Most mares can’t stand my dangerous lifestyle and even the ones that do accept it… can’t get past watching me recover from my injuries when I do make a mistake. I swear I’m not normally this badly injured, but it does happen, which is why I sleep so much otherwise. I’m always recovering from something.”

She held hm tighter. “I’ll never leave you…”

Midnight tightened his grip on her. “I know…”

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Midnight

After Anon finally let me go, I was able to address Shining Armor. “So… you’re here for the Celebration preparations?”

Shining Armor nodded. “Yes, Uncle. I need to test your security.”

I smiled. “There is none to test. I am it.”

Shining Armor’s jaw dropped open. “What exactly do you mean, Uncle?”

I shrugged. “I have no Royal Guards in Ponyville. While I do have a few servants that watch out for dangerous things on my behalf, I tend to handle everything personally. I am the security of Ponyville, as such, you will have to test me.”

Shining Armor grinned. “Very well then, I challenge you to a duel!”

My horn flashed black, and we were all teleported outside, to nearby the estate but not close enough to damage it. Shining Armor squared off with me, very eager to start the fight. Anon, however, seemed very upset.

“You just recovered! Now is not the time for another fight!”

I chuckled. “We don’t get to choose our battles… we must fight them as they appear.”

Anon was tearing up when Shining flashed her a smile. “It’ll be okay. He’ll pound me into the dirt in no time.”

Anon gasped. “Why challenge him at all if you know you’re going to lose?”

Shining Armor shrugged, unconcerned. “Because… I want to know if I’ve gotten any better. Midnight Stalker is the ultimate litmus test.”

Without warning, Midnight blasted a dark magic beam at Shining Armor and Shining blocked it with a magic shield. Shining pulled two swords from his armor and used magic to launch them at Midnight. Midnight blocked the swords with swords of his own, pulled from a magical storage portal.

Shining then tried to blast Midnight with a magic beam of his own, only to be surprised that Midnight dodged it instead of blocking with a shield, and immediately returning fire.

“Air Lance!”

The magical spear was normally used to shoot down aerial targets but could do massive damage on the ground as well. Shining Armor couldn’t drop the steady beam quickly enough to raise a shield and was forced to dodge, only partially successful, as debris from the ground exploding hit his armor. Shining quickly recovered his feet and put up a shield just in time to hear Midnight yell.

“Arrow Volley!”

Shining Armor gulped as 200 little kinetic magic arrows formed, targeted him, and then launched. Basically just a smaller version of an Air Lance, the arrows required less magic each but more magic overall to summon a full volley. The little arrows pelted his shield in a seemingly unyielding fashion, until the last one pierced the shield and hit him in the flank.

“Yow! Those arrows hurt… Why is it always my flank?”

I snorted. “So Cadence can kiss it better for you.”

Shining Armor’s face went completely red, and he closed the distance. “You know about Cadence?”

Midnight smiled at Shining. “I’ve met her. She is Celestia’s niece, after all. She used to be Twilight’s foal sitter until Twilight started attending Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns… and even then, she foalsat Twilight a few times afterwards when Celestia was busy. She is a fine mare… very pretty… although… not my type.”

Shining sounded offended. “Oh? And what makes her not your type? She’s perfect!”

I shrugged. “Well… most mares are no longer my type after I’ve had them once. She was delicious… but, once again, not my type…”

Shining Armor’s face went pale and then red. My tone shifted, almost as an afterthought.

“Oh my… you weren’t expecting her to be a virgin for you, were you? That’s cute… she could have any lover she wants. You should feel proud that she chose you.”

With a scream of rage, Shining Armor renewed his attack. Sword strikes, short magic beams, and fancy hoofwork as he was now literally trying to kill Midnight.

Midnight smiled as he blocked the sword strikes, placed short shields timed perfectly with Shining’s beams and used even better hoofwork to avoid the enraged stallion. After a few hectic minutes, Shining was tiring but also showed no sign of stopping. A quick parry gave Midnight the opening he was waiting for.

“Arrow Storm!”

Shining panicked as 1,000 arrows formed above him. He had heard of the spell but had never seen it used, given the amount of magic required to cast it. He huddled in on himself and wrapped his shield tightly around him, wasting no energy. Only 250 arrows hit him while the others seemed to miss on purpose. One arrow still managed to pierce the shield, hitting Shining’s other flank.

I nodded, like an artist assessing his work. “There. Now Candance can kiss both flanks.”

Shining moaned. “I give up. I can’t beat you.”

I smiled at him. “You did well. Better than I was hoping for. Keep up the good work, Captain.”

Shining Armor picked himself up and dusted himself off. “Thank you, Death Lord. It was a good fight, but you proved that I need to do better at resisting enemy taunts. So obvious a thing for you to say and I still fell for it. I shall try harder.”

I nodded at him. “Walk around Ponyville and unwind. Talk to some of the ponies. Maybe get a hoof massage at the Ponyville Spa. And then go back to Canterlot and tell Celestia that we are ready.”

Shining Armor nodded and left. I sat down on my rump and enjoyed the warm sun on my back.

Anon sat down beside me and hugged me. “That wasn’t very nice… taunting him about having slept with his marefriend.”

I snorted. “I’ve said worse to nicer ponies. And I’ve done worse to nicer ponies. And she wasn’t his marefriend at the time…”

Anon stiffened. “You didn’t… for real? Another Princess?”

I winked at her. “Three for Three.”

She rubbed her face. “That’s really not that funny, Midnight.”

I shrugged again. “Well… it’s true and I won’t lie about it. She was a very playful filly… and when she got her cutie mark… she was very confused. I helped her to understand her purpose as best I could. At least, she never expressed regret for what we shared. I do have a primary feather from her framed. I believe she still values me as ‘Uncle Midnight’, despite being her first lover.”

Anon gulped. “Does Tia know?”

I frowned. “Probably… she knows nearly everything of importance. But she never confronted me about it so she either doesn’t know or doesn’t care.”

Anon shuddered. “I don’t think I want to know what would happen she started to care.”

I shrugged. “That’s a problem for another time. How about we take a bath together? The fight made me sweaty.”

Anon smiled. “Sure… lead the way.”

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Shining Armor

The mission complete, I went back to Canterlot. There was no point in staying in Ponyville despite Uncle Midnight’s suggestion. Walking straight to the throne room, I was pleased that Cadence was with Princess Celestia. I bowed politely.

“Your Highness… I have returned.”

Princess Celestia gave me a warm smile. “Ah. Captain Armor. What news of Ponyville?”

I bowed low. “Midnight Stalker is ready for you. Ponyville will be ready in time.”

Celestia nodded. “Very good, Captain Armor. Are you okay? Your flanks seem swollen.”

I blushed. “I dueled Uncle Midnight. He put two magic arrows in me. He is as fierce now as he was when he trained me while I was training for the guard. I’ll be fine with some rest.”

Cadence hopped off the dais. “Oh Shining… I’ll take care of you…”

I blushed as Cadence nuzzled me in front of her Aunt. Celestia giggled lightly. “I wasn’t aware that the two of you were so close. I suppose I’ll have to grant you your leave. Take extra good care of him Cadence… I need my Captain back for his duties.”

Cadence led me from the Throne Room. I cleared my throat. “I’m not sure I like the Princess knowing how close we are so early in our relationship. It may give her false impressions… especially if I don’t live up to your… expectations…”

Cadence snorted in a very un-princess like way. “What expectations? I love you for who you are.”

I rubbed the back of my neck with a hoof. “Well… Uncle Midnight might have mentioned that you weren’t his type. And when I confronted him about how perfect you are… he commented that nearly no mare is his type after he’s had them once. The anger that instilled got me closer to beating him, but I still lost. After the duel ended… I simply stated that I shouldn’t have fallen for the taunt, but I’ll admit that I’m curious as to if he was telling the truth…”

Cadence pulled me into an empty sitting room. She sat down and motioned for me to do the same. I sat and waited. She summoned some staff to bring us some tea, as she expected this to be a long conversation. I waited with a sense of dread for everything to happen and for her to start. With tea in hoof, she finally sighed and started her story.

“I got my cutie mark at what most ponies would call a normal age, but it seemed so unusual that ‘Love’ was my special talent. It’s not like I was dating or had a coltfriend at the time. The ability was a little unstable at first, but I could detect love and help mend broken relationships. I found that I had no influence on regular friendships… it had to be feelings that went deeper. It was trial and error for about 7 years… given that Aunt Celestia isn’t exactly the best pony to ask for dating advice. The closest thing she comes to relationships is approving or denying arranged marriages among the nobles when it’s a situation that requires her approval. Even then…she’s not exactly good at it. As a result… I was so confused about my purpose.

Shortly after I turned 18, I bumped into Uncle Midnight while he was in Canterlot visiting Aunt Celestia and it hit me just how deeply he loved and just how deeply he hurt from love. I wanted to explore that more. I asked him to take me out and show me love. The love of a stallion that loved so completely. I think I surprised myself by asking him out. I’m still not sure what come over me, but it felt right. I needed it. I needed to know.

Midnight was shocked at my bold request, but he didn’t say no… he took me out on the town to the most romantic candle lit dinner I had ever had. He took me to the park and pushed me on the swings even though I was too old for it, enjoying a softer, quieter and an unexpectedly romantic moment. We walked all night, talking about everything, looking at the moon and finally watching the sunrise together. When he finally took me back to the castle, he tucked me into bed, and I begged him to stay with me. I didn’t want to be alone after all that… and he stayed.

He went to sleep beside me and held me close. When we woke up later that afternoon, I made love to him. I started it… he just didn’t stop me. It was the best experience of my life up to that point and he made sure I got everything I could out of it. He was gentle… so gentle. So… passionate. He took his time… I never knew a stallion could last so long if he set his mind to it. When we finished… he asked me if I found what I was looking for. As my first lover… he had shown me a whole new world, but I also knew the question went deeper. I told him that I wasn’t sure, and he smiled warmly and said that was the correct answer. He said that he would always be available to help me with love problems and he’s never turned me down when I needed more help. He was my first lover, but he doesn’t love me. And now… I finally know what he meant.”

I was surprised by her honesty and asked earnestly. “And what did he mean?”

Cadence looked directly at me. “There is a huge difference between having sex and making love. A huge difference between infatuation and love. A huge difference between lust and love. I respect Midnight… but I could never marry him, in much the same way that he could never marry me. However… I do love you, Shining. And I know that you love me. Please don’t hate me for not being a virgin…”

My jaw dropped… “I could never hate you… I love you…”

Cadence’s smile warmed my heart. “Good… now let me kiss those flanks better…”

----------

Chapter 16 - Blood Magic

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Chapter 16 – Blood Magic

Anon

To my displeasure, Midnight returned to culling the forest almost immediately after finishing his bath after his duel with Shining Armor. He wouldn’t take no for an answer despite me wanting to spend some quality time with him. Left with little choice, I took the opportunity to return to work at the spa. Between arriving late today and having not worked for the last 4 days, there was a back log of ponies waiting to get seen for a mane cut or styling.

A bubbly pink mare was part of the group waiting to be seen. I smiled at the assembled ponies.

“Okay everypony, I’m back and I’m ready to work. So who’s first?”

There was an eruption of arguing ponies with nearly all of them claiming to be next. A few ponies had claimed that they had first dibs because they were told to come back the next day after not being able to be worked in previously. Others argued that they needed to be first because today was their only day off and if they weren’t seen today, they’d have to wait a whole week. And still others were simply impatient.

Aloe and Lotus had their hooves full trying to control the crowd and I was just staring at them with wide eyes. I had never seen these ponies so worked up about a spa day. I finally shook my head and whistled loudly to get their attention.

“Everypony calm down. Everypony will get seen today. Now form a line here if you’re getting a simple cut and a line here if you want a dye job and a third line here for a wash, dry and style.”

The ponies looked at each other and did form three lines as requested. Anon took the first pony from each line to her workroom. She sat the first two ponies down, side by side, at the two wash sinks and got the water going and then sat the third pony down in the regular chair for the mane cut. By the time the first cut was done, the other two mares’ manes were wet and ready to be washed. Anon washed both manes and then set the dye requested for the dye job and then styled the other pony’s mane in her requested style. Anon managed to do a second simple mane cut while waiting for the dye to set and the other style to dry so adjustments could be made as needed.

With that second satisfied customer, she checked the status of the other two mares and they both approved of the job Anon had done. The process was taking a little longer per pony than if they had her undivided attention, but she was getting through the line twice as fast overall by multitasking. Anon was able to do two more dye jobs and three more complex wash and styles while cutting five more regular ‘simple’ cuts, all without taking a lunch break, but completely erasing the back log of ponies waiting for her expert service.

The pink mare was last. “Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie!!! I feel really extra super-duper bad that I haven’t thrown you a welcome party yet. Would you like your party today? Would you? Huh huh huh!”

Anon looked to Aloe for help only to get a smile in return. “Um. I guess. I know most of the ponies in town from my work at the spa but there’s not that many that I would actually want to party with. I’ve never been comfortable with large crowds so can we keep it small and personal?”

Pinkie rubbed her chin. “Small and personal… huh. Well. Apple Jack told me about the prank that you pulled on her so I thought that you would want to meet Rainbow Dash finally. Also, my good friend Fluttershy is kinda, er, shy so I think the two of you would get along. Apple Jack of course and me… unless you wanted to invite some pony else?”

Anon nodded. “Midnight will be there when he gets done hunting and I’d like Rarity there too. She’s been working on my dresses, and I think she could use a break.”

Pinkie smiled at her thoughtfulness. “Okie dokie. Small parties are a sinch. It’ll be ready by the time you get home.”

With that, the pink pony shot out the doors like a bullet.

I was left shaking her head. “What did I just get myself into?”

Aloe was laughing at me… “Pinkie parties are the best parties. I hope you enjoy yourself.”

I continued to work, refusing to take a lunch break on account of having showed up late that day, and left at what might have been considered her normal time on a normal day. I walked home with a sense of dread, not knowing what to expect.

When I got to the estate, I was surprised to see that there were now a few old-fashioned looking metal outdoor tables set up with what might have passed as a classic British tea service. I recognized Rarity and Apple Jack. Pinkie Pie herself was looking a little worried and a cyan-blue pegasus looked bored.

I smiled at the set up. It was exactly as low key as I preferred it to be. I continued to walk towards the estate and Pinkie brightened when she finally saw me.

“Anon! So good to see you again. I’d like to introduce you to Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy isn’t here yet…”

Rainbow’s eyes widened when she finally looked at Anon. “Whoa. You were right Pinkie… she’s like a cross between a Minotaur and something else that I’ve never seen. And she managed to prank Apple Jack? She’s so awesome!”

I shook Rainbow’s hoof. “It’s nice to meet you as well, Rainbow. Apple Jack told me that you might help me prank Midnight. You up for the challenge?”

Rainbow nodded slowly. “Midnight is a tough one to crack. I’ve tried to prank him at least five times since I moved to Ponyville, and he saw through all of them. Maybe with your help we could do something… eventually. But it’ll take careful planning.”

I giggled lightly. “I’m in. We’ll have to discuss it privately. So… where is Fluttershy? I was looking forward to meeting her… I don’t believe I’ve ever seen her at the spa.”

Rainbow groaned. “She definitely earned her name. That mare is so shy that sometimes I have to bring her food because she can’t leave her house. I’ll drag her here if I have to. She needs to meet you in a safe setting. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

Rarity joined me as Rainbow left. “Your wedding dress is finished, darling. I’ll make sure it’s wrapped up extra secure so Midnight can’t see it when he comes by to pick up your order.”

I smiled weakly. “Thank you for all your hard work. You got it done so fast… I hope you didn’t put off other orders to rush this one.”

Rarity smiled warmly in return. “Think nothing of it darling. If I can’t handle rush orders… then I have no business in the fashion business.”

I hugged her as Pinkie Pie served the tea. We all kept the conversation light, waiting for Rainbow Dash to return with Fluttershy. After about 20 minutes, Apple Jack started to get concerned.

“Rainbow brags about being the fastest flyer in all of Equestria and Fluttershy’s cabin at the edge of Whitetail Woods ain’t that far. Ah wonder if somethin’ happened to her?”

I was worried about the situation slightly. Granted… Rainbow was a reputed pranker so maybe she was trying to get Fluttershy to help her pull off a joke as an icebreaker? I was about to voice the possibility of that when we all heard Rainbow yell.

“Somepony, HELP!”

We all turned to look, and Rainbow Dash was carrying a bloody yellow Pegasus, with a disheveled pink mane.

