"So Twilight!" Midnight smiled at his Twilight as they enjoyed a nice walk through the park one fine sunny day, "It's been a while since you got your wings; how's life as an alicorn? And royal duties don't count."
"'Don't count'?" Twilight echoed, not understanding her boyfriend's meaning. "Well, considering I became an alicorn and a princess, I think it very much counts."
"Heh, Twilight..." Midnight chuckled with a shake of his head in mock-pity. "What I mean is... how have you changed since becoming an alicorn?"
"Oh, well..." Twilight pondered a moment before saying, "Other than flying, walking on clouds, and an increase in my magical power somewhat, not much really! Why? Is there supposed to be something I'm experiencing?"
"Twilight, what is an alicorn?" Midnight suddenly asked, the question taking Twilight off guard a moment.
"Well, an alicorn is... the unified form of all three pony tribes of earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn," Twilight tried, but the amused snort from Midnight told her otherwise.
"Am I wrong?"
"No, you're not wrong," Midnight chuckled before he gestured her to follow him.
Twilight followed Midnight to a nice open expanse of soft green grass, and sat down, closing his eyes and saying nothing. Confused, Twilight sat beside him, unsure of what he was doing.
...
...
...
"Well?" Twilight asked, her patience starting to wear thin.
"It goes without saying, Twilight," Midnight replied without opening his eyes and just relaxing as he explained. "Alicorns are different from the three tribes. Each tribe has characteristics and gifts that make them unique to each other, and of course they have their differences. What did those differences lead to in older times, Twilight?"
For a moment, Twilight considered the racial prejudices the three tribes once exhibited thousands of years ago, before the Two Sisters came to power. Thinking back, she also remembered the story Sombra had told her and her friends of a time even before that dark chapter where the three tribes were one tribe, simpler but happier, where they didn't make the distinction of horns, wings, or a lack of either. Until some of those ponies sought knowledge, power, and perfection, which led them to use a perverse ritual that resulted in one of the darkest and most fiendish enemies of ponykind ever, the Whisperer. A formless entity of pure evil that plagued and cursed ponykind for thousands of years until at last Midnight destroyed the Whisperer once and for all.
"Some ponies might say if there were no differences ponykind would be more united, more peaceful," Midnight spoke in deep pondering. "There were even some ponies in history who thought that all should be alicorns, so that there would be no segregation or prejudice. Of course, to change everypony in the world into an alicorn is not only next-to-impossible, it's not the answer.
"An alicorn is indeed the union of the three tribes, but there's more to it than that. We possess the natural gifts and strengths that makes each of the three tribes distinctive and unique. The earth ponies' strength and connection to nature, the flight and sway over weather of the pegasi, and the unicorns' mystic potential to reach for the stars."
"But... Sure I can fly and walk on clouds," Twilight considered, "but I haven't gotten any stronger aside from a little in my magic. I mean, I've always had a natural aptitude for the mystic arts, back when I was an Alpha-level unicorn. Being an alicorn, I've only noticed a small increase in my magical power. Spells even I used to struggle with are much easier, and cantrip-level spells are so easy I can cast them with a thought!"
"That's because you've barely even begun to tap into your own alicorn magic, Twilight," Midnight answered as he opened his eyes and gave Twilight a loving smile.
"It's because of the strong friendships you've formed and share with all of our friends and those we care about. You opened yourself to the magic of friendship and this has allowed you to prepare for that first step to learning how to wield your own alicorn magic!"
"My own alicorn magic..." Twilight considered with a feeling of awe, an awe she suddenly realized she'd always associated with her former teacher.
Ever since that very particular Summer Sun Celebration where Twilight witnessed Princess Celestia raise the sun, her first close look at the ruler of Equestria, unlike having seen her in the papers or from a distance, somewhere in Twilight's mind, maybe not consciously but still, she had regarded Princess Celestia not only as a ruler, wise and benevolent, but perhaps a true living example of the concept 'Divine Right'.
And why wouldn't she?
