“It was a month before war was declared.” Midnight scraped the blade of his spear against his whetstone as sparks flew from the fire. Hopeful watched him attentively, yet with caution as he told his story.
“I was being brought along on one of those pointless tribal meetings, the ones they held in the great hall in Horsaw. It was a long week, prior. A bunch of fucking numskulls blew up a lightning shell on themselves two days before, and I had to deal with it... Anyways, it was an especially boring eight hours of watching idiots argue indefinitely. The entire time, I was sitting pressed up against the balcony on the front row, trying to occupy my mind with anything I could find.” Midnight glanced away from Hopeful to his lover, locking eyes with Aurora, still sharpening his blade.
He continued his story after a short pause, returning to his faintly aggressive tone towards the Earth Pony. “That’s when I saw her for the first time, sitting on the first row, about ninety or so degrees away from my seat, although I didn’t realize immediately that she was a Unicorn... Maybe it was because we were already six hours deep into ‘’negotiations’’ and I was too tired to realize that she was sitting in the Unicorn section, or that fact she was wearing a cro-” Midnight mumbled to a stop when he saw Aurora subtly shake her head and give a concerning eye as she realized what he was about to say.
Midnight cleared his throat and reworded his sentence before containing. “Or that what she was wearing obstructed her horn. But for a few seconds, I just stared at her, and I might have not realized it at that point, but she was the most beautiful mare I’ve ever laid eyes upon.”
“And then came the first time I saw him,” Aurora cut in to continuing telling the story. “I was in the same predicament as Midnight, being driven mad by the blandest debate that has ever taken place, so my eyes were also wandering. Eventually, I spotted him eyeing me, and as you would believe, I was both disgusted and confused in equal parts, maybe swaying to disgusted, if either... So, naturally, I flicked his nose.” She giggled, the memory delighting her.
“What proceeded was probably the silliest fight in pony history as we pestered each other like school fillies in class for the next few hours.” Her smile grew as she lost herself in remembrance, forgetting about her situation or even the fact she was telling her story to an Earth Pony. “There is nothing more hilarious than watching a full grown Pegasus flutter his feathers at you from across the room, his face progressively getting more red with every jab and poke.”
Midnight rolled his eyes and recoiled his shoulders, “I wasn’t ‘fluttering’.”
“What would you call it then? Prancing your feathers around like you were?” She turned to him with a playful grin.
He let out a sigh which quickly turned into a runaway smile. “I told you, pulling up the second-to-last feather like that is called giving somepony ‘the bird’. It means ‘go fuck yourself’.”
“If you say so...” Her horn lit up for a short moment as she nudged Midnight on the leg, leaving him irritated. She giggled once more, seeing her lover’s reaction as his eyebrows fell and head hung.
She proceeded with her story. “Anyways, after our prolonged provoking session, the meeting began to adjourn...”
The fading yawns echoed in the circular chamber of doom, better known as the Tribal Congregation, as the Unicorn’s hourglass met with its ninth rotation of the night, the Pegasi’s sundial losing its usability as the night set in and the Earth Ponies’ odd ‘’clock’’ mechanism spun around its axis, landing on the number nine with its smaller leg.
The auditorium moaned in an almost musical fashion as each groan harmonized with the few hundred others.
In the very center of attention (or lack of,) stood three very angry ponies around a triangular table, set upon an uplifted stage. The three leaders of the world, the proper yet very powerful Princess Platinum of the proud and prosperous Unicorn tribe in one corner, the beguiling, yet cruel Commander Hurricane of the cunning and vexatious Pegasi race in another, and finally the challenging to chat to, childish yet charitable, cheerful and chivalrous Chancellor Puddinghead of the cherishing Earth Ponies in the last. Each of them sunk deep into the timeless argument of who did what.
However, it was in the rafters where the real action was taking place as a charcoal-black Pegasus was doing battle with a milk-white Unicorn across the room.
He felt a cutting pain in his side as he was telekinetically pinched in his flank. His face recoiling as he attempted to mask his pain from his fellow soldiers, in an effort to not be embarrassed in front of his peers. He then gave a scolding gaze at the Unicorn that picked on him, gesturing by scraping with his hoof across his neck horizontally, as if he was cutting it with a blade as he eyed her.
She simply stuck out her tongue in response, angering him even further.
Midnight turned to his left and right, seeing that his comrades were too dozy to notice as he contrived a plan to get back at the bonehead. He leaned down into himself, putting the palm of his hoof under his mouth before hawking a glob of spit onto it, his eyes glancing up towards the Unicorn, who grew bewildered as she watched Midnight spit in his own hoof.