Apple Jack looked angry. “What in tarnation? This better not be a joke Rainbow… because that’s not funny.”

Rainbow was sweating from the effort of having carried Fluttershy all the way to Midnight’s estate from her cabin.

“I wish it was a joke. Fluttershy was attacked by Timberwolves. I had to use a lightning cloud to destroy one of them and to get the other one to run away. I may be fast in the air, but I don’t have a lot of endurance when I’m carrying a pony that weighs more than myself. I don’t have the strength to carry her to the hospital…”

My face went pale, and I did the only thing that I could think of. “Moon Watcher! MOON WATCHER!!!”

Nearby… a thestral fell out of a tree. “Wha? I’m awake… sheesh. How may I serve you, my lady?”

Moon Watcher flew over to the assembled ponies and her eyes went wide when she saw the seriously hurt Fluttershy. I gave her clear instructions.

“Go find Lord Midnight and bring him back here. Now!”

Instead of flying towards the Everfree Forest like I expected her to, she flew straight up into the air and emitted a screech that started shrill and then seemed to fade to a range outside of human hearing. Within moments, six more thestrals approached the estate with weapons drawn, already in armor and they took up a protective formation around the estate. Midnight popped into existence with his magic a few moments later.

Midnight was wearing his pure black stealth armor again, but this time he was also wielding twelve different weapons in his magic. They floated around him in a way that reminded me of Noctis from Final Fantasy XV. I had liked that game until my ex-boyfriend had ruined it for me.

After taking a moment to assess the situation, and seeing no immediate danger, he magically put away the ten extra weapons and replaced his two normal swords in their sheaths on his armor.

Walking up to the ponies, he almost dryly stated… “Please state the nature of the medical emergency.”

I quirked a smile despite the serious nature of the situation.

Rainbow was frantic. “Fluttershy was attacked by Timberwolves! They nearly tore her wings off! Please save her!”

Midnight frowned. “Damn it, Dash. I’m a soldier, not a doctor.” He walked forward to take a closer look at her injuries. “Hmm. This is bad.”

I swallowed hard. “What can we do?”

----------

Midnight

What can we do indeed?

I looked at the ponies. “She doesn’t have a lot of time left. These wounds probably can’t be healed with normal means. The doctors at Ponyville General will probably want to amputate her wings. It would save her life but not being able to fly is horrible for any pegasi, even the ones like Fluttershy that don’t fly much.”

Rainbow went pale. “Please… she needs her wings to take care of her birds and the other pets that she has… I’ll do anything. Please… tell me what I need to do?”

My expression softened. “I need your wings.”

Rainbow nodded. “Of course. You need some supplies to help her. What do you need me to get?”

I swallowed hard. “No, Dash. I need your actual wings… to give them to Fluttershy, to save her life.”

Rainbow’s eyes went wide while Anon cleared her throat. “Do you mean to remove Rainbow’s wings and give them to Fluttershy? How? Can your magic do that?”

I nodded. “Yes. I know the proper spells. A lot of it falls into the realms of magic that is technically no longer legal to use… but I have special permission from Princess Celestia to use the spells if I need to… which is of course one of the perks of still technically being a Death Lord. Most ponies have never heard of Blood Magic, and most the ones that have are the ones I tend to end up having to kill at some point. It is dangerous magic in the wrong hooves.”

All the ponies looked at Rainbow and she gulped. Lowering her head, she closed her eyes and extended her wings. “Take them. Please… save her.”

I took in the scene with a grim expression.

Such loyalty. Almost enough to be the Element of Loyalty? Surely it’s a coincidence to have the Element of Loyalty in the same town as the Element of Honesty.

I sighed as I drew a sword from its sheath. “Okay Dash… this is going to hurt a lot.”

Rarity gasped. “NO! Rainbow wants to join the Wonderbolts. You can’t take her wings! There must be another way! I know! Take my horn. Surely the magic in my horn can heal her wings? I give you my horn freely but please don’t take her wings!”

Anon frowned at Rarity. “But what about your Boutique?”

Rarity huffed. “I can still make dresses with my hooves. Earth Ponies do it all the time. Yes… it’ll take me longer, but I can’t just stand here and do nothing if there is anything I could do to fix this! I’ll give you everything that I have, just save Fluttershy without hurting Rainbow!”

I looked at Rarity with a new appreciation of her.

Generosity in its greatest form. Giving everything while expecting nothing in return. With her usual attitude… I would have never expected her to be the Element of Generosity… but here we are…

I looked at Pinkie Pie. She giggled nervously. “I can give you a cupcake… it’s all I have.”

I snorted but also smiled as the other ponies seemed to smile to her antics. Even Fluttershy, despite the pain she was in, seemed to smile slightly.

Laughter… it can be a salve that heals the wounds that even the best bandages can’t fix. An underappreciated element… but still an Element of Harmony.

A glance at Apple Jack forced her to swallow hard. “There ain’t nothin’ ah can do other than offer to help get her to the hospital if you need help doin’ so. Ah hate feeling helpless, but ah won’t waste time by lying about it.”

Still as honest as ever. If I was unconvinced about her being the Element of Honesty before… then I have no doubts now…

A moan from Fluttershy brought everypony back into the moment. She spoke softly. “Lord Midnight… I have a request… umm, if you would?”

I lowered my head to her, so she didn’t have to strain to speak. “Of course… tell me what you want, and it shall be yours.”

Fluttershy swallowed. “Just… let me die. Don’t hurt my friends trying to save me. And take care of my animals after I’m gone… don’t let them starve…”

Everypony gasped. Anon herself had placed her hands over her mouth so she wouldn’t speak. I was lost in the moment…

The ultimate kindness… taking the burden of death to spare the pain of others. By the mother… they’re all here. Five of the Elements of Harmony are here… and Twilight has to be the Element of Magic or else she wouldn’t be Celestia’s personal student. I have to save her…

I nodded slowly. “What would you say… if I told you that I could summon a Prince to heal you without hurting your friends? It would still require a sacrifice of sorts… but it could be done.”

Fluttershy nodded weakly. “I would accept the help and I’m willing to pay whatever price the Prince would require… although… umm, I hope he would be willing to allow me to fully recover before… umm… taking my… payment.”

I smiled warmly… “I’m not sure I will require a payment from you… it is my sacrifice to make. Afterall… you are one of My Little Ponies…”

With a dark glow of my horn… my wings appeared; the illusion that hid them gone. I spread my wings wide, in a display of my authority, and every pony bowed. Fluttershy fainted but I wasn’t going to tease her about it. Her fainting could have just as easily been from blood loss than the shock of finding out that I was actually a Prince.

Apple Jack gulped… “Ah had no idea…”

Rainbow Dash’s mouth fell open in a big O. “Those wings… I could sleep in those for days…”

Rarity gulped… “If I knew you were a Prince, darling, I would have given you a discount on your most recent order…”

Pinkie Pie giggled. “Well, duh! He’s like, over 1,000 years old! Of course he’s an Alicorn.”

Anon’s eyes had gone wide… “I didn’t know that you were ready to reveal yourself…”

I sighed. “I wasn’t… but this is too important. No matter what… Fluttershy must live… and if that requires me to leave the shadows… then so be it. Maybe it is time…”

I spread my wings wider and my sword, held in my magical grasp, came down… severing my left wing cleanly at the base. The cut end spurted blood while the detached wing twitched on the ground. Everyponies eyes went wide, and Rainbow started to hyperventilate.

I looked at Rainbow with a smile that was hard to maintain with the pain flowing through me.

“Oh… did you want the other one?”

Rainbow fainted at the mere thought of me cutting off both of my wings.

I snorted. “Lightweight.”

Apple Jack swallowed hard… “What happens now?”

I sighed as I tried to harness my pain without interruptions. “An unholy miracle.”

Fluttershy had lost consciousness when I had revealed my wings. In a way… it made this easier. I picked up Fluttershy and my severed wing in my magic and I wrapped Fluttershy within the severed wing. I then started to channel magic while reciting the required words.

“Blood of my Blood. Flesh of my Flesh. What was once two is now one. Heal thy wounds with the offered flesh and become whole. I command thee to rise again… as a Death Lord.”

The wing dissolved into a red, blood-like substance, and seemed to encase Fluttershy utterly. After a few breath-taking moments… the substance seemed to absorb into her and what remained was an uninjured pegasus. Her wings were as black as Midnight’s until he cast a spell that returned her wings to her natural yellow coat color.

Fluttershy floated gently to the ground, and when she opened her eyes… they glowed with a bright aura. She spoke with a dark, monotone voice.

“What is thy bidding, my master?”

Everypony gasped but I merely cleared my throat. My voice came out deeper and more ominous than normal. I tried not to smirk, having forgotten about the command aspect of the spell.

“Death Lord Fluttershy… I name you Death Lord of the Wood. Raise an army of furry critters and defend Whitetail Wood with your life. Help your friends… and kill ponies with kindness. The world needs more kindness. Awaken.”

The glow left Fluttershy’s eyes, and she gasped. “Oh my… I feel so much better.”

I nodded. “That’s good! I’m happy to hear it. Tell me the first thought that comes to mind now that you’re healed?”

Fluttershy thought about it. “Well… I was thinking that Harry the Bear might like to learn Griffon martial arts. It would be nice if he could help me protect Whitetail Woods from those nasty Timberwolves…”

I smiled while the rest of the girls frowned. “I can probably help train him. I’ll add it to my calendar. Now… Rainbow Dash seems to have fainted and hit her head. Please take her inside the estate and let her rest in one of the guest rooms. Once she’s settled… please enjoy some of Pinkie’s tea and cupcakes. She went through a lot of trouble to put this together.”

Fluttershy smiled. “Of course…”

Fluttershy didn’t seem to notice Midnight’s wing… or the other severed end… and carried Rainbow inside while the other girls followed. Anon was left standing next to Midnight, looking at the still bleeding stub of a wing.

Pinkie Pie called to her. “Anon? Are you coming?”

She shook her head. “Nah. I’ll stay with Midnight. Enjoy the party without us, please.”

Pinkie wanted to protest but let it go as Anon followed me up to one of the hills near the estate.

Anon took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Why haven’t you healed yourself?”

I smiled. “I’m an Alicorn… the wing will grow back on its own… but I have to let it bleed. Besides… it wouldn’t do to shorten the pain. I rarely get to enjoy it to this extent.”

Anon’s frown deepened. “You like… pain?”

I lowered my head as I pulled a guitar out of my magical storage portal. “I’ve been wounded in battle many times. Pain let me know I was still alive. Once I learned how to harness the pain into stronger magic… I never lost any battles. It may have helped open me to the darkness that became Calamity… but I won’t deny that pain helped me to live.”

Anon found her words stuck in her throat. She hated how… honest… that sounded. She didn’t get a chance to form a response as he started to play his guitar and sing.

I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real

The sword tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything

What have I become?
My sweetest friend
Everypony I know goes away
In the end

And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt

Anon found her voice… “Where did you learn that song?”

I smiled. “It’s an old favorite of mine by an Earth Pony Country Music artist… Johnny Bit.”

Anon snorted. She continued to listen to me sing until the song was over. She cleared her throat with a sense of dread.

“What will happen to Fluttershy now that she’s a Death Lord?”

I sighed. “Nothing much will change for her. The spell was two-fold. It saved her life but also strengthened her. She’s like… a pseudo-alicorn now. She’ll be physically stronger than she was… stronger than the average Pegasi, but not stronger than Earth Ponies. She’ll also be able to fly faster and longer than she used to. She’ll follow the order I gave her without understanding completely why she’s doing it, but that’s okay. It will make her more confident without making her arrogant. She would follow my orders if I gave her one, but I doubt I’ll ever have to call on her. If I’m right… it’ll be in my best interest to allow her to grow without my interference.”

Anon hugged me tightly. “I still fear losing you. I haven’t yet provided a reason for you to fight to live. Please tell me that making Fluttershy into a Death Lord helps you somehow?”

I nodded. “It does help… and I’m starting to gain hope that Luna can be purified instead of destroyed. Only time can tell…”

Anon cried softly into my coat, at a loss for words. Out of nowhere… my wing seemed to reappear, and the pain vanished. I wrapped the new wing around her in a soft embrace.

I whispered to her softly. “Not much longer now. Remember, my love. It’s always darkest… just before the dawn.”

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Chapter 17 – Twilight’s Arrival

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Chapter 17 – Twilight’s Arrival

Anon

The last ten days had passed by both very slow and very fast.

Midnight had backed out of his decision to leave the shadows and decided to hide his wings under Illusion magic once again. The other mares seemed to be very understanding of his decision and had ‘Pinkie Promised’ not to say anything, whatever that meant. We did enjoy the rest of the tea party with the mares so I could get to know them better and I felt like I was really starting to make real friends.

I mean… Aloe and Lotus are nice, but I could never truly be friends with my boss… could I?

Midnight had, smartly, delegated the remaining tasks of the Summer Sun Celebration to the other five mares. Applejack was in charge of the food, Rainbow Dash was in charge of keeping the sky clear, Rarity was in charge of decor, Fluttershy was to organize something special with her animals, and Pinkie Pie was in charge of the welcome committee… with the order to throw a massive party for whomever Princess Celestia sent to conduct the final checklist. He seemed to know who that would be but he wouldn’t tell me who it was.

Midnight did pick up all of my clothes up from Rarity’s boutique and I was pleased to finally have them all, hiding the wedding dress for safe keeping. He wasn’t happy when I wouldn’t let him see the dress, but he understood the human version of the tradition of the stallion not seeing the dress until the bride was wearing it on the big day, as I explained it to him. It was a white lie… he could see the dress, just not me wearing it. But… I didn’t want him to know about the changes I made to it before he saw me wearing the dress for him.

Midnight had taken advantage of having delegated away the boring tasks to take care of other preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration that only he could do. He was as secret with what he was doing as I had been about the wedding dress. The vast amount of preparations he seemed to be making might could have been a set up for an epic prank but he always left the estate wearing his armor. I wasn’t happy with the constant battle Midnight seemed to have with monsters from the Everfree Forest, but that was part of his life. He must have been good at it too because most the ponies in town seemed to know not to go into the Everfree, but they also didn’t seem to realize how dangerous it was at the same time.

Not that I had much time to complain about it. The spa had been packed from open to close, with me having to work extra hours and no days off all the way until the day of the celebration itself. Ponies wanted to look their best with the Princess coming to town so there was no time to lose. It got so bad that Aloe had to remind ponies that there would be no time for touch-ups so any mane cut or dye job would have to be a one-time service until after the celebration was over.

After all the insanity of the preparations was over, it was finally the Eve of the festive and Midnight was resting. It was the first time in 10 days that we had time for each other. Sleeping in the same bed did little for you when you didn’t have the time or the energy to be intimate, although it still felt nice to sleep next to someone that actually cared for you.

We were sitting on the couch in his living room and he was resting his head in my lap while I caressed his mane. I wanted to say something but there seemed to be no way to start the conversation… the silence being so much more appealing.

I had two secrets I needed to tell him at some point, but the time still wasn’t right. Part of me felt bad for withholding anything from him but the rest of me knew that the timing had to be prefect. I finally worked up the courage to speak when we both heard a knock at the front door.

Midnight groaned. “Whoever it is… tell them to buck off.”

I giggled at how grumpy he sounded. “Your Grace should be ready to receive visitors on a day like today. Who knows… it could be the pony that Tia sent to do the final checklist before the party starts.”

He seemed to perk up at the possibility. “Very well. Go see who it is.”

He lifted his head off my lap, and I got up to answer the door. When I opened it, there stood a lavender coated unicorn with a purple and pink mane. The mare seemed startled to see me, as so many ponies did when they first saw me.

I cleared my throat. “May I help you?”

The unicorn’s ears folded back. “Oh. Um. I’m looking for Uncle Midnight… is he home?”

My eyebrows raised. That’s the same thing Shining Armor said, more or less.

“You wouldn’t happen to be the younger sister of a Captain Shining Armor, would you?”

She beamed. “Yes! You’ve met my brother?”

I smiled back. “He came by a couple of weeks ago to test the security of Ponyville for the celebration. He said he had a younger sister but didn’t give your name. My name is Anon, by the way. And you are?”

The mare seemed mortified by the breach of etiquette. “Oh, I’m so sorry. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is my number one assistant, Spike.”

I raised an eyebrow at Spike. “Is that a dragon?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes… I hatched him as part of the entrance exam to Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.”

I couldn’t help myself. “So does that make Spike your son?”

Twilight cleared her throat softly. “Legally… maybe. However… not… technically. I didn’t lay the egg, obviously. Both me and Shining Armor kinda see him as a younger brother… although I did mostly raise him myself with only a little help from my mom and Princess Celestia.”