Up until Luna had returned from her millennial exile to the moon, Celestia had led and guided her little ponies for a thousand years. Almost always like a warm and soft ray of sunlight, so very rarely a harsh glare of blazing fury whenever her country and her subjects were threatened.
...Could I be like that?
The idea was more foreboding and only minutely appealing and yet...
"Don't get too excited," Midnight chuckled, seeing the stupefied look on Twilight's face, and the blushing as she snapped out of it. "Even after you should master your alicorn magic, you'll never be on Celestia's level."
"Oh! I- I wouldn't presume to," Twilight flabbergasted, fanning herself with her wing but then a thought crossed her mind. "...What about you? You're obviously pretty powerful, Midnight, but-"
"Oh I could go a few rounds with Celestia," Midnight chuckled but shook his head, "but there's no way I could ever beat her in a fair fight."
"What do you mean?" Twilight didn't understand, "You must be way ahead of me, surely your alicorn magic is-"
"My alicorn magic?! Hahahaha!" Midnight laughed, Twilight gaping at him and pursing her lips in a slightly pouty way and feeling a tad embarrassed.
"Twily, I've only mastered the basics of my alicorn magic! I'm more powerful than any unicorn, I can fly with the best pegasus fliers, I could hold my own against the strongest earth ponies, but as an alicorn?! Heh, I'm barely more than a beginner in alicorn magic!"
"But you trained in magical studies and subjects for over ten years!" Twilight pointed out, her eyes incredulous, only for Midnight to shake his head no.
"Twilight, I trained in a lot of different subjects and disciplines to become Princess Celestia's most capable agent," Midnight corrected. "Magic, Combat, Flying, Recon, Tactics, not to mention I had to re-master my lunar pony powers. Everything I learned wasn't easy and took time. Then, once I became active, I had to devote so much time into my missions.
"Princess Celestia managed to teach me how to access my alicorn magic, but I can only do a few things with it!"
"Like what?" Twilight asked.
"Well, I can use my alicorn magic to boost my unicorn magic, just like you've been doing," Midnight replied.
He then flared his horn and Twilight noticed a nearby acorn float over to them in Midnight's turquoise aura. She then watched as the acorn buried itself into the ground, and the spot glowed before suddenly a sapling stretched out from the soil, and then grew.
And grew.
And grew!
Twilight watched in amazement as the sapling became a mighty oak tree before her very eyes! A growth that would've taken years and years to create this natural pillar before her, and all it took was mere seconds! And she sensed it.
It had not been a growing spell, but an aging spell!
"Midnight!" Twilight gasped as the nice cool shade fell upon them by the oak tree's foliage. "Even the most advanced unicorn mages would have trouble aging a tree to this degree on their own!"
"Well, I wasn't using just my unicorn magic, Twilight," Midnight smiled, finding the awing smile on his Twily adorable. "Alicorn magic is so powerful, it can almost be considered godlike. "Almost", being the operative word."
Twilight looked to Midnight, curious, and he continued.
"There are plenty of things alicorns can't do, even with their powers," Midnight explained, "and as long as Celestia and Luna have lived, they are not immortal, as most ponies think."
"They just seem... I don't know how to describe it," Twilight wondered, "I can't imagine living that long, and it scares me to."
"You won't," Midnight assured her. "Twilight, we're alicorns but you and me, Shining Armor and Cadance, even Sombra! The five of us aren't like the Sisters. We'll all likely outlive all our friends and family, but we'll never live as long as Celestia and Luna."
"What do you mean?" Twilight looked at Midnight, her eyes full of wonder.
"I don't really know," Midnight shrugged as he then laid down onto his back and waved Twilight down to join him. She did so, feeling the grass cool against her back, and snuggled up to Midnight.
"One time, not long after I became an alicorn, Celestia told me that even though I'm alicorn, I'm not like her. She said it had to do with her being born an alicorn while I was originally a unicorn. I asked her if there was another boy alicorn who was old enough, if they could have babies together..."
Midnight noticed Twilight giving him a strange look and he instantly blushed and waved his hooves 'no way', "Hey, don't lookit me like that! I wasn't hitting on her, I was only eleven when I asked her that question!"