Then he placed his two hooves together, the spit in between them, and began pressing and rubbing them with a good bit of force, getting a small surge of nostalgia as her remembered doing this back in school when he was a colt, gaining a malicious smile as the spit was slowly formed into a tiny, hoof-sized cloud floating in front of him. Then he kicked it with the side of his foreleg, causing it to gain a black tint and put out a small crackling noise.
He turned his head up from his creation, seeing the Unicorn watch him, trying to figure out what he was doing. He gave her a cheeky smile before leaning down and blowing his cloud out into the room, aiming it at her.
The Unicorn sat, mesmerized by the dark cloud gently gliding toward her. After a few moments, it had landed at the railing she sat behind without doing anything more than just existing right there in front of her.
Aurora gazed up, her head cocked to the side as she gave a questioning glance toward the Pegasus.
All she saw was him lay back in his seat and cross his forelegs, his smile unmoved.
Aurora shifted her head down and went to blow the wee little cloud away, which she instantly grew to regret as the cloud shot out a bolt of lightning right at the tip of her nose.
She lept up, uncontrollably squealing with every puff of air in her lungs, her cry echoing throughout the entire room and awakening every single pony there.
For a brief moment, silence reigned as the entire room turned to Aurora, who was holding her hooves over her mouth in shock, seeing what disturbance she had just caused, along with seeing the Pegasus that had set her up stick his tongue out at her.
“AURORA!” Princess Platinum herself turned over her shoulder and yelled up at the rafters. “I TOLD YOU NOT DISTURB THE CONFERENCE!” She turned to the table and sighed, addressing the other two leaders. “I do believe that is quite enough for me, today. I am absolutely sick of you two. Farewell.” The princess slid off of her chair with the grace of a feather, stepping down the stage and leaving the hall.
This lead the Unicorns to collectively pick themselves up and make their way out of the hall, Aurora only slightly hesitating out of embarrassment, but quickly pulling herself out, once she saw the black Pegasus taunt her once more, feeling as if he had won.
It wasn’t long before Commander Hurricane and Chancellor Puddinghead also left in a fit, having their respective councils follow suit.
Midnight flew out of the great hall, delighted. He sure showed that Unicorn.
The following hour was completely occupied as Midnight and Aurora both met with their respective tribe’s leaders, along with other ponies of high importance, all being caught up on new plans and policies and what they were going to tell the ponies back in their home countries from today.
Then came the time to finally time to call it a night. Each of the tribes split up between the many inns that the town had built for this exact reason.
Midnight, as he was finally dismissed by Captain Hurricane, flew out of their meeting room and out onto the street, taking in the fresh air as he landed at the hoof of the his inn. The moonglow gently warmed his coat while the soft breeze left him relaxed. He stepped through the clunky wooden door, finding himself out of his comfort zone as he was met with a strong orange shine from the torch-lit Earth Pony tavern.
Once he spotted the bar, he did not hesitate to stroll in and slide onto a stool, calling the bartender over. They were speaking with another customer, swaying their hoof toward Midnight to tell him to wait.
He took a breath and his eyes started searching around the room. Unlike in Pegasia where all the buildings were made of steel and cloudbrick, the tavern was built of wood with a stone accent at the hoof of the walls. Many large tables were all placed down in a block pattern, filled nearly completely with all sorts of ponies. Each table had six or eight ponies of one race or another, Unicorns, Pegasi and Earth Ponies, all sticking to their own. These conferences were the closest any of these ponies came to being in such close proximity to other races, with everyone remaining cautious and discomforted as they began spending the night sleeping in the same building as each other.
He sighed, turning his head back to the bar as he heard the bartender begin trot over, but he was displeased to find that their attention was taken by a pony who was just arriving and sitting down on the stool next to him.
“An appletini, please,” Aurora said as she hopped up beside the Pegasus, not even giving him a glance before she leaned onto the bar and moan. The bartender went off and to make her drink.
“Oh, fuck off, you again?” Aurora heard coming from her side, peering up to see the charcoal-coated Pegasus from earlier.
“Oh, no...” Aurora let her head drop onto the table with a gentle thump.
“Not happy to see me, sweet cheeks? I'm not really too psyched, myself, to be honest,” he exclaimed, turning to the barkeep, who placed a fresh appletini onto the counter. “I think I'll just go up to my room, please.”
“Reservation name?” the barkeep asked, pulling out a clipboard from under the counter.
“Eclipse,” he stated.
“Room seventeen.” The Earth Pony threw a key toward Midnight, who claimed it with his right wing.
“Goodnight, madam. I hope I never have to see your face again.” Midnight stood up and gave a disheartened salute, then began trotting away to the stairway.