I didn’t want to poke fun at what might be considered a touchy subject for her. “Midnight is in the living room. I trust you know the way?”

Twilight nodded as her and Spike both walked into the house. Spike was right behind Twilight when Twilight turned to ask me a question, still walking towards the living room in what had to be muscle memory.

“So… how long have you been here?”

I answered honestly. “I’ve been here about a month. Midnight saved me from Griffon slavers. We’ve grown quite close…”

Twilight blushed at the implication and automatically turned to go into living room. She opened her mouth to ask another question but stopped when she saw my eyes go wide in shock. Puzzled, she turned to look at the living room proper.

The room was covered in blood. The walls. The floor. The ceiling. The curtains were slashed, as if done with a sword. And Midnight. Midnight was hanging from the chandelier with a rope around his neck, looking like part of his flank had been eaten… fresh blood dripping from the wound.

Twilight screamed. She backed up as quickly as she could but bumped into me, as I was now blocking the door. I would normally have expected a pony to be able to push me out of the way but she hit what appeared to be a shield that formed around me. Startled by the shield, she jumped again and turned to face me.

A sword magically appeared in my hands and my voice took on a magically artificial dark tone. I felt like I was being played like a marionette but I could do little but go along with it.

“Foal! You have walked into my trap! Midnight is going to be a fine dinner but now I have dessert and a snack as well!”

Twilight’s horn glowed with a lavender aura, and she popped out of existence with Spike only to pop back into existence in the same spot.

“What? Why didn’t my teleport work?”

I smiled darkly. “The Estate is enchanted. Only Midnight could teleport himself, others and objects in and out of the Estate. Now that I have eaten him… I absorbed his power. And once I eat you and your little dragon… nothing will be able to stop me! Not even Celestia!”

A dark, maniacal laugh escaped my throat and I started to swing the sword towards the terrified unicorn in a motion that reminded me of a toy soldier. It felt horribly unconvincing and looked ridiculous, except that Twilight was so scared that she couldn’t tell that it wasn’t natural.

With another glow of her horn, she shot a beam of pure magic at me, just to watch it get deflected by the shield. I walked towards her slowly and for every step I took forward, she took a step back. I was literally backing her into a corner. Spike was backing up with her, staying by her side, equally unsure what to do.

Then… it happened.

Midnight crawled out of a shadow in the corner and just waited. I had never seen him use shadow teleportation but that was as creepy as it was cool… and silent. Unlike the bright flash of light and the magical popping sound of a regular teleport, shadow teleportation made no noise and produced no light. I smiled as the prize was within reach. One last step…

Midnight grinned as well, and he pounced like a dog on his favorite toy. He grabbed Twilight from behind, wrapping his forelegs around her stomach and lifted her into the air. She screamed again, eyes bulging out of her head and all four of her limbs shot outwards and were locked into place. If it wasn’t for her breathing, she could have passed as a wooden pony.

I found myself free of the marionette magic and lowered the sword to the ground. Twilight was breathing hard, gasping actually, and her limbs were still locked into place. Without moving her head, her eyes rotated to look behind her at who was holding her, and Midnight just smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Good morning, kid. Nice to see you again… it’s been a while.”

Still breathing hard, her limbs went limp and she sighed. “I’m not a goat.”

Midnight barked a laugh as he put her down on the floor and then hugged her properly. Twilight giggled a little with the release of nervous tension as she returned the hard earned hug. Spike just seemed relieved that it was over.

Midnight looked at Spike. “My. You’ve grown a lot since the last time I saw you. Here. Have a ruby.”

Midnight pulled the gem out of a magical storage portal and gave it to the dragon. Spike took a bite out of the gem eagerly and then cleared his throat. “So, umm… what is all this?”

Midnight looked around the room. “Oh this? I’m thinking about turning the estate into a haunted house for this year’s Nightmare Night. I’ve been playing around with a few ideas… so, what do you think?”

Spike looked around. “Very convincing. A little warning would have been nice.”

Midnight rubbed the dragon’s head. “A little warning wouldn’t have given a genuine reaction.”

Twilight had finally composed herself. “I’ve missed you. I haven’t missed your pranks… but I’ve missed you, Uncle Midnight.”

Midnight smiled at her with a warmth that I had rarely seen from him. “I would have visited more often but your studies took priority. Your magic is fairly well rounded now from what I understand, but you’ve been ignoring your combat studies… otherwise… that should have been easy for you to get out of. Do you have an explanation?”

The final part of his statement, and his question, sounded a touch stern. Like a teacher accusing a student of not doing her homework and waiting for an explanation as to why.

Twilight looked away, as if… embarrassed? Ashamed? When she did speak again, she sounded a little defensive.

“I haven’t been ignoring combat magic… it’s just that the School for Gifted Unicorns only offers one basic magical self-defense class. Most of the school is dedicated to the advanced forms of general spellcasting, Academia, or focused on the advancement of magical theory. The most gifted try to craft entirely new spells or improve existing ones. If I wanted to learn more combat magic… I’d have to take classes at the War Mage College or study on my own. I know you sent me some books on combat magic… but my directed studies and following Princess Celestia’s guidelines have taken priority.”

Midnight nodded. “I understand that you must fulfill the Princesses’ expectations however you must understand that a pony like you is a target. To be the Princesses’ person student… I won’t always be here to protect you. You’re not a filly anymore and I hope you can protect yourself but you need to understand that there isn’t always a Royal Guard to save the day. Your brother may be the best but… you will eventually need to be your own hero.”

Twilight softened at the rebuke. “I know. I’m actually hoping to get the checklist done early so I can look into more about Nightmare Moon. She’s supposed to return soon… maybe even tonight… and I don’t think anypony is ready for her.”

Midnight drew her back into another hug and whispered. “Good. You’ve learned your lessons well. I hope that you make some friends today that can help you with your endeavor.”

Twilight pulled back. “Friends? Even you, the Grand Lord General of all Death Lords… thinks I need friends?”

Midnight gave one curt nod as a reply. “I counted all the Death Lords as my friends… even the ones I had to kill myself. For all my power. For all my wisdom. For all the blood on my hooves… there are just some things you can’t do alone. I mean… just now. That prank. I couldn’t have pulled that off alone. Friends can strengthen you. Enlighten you. Inspire an idea you’d never come up with on your own. You could live a thousand years and not know everything. I assure you that for all of Celestia’s wisdom, even she doesn’t know everything. I do wish you the best of luck in your quest for both knowledge and to protect Equestria… but don’t think you have to do it alone.”

Twilight looked at the floor and seemed to be considering Midnight’s words. “I never thought I’d need more than Spike. He’s helped me a lot of over the years and I guess living alone in a tower at the castle… a stone’s throw away from the school itself was never going to allow me to make friends if I didn’t want them. I mean… I know a lot of ponies from the school… but I can’t claim to really be friends with any of them.”

Midnight tussled her mane like he would have to a filly. “I can’t make you make friends. But… I can encourage you to try to make friends before your mom tries to set you up on a date. You deserve to make your own choices.”

The look of shock that crossed Twilight’s face was priceless. “You don’t think…”

Midnight snorted. “I’d bet you half of your annual royal stipend that Velvet already has a list of candidates complete with pictures and yarn lines tacked up on a pegboard trying to figure out how to make you cross paths. I know your mother cares… but she’s obsessed with grandfoals. Your brother is taking a long time to settle down… so don’t think she won’t bump you to the front of the line with her own special type of meddling.”

Twilight shuddered at the thought. “Come on Spike. We have a lot of work to do today.” She glanced back at Midnight. “And thanks for both the advice and the warning. I’ll work on that.”

Midnight trussed her mane again just because he could. “No problem, kid. Just doing my job as your godstallion. Now go and have some fun while working on your checklist.”

Twilight huffed as she left the living room. “I’m not a goat!”

Spike giggled at her as he followed beside her. “I don’t know, kid. You do have a horn.”

Twilight snorted. “Blah.”

Spike laughed harder. “See? Now you even sound like one!”

Twilight’s frustration was at war with her sense of humor. “Fine! Let’s just get everything done.”

They let themselves out and I heard the front door shut behind them. I gave a Midnight a look.

“My arms are going to be sore after all that swinging of your sword. That thing is heavy!”

Midnight smiled. “Well then. Let’s go to the bedroom and I’ll rub you down. We’re going to need some rest before tonight.”

As I followed him up the stairs to the master bedroom, I thought to myself…

You have no idea how right you are…

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Chapter 18 – One Final Night

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Chapter 18 – One Final Night

Midnight

I had rubbed Anon’s arms and shoulders, soothing her to sleep in a rare mid-afternoon nap for her. I was content to sleep beside her, knowing that time was running out. My dreams were troubled… reliving battles long past… almost as if mentally preparing me to fight another epic and tragic battle. A battle that I really wasn’t ready for, despite my preparations.

I woke up after sunset, and looked upon Anon’s sleeping form, bathed in the moonlight. She was radiant… and looked so peaceful. So at ease. So trusting of me to do the right thing… not only for her, but for us.

One mistake… and that would be it.

But could I raise a hoof to Luna? Even as Nightmare Moon… she was my love. My thoughts both consumed me and tore me asunder.

Was… my love. Do I not love Anon now? Do I love them both? Do I love one more than the other? For a thousand years I’ve kept my detachment and now… this. How could I be such a fool? And what of her… does Anon truly love me? Will I ever really know?

Anon stirred from sleep and I leaned in and kissed her. “Good evening, my love. Did you sleep well?”

She yawned as I broke the kiss. “Well enough. What time is it?”

I looked towards the wall clock. “It’s 8:30. Do you have plans?”

She nodded. “Yes… I’m going to get dressed. Meet me on our favorite hill. Go. Now.”

I was slightly startled by her authoritative tone but was also intrigued enough not to question it. I left her to her plans and walked to the hill. The large hill that overlooked both the estate and the town.

It was a beautiful night, full of stars and the full moon. My pace was slower than normal. I was taking in all the beauty of a perfect, cloudless night. When I got to the hill, I paused.

The hill had been decorated with a lattice archway and the archway itself was decorated with a set of lighting commonly known as fairy lights. A few long tables littered the hill and also had candles on it. I walked up to the archway and surveyed the scene.

It was clear that a lot of work had been done in a very short amount of time, arranged in advance.

A flash of light and the popping of teleportation magic was my only warning.

I turned back to the lattice only to find Princess Celestia standing on the other side of it and smiling at me. “Good evening, Midnight. Are you ready?”

A dubious expression crossed my face. “Ready for what?”

Celestia’s smile grew wider. “…For your wedding, of course.”

My… Wedding?

I swallowed hard. “Um. No?”

Celestia giggled. “Look at you… still making jokes on the big day.”

Panic barely described how I felt. Our wedding was supposed to be months away… after the Grand Galloping Gala. I didn’t even have a solid date for it in mind yet. Of course… I had put off making plans because I didn’t know if I would survive my battle with Nightmare Moon.

And yet… this looked suspiciously like a genuine wedding.

More than that… with the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow morning… there is no way that Celestia would have time to play a joke on me. Not that she wouldn’t make the time to perform the ceremony if it had been requested.

The wind blew towards me from the estate, and it carried the sweet scent of Anon’s favorite perfume. I turned to look at her… and my jaw dropped. Anon was walking towards me… wearing a wedding dress. But not the one I thought I had ordered.

Her dress was as black as my coat and there were little diamonds sewn into the fabric that glistened like little stars as the light caught them while she walked. She wore a crown of flowers that were colorful and somewhat at odds with the dress, and yet… it seemed to fit. She wore no veil, her face as clear as the night. The train of the dress was being held up by two of my thestrals… I had no idea she had roped them into helping her, but they seemed honored to be part of the ceremony. All and all, the dress was beautiful, and it really looked good on her.

The diamonds remind me a little of Luna’s mane… no… focus.

Anon smiled at me as she stood beside me at the makeshift altar. She nodded to the thestrals and they took their place as part of a growing audience of thestrals, who seemed to be arriving in droves. My throat went dry.

Nearly my entire private army is here… with their families too. There must be over a thousand ponies here.

Moon Watcher took her place beside me as my Best Mare and several of my soldiers were in their armor, acting as an honor guard. As I looked over the proceedings with a mix of shock and awe, Moon Watcher bowed to me and whispered.

“I’m aware that this was Anon’s idea… but please don’t be too mad at us for going along with it. We just want you to be happy, my lord.”

I simply nodded and cleared my throat. “Well… since you’re all dressed up… maybe I should be too.”

With a flash of my horn… my illusion spell faded, and my wings appeared. The only thing I wore was a simple silver circlet which crowned my head in a fashion that would denote me being both a prince and an heir to the throne. Celestia’s chest tightened when she remembered that Luna had given me the crown before our wedding to denote me being next in line to throne, immediately after Celestia and Luna herself. My wings didn’t seem to bother her at all.

I gave Celestia a small smile. “Nothing to say?”

Celestia shifted on her hooves. “I have nothing to say… publicly. We will need to talk about you being an alicorn… in private… later.”

Anon nodded. “Then we are ready to begin.”

Celestia cleared her throat. “We are gathered here to today, to join this stallion with this mare, in holy matrimony. Midnight has been a loyal subject and an even better friend for over a thousand years. Anon… although new to our land… has been made welcome by our ponies and has gained acceptance by the same. She appears to be the Moon that Midnight has been denied for so long and I am pleased to give them both my blessing. Does anypony have an objection?”

Nopony did.

“Would you like to recite your own vows?”

Anon nodded. “Yes. Midnight… You have made me the happiest that I have ever been. I look forward to every day knowing that you are going to be a part of it. I know that love is hard for you and as a proud warrior it’s probably harder for you to express it openly, and I completely understand and accept you for what you are. That being said… I need you to know that I will love you for the rest of my life and if I can give your life meaning, then I will certainly give you my best. Whatever you need from me… all that I can give you… all of my love… is yours.”

My throat closed as all the assembled ponies ‘awwwed’ at her statement.

What in Tartarus am I supposed to say to follow up her vows? I have nothing prepared!

I cleared my throat, emotion coloring my words. “When I was told that slavers were operating in my province, I was angry, but I also saw it as just another hunt. I never expected to find you. I never expected to save you. I offered you a place to stay because it was the right thing to do. I never expected you to steal my heart. My past made it hard for me to love but you make me believe that anything is possible. You make me want to try. You make me want to care. You make me a better pony. And for that… I do love you… and I always will.”

Happy tears rolled down Anon’s face and even Moon Watcher seemed to be moved. I sighed in relief that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be, but I still wished it was better.

Celestia seemed pleased as well. “By your vows and my authority… I pronounce you husband and wife; you may kiss the bride.”

I leaned in and gave Anon a wedding appropriate kiss, and the guests clapped their hooves together.

Anon wiped away her happy tears and turned back to Celestia. “And now… the food please.”

With a glow of Celestia’s horn, several more tables appeared and then just as quick, every table was stuffed with foods of all types. The assembled ponies helped themselves to the food and Celestia pulled us both aside to speak to us.

With a gentle smile, Celestia started. “I am glad I was able to finally marry you to a pony that you love. Luna might be upset… if we get her back…”

Midnight sighed. “I have a plan… it might work. I’m not that good at non-lethal combat but I am prepared to do what I must.”

Celestia nodded. “I was wondering when you were going to tell me about your wings. Being an alicorn should give you combat options that you didn’t have before.”

My mouth opened in shock. That wasn’t something I expected her to say. “You mean… you knew?”

Celestia pursed her lips. “Of course I knew. The amount of power radiating off you is too much for a normal unicorn, though only an Alicorn could probably detect it. Your story about gaining agelessness from the corruption of Calamity was quite… original. A pony that didn’t know any better would probably believe it without a second thought. I never called you out on the lie because I figured you had a good reason not to tell me.”

I sighed. “I guess I really don’t have a good reason not to have told you sooner but I guess I didn’t know what you would do if I became another Nightmare Moon without the elements to stop me. As a unicorn… you could have simply overpowered me. As an Alicorn? I didn’t want you to worry about how much damage I was capable of with my war training and an alicorns’ power. I suppose even the wise can be foolish.”

Celestia nodded, a touch more serious. “Do you want the other ceremony?”

I winced. “Only if you feel like doing it. You never did like performing the ritual or giving such absolute orders.”

Celestia drew herself up to her full height. “Prince Midnight Stalker, Grand Lord General of the Death Lords. I hereby give you the order to pave the way for the purification of Nightmare Moon, should she appear. If purification is not possible, you are to aide in the efforts to re-banish her. If re-banishing her is also not possible… you have my blessing to kill her.”