Twilight giggled, finding her flustered stallion to be a cute scenario before Midnight cleared his throat and continued.
"Anyways... She said no. Because even between a natural alicorn and an... ascended alicorn, I think she said? The point is, Celestia and Luna are both different in such a way from the rest of the alicorns that currently exist that they're the only two of their kind."
"But that can't be," Twilight protested, "I remember the story you told us about your journey through history from your prior life. You said you met Celestia and Luna as fillies! That means, they had to come from somewhere, from somepony!"
"Yeah, the jury's still out on that," Midnight shrugged. "Celestia and Luna have never revealed where they came from. I've asked before, but Celestia just never said anything. I don't know if it's a big secret or what, but... Simply put, there's nopony in the world like the Sisters, and odds are, there never will be. I don't know if there were any alicorns before Celestia and Luna but if there were, it's probable that they're the last of their kind."
"That's... kind of sad," Twilight looked down, Midnight sitting up, and wrapping his wing around her shoulders. "They're ponies too, but... It sounds like they're different in such a way that they themselves are alone even when they're surrounded by all their subjects who look up to them, love them, and care about them. And what's more, they both had to be alone in different yet equally painful ways after Luna became Nightmare Moon..."
"Well, they're together again, Celestia and Sombra are together, and they all have us," Midnight said comfortingly. "I'll admit Celestia and I don't always see eye to eye... but she's family, and she can always count on me, just as she and I can always count on you."
Twilight looked up at Midnight, who returned her look with one of love, and they shared a tender kiss. It was just what Twilight needed to make the mopy-ness go away. She stood up, taking a breath, and stepped out into the sunlight, asking, "So tell me, what else can alicorns do and how do you master alicorn magic?"
Midnight smiled and stood up, "Follow me."
Curious, Twilight walked alongside Midnight, wondering what amazing thing she was gonna see from him next. For some reason, he led her to town square, and then asked, "Tell me, Twi, it's getting close to lunch, what're you in the mood for?"
"Wha- I- I thought you were going to show me some more alicorn abilities," Twilight reminded him.
"I am, but first let's decide where we're gonna have lunch," Midnight assured her before thinking a moment. "Y'know, there's a place back home we used to go to. Come here."
Confused, Twilight stood by him, and then Midnight took a deep breath as his horn slowly lit up before...
*FLASH*
That teleport was different to Twilight. Instead of the normal breezy chill over her body, it was like she'd been literally swept off her hooves and sent spiraling down a rushing river, thrown about among sharp and dangerous rapids, and unceremoniously plonked onto her hooves with a dizzying headache. Midnight was obviously no better as he groaning on the... pavement?
Shaking her head clear of the daze, Twilight finally saw they were in...
"Canterlot?!" Twilight gasped as she saw the familiar pristine architecture she'd grown up in while her mind couldn't put two and two together.
"Bu- But- But how?! How could we teleport from Ponyville all the way to Canterlot?! Midnight, how-"
"Twilight, I promise I'll explain," Midnight sighed, sounding tired when-
*GROWL*
Twilight gaped at Midnight as he went from rubbing the base of his horn to rubbing his belly, groaning, "But first, I really need a bite. C'mon, I know a place nearby."
Midnight led the way and Twilight saw they were heading down, "Restaurant Row?! I remember this place, I... I remember coming here with you and your parents!"
Midnight smiled warmly at Twilight as she looked at him with nostalgia, and he nodded, "Mm-hmm, every now and then, back when we were foals, my folks and yours would take us all out for dinner and a show, and we always came here to Restaurant Row."
"Heh-ha, I remember one time you and Shining Armor got into an argument of where we should eat," Twilight smiled as the memory played in her mind's eye, seeing her brother and Midnight, both young colts, pointing to different restaurants while their families stood by a little embarrassed as their sons made a scene.
"Oh here!" Midnight smiled as he looked up at a rustic-looking diner, the sign showing a spatula and smoking-hot oatburger.
Twilight looked at the sign and smiled as she remembered, "The Smoked Oat! I haven't eaten here in years!"
"One of our old favorites," Midnight nodded as he held the door open for Twilight.
Inside was a homey and rustic establishment, the walls covered with all manner of knickknacks, some old pictures, and the soft lights and lounge music made for a very relaxing atmosphere. Left and right, ponies enjoyed all kinds of grilled foods, like the restaurant's famed oatburgers, as well as hay-bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches, fajitas, and the bar served some excellent wines, nectars, even margaritas.
The hostess, a lovely earth pony mare, was just returning from seating some patrons, and as she stood at her podium, ready to serve the next customers, "Hey there, and welcome to the Smoked Oooooohhwhoa!!! P-P-Princess Twilight and Prince Midnight?!"
"Hello, booth for two, please," Midnight kindly requested. "Oh, and could you ask for the proprietor to swing by our table?"
"Oh, most certainly, Your Majesties, please!" the hostess could barely contain her excitement, "Right this way!"
After being seated, the hostess left the menus, and asked, "While you peruse the menu and wait for the boss, can I get you anything to drink?"
"Mmm, this 'Berry Burst' nectar sounds good," Twilight requested.
"And bring a pitcher of iced lime water as well, please," Midnight added.
"Right away, Your Highnesses!" the hostess hurried off to fetch the manager and get the drinks, leaving the royal patrons to talk.
"So, are you gonna tell me now how you teleported us all the way here to Canterlot?" Twilight asked.
"Before I do, let me ask you something, Twi," Midnight brought up, "how did the teleport feel?"
"Well, it wasn't a pleasant experience," Twilight noted as she remembered it. "It was like being swept away, tossed about, and being dropped onto my hooves with a headache."
"That's because it wasn't normal teleporting," Midnight nodded, "so let me ask you another question, Twilight - Do you know what ley lines are?"
"Ooh, ooh! Ley lines are the legendary rivers of power, a network of energy that spans across the land," Twilight spewed excitably, "They intersect between and align places of geographical, historical, or even supernatural significance, and are said to carry energies of all kinds everywhere, and it is even believed ley lines could be the key to unlocking ancient secrets and long forgotten knowledge!
"Of course, studies into the ley lines are obscure and limited, because even tapping into a ley line can be dangerous! I recall asking Princess Celestia about the studies and research into the ley lines, and she told me that the only unicorns who can safely tap into the ley lines are alpha-level unicorns, and even they have to be prepared, mentally, magically, and even the slightest mistake can lead to disaster!"
"Sometime, Twily, it amazes me how much fits into that head of yours," Midnight teased, making Twilight blush at the compliment. "Well, since you seem to know enough about ley lines, I'll tell you... that's how I was able to teleport us here to Canterlot."
"Wait, you don't mean...?!" Twilight could put two and two together and she gasped in amazement when Midnight nodded his head.
"We... "rode" the ley lines here from Ponyville to Canterlot," Midnight confirmed. "Alicorns can learn to "ride" along the ley lines to significantly boost their teleportation capabilities. Since alicorns are omega-level magic users, we are much more able to tap into the power of the ley lines without risking damage to ourselves, but still...
"Its potential is certainly vast but it's still very dodgy. Princess Celestia taught me how to do it, and that was only after she was satisfied I'd mastered the basics of alicorn magic, which was no easy feat. Then she had to prepare me and the whole time she warned me again and again how dangerous it is to teleport along the ley lines without the necessary knowledge. If I make a mistake, I could teleport to a totally random location along the ley lines and wind up lost. Not to mention, even for an alicorn, and depending on the distance traveled, the energy required to ride the ley lines can be staggering. I brought us here to Canterlot from Ponyville, which is miles away, and I cannot wait to eat!"
"Amazing...!" Twilight was in awe before she got starry-eyed, "Ooh, what I wouldn't give for my notes and quill right now! Even Alpha-level unicorns' capacities for teleportation doesn't allow for them to teleport between cities! Such instantaneous travel calls for portals, and like what you just described, the process for creating a portal to a certain location is tricky!"