Anon sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly, not actually speaking. She stayed silent watching the back-and-forth exchange with Midnight speaking followed by Celestia.

I bowed. “By your command, Princess. May your enemies fear the light.”

“May your enemies fear the shadows.”

“Give the peace and justice that I cannot.”

“Give the war and bloodshed that I cannot.”

“I accept the burden of blood on my hooves in the service of the kingdom.”

“I accept your loyalty and will reward it in kind.”

A moment passed where neither of us spoke. Celestia walked forward and nuzzled me. She spoke ever so softly. “Please… don’t die.”

A tear rolled down my cheek as I nuzzled her back “Those who are about to die… salute you.”

Celestia took a step back and tried very hard to hide her tears. “Well. I have to return to Ponyville to get ready for the Summer Sun Celebration. I hope you both enjoy the rest of the wedding party.”

Without waiting for a reply, she teleported away. Anon had mixed feelings about the whole thing but simply kissed me before she placed a hand on my withers, and we returned to the main party.

We cut the cake, ate the many portions of food waiting for us and danced the night away. The party just continued without an end in sight. With the tradition of the Summer Sun Celebration to party all night and wait for the raising of the Sun, it kinda felt good being able to spend so much time with ponies that I cared about, and their families. Anon also liked meeting the various important ponies within my private army and took a liking to many of the foals that were playing around the estate. The night seemed to last forever but a glance at a garden clock showed it to be only 6 am.

Should be anytime now…

Anon interrupted my thoughts. “Midnight! Look at the moon!”

My eyes turned upwards, as did the eyes of everypony at the party. Four stars seemed to drift towards the moon and then, like an illusion, the Unicorn shaped shadow disappeared from the surface of the moon.

It happened. It really happened. I’ve waited so long for this…

My throat was dry as a mixture of excitement and dread filled me. “And the stars shall aide in her escape… by the mother, the prophesy… exactly as foretold. EVERYPONY TO ARMS!!!”

My bellow shocked everypony out of their stupor as I cast a series of interlocking spells. A red, white and red flare shot up into the sky to signal for combat preparations. The very ground quaked, and near the estate, not far from the party, the ground opened up and a building almost as large as the main house rose from beneath the earth. Before long, the foundation of the building was at ground-level as if it has always been there. It was very clean considering it had just been underground.

“The armory is open, everypony gear up!”

Anon found her voice. “You have an entire armory on the estate grounds?”

I looked at her. “Of course I do… what kind of Death Lord would I be without weapons and armor ready to deploy my soldiers?”

My tone suggested that it was the most obvious thing ever and I walked away to continue to issue orders. To their credit… no pony was panicking. The older colts and fillies were playing with and keeping the younger colts and fillies calm, which made me smile.

Anon herself watched the organized chaos with a smile of her own and rejoined my side, offering a quiet and calm support that I didn’t know I needed. Her presence vaguely reminded me of Luna during a similar yet simpler time.

How many times had me and Luna watched the preparations before a battle together? Too many to count…

In less than 20 minutes, ponies were armored and ready to go, forming up into preassigned units that was made in just this type of emergency situation. Out of nowhere, an armored thestral filly came bouncing up to us.

“Prince Midnight! Sergeant Fire Hooves reporting for duty!”

I smiled at the filly. She was roughly ten years old and full of energy. “Excellent, Sergeant. That’s your mother’s old armor, yes?”

The filly grinned with great enthusiasm. “Yes sir! And it’s a perfect fit!”

Anon looked concerned. “Midnight? You have children in your army?”

I shrugged. “It’s more of a training program. Fire Hooves is the NCO in charge of the ‘Filly Knights.’ They learn disciple and basic combat as a precursor to either joining my personal army, the Night Guard or move on to civilian pursuits. Does your people not have something similar?”

Anon nodded slowly. “In some high schools and a few colleges, they have a program called the ROTC which does something similar. Gives the recruits a taste of military life without committing to it. The main difference might be that we don’t give our ROTC members real weapons. That armor looks heavy, and her sword looks sharp.”

Fire Hooves batted her eyelashes at Anon. She tried to look endearing, but she sounded a little condescending, which at her age was cuter than it was annoying.

“Of course the armor is heavy… how else would you build endurance? And the sword has to be sharp! I can’t kill anything with a dull blade. 160 of us fought for the 48 slots to be in this unit and I will not let my efforts be wasted ‘pretending’ to be a soldier. I am a knight!”

Anon smiled at the filly. “Yes, of course! I should have taken you more seriously!”

I chuckled. “Yes… you are a knight… and I have a real assignment for you.”

Fire Hooves remembered that she was standing before her Prince and stood at attention. “This knight is ready to receive orders!”

In a serious tone, I gave the order. “Gather the other Filly Knights and secure the perimeter of the Estate. Protect Princess Anon.”

Fire Hooves offered a sword salute and replied. “At once, your highness!”

As Fire Hooves scampered off, Anon frowned and asked slowly… “Princess Anon?”

I gave her a look. “Well… yes? I am a Prince and unless this was the best prank ever… we are now married. So, by default, you are a Princess… and 4^th in line to the Throne of Equestria unless Tia can create a few more Alicorns.”

The words sank in slowly and I could see her thoughts… the turmoil, in her mind. She snorted… and tried to downplay her unease.

“Create a few more Alicorns? You say that like you were made in a lab.”

I shrugged. “In my case… that’s not far from the truth. My Alicorn nature was granted from a potion. It was an unnatural and somewhat unearned ascension… which is why they thought I had died. I was fighting for the right to ascend. I had to prove my worth to the Mother. Only when I proved my worth did I awake… only to find my world shattered.”

Anon considered that at face value. “What about Tia and Luna?”

I smiled. “Tia and Luna earned their wings as Unicorns by doing what was considered impossible at the time… raising the sun or moon by themselves under their own power without help from other unicorns. Cadence solved a love problem so great that it saved her village, giving her a horn… given that she was originally a pegasi. Alicorns are living Gods or Goddesses and I hold the rare honor of being the only living male Alicorn. We can be killed like anypony else, but we are ageless and otherwise immortal with a level of magic that is hard to describe. However… we could benefit from having a few more.”

A few of the thestral unit captains approached. “We are ready for orders. Your highness.”

I spoke up. “I need Alpha Company to deploy to the Everfree. Control the monster population and make sure nothing leaves the forest. Beta, Delta and Gamma Companies are to deploy to the nearest 3 cities and maintain order. If this doesn’t end swiftly tonight… the ponies will need you. The reserves will stay on standby to deploy as needed. Stay here and protect Princess Anon along with the Filly Knights. Does anypony have any questions?”

A chorus of ‘No Sir!’ rang thorough the air. “Very well. The Mother guide you all.”

They all left quickly and with a dark flash of my magic, I donned my war armor. My war armor was very different from my hunting and stealth armor. It was heavy and largely unbreakable. I was curious what Anon would say about it. She had never seen it before…

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Anon

Once the magic faded, my breath caught in my throat. This was not the armor I was used to. Midnight looked like a pony version of a Nazgul from ‘Lord of the Rings.’ My throat went dry as I quickly realized how serious this really was. Midnight’s voice seemed darker coming from under a helmet so completely enclosed that I couldn’t see his eyes.

“How do I look?”

I spoke softly. “You look like a walking nightmare. That armor is terrifying. Spikes and jagged edges… the armor is as offensive as it is defensive. I don’t think I can even give you a hug while you’re wearing it. What the hell is it made out of?”

Midnight seemed to chuckle, and it sounded… darker than normal. “It’s made out of dragon bone.”

My mouth fell open as the memory of Spike flashed through my mind. “Dragon bone? Why?”

Midnight nodded once and took off the helmet so I could look into his eyes.

“It enhances magical power. The technique is called ‘Hornbane.’ Unicorn horns, dragon bones and moondust all enhance magical power. The harvesting of unicorn horns has been illegal for a 1,000 years and was taboo even before that. But… we’ve had enough wars with dragons over the millennium for me to have hoof crafted Dragon Bone armor. The Death Lords were unique in that we were allowed to use whatever armor we wanted… but we had to provide it for ourselves. I wore this armor to the last negotiation I was invited to with the dragons. It sent a less than subtle message…”

I sighed. To be so kind… he really is kinda evil. Or maybe human morals can’t play into this.

I locked my eyes unto his. “Do you… think you can win?”

Midnight sighed. “This wedding really put my future into focus. Our future. I can’t very well die now but I fear that my old feelings for Luna will prevent me from doing what I have to in order to stop Nightmare Moon. I just wish… That I had… something. Something more… to anchor me to this world.”

I froze. Was now the time to tell him? “Um. Midnight? Do you… remember when Calamity took control, and then afterwards when you regained control… we made love all night?”

He smiled, a look at odds with his armor. “Yes. Not my finest moment but a very fond memory. Why do you ask?”

I bite my lip. “I don’t know… how… exactly… but… I’m pregnant. Congratulations… you’re going to be a father.”

Midnight stood stock still. Shocked might not be an adequate word to describe him.

He hedged around his next question. “Is that… normal… for your people? Can women in your culture mate with ponies?”

My face burned hot with the many ways that made the question nearly impossible to answer.

“Um. I’ll admit that there are some human males that mate with mares and some human females that mate with stallions… however, on my world… doing so is illegal in far more places than it’s legal… and even in the few cases of the places that it’s legal… it’s still considered taboo. However… horses and ponies on Earth aren’t sapient, and our species can’t interbreed. Mind you… you are sapient and two different races marrying or mating isn’t illegal here… but I’m still not sure how I got pregnant. I didn’t honestly think it would be possible for me to carry your… um… foal.”

Midnight sighed without enthusiasm. “Magic is a wonderful thing. I told you putting my horn in you felt wrong. I would bet everything I have that the ‘horngasm’ inside your marehood allowed my normal seed to impregnant you. Or maybe it’s just an alicorn thing. Hmm… maybe I’ll have to do a few experiments with other creatures to see if it works on them too…”

I snorted. “You mean if you live?”

Midnight’s eyes shone with an intensity I had rarely seen from him. “Oh… I’m going to live… I now have too much to live for to allow myself to die. I just wish…”

He stopped and seemed unable to continue speaking. I tilted my head in a question. “You wish what?”

He sounded contrite. “The old Death Lords used to use a saying when they departed for battle to gently remind their loved ones that they may not return. Any mission that required a Death Lord was automatically very dangerous. I never really had a family so I never got to use the phrase… and now it doesn’t seem appropriate because I know I have the will to live. The anchor to this world. I wouldn’t want to upset you needlessly, especially while pregnant.”

I smiled at him. “I would never deprive you of an honored tradition. You better hurry or you’ll be late to the battle.”

He nodded and put his helmet back on. “The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our separate ways, I to die, and you to live. Which of these two is better, only Celestia knows.”

With that… he turned and walked away. Once far enough away… he seemed to merge into a shadow and simply vanish.

I found it hard to breath. It was hard to imagine that anypony had ever taken any comfort from hearing such a thing. I sat down in the grass and looked up at the moon.

“Oh my god… my life is an Avril Lavigne song.”

With that depressing thought pressing down on me… I started to cry.

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Chapter 19 – Dark Proposal

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Chapter 19 – Dark Proposal

Midnight

Deploying my army had been the easy part. I knew how to lead an army. I had a millennium of experience and nothing about the process had changed much over the years.

Saying goodbye to Anon had been harder. All the years I had spent with Luna as a special somepony felt different… because she was also a warrior and shared the same dangers that I did. Having a civilian marefriend… no, wife, did nothing to sooth my nerves as I knew she would heartbroken if I didn’t return. My traditional death lord parting almost seemed to make it worse.

Knowing that Anon was pregnant with my foal made this impossible. I wasn’t sure how the other Death Lords had been able to do it. Going into the fire time after time leaving their loved-ones behind… possibly for good. If I had possessed even the barest hint that Anon could get pregnant from our rutting, I would have used a contraceptive spell… or at least would have asked her if she needed me to pull out or do something else for her but it was too late to worry about that now.

I had one task. Stop Nightmare Moon or pave the way for the Elements of Harmony to do so. And I knew just where to start…

Having a darkness of my own and having had one for a long time gave me a clue as to where I needed to go and what I needed to do. Luckily, a lot of the groundwork had already been laid into place on the off chance that everything was going to happen as predicted. I had spent the last month preparing for this eventuality…

I had long come to the conclusion that the great villains of Equestria were largely able to be defeated because they were arrogant. They liked to prove how strong they were by letting the hero make a move, which played into their ego but also seemed to lead to their downfall. Nightmare Moon would be no different, but I also really didn’t want to actually fight her if I didn’t have to. I still loved Luna even if I couldn’t admit it to Anon.

As a matter of fact… that premise was part of how I had controlled Calamity for as long as I had without a permanent complete take-over. While I didn’t like doing so, when I couldn’t bleed off enough darkness to prevent it, I did allow Calamity some control of me in exchange for certain… conditions and rules of conduct that he followed, although, I could never admit to anypony that I did so. There were times that I did lose complete control, temporarily, but I always managed to regain control sooner or later. The real loss of control that led to the raping of Anon had been pushing the established rules of our agreement. But even I had to concede that she did trigger that specific incident and she did seem to have enjoyed the rut… regardless of how dangerous it had actually been for her. The fact that it moved our relationship forward into a deeper courtship had been unexpected. I had never been so lucky in the past with other lovers, of any race.

A teleport later… and I was in the ruins of the throne room of the Castle of the Pony Sisters. It was abandoned for the moment, but I knew that Nightmare Moon would come here… this was where it had all started and ended all those years ago and so this was where the new showdown would have to occur. It was painfully predictable.

I double checked my preparations and then started to sing… “Hello Darkness, my old friend…”

My inner mind seemed to awaken, and I could hear Calamity groan.

For buck sake Stalker… what do you want?

I spoke to my own mind. “I need you to take over and handle Nightmare Moon. Darkness versus Darkness sounds fun, no?”

And how should I handle her? I thought you didn’t want to kill her.

I gritted my teeth. “I don’t want her dead, but I do need her weakened. I need for either Luna to break Nightmare’s control or for Nightmare to be so weak that she can’t fight the Elements of Harmony when they appear. I think that Nightmare Moon would steel her control over Luna if she knew that Midnight Stalker was still alive… but a rival darkness ‘Calamity’ might could present an interesting challenge for her. Lie to her for all I care. Weave a story that sounds true but is a great lie… I don’t care. I’ll let you take whatever liberties you need to win, and I’ll reward you for your efforts after the fact, if we live.”

Hmm. Reward you say? Can I have that sweet little Sweetie Belle?

I shook my head. “You know the rules. No fillies. Mares of consenting age only. With me being a ‘Prince’ officially now… you might could have Rarity… which is very close to Sweetie Belle, given that she is the older sister… I’d just have to explain the ‘role play’ before you take over to enjoy her.”

Hmm. Rarity is good enough… but I want more. Maybe a threesome? Rarity and Applejack? All that teasing you did with her has to have an endgame.

I sighed. “I’m sure I can convince Rarity. Applejack owes me a lot of money and she would buck me under the right circumstances but I’m not sure I can convince her to do a threesome with another pony. Applejack is rather… traditional. We could probably arrange to make love to each of them, but separately, and I don’t want foals with either of them. And before you ask… now that Anon is my wife, I’d request that you leave her alone. Will you do it regardless, Calamity?”

I don’t like your limited conditions, but yes… I’ll do it.

I took in a deep breath and exhaled. “Then do it…”

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Three Hours Later

Nightmare Moon

I teleported to my old home, the Castle of the Pony Sisters, and enjoyed the empty throne room. The prima donna was locked inside her own Sun, and I was going to enjoy the challenge from the hated one’s personal student. The castle was in worse shape than I expected but then it had been a thousand years since those events of the past and it was painfully apparent that the castle had been abandoned since that time.

So much the better. I’ll rebuild the castle better than it ever was before and I’ll rule from here just as I was meant to.

Her ears turned to a sound approaching her.

Who would be so bold… or so foolish… to openly approach me?

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

That sounds familiar but from where?

I held my breath when I finally saw a familiar armored pony approaching me without any hint of fear.

That armor… it cannot be!

I stood firm in the face of fear and called out. “Identify yourself!”

I heard the pony chuckle. “My name is Midnight Calamity… and I have been waiting for you for a very long time, Nightmare Moon.”

I felt myself relax some as it wasn’t Midnight Stalker. My hold upon Luna would be broken for certain if her fiancé was still alive… but that armor… surly two sets of it could not exist?