"And since using the ley lines to teleport costs a lot of energy, I don't rely on it much," Midnight nodded sagely. "I prefer to fly, travel by train or airship, or even just use personal teleportation."
"Well, look who it is!"
The gruff voice was unmistakable and Midnight and Twilight looked to see a tall and burly unicorn come their way. He had a pale brown coat and amaranth mane and mustache, five o'clock shadow, glasses over his emerald green eyes, he wore a chef's shirt under a light red apron, and his cutie-mark was a spatula.
"Offal Good, glad to see this greasy spoon is still in business," Midnight chuckled at the sight of the middle-aged chef.
"So good to see you again," Twilight said kindly.
"Ha-hah! Oh c'mon, Your Highnesses, call me Pops!" he insisted with a booming laugh. "That's what everypony calls me, like you two did back when you little scamps came here with your folks when you were both no higher than my flank and didn't have those wings on your backs."
"I would say we're still no higher than your flank, Pops," Midnight teased with a smirk, "maybe you should take it easy on your own foods."
"Huh! And here I was thinking of serving you a complementary bite of my latest grilled masterpiece," Pops teased back while giving his ample flanks a wiggle.
"Oh don't mind him," Twilight giggled as she looked at her menu, "everything looks even better than I remember, oh! I don't know what to choose!"
Well then, little missy," Pops took both menus with his aura while giving them a sly smile, "howsabout I surprise ya?"
"By all means," Midnight shrugged when the hostess returned with a pitcher of iced lime water and a bottle of the nectar Twilight ordered.
After their drinks were poured, Pops assured his royal guests what he'd grill up with be fit for royalty, and left them to get started.
"So, Midnight, omega-class magical power, teleporting along the ley lines, extended life spans," Twilight noted, "what else can we do?"
"Well the thing is, Twi," Midnight took a sip of the nectar, and found it a tad too tangy and washed it down with a glass of iced lime water, "the real powers necessary to alicorn magic comes from the union of earth pony magic, pegasus magic, and unicorn magic. You must be able to use all of them and then use them all in perfect harmony."
"I don't quite understand, "Twilight raised a confused brow.
"Lemme put it this way," Midnight lit up his horn, "as a unicorn, I'm an alpha."
He then fanned his wings, "As a pegasus, I am also an alpha."
Folding his wings, Midnight flexed his foreleg, displaying impressive muscle, and said, "But as an earth pony, I am a beta."
"Does... this mean your three pony magicks are out of harmony?" Twilight asked, trying to understand.
"No, but that's an interesting question actually," Midnight shook his head. "See, the levels of my three pony magicks don't have to be on par with each other to use my alicorn magic. I just need to be able to invoke all three of them and use them all at once in perfect harmony, in order to produce the spark of my alicorn magic.
"But it's a lot harder than it sounds. First, I had to master my pegasus magic by training with Captain Hellfire and the Alpha Squadron of the Wonderbolts. Then I had to build up my muscles and stamina to refine my earth pony magic, and put it to the test through laborious tasks. I even trained in meditation and breathing exercises, and lot of crazy stuff before Princess Celestia even considered teaching me to tap into my alicorn magic."
"That sounds like it could take a long time," Twilight considered, and didn't relish the idea of going through such an intense training program for years and years.
"It can," Midnight nodded but then he said, "However, it's not the only way."
Twilight gave him another look as Midnight explained, "See, I didn't have many friends during my training. I had Shining Armor, I had my friend Flash Sentry, and a few others. But see, Twi, I didn't get to hang with them in the same way you spend time with the girls."
"It makes me kind of sad that you had such a rough time growing up after you became an alicorn," Twilight looked at him considerately, which he appreciated as they held hooves.
"So much expected of you, so much taken from you..."
"Twilight, things happened and they happened for a reason," Midnight assured her, "and I won't deny there were times I was absolutely miserable growing up after I got my wings. But to tell you the truth, if I could go back and do it all again, I wouldn't change a thing."
Twilight smiled warmly as she scooted over in the booth seat to press up against her stallion, and felt comforted by his resting his head on top of hers. When their moment ended, Twilight looked up at Midnight and asked, "So... what did you mean that there's another way?"