My tone was sharp and accusing. “Where did you get that armor?”

Calamity snorted. “Ah… that’s a grand story to tell… but do we have time for such a story? Surly you have more important things to do than to entertain me as if I was an honored guest?”

My eyes narrowed. “That armor once belonged to Lord Midnight Stalker… I am sure of it. He would have been buried in that armor… as was his request. I won’t condone grave robbing. I would like to know how you got it.”

Calamity let loose a laugh that echoed along the walls. “I assure you… he wasn’t buried with it.”

The number of questions rose within my mind but most of them were coming from Princess Luna’s subconscious within my mind. I couldn’t afford to entertain them, so I did the next best thing by making my own demand.

“I would like to hear your story. All villains certainly have one to tell…”

Calamity nodded. “Very well. You already know part of the story… given that you are in it, but the rest might shock you. The story starts a thousand years ago. Midnight Stalker was to marry Princess Luna. And then… on the eve of the wedding… something happened. Whether it was an assassination attempt, a Death Lord experiment gone wrong or something else… no pony knows. But he did end up in a coma deep enough to be mistaken for death. Midnight Stalker’s ‘death’ drove Princess Luna over the edge and allowed you to take hold. Princess Celestia broke the Elements of Harmony to defeat you… sending you to your lunar prison. And then… the next morning… Midnight Stalker woke up as if nothing had happened. He was distraught to have lost his beloved princess but swore loyalty to Celestia and continued to serve her in a loose fashion even in retirement. They rutted so many times that I’m shocked they never had foals together… though those details were kept mostly secret. Anyways… he survived whatever happened until I came along. You see… he was in a bar one night and talked a pretty young mare into his bed. While he was enjoying her… I robbed him blind and then killed him with his own weapons. I killed the mare too… it wouldn’t do to leave a witness, after all. Even now… I live in his home and I pretend to be him for the public. Nopony seems to question why or how he’s not dead but no matter, it works, and I’m happy with the lifestyle he provided me. The End.”

I convulsed as Luna tried to assert control. I could feel her desire to kill this stallion for having killed her love, but I couldn’t allow her to have control back.

Calamity chortled darkly. “Having problems there?”

I gritted my teeth and beat Luna back into the after thoughts of my mind. “No problems… it is simply… orgasmic, how you handled what would have been my biggest rival. You claim to have been waiting for me… what do you want?”

Calamity nodded. “I have a proposal for you.”

That… wasn’t what I was expecting. “And what is this proposal, Calamity?”

She couldn’t see his eyes under that helmet and yet knew that he was looking directly into her soul. She both seemed to know where this was going and yet… still wanted to be told.

Calamity sounded smug. “I am the greatest villain Equestria has known since the defeat of you, 1,000 years ago. I’m so powerful that Celestia herself was forced to work with me since she couldn’t destroy me. Celestia might be the only pony alive that knows that I’m not Midnight Stalker. My power has not been surpassed by anypony but might be equaled by you. Marry me… and we’ll rule Equestria together as husband and wife. Nopony will be able to challenge us if we work together.”

I was tempted by such an offer. I knew I couldn’t rule Equestria alone… I would need a right hoof pony… somepony that understood the current state of Equestria. I also knew I couldn’t take the offer. Sadly.

“I’m afraid that I cannot accept. Luna is still in love with Midnight Stalker… and allowing myself to let you take me, given that you killed her love… might give her enough power to seize control from me.”

Calamity nodded. “I suspected as much. My own host lives within my head and he can be a pain to deal with. However… I get by. So there is no room to compromise here?”

I shook my head. “I’m afraid not.”

Calamity sighed. “Well then. The die is cast. There isn’t enough room for two villains in Equestria at the same time so I’m afraid I’m going to have to kill you. No hard feelings.”

I sneered. “Do you really think you can kill me?”

Calamity chuckled lightly, as if not concerned at all. “I am a Calamity. How does that compare to a Nightmare? You can wake up from a Nightmare… you can’t escape Calamity.”

With that… he took a combat stance and was ready to fight.

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Chapter 20 – A Calamity of Nightmares

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Chapter 20 – A Calamity of Nightmares

Nightmare Moon

I didn’t have to wait long for his first attack. The glow of his horn was a less than subtle hint that I was going to be facing a magical attack.

In a way, I was disappointed.

My alicorn host could crush a regular unicorn, no matter how gifted he may profess to being. I also knew that his villain story was a lie. There was no way he personally killed Midnight Stalker. A unicorn being taken over by a darkness similar to herself might extend the life of the host, but it would in no way make the host immortal. Calamity might be a few hundreds years old, but he couldn’t be nearly a thousand… Could he?

He had to be strong to wear that armor, so he wasn’t elderly. Clearly a paradox.

In my musings, I almost forgot to put up a shield to block his first attack. The beam of magic launched forth from Calamity’s horn and I was taken aback slightly by it’s pure black colorization. The only unicorn I had known with that aura had been Midnight Stalker… but then… there were only so many colors that magic could be. Even in a one in a million shot of a villain having a black or dark magical aura, surely a thousand years would be enough time for such an occurrence to have happened again.

My shield held effortlessly against the magical onslaught. I mean… it felt as if there was no pressure on the shield at all…

Crap… it’s an illusion. The attack is an illusion!

Before I could get my bearings, I was attacked from behind, from inside of my shield. Calamity was on me, and he broke both of my wings with his bear hooves and with a tearing of sinew, proceeded to rip both wings completely off of my back.

I screamed as the pain racked my mind and he jumped off me, carrying my wings in his magic as if it was a grand prize to be had.

He spoke darkly. “Ha! Now you’re just an overpowered unicorn. Without the ability to fly… this just got easier.”

I didn’t want to cry but the pain was horrible to overcome. I focused my magic on healing the stumps of the remains of my wings… only to find that there was nothing to heal. With a refocus of my horn, my wings returned to my back, leaving me completely uninjured… but still feeling the pain of what I had just endured.

That attack was an illusion too? What the buck?

Calamity laughed at her confusion. “Can’t figure it out? I’ll clue you in… a few centuries ago, I crafted a unique illusion spell that let me do anything I wanted to a pony as an illusion that also allowed them to feel the pain of what was happening to them. Kind of a combination of illusion with a pinching of nerve endings. It works great as torture for when I need answers or when I just want to have a little fun without killing my target. Curious… I thought you’d have higher mental fortitude. I guess you don’t. That’s ashamed. I don’t think Luna would have fallen for that.”

I gritted my teeth. “I won’t fall for it twice! Give me your best shot!”

I braced myself for his response.

Only the best mages can craft new spells or combine two or more different spells. This unicorn is at least as dangerous as Starswirl the Bearded… if not Midnight Stalker himself.

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Calamity

I chuckled at her. “No need… it’s boring to use the same trick twice. While you are recovering from the pain of your recent experience… tell me something… does that armor have a tail hole or do you need to take it off to answer nature’s call?”

Her response was interesting. Her ears folded back, she took two steps back and her tail tucked between her legs, as if to hide her plot.

My laughter echoed throughout the throne room. “I thought so… brace yourself Nightmare… swiggity swooty, I’m coming for that booty.”

Nightmare’s eyes went wide. “You wouldn’t dare…”

I launched a series of teleports. But unlike the normal ‘pop’ sound created from the displacement for both magic and the pony, I used more magic than necessary to create a brighter flash and a boom that some war mages referred to as a Flash Bang. It tended to disorientate the enemy, although, it did require significantly more magic to cast the spell in that fashion. A normal unicorn might have been unable to do more than 10 in a battle, but I didn’t have that problem.

Boom. Boom. Boom. BOOM!

I was on her and behind her yet again. She froze as her disorientation faded and she felt my hoof under her tail.

“Hmm. You flank is softer than I would have imagined for a military mare. I’m afraid that this flank only warrants a 6 out of 10.”

She turned to face me, enraged. “How dare you take such liberties and then give me such a low score! My flank is not a 6 out of 10!”

I shrugged, given that she wouldn’t be able to see a raised eyebrow. “I’ll take every liberty you’ll give me and then continue to take what I want. That’s how villains work. Now. If you want a higher flank score, turn around and lift your tail. Maybe it looks better than it feels…”

Nightmare snorted and turned around, lifting her tail and showing me her assets. I hummed in appreciation. “Hmm. Very nice. I know Luna wasn’t a virgin, but this plot is pristine. Definity a 10 out of 10 on appearance… but the softness still bugs me. I’ll meet you halfway and give you an overall score of 8 out of 10. Final offer.”

Nightmare lowered her tail and turned around smug. “8 out of 10 is acceptable and I… what the buck am I doing! How dare you!!! I don’t even know why I just did that.”

Calamity snorted. “Do you not have access to the memories of your host? I think a quick look would answer that question quickly. Go ahead… I’ll wait.”

Nightmare frowned and closed her eyes, looking for the answer.

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Nightmare Moon

I was intrigued enough by the offer to take him up on it, if only because I didn’t understand my own actions. Thinking about my situation did bring up a memory of Luna’s that seemed to explain this.

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1,050 years ago

Luna

“This night is prefect and yet ponies won’t go out and enjoy it! Am I wasting my time doing this every night? The stars… the moon… Gah!”

Luna paced back and forth within the throne room of the Castle of the Pony Sisters. She had no guards present… only a single Lunar Knight attended her this night. The doors to the throne room were barred for no interruptions, not that any pony came to castle at this hour anyways.

The Lunar Knight, Midnight Stalker, sighed. “With respect, your majesty, the night is perfect and you are not wasting your time.”

I turned to him. “You say that and yet… nothing! They are all inside their homes! Why is that?”

Midnight looked up at the stars through an open window. The stars were reflected in his eyes, and they were very captivating. “Because it’s too romantic to be outdoors, majesty.”

Too romantic? Is that possible?

I cleared my throat. “Can you show me what you mean, Sir Stalker?”

He froze. “I can show you… but it would require me to take some unusual liberties. I’m afraid I may have overstepped my boundaries. You have my apologies, majesty.”

I pursed my lips. “I’ll grant you leave to do whatever you need to, but I want to understand.”

He nodded. “Very well. I’ll be right back.”

He teleported away only to return moments later with firewood for the fireplace set in the throne room. He placed the wood and used a spell to start a roaring fire. He then teleported again and returned once more with several pillows and a few thick blankets which he used to make a comfortable pallet bed on the floor. He turned to me and issued a soft request.

“Would you lie down, majesty?”

I nodded and got on the pallet bed. “Please call me Luna. I want to fully understand the reason and feelings behind staying inside on a too romantic night.”

He sighed. “Very well. Are you comfortable, Luna?”

I nodded. “Yes. The fire is warm and the bed is nice, despite being hastily made. What now?”

He leaned in and was hoovering over me. He whispered in my ear. “Look at the stars.”

I looked up from the position of laying down on the bed, and they did seem more romantic than they did before. Odd how a change of angle could do that…

He whispered again. “Lift your tail for me…”

I froze and gulped. I did give him permission to take liberties… but even I know what he’s asking for. Should I do it? Can I do it? Do I care about what tomorrow will bring?

I lifted my tail and I felt his shaft rub on my plot while he settled over me. His thrusts were inconsistent… as if he wasn’t sure he should be doing this, despite permission.

Good. We’re both nervous and that makes me feel better.

A deep thrust found purchase and he pushed in. We both gasped at the action, as if it had surprised us both. He pulled out almost all the way and thrust back in, taking his time and enjoying the moment. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment with him when I heard him speak in a husky, lust filled voice.

“No… open your eyes. Look at your stars and your moon. Take them in while I take you.”

I did as he asked and I gasped at how much more beautiful they seemed while making love. His thrusts got harder, and we moaned together in time with each other’s breathing. I watched the stars and they seemed to explode when my pleasure overcame me.

He stopped abruptly at my completion. “And there you have it… the stars and moon are too romantic not to enjoy from indoors. Preferably, watching them from a bedroom window while making love. With your permission, I’ll clean you up…”

I looked up at him. “No… you didn’t finish. I can’t let you stop!”

Midnight smiled down at her. “I am a noble and a knight… but I am not worthy of you Luna. I showed you the answer you seek, but I can’t join you in such pleasure. I am not worthy.”

I almost cried. “You are my first… please don’t stop until you finish… I want to feel it… all of it… no matter where else this may go afterwards.”

He nodded and sighed deeply as he settled back down on top of me again. He didn’t hesitate to reenter me and I watched him watching the stars and moon as he thrust harder, and harder and harder. The stars reflected his passion and his own completion filled me with a warmth that I could never describe other than that it felt right. Watching the stars in his eyes while we made love gave my night new meaning.

Did all ponies do this?

He stood up again, now finished. “Now… if you will allow me to, I’ll clean you up.”

Luna pursed her lips again. “How about we take a bath together? We can clean each other up.”

His smile melted my heart. “I would be honored, Luna. Lead the way.”

----------

Nightmare Moon

The memory faded and I could almost feel Luna buck my brain.

How dare you enjoy such a private memory! Buck you, darkness.

I shook off the rebuke and turned back to Calamity. “I think I found my answer, but I don’t know how you knew how to provoke it.”

Calamity snorted again. “My own host possesses a fair number of memories that explains things that I seem to do out of his habit rather than my own nature. It is important to understand yourself, is it not?”

I found myself nodding. “Shall we finish this? I think I’m ready.”

Calamity teleported a short distance away and renewed his battle stance. He then teleported again and then again. I couldn’t figure out what he was doing until I remembered the magical warm up routine that Lunar Knights used to use before a battle.

Right. Left. The next one is center!

I charged my horn and fired a second before he reappeared. But this wasn’t ‘Calamity.’ What appeared before me was Midnight Stalker. No armor. Just a large black coated unicorn with slate grey hair and silver eyes… wearing a familiar smile…

----------

1,005 years ago

Luna

“I’m going crazy, Midnight. This darkness seems to be slowly over-taking me. One day I will lose control and I’m afraid of what I will do.”

Midnight Stalker snorted. “My love will anchor you. As long as we have each other, you will never lose yourself.”

I bit my lip. “What if you’re wrong? This darkness knows how good you are at keeping me stable. If I lose control… surely, she will kill you.”

He nodded. “I could never lift a hoof to you, Luna. If the darkness wants me dead, then I’ll stand there and let her kill me with a smile on my face.”

I gasped. “What! No! How could you say such a thing?”

He walked over to me and nuzzled me. “Nothing you want could ever be wrong. If my death is necessary, then I will die for you. My only regret that I have but one life to give you. Maybe my death, freely given, would let you break the darkness’ control. I would welcome such a sacrifice for the good of the kingdom. Don’t cry for me, Luna. I was born to die.”

I stiffened… “Marry me.”

It was Midnight’s turn to stiffen. “Pardon, majesty?”

I stood taller. “Marry me, Midnight Stalker. Love me until death.”

He bit his lip. “Can we marry? My noble status and military rank are decent, but you are a ruling princess. Your sister would have to agree, and we don’t know what she’ll say. It could take years to work out the details and I’m not getting any younger.”

I nodded. “I’ll take care of it. Please say yes…”

He nodded. “I will marry you… and I will love you forever. Even after my death, I’ll always be here in your heart and while you may someday forget me, my love will always remain.”

I nuzzled him. “I love you…”

He smiled a familiar smile… “I love you more… and I’ll prove it someday. Come Tartarus or war or rebellion… I will serve you until my death and love you for eternity. I will save you, my princess… never fear.”

----------

Nightmare Moon

My magical beam hit Midnight Stalker and bore thorough him, leaving a smoking hole in what used to be his chest, causing him to collapse dead unto the throne room granite floor.

Luna cried out into my mind. MIDNIGHT!!!

I hushed her. He died a millennium ago. This is just a stupid illusion. Give it a second and the illusion will fade and will reveal the real pony.

Luna calmed within Nightmare’s mind and within moments, the effects of the illusion started to fade, as was normal with the death of the pony casting the spell.

All that happened was that a pair of large black wings appeared on the now dead alicorn…

Luna screamed within Nightmare’s mind. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nightmare’s control broke as the facade of Nightmare vanished, restoring Luna to herself for the first time in 1,000 years.

Luna reached down and clutched Midnight to her, rocking back and forth, and sobbing.

The potion worked. It bucking worked and he kept his promise. He died for me… unable to raise a hoof to me… and he saved me… Stars above… I can’t live with myself. I’ll let the elements of harmony ‘defeat’ Nightmare Moon. If I’m lucky… it’ll kill me this time.

----------

Chapter 21 – An Illusion within an Illusion

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Chapter 21 – An Illusion within an Illusion

Luna

I buried Midnight Stalker in the tombs that housed the ancient Death Lords. The magic that maintained them was still active, though I did not know how that was possible. The tomb had become surrounded by the Everfree Forest but that was no matter. I would always visit my love for as long as I lived, although I hoped that it wouldn’t be much longer.

I wished that I had his armor to bury him in, but that was lost within his magical storage portals. While I had memorized his magical signature as a unicorn, it had changed once he became an alicorn and I didn’t know the new signature.

My tears overcame me. Forgive me, Midnight. I did not want to kill you, my love.

I returned to the castle to wait for my would-be challengers. I wrapped Nightmare Moon around me like a blanket and wore her as she wore me. It seemed fitting. I could have released my sister from her sun prison, but I did not want her to interfere in this. I heard the ponies approaching and I just waited in the shadows.

The six ponies took the five visible elements of harmony off their mounts and gathered them. A lavender unicorn seemed to be trying to find the sixth, but she was taking too long.

Should I give her more time? No… I’ve waited long enough.

“Having trouble, little one?”

All six of the mares gasped as they heard me speak. I had to throw in an evil cackle to maintain my assumed persona. I eyed them all warily and with the hope that they could finally end this.

“Do you need some help finding what you’re missing?”

Twilight eyed me with concern. “Why would you help us? We are trying to stop you!”

Luna nodded. “And a villain enjoys a good challenge. I can’t kill you before you’re ready… there’s no fun in that.”

To my surprise, the purple mare took a battle stance… a very familiar battle stance.

My eyes narrowed. “Who trained you in warfare?”

The purple mare gritted her teeth. “I was trained by Death Lord Midnight Stalker, himself. I’m not as good as him but I know how to defend myself.”

I winced in sympathy. She must have been close to him… he never had a personal student 1,000 years ago…

I allowed an evil cackle to escape my lips, but I had to force it. “Well then… you should be no challenge then… for I killed Midnight Stalker less than 2 hours ago… Oh my… I seem to still have his blood on my hooves. Do one of you have a wet wipe?”

To my surprise, the purple mare gasped and then all six mares lowered their heads, as if in prayer or mourning. A few moments passed without a word until the orange earth mare spoke up, raising her head.

“My name is Applejack and Midnight Stalker has saved my family more than once. He’s saved my farm. Saved my livelihood. Ah will kill you for his death… that’s the honest truth.” Applejack seemed to glow after her statement.

The pink earth mare spoke up next. “My name is Pinkie Pie, and I ran away from home after I gained my cutie mark, but it never occurred to me that I was too young for a job given that I had worked on my family’s rock farm my whole life up until that point. I found myself homeless, jobless, bitless and hungry. Midnight Stalker took me in and raised me. He gave me my first party cannon… like duh, how could a civilian obtain a party cannon? He allowed me to party, and he helped me make friends. When the time came, he helped me get my job with the Cakes at the bakery. He gave me everything I could have wanted and never asked for anything in return. I loved him and respected him. I will kill you for his death!” Pinkie Pie seemed to glow after her statement.

The white unicorn spoke up next. “My name is Rarity. When I was younger, I had a dream to become the best seamstress in Equestria. I went to dozens of banks, and they all turned me down… the examples of my work not enough to inspire them to fund me. Midnight Stalker not only gave me the loan to open the Carousel Boutique… but he was also my first customer. He believed in me when I thought I was in over my head. He encouraged me and inspired me! While a lady doesn’t like to get her hooves dirty… I will kill you for his death…” Rarity seemed to glow after her statement.

The blue pegasus spoke up next. “My name is Rainbow Dash. I’ve wanted to serve Equestria as a member of the Wonderbolts for as long as I can remember. While they do cool airshows and handle abnormal weather, it was never lost on me that they are members of the Equestrian military. Midnight Stalker encouraged me to do stunts. To practice. He even paid for some of the damage that stunts gone wrong caused. He prevented the mayor of Ponyville from firing me for my slacking off at work to do more stunts, claiming that it was for his entertainment. He was going to be my sponsor so I could apply to the Wonderbolt Academy faster. You not only killed a war hero… but you killed part of my hopes and dreams… and for that… I will kill you for his death.” Rainbow Dash glowed after making her statement.

The yellow pegasus spoke up next. “My name is Fluttershy. When I first moved to Ponyville, I was extra shy because of the bullying I endured. Midnight Stalker helped me build my cottage on the edge of Whitetail Woods on his own land and let me live there rent free. He saved my life and made me a Death Lord of the Wood. He ordered me to kill with kindness because the world needs more kindness… so as a kindness… I will make your death painless… but I will kill you.” Fluttershy glowed after she said it.

The purple mare raised her head but kept her eyes closed. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia. Midnight Stalker was my godstallion. More than that. He was like a second father… a very welcome addition to my family while I was growing up. When I call him Uncle Midnight… he earned that affection… and you stole that from me. I will kill you and restore the light.” With that, Twilight opened her eyes, and they were a pure white of unrestricted magic. Alicorn level power flowed through her veins.

The element of magic appeared, and all of the elements seemed to regain their magical forms. The elements attached themselves to their intended bearers and I was left awestruck.

I don’t recall the elements ever being activated with hate. Even when Celestia banished Nightmare Moon, that was justice… not hate. Maybe it will kill me…

The rainbow formed and washed over me, banishing the lingering evil and purifying me to a time from before any evil or hate had entered my heart. The heat burned like a fire but also left a lingering warmth like soaking in a sauna. The warmth hugged me and lulled me to sleep.

Is this what dying feels like? Like taking a nap? Oh well. I’ll see you soon, Midnight.

----------

Celestia

With the complete banishment of Nightmare Moon, I was released from my Sun prison. I found the battleground quickly enough and I focused on my student and her new friends; I could hear Applejack speaking.

“Is she dead?”

Twilight responded. “I don’t think so, but we won’t know for sure until the dust settles. Stay on your guard until we know its okay.”

Fluttershy nodded to Rarity and pointed at her necklace. “I can’t believe that your element is the same design as your cutie mark.”

Rarity looked down and smiled at it only to turn around and say the same thing to Fluttershy. “So is yours! Uncanny, is it not darling?”

I raised the sun and landed within the castle. “Indeed, it is.” I turned to Twilight. “Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student. I knew you could do it.

Twilight Sparkle sounded confused. “But... you told me it was all an old pony tale.”

I shook my head. “I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more. I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, and we knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her, but you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart. Now if only another will as well. Princess Luna!”

Luna gasped as she was awoken from her sleep.

I walked up to her and did my best to not look threatening. “It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this. Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister.”

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash whispered together. “Sister?”

I continued as if I had not heard them say anything. “Will you accept my friendship?”

Luna recovered herself and ran up to me. “I'm so sorry! I missed you so much, big sister!”

I hugged her as hard as I could. “I've missed you, too.”

Pinkie Pie, ever cheerful proclaims knowingly. “Hey, you know what this calls for? A party!”

Luna’s mood seemed to sour, and I was extra in tune with it, not wanting to fall back into old habits. “What’s wrong, Lulu?”

Luna pressed her face into my coat. “I killed Midnight. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now. I still love him…”

I smiled. “He survived the potion 1,000 years ago. I’m sure he’s waiting for you back at his estate.”

Luna cried harder. “No Tia… Nightmare Moon killed him last night. His sacrifice allowed me to break control long enough to say goodbye and entomb him… but he’s gone! I had hoped that the Elements would kill me or banish me… I wasn’t expecting to be purified and saved. I don’t feel like I deserve mercy.”

Twilight and the Elements of Harmony didn’t add to the conversation, but I could tell that they were upset about all the events of the night. I didn’t know what to say. Nothing sounded right. I was saved from having to speak by the approach of a familiar sound.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

I pulled back and watched Luna’s ears pin to her head, afraid to look behind her.

Midnight Stalker removed his helmet and spoke. “Majesty. The Castle has been secured.”

I smiled at him. “Good work, my Death Lord. You may stand down; the mission is complete.”

Midnight nodded his thanks and removed his armor with magic, placing it on the floor.

Luna slowly turned; her eyes became wide. “Midnight?”

He gave her a wide smile. “Did you expect anypony else?”

Luna’s jaw dropped. “If you’re here… then who did I bury?”

Midnight chuckled. “An energy mannequin. I got really good at crafting them over the years. The blood and smell of cooked flesh from a successful spell hit is a nice touch for when you need somepony to think that your dead. Ask the kid over there, she knows how often I like to play dead.”

Twilight huffed. “I’m not a goat!”

I watched the display with great interest, given that something still wasn’t quite right with this situation. Something was off, what exactly, I couldn’t tell.

Luna walked over the Midnight and nuzzled him timidly. “Are you mad at me, Midnight?”

Midnight eyed her with a look of indecision. He seemed to be weighing his options on what to say or do. It wasn’t like him to be indecisive. Finally, he lowered his head.

“I’ve waited a thousand years for this. I practiced what I was going to stay or do. I came up with a thousand plans only to dismiss them and replace them with a thousand more. In the end… only seven words would do.”

Midnight turned away from her and walked to a certain place within the room, where he was bathed in the sunlight coming through the ruins of a throne room window. I could feel the dread pouring off my sister.

Midnight looked up at the sky. “I love you, and I forgive you.”

Luna’s tears renewed as she ran over to him and tackled him with a hug and a kiss.

Midnight returned her affection gently but also pushed her back a little. “Now, now. The elements purified you to a point where you appear to be much younger than you are. You could pass for a pre-cutie mark age filly at your current size.”

Luna looked over herself and giggled. “Ah, so it seems. And I have been a bad, bad filly. Maybe you should spank me.”

I turned a beet red watching the display and the other mares looked away, both shocked and embarrassed to even be in the same room with this going on. I knew they were going to get married but I didn’t think they did roleplay, not that Luna would have ever told me.

Midnight chuckled. “Not in front of the children, dearest.”

Twilight piped up. “We’re not fillies!”

Midnight raised an eyebrow at her challenge. “So, you want to watch?”

Twilight’s jaw dropped and she gulped. “I… I didn’t say that!”

Midnight’s smile grew melancholy, and I knew something was wrong. “It doesn’t really matter… I’m afraid that we don’t have time. We have once again come to a moment of parting, and we go our separate ways… I to die, and you to live. Which is better, only Celestia knows.”

I froze, as did every other mare in the room. A shimmer happened, like an illusion being added or one that was wearing off. Luna gasped and even I took in a deep breath as I realized that this Midnight was also an energy mannequin.

Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “That’s… almost a perfect copy. I couldn’t tell that it wasn’t you until just now but… energy mannequins aren’t supposed to have the depth of memories that you display. How is this possible?”

Midnight sighed. “You are correct… this isn’t normally possible… but, what do you think would happen if you bound a pony’s soul to an energy mannequin?”

Twilight gulped. “I have no idea. Soul binding is technically Necromancy… which is illegal.”

Midnight smiled weakly. “But of course, Death Lords are above the law. Let me ask a more specific question. What if, in theory, a unicorn was dying, and he bound his own soul to an energy mannequin and then built a house near or in the Everfree Forest where the chaos magic would flow into the mannequin and sustained him without the need for the original caster to be alive?”

Silence. Complete silence as Twilight worked through the magical theory and then gulped. “I suppose that it’s possible… but the unicorn would have had to have been a master at object creation magic. The level of power required could only be done by an alicorn or maybe the strongest unicorn that ever lived.”

Midnight nodded again. “You mean, as if I was the son of Clover the Clever and Starswirl the Breaded?”

Twilight’s eye twitched. “Yes… that does add up. If you are the son of Equestria’s strongest known male and female unicorn ever…”

Midnight sighed. “I can’t really prove it, not that it matters anymore. They never got married and she never admitted who my father was though I can tell you that Clover never officially married anypony and we did live together as a ‘family.’ I think that there was a bit of a scandal about them having any sort of ‘relationship’ because Starswirl raised Clover the Clever after she was orphaned at the age of two. I suppose I cannot blame them for not falling in love after working together and living together for so long… but the age gap is problematic, and the student/teacher relationship makes it harder to take that leap. At least with me and Luna, we are roughly the same age…” Midnight continued. “Anyways… a soul infused energy mannequin can only be copied or maintained for so long before the soul starts to fade. I’ve lasted for longer than I thought possible, but its time… for me to go to Elysium.”

Midnight turned to me. “Can you do me a favor?”

I swallowed hard. “Anything, Midnight.”

His stare seemed to bore into my soul. “Lower the Sun so I may look upon the night sky one last time.”

I knew the ponies wouldn’t understand but I also didn’t care. I would do this for him. The sun was lowered, and Luna created the most beautiful night sky that I had ever seen. Luna went to hug him but ended up walking completely through him as he lost corporal form. The reality of this happening brought everypony to tears, but Luna was sobbing the hardest as she sat on her rump.

Midnight leaned into her. “And you, dearest. Please make your sister lay me to rest finally. I wasn’t able to touch my own bones, or I would have lost my soul faster. She knows where my remains are… if she thinks about it.”

My blood ran cold upon hearing that, but Luna nodded with tear streaks on her face. “It shall be done.”

Midnight’s form waivered but I could see the love in his eyes. “I have a final gift for you, in memory of love.”

The mannequin collapsed in upon itself and become a tiny dot. It shot through the window and flew through the sky, like a meteor returning to the heavens, until it pulsed… and became a new star in Luna’s sky.

Luna’s eyes watered with a new wave of tears, and I was shocked that Twilight was the first to come over and hug Luna, offering comfort. All the mares joined in the hug and finally I added my own wings to the mix.

After a few calming moments, Luna sniffed. “So where are Midnight’s remains?”

I gulped and wordlessly left the throne room down old familiar but abandoned corridors. I didn’t have to look behind me to know that everypony was following me. It wasn’t too long before I came to a room that still had a readable sign that said ‘Infirmary.’ Pushing the door open, it fell into the room, having rotted off its hinges. The room had ten beds and nine of them were just rusted metal frames, the mattresses having long since rotted away. But the last bed… had a privacy curtain pulled tight as if a patient were still sleeping.

With unease, I pulled the curtain open to reveal the bones of a Unicorn on a mattress that looked almost brand new. Luna’s eyes watered again as the back-to-back shocks refused to stop coming.

I sighed. “Midnight’s magic must have preserved this. While it is disrespectful to do so… I’m going to have to put the bones in a magical storage portal. I think we should return the remains and his armor to his wife.”

Luna gasped. “He… he was married?”

I frowned and nodded. “The wedding was last night… the 1,000-year anniversary of what was supposed to be your wedding to him. Ironic and fitting. Midnight always had lousy timing in his love life. But… I think he knew his time was limited so I hope you’ll forgive him.”

Luna nodded with sincerity. “I hope that me and his wife can be good friends.”

I looked at all the mares. “Brace yourself for a teleport.”

----------

Anon

With a pop and flash of light, eight ponies appeared on the front porch of Midnight’s estate. Luna knocked and I answered the door.

“Princess Luna! So good to meet you finally. It’s nice to see that Midnight was successful.”

Luna winced. “I wish I had better news for you… but Midnight fell in battle. We have his armor and his remains for you… on behalf of a grateful nation, we thank you for your husband’s service and sacrifice.”

I raised an eyebrow. “He had time to ‘service you’ before his sacrifice?”

Luna’s filly muzzle went red. “No! That’s not what I meant!”

Applejack whispered to Rainbow Dash. “That gal really was his wife, wasn’t she? Really has his humor pegged.”

Rainbow Dash only nodded back, not wanting to interrupt.

Anon giggled. “I hope we can be friends, after all, we have Midnight in common. Come in, have a drink. We have lots of leftover food from the wedding as well as Hard Apple Cider and Apple Pie Moonshine, all fresh from Sweet Apple Acres. Oh… are you old enough to drink, Luna?”

Celestia giggled. “She’s older than she looks, and I think we could all use a drink after the night we’ve had.”

Anon grinned at Celestia. “Okay Tia. What will you have?”

Luna raised an eyebrow at the pet name, showing Anon and Celestia’s friendship. Luna bristled as anger started to take hold. “You don’t seem terribly upset about the news of Midnight’s death. Don’t you care?”

Celestia stepped in to stop a fight. “Of course she cares. She’s probably just in shock. Let’s keep this simple and stick to Ale. Eight ales should be enough.”

Anon smiled. “Eight ales coming right up. Midnight! Eight ales please?”

Fluttershy folded her ears back. “Poor dear must really be out of it.”