"Heh, Twilight, you already know the answer to that," Midnight chuckled, "it's what you've done ever since you found the spark to revive the Elements of Harmony and vanquish Nightmare Moon!"
"...Friendship?" Twilight guessed as the realization set in.
"The Magic of Friendship," Midnight affirmed, "I told you, to create alicorn magic, you must harmonize within yourself your own earth pony magic, pegasus magic, and unicorn magic. Due to the way I grew up, I had to learn the mere basics of alicorn magic. The hard way! But you? You have learned and gained such an amazing understanding of Friendship that I have no doubts you'll be able to wield your own alicorn magic like a champ!"
"You really think so?" Twilight was hesitant to even think it, but giggled when Midnight rubbed muzzles with her.
"I know so!"
"Sorry to cut into the mush...."
Twilight and Midnight looked to see Pops had returned, pushing a dinner cart, bearing cloche-covered dishes as the chef stated, "But your meal is ready."
Pops levitated the dishes onto the table, and removed the cloches one by one as he declared each dish, "For the soup, we have the Wild Mushroom Soup, derived from a blend of seven different mushrooms, the salad is organic greens with tomato, red onion, grilled avocado, sunflower seeds and house dressing. Hay fries grilled in vegetable oil, and finally, we got my latest version of my favorite recipe, my Smoked Cheese n' Oatburger, made from my own secret mix of seasonings with a special sauce added to give it a flavor that'll knock your horseshoes off!"
"My goodness, it all looks so good!" Twilight marveled at all the food.
"Pops, you never cease to amaze me," laughed Midnight as he licked his lips hungrily.
"Uh-ah! Save your butterin' up till after you've eaten," Pops insisted with a self-assured smirk. "Enjoy!"
After Pops left, the delectable aromas of the good he'd served won them over as Midnight said, "We're gonna have to pause a little on the alicorn talk, Twi; I am famished!"
*BELCH*
"Midnight!" Twilight and a lot of the patrons in the Smoked Oat gave Midnight a look, but Twilight felt so blissfully full she just didn't care to admonish him any further.
"What? In a lot of places in and out of Equestria, it's a compliment to belch loudly after an awesome meal like that," Midnight smiled smugly as he rubbed his belly, stuffed to blissful satisfaction.
"And considering that one made the silverware shake, I am sincerely flattered," Pops chuckled as he came by. "It really was good to have you kids back here at the Smoked Oat."
"We were glad to come back, Pops," Twilight said kindly. "So, check?"
"Right here," Pops levitated the bill, "and for the great compliment, a 45% discount."
"Oh Pops, there's no need for that," Twilight assured but Pops lifted his hooves.
"Up-bup-bup! It's not `cuz yor royalty," he insisted, "it's because even after all this time, you're still some of my most favorite customers."
"I got this," Midnight lit his horn and a bubble of turquoise mana appeared. It popped onto the table, revealing the pay and a very generous tip.
The sight of Midnight apparently conjuring money made Twilight gape at him but the look he gave her assured her nothing was wrong, and after paying and bidding Pops a fond see-you-later, Twilight waited until they were outside before she asked, "Midnight, you didn't just conjure money, did you?"
"Of course not, Twi, you know Poneus's Law," Midnight chuckled at the absurdity of Twilight's question. "Money is among the exceptions to the Law of Mystical Conjuration and Transfiguration. What I just did was summon the money I paid for our meal."
"Oh," Twilight suddenly felt a little foolish. "But... from where? You had to summon it from somewhere nearby."
"...From my old house," Midnight answered albeit a tad hesitantly. "Where I lived before I became an alicorn."
"Your old house?" Twilight was intrigued, "Can we go see it?"
"Not today, Twi," Midnight sighed, "Tomorrow I'm bringing Twinken to Canterlot for a big brother-little brother day out, and I want to be rested for it. Can we go home?"
"I guess. Sure, it is getting late in the day," Twilight did wonder why Midnight seemed hesitant about his house but she supposed it was still a sore subject. As she followed him to the train station, she got a vibe that Midnight suddenly wanted to go back to Ponyville as soon as possible.
Was it because his old house came up? she wondered to herself.
Twilight could understand if Midnight didn't want to revisit some old haunts in Canterlot. After all, his becoming an alicorn when he'd been only ten years old hadn't brought him any joy, and had actually led to some of the most miserable experiences of his life.
During the train ride back to Ponyville, Midnight told Twilight a few stories of his missions, such as one where he helped the Lunar Pony Colony in the Shetland Isles destroy a coven of vampires by using a crystal charged with Princess Celestia's solar magic to create a beam through a special telescope used by lunar pony astronomers to incinerate the bloodsuckers. There was also the time where he represented the Earth Fury Minotaur Clan in a dispute with a lord of a minotaur town called Minox who turned out to be corrupt, using bulls and cows deep in debt as cheap labor with no regard for their health, and established the Earth Fury chieftain as the new lord of Minox. With the new lord's help, Midnight and the Earthfury Clan helped the `taurs in debt to pay their debts off in more fair and generous methods while the corrupt and disgraced former lord was sent to prison, along with those in cahoots with him. One of his favorite missions happened in the Griffon Kingdom where he helped protect a griffon village that had been repeatedly attacked by bugbears, when a large number of them tried to make a new hive on a griffon eyrie (their word for a mountainside town). After quelling the threat Midnight was named a Friend of the Sky, a status bestowed upon foreigners that recognizes them as trusted friends of the Griffon Kingdom.
Celestia was lowering the sun by the time their train pulled in, and as Midnight walked Twilight up to the door of her library, they smiled warmly at each other.
"Today was just wonderful, Midnight," Twilight sighed at the loving look her stallion gave her.
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Twilight," Midnight replied as he took Twilight's hoof and gave it a gentlecoltly kiss, making her scoff.
To Midnight's surprise, Twilight pulled him into a deep smooch that made him blush but smile just the same. When their lips parted, Twilight whispered, "We must do this again sometime."
"Absolutely, I've still a few things to teach you," Midnight bobbed his eyebrows in a seductive way.
"Like...?" Twilight asked, barely able to hide the thrill of learning but the glint in her eyes gave her away.
Midnight leaned forward, and warmly nuzzled against Twilight, which she happily returned, the both of them nickering when Midnight stepped back, saying, "You'll have to wait n' see. See you soon!"
Then, to Twilight's confusion, Midnight reared up and fell over onto his back... and burst apart into shadowy smoke! The shadowstuff bunched back together in a vaporous plume before it slithered away. The sight of it had surprised Twilight, to say the least, but she shrugged.
Lunar ponies truly are a mystery, she thought before stepping into her library and shutting the door.
The shroud of smoky darkness found its way to the Sweet Apple Acres orchard, and rose up before falling away to reveal Midnight. He shook his withers and stepped into his workshop, taking in all the old tools and books he once tinkered with in his prior life. The memories were both foreign and familiar to him, a strange feeling.
He looked at his old self's journal, where the Midnight he used to be once recorded his experiments, his projects, such as the old experimental device to give earth ponies and pegasi the potential to use levitation magic like unicorns do. It had been (vaguely) successful but the design however was too large, bulky, and inconvenient, not to mention the levitation aura the device produced for the earth pony or pegasus that used it was unstable.
Something more portable and easier to carry around, plus a way to stabilize the aura...
The goggles that had been designed to allow the wearer to see magic; that one had been a success by helping the old Midnight determine which Pinkie Pie had been real after the Mirror Pool incident.
In retrospect, the capabilities for this device are truly staggering!
And of course the old pegasus goggles his old self had developed, granting him the power to become a pegasus and back to his unicorn form anytime he liked.
The goggles' being keyed to mystic signature is too limiting, but this deserves some more research... perhaps something that would allow all earth ponies and unicorns to fly!
Deciding to give it some more thought, Midnight then lit up his horn and waved his head around, outlining a ring of light. Stepping through the ring, he vanished!