The other mares nodded until Midnight popped into the room with eight ales held in his magic. “Ah! You’re finally here. Ale for everypony!”

Luna went pale and took a step back. “Mid… Midnight? Wha? What’s happening?”

Midnight grinned as he floated the ales to everypony. “1,000 years ago, one week before our wedding, you played a prank on me, and I told you I'd get you back. Well. I had a longer than expected wait but that was one Tartarus of a joke. I'll never top that. I know it makes me a jackass but we’re even now. Oh, and the star I made is real. I hope that you cherish it as an apology for the over-the-top joke.”

Luna laughed as she drank some of the ale and released all of her tension, mock anger playfully rising to the occasion. “You bucking tailhole! That was the worst joke ever! Is it really over?”

Midnight kissed her on the muzzle and licked a little ale that was dripping down her filly sized face. “Yes, the joke is over… and before you ask… I am really alive, no energy mannequin this time. I promise. Now drink up. We have 1,000 years to catch up on and I believe a certain little filly requested to be spanked for her misdeeds?”

Luna blushed as Applejack nearly chocked on her ale. “As happy as ah am that yare not dead… can ya cut that out in front of the guests! Ah don’t wanna see it.”

Twilight smiled at the banter that she was obviously more used to than she let on. “I’m less worried about the teasing than I am of what Anon thinks about it.”

I shrugged. “Luna was here first. I don’t care if Midnight wants a herd. I’d let him marry all eight of you if it made him happy. I’m the stranger to your land and I refuse to judge your customs by my people’s standards. After all, Midnight saved me too and I trust him to make the right decision for our family. Besides… I just found out that I’m pregnant. Humans carry for 9 months and mares carry for 11 months. I have no idea how long I’ve going to be pregnant and if this foal is half pony, then I will be as big as a house before too long and I’ll be unable to fulfil most, if not all of the responsibilities of a wife. I’d even bet that I’ll be put on bed rest at some point. I don’t mind sharing and to honest, I’m going to need help.”

Luna bit her lip as the hope of the situation resurfaced. “I… I’ll have to wait until my normal appearance as an adult mare comes back as my magic fully returns… but I would be willing to consider it. Thank you for offering, Anon.”

I laughed again. “Don’t even worry about it. Just drink your ale and be happy.”

Celestia cleared her throat. “It was a good joke… very detailed… but I have questions.”

Midnight nodded and took a sip of the moonshine that he himself had. “Ask away.”

Celestia took a drink of ale to calm herself. “Where did the unicorn skeleton come from?”

Midnight grinned. “Spirit of Nightmare Night. I added extra enchantments to give it a more realistic feel, appearance and weight.”

Celestia nodded. “I’ve heard of that seasonal store, but they aren’t open yet for this year’s Nightmare Night.”

Midnight snorted. “Pfft. I’ve had that thing for years. You think I put this together overnight?”

Twilight yawned, breaking up the interrogation. “I’m exhausted. I’m going back to the library for some rest.”

As if the words were a spell, all the mares yawned. Applejack nodded. “Ah think your right, sugarcube. Ah need 40 winks myself. Take care, ya’ll. And pardon me, Princess.”

The mares excused themselves one at a time eventually leaving only Midnight, Luna, Celestia and me in the room.

Midnight raised his glass. “More ale or moonshine?”

Luna yawned too. “Maybe next time.” She bit her lip. “There will be a next time, right?”

Midnight kissed her. “If you want there to be, then yes. I’ll have to discuss all of this more with Anon. Take care of yourself, my love.”

Luna returned his kiss. “Thank you for saving me.”

Midnight chuckled. “I’ll always be your Knight with Midnight Armor.”

With that, Luna reluctantly left with Celestia to return to Canterlot.

I pursed my lips. “With all that teasing… I’m surprised she didn’t stay.”

Midnight shrugged. “Teasing aside, we never did ‘filly roleplay’ during our original relationship, although there is magic that allows it for fully consenting adults. And if we change our mind, there’s always next time. Come. It’s not too late to take a nap.”

I yawned too. “Now that’s a plan I can get behind.”

----------

Chapter 22 - Back to Work

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After the defeat of Nightmare Moon… Princess Luna had established a new routine.

At least once a week she would teleport or fly to Ponyville to have breakfast with Midnight and Anon instead of having breakfast with her sister, like she did the other six days a week. This served to allow her to spend more time with her former fiancé and his new wife and to try to reestablish ties to him and establish ties to her. The end goal was to be comfortable in joining them in a herd marriage instead of the single marriage they had planned originally.

Not that it was going well.

Anon seemed more than willing to share her husband but it was Midnight that seemed shy about it. He had claimed not to mind herds in the past, but he still seemed stubborn in not wanting to betray his new wife, given that her culture had little to no herding, or polygamy, as she called it.

It had been a month since Nightmare Moon had been banished and this was Luna’s fourth breakfast with Midnight’s family. She found herself troubled by the fact that despite Midnight not having traditional royal duties, and with the recent peace he wasn’t engaged in warfare, he still seemed so busy. He barely seemed to have time for her.

Or maybe he was avoiding her.

That thought gave her both pause and sorrow. Of course he forgave her, and his prank, cruel as it was, evened the score… but he had to be bitter over what they lost. 1,000 years isn’t forgotten overnight, and she knew that.

It was a dark and ominous morning in Ponyville, with thick dark clouds that seemed to block the sun and a steady rainfall that was both calming and hushed. Walking up to the estate brought her back to her younger years. Midnight had always claimed he was going to build such an estate in the countryside, in the middle of nowhere, as a retreat for both of them to escape palace intrigue for a while. An estate near Whitetail Woods and not far from the Everfree Forest, less than five miles from the Castle of the Pony Sisters… was far from the middle of nowhere… at least while the Castle was in use. After the fall of the Castle of the Pony Sisters, with Canterlot Castle taking its place, built within the old sovereign territory of the ancient unicorns, this estate was in the middle of nowhere. At least until Ponyville was founded roughly four generations ago.

It seemed like a bad joke in its own right that Midnight had tried to find peace and get away from it all, only for civilization to creep back up on him and force him to interact with society. Not one to be rude, Luna knocked on the door and Anon answered it, looking like she hadn’t slept at all.

“Good morning, Luna. Would you like some coffee?”

Luna nodded slowly, clearly tired from her own nightly work. “I would like that, yes. Are you okay?”

Anon shook her head. “Midnight had a mission last night. I can never sleep when he’s out there doing dangerous things. I know he can handle himself but still… I worry.”

Luna smiled weakly. “You worry because you love him. The only reason why I don’t worry is because I’ve seen firsthoof what he can do. It would take an army to stop him… come to think of it… entire armies have failed to stop him.”

Anon laughed gently and showed the princess in. Despite only having been here a few times, Luna already had the place memorized. She had been shocked to find her old night throne in Midnight’s miniature throne room, but she didn’t need it as her sister had already secured her a newer one for the throne room in Canterlot.

Sitting down at the kitchen table, Luna sipped on the delicious cup of coffee Anon had provided. The coffee itself was no different than she had remembered but the way the human made it somehow made it taste better. She would have to inquire about that at some later time.

Luna cleared her throat. “So… did Midnight say what his mission was?”

Anon deflated. “…No. Only that it has something to do with the investigation that he’s been working on for the last few months. He managed to save me two months ago during an earlier part of the investigation into slavers illegally passing through Equestrian territory. All I know is that it’s something that has been happening for a long time and with your return he can finally put a stop to it. I’m not sure what he means about that… what can you do that Tia can’t?”

Luna sipped her coffee quietly, thinking about the clues presented. “Me and my sister are equal but opposite. She raises the sun and I raise the moon. She deals with the hassles of daytime politics, and I deal with the hassles of nightmares and the dreamscape. The only real difference is that I was always fond of foals whereas my sister never had time for them. I think that had something to do with me always having to calm their nightmares though.”

Anon looked confused about that. “What about Tia’s school for gifted unicorns?”

Luna coughed into her hoof. “That is more for education and the hope of finding ponies powerful enough to protect the nation and possibly ascend into alicornhood. As for myself, I simply adore foals. I was looking forward to having a few foals with Midnight…”

Anon nodded, understanding the circumstances and circular logic. “I’m still nudging Midnight into taking you as a second wife. It may be a slow process though… he’s stubborn… so I must push gently so he doesn’t dig in his hooves and refuse to budge.”

Luna nodded back in turn. “I appreciate your efforts and your understanding. Mission or not… Midnight knew I was coming today… I wonder if he’s avoiding me?”

Anon grimaced as she looked out the window towards the rain. “That’s part of what worries me. Even if he was avoiding you… he’d be here to greet you if only to redirect the accusation of avoiding you. At least during times like this when he knows your coming.”

A light tapping at the door alerted both of them to another guest. Anon left to answer the front door and came back with Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight bowed to Luna. “Your highness… I’m pleased to be able to attend one of these once-a-week meetings.”

Luna smiled. “Please rise and be at ease, Twilight. What brings you here?”

Twilight nodded towards Anon. “Anon’s offer to allow all of us to form a herd with Midnight was very compelling for me. I know that he’s my godstallion and practically helped raise me but… my mom wants me to get married and give her grandfoals, but I’ve been shy my entire life and I just don’t have a connection with any other stallions other than Midnight. I was hoping to gain both Anon’s and your consent to try to join the herd.”

Luna gulped. “I have no objection though most ponies would find the arrangement to be lewd. I would hate for Midnight to be accused of grooming you for this role.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped in shock, but she gulped and composed herself. “I suppose that could be a valid concern, but he is a good stallion. Very… righteous. I would wager that he’ll turn me down, but I still want to try so I’m not second guessing myself.”

Anon snorted. “To quote an Earth Comedian, ‘Once you go purple you never go back.’ I’m sure Midnight would love to have you… all of you.”

Twilight blushed at the implications of such an arrangement and Anon continued to smile.

Before Luna could reply, Moon Watcher burst into the room. “Anon! I need boiling hot water and clean towels, please? Hurry!”

Moon Watcher’s face practically smashed into the floor when she noticed Luna. “Your Highness! I’m so sorry…”

Luna perked up into something she referred to as ‘battle mode.’ “What’s the situation?”

Moon Watcher picked herself up from off the floor. “The mission was successful but there is a complication. We need medical attention… hot water and clean towels to clean up what’s about to happen…”

Anon quickly put on a pot of water to boil. “You know where the linen closet is, go get however many towels you think you’re going to need. Where’s Midnight?”

Moon Watcher gulped. “He’ll be here soon. We need the supplies as quickly as possible.”

Moon Watcher left the room in pursuit of the linens that she needed, and Twilight simply looked worried.

Twilight looked at Luna. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Luna nodded. “Get a fire going in the den’s fireplace. It’s the only room large enough to deal with a medical issue not being used for anything else and we’ll probably need the heat.”

Twilight trotted off to carry out the instructions, happy to be able to do anything to help.

Luna sighed. “So much for breakfast. I hope this isn’t too serious… but I’ve rarely seen any of Midnight’s personal soldiers lose their composure.”

Anon was watching the pot of water, wishing it to boil faster. “It’s hard for me to see Moon Watcher as a soldier under Midnight’s leadership. She’s always here at the Estate and he doesn’t need a personal bodyguard. I don’t get lover vibes from her and I’m not sure I’d be jealous if I did. Her bat wings are pretty. I just want him to be happy.”

Luna was unable to retort to that statement as the kitchen door opened. Midnight was standing there, holding a filly, and covered in blood.

“Is the water ready? Where is Moon Watcher?”

Anon paled at the sight. “Moon is getting the linens, and the water is almost ready. Midnight… are you…”

He shook his head. “The blood isn’t mine… but I wish it was. We need to hurry… we don’t have much time.”

Luna followed Midnight to the den and Anon brought the pot of water as soon as the first speck of a bubble appeared.

Anon looked down at the bloody filly laying there on the towels in front of the fire with Midnight and Luna fussing over her. The filly was in considerable pain and her stomach seemed to be moving on its own.

Midnight was doing his best to help her. “What is your name, miss?”

The filly answered, short of breath. “Silver Tears.”

Midnight winced. “Appropriate.”

Twilight was standing by, having nothing to do now that the fire was going. She whispered to Anon. “That is the fattest filly I’ve ever seen.”

Anon was going to reply when Silver Tears cried out in pain. Midnight cast a spell on her that seemed to deaden some of the pain but then positioned the filly in a way that left nothing to the imagination of what was about to happen.

Anon gulped. “She’s not fat… she’s pregnant… and it appears that she is in labor.”

Twilight frowned. “She can’t be pregnant… she doesn’t even have a cutie mark.”

Midnight sighed and spoke in Twilight’s general direction. “Oh… you sweet summer filly. The world is far darker than you know in the places that Celestia’s sun doesn’t reach. This is why Death Lords exist. The need for justice sometimes outweighs the need for friendship or kindness. Fillies start going into heat far younger than it is safe to conceive but that doesn’t stop some stallions from sticking their cocks inside of them anyways. This… atrocity… must be stopped.”

Midnight scanned the filly with magic and then a tear rolled down his cheek. “The foal is too big… or she is too small… She is going to die and there is nothing I can do to prevent it.”

The room stilled as Silver Tears continued to try to push the foal out with no success and the weight of the situation seemed to settle onto all the adults in the room.

Anon spoke up. “What about a C-section? Can you do that?”

Midnight turned to her with a frown. “What’s a C-section?”

Anon gulped, not realizing that a C-section wasn’t a thing here. “Well… on my world, when a child can’t be born naturally, a C-section is used to cut the foal out of the mother through the belly area. I imagine that I will need such a thing myself as I have no hope of pushing a foal through my birth canal. Just cut her womb open and take the foal out, and then sew her up or heal her with magic. Easy… right?”

Midnight looked at Luna. “Should I try? I’m not a doctor, officially, and unless we can get one from Ponyville Hospital in the next 20 minutes… she won’t survive.”

Luna gulped. “I trust you… do what needs to be done.”

Midnight opened his magical storage portal and pulled out a set of daggers. He used a spell to sterilize them medically and then set to work.

“Okay… so I gut the filly like a fish and get the foal out…”

Anon screamed. “NO!!! Gentle. Do a light incision over the womb, pull the foal out and then sew her up. Don’t spill all of her guts! I doubt even your magic could prevent death at that rate!”

Midnight snickered with a smirk. “Killjoy.”

Anon watched very pensively as Midnight cut the filly open at the spot that his magic told him to. The magic holding the daggers seemed very precise and the foal practically fell into Luna’s forelegs once the incision was completed. Luna worked to clean the foal up while Midnight cast healing spells to close the wound he had created.

In a matter of moments, the newborn foal was crying for his mother and Luna gave the foal to Silver Tears.

“Congratulations. It’s a colt.”

Silver Tears held the newborn with absolute fear. “No! Colts are killed! Only fillies are allowed to live…”

The statement shook the room as Silver Tears began to cry.

Anon stepped up. “Hey! Silver Tears! Nopony is going to kill your colt. You are safe here. Now… he’s hungry. Do what instinct tells you to do and feed him!”

Silver Tears shook in place and then slowly lowered the colt to her teats to nurse. The colt latched on and started to suckle. Silver Tears sighed as relief vacated her swollen underdeveloped teats.

Midnight walked a few paces away to give her the illusion of privacy and the rest of the household followed him.

He cleared his throat. “I am taking Silver Tears and her unnamed foal into my household as my wards. If anypony has an objection, voice it now.”

Twilight nodded. “I would lose trust in you if you didn’t.”

Anon nodded. “They are welcome. I will raise them myself as a daughter and grandson… even if I am too young to be a grandma.”

Luna frowned. “You didn’t just stumble across this… this is part of a larger problem… isn’t it?”

Midnight sagged, clearly exhausted. “Yes. I am working to fix it but it’s not as easy an issue to fix as it should be. Give me a few weeks and I might have something in place.”

Luna’s frown became more pronounced. “A few weeks? I remember when you would have had something like this mopped up in a few days. Losing your edge?”

Midnight shook his head as exhaustion started to overtake him. “I’m as sharp as ever, it’s the laws that are different. Celestia has been refining laws continuously over the last 1,000 years. She needed to be able to govern without the steel hooves of the Death Lords, which largely belonged to you. While I legally can still spill as much blood as I wish, it’s kinda frowned upon nowadays. Strictly speaking… only you or another Death Lord has the power to create new Death Lords. Only Fluttershy and I remain as Death Lords… and I only made her one to save her life. I seriously doubt that she will ever forge a new Death Lord herself, so it falls back to you. I’m doing the work of twelve Death Lords and even with less to do than there used to be, it’s a lot of work for just one pony, no matter how capable.”

Luna nodded slowly. “How many Death Lords do we need?”

Midnight considered the question. “Six Death Lords should be enough for the amount of work that exists for us. I would recommend making five more… given that I don’t expect Fluttershy to work much, and she needs to be available for Element of Harmony business.”

Moon Watcher joined the conversation, clearly as tired as Midnight. “If you don’t need me for anything else, I believe I could use some rest.”

Midnight walked over to her and nuzzled her, something that Anon had never seen him do before. “You did good work tonight, Moony. Get some rest.”

Moon Watcher nuzzled him back, as if forgetting that there were other ponies in the room. “Thanks… good night dad.”

Moon Watcher stumbled back to the part of the estate that had her room. Anon looked at Midnight with wide eyes. “I could have sworn that you said you had no children.”

Midnight snorted. “She’s so tired that I doubt she realized that she said it. It’s a long story. If Twilight wants to come back over tonight, I’ll tell both of you the whole story, but I need some sleep first.”

He returned to Silver Tears. “I’m going to set you up in one of the bedrooms. It’ll give you and the colt some privacy. How does that sound?”

Silver Tears gave a weak smile. “Sounds nice. Thank you…”

Midnight lifted her in his magic and started up the staircase to where all the bedrooms were. He paused and turned back to Luna.

“Do you want to join us in the master bedroom? The bed is large enough for three.”

Luna blushed. “I… would like to but I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I want you to let me join the herd… not just sleep with me.”

Midnight rolled his eyes. “And cuddling is a nice bonding activity that might put me in a better frame of mind to invite you in. Suit yourself. I know Anon stayed up all night worrying about me, and Silver Tears is going to have her hooves full with the colt.”

Midnight disappeared upstairs and Luna was left fretting in the Den. “What should I do? I hate being indecisive!”

Anon frowned. “Midnight is right, you know. If you can’t cuddle with him, how can he trust to believe that you still want to marry him. If this is the time of day that you normally go to bed anyways and he did invite you to join us, turning him down would be sending mixed messages. Besides… it’s raining… you don’t want to fly back to Canterlot in this. Twilight can stay and read books in Midnight’s library and otherwise make herself at home if it pleases her and we can try to start acting more like a family. It really is that simple.”

Luna bit her lip. “Are you sure?”

Anon rolled her eyes, mimicking Midnight. “He said cuddle, not threesome. I’m sure that he’s too tired to even consider sex. He’s giving you a chance; you shouldn’t walk away.”

Luna nodded shakily. “Okay… let’s go cuddle and get some sleep.”

Twilight smiled. “I’ll be in the library reading if anyone needs me. I’ll also check up on Silver Tears throughout the day, so you don’t have to worry about her.”

Anon gave Twilight a hug before leading Luna to the master bedroom. “Don’t worry too much… it’s going to be okay.

Luna nodded but still hesitated. “I sure hope that you are right.”

* * *

Chapter 23 - Recollections and Reconnections

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Luna and Anon made their way to the master bedroom and found that it was empty, Midnight still working to make Silver Tears more comfortable before he turned in for sleep. Luna got in bed and worked to get comfortable while Anon took the opposite side, hoping to force Midnight to sleep in the middle of the bed.

It wasn’t long before Midnight entered the room and crawled under the blankets. As an Alicorn, he was quite a bit bigger than Luna had remembered and she was shocked when he was able to wrap all four of his hooves around her and hold her tightly. She found herself drifting to sleep rapidly as the little spoon for the first time ever and giggled softly at the memories of love she had shared with Midnight all those years ago.

This was going to take some getting used to, but she found herself unable or unwilling to complain about how it was going.

* * *

Luna

I awoke to my ear being nibbled on. It was a strange sensation, but I enjoyed it. Midnight’s light nips worked its way down to my neck where he kissed and nipped at me vigorously. I found myself moving my head to give him more access to my neck, which he accepted with eagerness. As he continued to apply his nips, my moan of appreciation filled the otherwise silent room.

My tail slapped him playfully, but the motion also served to move my tail out of the way in a move that was almost muscle memory, and Midnight’s cock was there, waiting. With a gentle thrust, he was in me without effort, a practiced motion that had happened hundreds of times before… just not in over a thousand years.

I placed a hoof over my mouth to stifle my moan, but it made no difference. It wasn’t just his body that got bigger when he became an Alicorn, his cock had become bigger too. I could feel myself being stretched out and I could no longer fault my sister for having slept with him while I had been banished… this cock was a masterpiece. As the only male Alicorn in the world, it was possible that this was the biggest pony cock in the world… the thought giving me pause.

His quick, but deep thrusts did wonders to build me up to completion and I was forced to snort under my breath.

Too tired for sex my flank. Anon knew this was going to happen… I would give her a piece of my mind if it wasn’t turned to liquid and dripping out of my ears. Faust… I need more of this…

Any other complaint I might have had was silenced as I felt him fill me with his warm seed. I was grateful to not be in heat, but I also would have welcomed the chance to bear a foal. The paradox was playing Tartarus in my thoughts.

I didn’t know how long it took for a human, but both mares and stallions could come very quickly, which facilitated the making of foals, but also gave us the chance for multiple brief encounters instead of one long boring one. I personally preferred a quickie, since I could work them into my otherwise busy schedule and being able to have more than one in a day made the day worth looking forward to. There were a lot of ways that I missed the old days…

Midnight groaned in satisfaction. “Stars above, Luna… I’ve missed you.”

I sighed, satisfied in a way that I hadn’t felt since my return, but I was also a little disappointed that he didn’t say that he loved me. I was willing to admit that maybe he had to bury those feelings so deep to avoid going insane waiting a thousand years for my return that they haven’t had time to resurface, and I understood it. I yawned and opened my eyes to a sight that I wasn’t expecting.

Anon was standing at the doorway, arms crossed, but smiling. “Took you long enough. You two ready for dinner?”

My jaw dropped and I was having a hard time coming up with an explanation for what had just happened. Midnight cut off anything I could have said.

“You bet I am. I’m starving.”

He didn’t seem concerned with his wife having watched us make love, so I swallowed my unease. With reluctance, I followed them both down the stairs back to the kitchen. My stomach growled loudly, and I was forced to remember that I didn’t actually have breakfast this morning, so I was indeed very hungry.

Anon had cooked an elaborately complete meal and I was looking at both the fish and a salad to round out my meal. Silver Tears and Twilight had also joined us at the table and Midnight was serving them both like the children that he saw them as.

I mused. That might hurt Twilight’s chances to join the herd. Doesn’t matter how she feels about Midnight… Midnight helped raise her and he wouldn’t so causally rut the offspring of a close friend. His morals probably won’t allow it… but I suppose there could be an exception.

Now that things had calmed down from the events of this morning, I was able to get a good look at the filly. She was a unicorn, as was common for Canterlot. She had a pretty light blue coat and a sea green mane. Her eyes were a gentle pink, and she held a look of perpetual sadness. She also looked very nervous to be sitting at a dining room table with three other adults. Moon Watcher was absent, as seemed to be the usual.

Midnight had finished plating the filly’s dinner and sat it in front of her. With a daisy salad, a baked potato and a loaf of sweet bread complete with hot tea in front of her, Silver Tears didn’t know where to start. She looked very hungry, having been with her foal all day, but didn’t seem able to decide what to eat.

I cleared my throat. “Is there a problem, Silver? May I call you Silver?”

Silver Tears looked slightly panicked but nodded. “Yes, your highness. You can call me whatever you want. The only problem is that I don’t know what to eat. I mean, how do you choose when you have all this in front of you?”

Midnight smiled. “Well, Whatever You Want, I suppose you eat the first thing that appeals to you and then move on to the next item.”

Anon facepalmed at the obvious dad joke and decided to interject. “Did Midnight give you too much? As a nursing mother you will need to eat a lot… please don’t be afraid to ask for more.”

Silver Tears cocked her head, unsure of what to make of Midnight’s joke and Anon’s reaction.

“At the orphanage, we would be given a plate like this… but we were only allowed to pick one item plus a drink, and the rest would be passed on to the next filly. The lucky ones got to pick first. Are you telling me that all of this food is mine?”

I suppressed my shock. Orphanage? She was impregnated at an orphanage? That’s not supposed to happen… Orphanages exist to house orphans, not to create more. Or was she pregnant before she was dropped off… that’s almost more troubling…

Midnight cleared his throat. “Yes, Silver. All of that food is yours. You weren’t part of the conversation earlier, but I have decided to take you into my house as a ward. If you’re an extra good filly… I might adopt you. But… you must eat everything I gave you and take extra good care of your colt. Can you do that for me?”

Silver nodded as she tore into the food on her plate. Comparing her to a shark in a feeding frenzy might have been a close comparison but the shark would have lost. There was no conversation as we all tried to eat while watching Silver destroy her plate.

In ten minutes of straight eating, it looked like Silver Tears might eat everything on her plate but then she stopped. She was staring at the last half of the potato, but she didn’t seem able to take another bite. The food wall was real, not that it ever stopped my sister from eating another slice of cake.

Silver Tears lips quivered and tears formed in her eyes. “I’m so full… I don’t think I’ve ever had this much food ever… I can’t finish it… PLEASE DON’T THROW ME OUT!!!”

Her tears overwhelmed the room as Anon rushed to give her a hug, trying to calm the distraught filly.

“Shush. We aren’t going to throw you out. I bet that if you go feed your colt, you’ll be hungry again and then you can finish the potato. You can still be a good filly, how does that sound?”

Silver Tears wiped her eyes with her forehoof and smiled. “I know how to be a good filly! I’ll show you!”

Silver dislodged herself from Anon’s hug and jumped down from her chair, walking close to where Midnight was seated. She turned away from him, lowered her head, raised her tiny flanks into the air and flagged her tail, showing him her pussy.

“I’m ready to be a good filly for you, my lord. Take me as you please.”

The room just stopped. Midnight was staring at the filly dumbly as if he had never considered anything like this happening. Being a ‘good filly’ must mean something different for her. Her pussy was still tight, possibly only because she wasn’t forced to go through a natural birthing, and the earnestness and near eagerness of the filly to try to please, or service, the stallion of the house made the unusual situation even harder to accept but that wasn’t the type of stallion that Midnight was.

I frowned. She’s been groomed from birth to act this way… or at least groomed from the moment she entered the orphanage, whichever came first. That’s monstrous.

Midnight’s anger was clear on his face, but he surprised me with a gentle tone. “Silver Tears… please lower your tail. I don’t know what the orphanage taught you, but you don’t need to do that for your foster father. I will love you without putting my cock in you. I know that might be strange to hear but please try to trust us. If it pleases you… please go feed your colt and then come back and finish your meal. Your meal will be waiting for you when you are ready for it.”

Her tail lowered slowly, as if she was uncertain about this being some type of sick test. A test she had clearly had before. A test that she had both passed and failed at some point…

“But…”

Midnight cut her off. “But nothing. If I am adopting you, then that makes you my daughter. And your colt is my grandfoal. You will go care for him like a mother should and nothing should stop you from doing so. Not even me. Maybe… when you are of consenting age, we might can entertain some type of deeper sexual relationship since we aren’t biologically related, but in the meantime, I want you to accept that I don’t have any ulterior motives. I will care for you until you can take care of yourself, and even then, you will be welcome into my house. Please trust me…”

Silver Tears nodded and returned to her room to care for her colt. Once she left the room, I spoke up.

“The entire situation is troubling. That was an unusual offer of you to make, also.”

Midnight sighed. “The filly doesn’t know what to trust right now. I basically foalnapped her from the orphanage but I also saved her. She knows I’m a lord… or at least the head of this household. And she knows what she was taught. At least by suggesting a sexual relationship once she’s of age, she can see a long-term goal. As a filly that has clearly experienced sexual trauma, she would never accept that I’m doing something nice for her out of the goodness of my heart… I must have a reason. By suggesting that something sexual will happen later… she can at least trust that the status quo is there, just delayed. She will still try to earn her place, but she can now relax with the knowledge that I’m getting what I want in the here and now and will be getting everything else later. I doubt that I’ll ever do it, but I had to make her think that I would, for her own peace of mind. I’ve never seen this level of sexual conditioning in a filly so young…”

Anon nodded. “Devious… but necessary. I hope we can help her…”

I also nodded. “I want to know more about the situation with you and Moon Watcher. We are all here. I’d like that story too.”

* * *

Midnight

I sighed. “Well. Moon Watcher’s mother was a soldier in my personal army and was also one of my lovers. After a particularly active mating season, she ended up pregnant. She carried to term with grace and gave birth to the beautiful young mare that all of you have met. While most of my lovers in the past had never entertained telling me that I was the father, she was more than happy to tell me that I owed her foal support. The thing was… it was like an ongoing joke. Every time I gave her bits for Moony, she just played it off like it was a bad joke. I purchased toys, clothes… took her out on father/daughter outings… I was the perfect father… but Moony’s mother kept going back and forth on me owing her foal support to it just being a joke and I wasn’t the father. This kept up for years… I might have eventually grown tired of it, but it was the perfect long-term dad joke. Midnight Stalker approved.”

Anon frowned. “Even by dad joke standards… that’s not very nice.”

I smiled. “I’m not very nice and my soldiers like to mess with me. I accept it with grace because I’ve done worse. Luna could tell you stories about some of my epic pranks. Anyways… about 15 years ago… she got sick. The type of illness that you don’t recover from. No magic could help, Celestia knows I tried everything. On her deathbed, she confessed to being sorry about giving me so much Tartarus over Moony but claimed that I needed something like this to keep me going. I forgave her and she begged me to take care of Moony after she was gone. She never told me for sure if Moony was mine, but I didn’t care. I told her that Moony would always have a home with me, no matter what. At peace… she died moments later, and I cried more than I ever have for one of my soldiers or a former lover. I’ve raised Moon Watcher as my daughter and sometimes she’ll call me dad. I’m not sure if she knows if I’m her father or not and I’ve never asked, but our bond goes deeper than that with the shared death of her mother. I’ve given her the best military training I could… she’d make a decent Death Lord. I think that it would be nice for her to be the first Thestral Death Lord. Could be some type of legacy for me… but that’s it. I’ll never take her as a lover because she very well could be my daughter. I love her as much as anything and I’d die for her. Such is life.”

Luna nodded. “I have no problem making her a Death Lord, with your blessing, but would you consent to throwing her into the fire of this life?”

I nodded. “There would be no greater honor. For her to be my equal would bring happy tears to my eyes… and hers. Equestria isn’t as dangerous as it was a thousand years ago, and I would welcome her into the fold. I trained her harder than any other soldier that I’ve ever had. I trained her as my heir. There could be no greater honor than to see her ascend.”

Luna nodded. “I’ll give her the option.”

I nodded again. “Well… I guess it’s time for you to return to Canterlot for your nightly duties?”

Luna sighed. “Unfortunately, yes. I hope to see you again next week, with less drama.”

I snorted. “No promises.”

Luna disappeared with a teleport and Twilight spoke up next. “So… what’s next?”

I teleported several mugs of ale and several bottles of Apple Pie moonshine to the dining room table. “Next… we are getting super drunk. You can stay or leave as you please but have a drink with your old Uncle Midnight. The last hour or so demands that we drink something.”

Twilight nodded. “I’ll have a drink with you, but I also have my own baggage to unload. I couldn’t do it earlier with everything else happening, but I hope that you’ll indulge me and hear me out.”

I downed a shot of moonshine. “Take a drink and then… whenever you want to start is up to you…”

* * *

The Forsaken

by Caladis

Prologue: Exit Stage Right

Chapter 1: Strike at Midnight

Chapter 2 - Setting In

Chapter 3 - Little Hoof Steps

Chapter 4: Introduction to Ponyville

Chapter 5: Apple Stalker

Chapter 6 - The Midnight Council

Chapter 7 - A Darker Side of Midnight

Chapter 8 - The Morning After

Chapter 9 – Carousel Boutique

Chapter 10 – An Unexpected Encounter

Chapter 11 – The Decennial Meeting

Chapter 12 – Secrets Revealed

Chapter 13: A Simple Plan

Chapter 14 – Back to Square One

Chapter 15 – Preparations for the Main Event

Chapter 16 - Blood Magic

Chapter 17 – Twilight’s Arrival

Chapter 18 – One Final Night

Chapter 19 – Dark Proposal

Chapter 20 – A Calamity of Nightmares

Chapter 21 – An Illusion within an Illusion

Chapter 22 - Back to Work

Chapter 23 - Recollections and Reconnections