Aurora lifted up her head, an eye peering at the stallion walking off, feeling absolutely dreadful after today, this Pegasus only making things worse for her. She levitated her short, triangular glass and swiftly chugged it down, flinching as the alcohol poured down her throat. “My room... Please...” She coughed out.
“Name?”
“Sunshine...”
“Room seventeen...” The barkeep responded, their words trailing off as they looked down at their clipboard.
“Excuse me?” Aurora stared at them with unamusement.
“Ugh...” The Earth Pony was boggled as they peered closer to their list.
“Show me that!” Aurora slanted her head over the counter and lifted the clipboard out of the pony’s grasp, bringing it to her gaze. “WHAT IS THIS MESS?” she blared out at the bartender, disgusted by the collage of jumbled letters and numbers that abstractly formed a list. She discovered her own name, seeing that she was booked for room seventeen. Then she found the name ''Midnight Eclipse'' with a number scribbled at its side. It took her a moment to finally grasp what it was meant to represent. “THAT SAYS ELEVEN, YOU DIRT EATING DIMWIT! YOU GAVE THAT PRICK MY ROOM!” She let the clipboard drop to the counter before sighing heavily. “Just give me the key room to eleven. I'll take that room...”
The Earth Pony barkeep stepped back, unfazed by the blatant racism, although concern reigned over his face. “Ugh...”
“What?”
“That room... I just rented it out a few hours ago to a different pony...”
She dropped her brow, death in her face as she stared into his soul. “You mud munching rats can't do anything right, can you?” She sighed, then burst into a magical flash, teleporting herself to the stairwell and rushing up each step.
As she reached their summit, her head spun around the corner to see the Pegasus gliding past door after door, searching for room rightfully belonging to Aurora. She took a charge down the hallway, lighting up her horn as she sprinted. Then, planting one of her front hooves, she spun around while casting another teleportation spell, and with a blink of her eye she was in front of the Pegasus, face to face.
“There was a mix up. I'm sure the bartender will reimburse you for your reservation.” She said with snark as she snapped the key out of his wing with telekinetic tug.
“HEY! THAT'S MY KEY!” Midnight yelled at her, stomping right into her personal space.
“You're booked for room eleven. Go talk to the barkeep.” The unicorn swayed her head away, heading further down the hall, where she spotted her room.
Midnight became infuriated, dashing after her and stretching out his leg over the room door, “GIVE ME BACK THAT KEY!” He wrapped his feathers around the key that was gently hovering beside her.
“Get off of me, you brute!” She stepped back, struggling to yank the key with her as she magically pulled against Midnight.
“Stop trying to steal my room, then!” Midnight swung a hoof at her, slapping her horn back, releasing the key. He then turned his back to her, slotting the key into room seventeen's large, steel lock.
He then felt a tugging at his neck as the Unicorn enveloped his head with magic, trying to knock him off of his hooves. “You are not taking my room, you featherbrained inbreed!”
He resisted her, causing his throat to close against itself, beginning to strangle him. He gargled under his breath, trying to speak to no avail.
“HEY! LADY! STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!” A voice came down from the hallway, snatching Aurora's attention enough for the Pegasus to wrestle free from her telekinetic grasp.
Aurora watched as the bartender galloped up to her and the Pegasus. “What in the world are the two of you up to?!” he roared out at them.
Aurora straightened her posture up, looking down with assurance. “I am so glad you came! Now if you could explain to this stallion that you accidentally gave him my room key, that would be brilliant.”
The bartender was left unimpressed. “Ma’am, get out of my inn.”
“What? Why?!” She recoiled in shock.
“Not only have you been an absolutely dreadful patron, I just witnessed you strangle him! Now get out before I throw you out!” he growled at her.
Midnight grinned at Aurora. “Have fun sleeping outside, bonehead.” Then he turned to the Earth Pony to convey his appreciation. “Thank you very much.”
“You too, get out.”
“What?” He stepped back, “But I didn't do anything!”
“I don't want anymore hassle from either of you, and that's not your booked room anyways.”
“Told you.” Aurora smugly stuck out her tongue at him before strutting past the Earth Pony and leaving.
The barkeep motioned with his right hoof, pointing him to get out, and with a grumble he did so.
“Thanks a lot,” Aurora said with a blatant sarcasm as she sat down on the shotty wooden bench that stood a few meters out from the inn, laying across the town's main path.
“What are you mad at me for? You got both of us kicked out, not me!” Midnight flew over to hover in front of her, a few inches from the dirt.
“Maybe if you listened to me, we would both have rooms right now...” She trailed off into a depressive tone, dropping her head into her hooves. A few seconds wisped away before she let an eye peek out, seeing the exhausted Pegasus still hovering over her. “Don't you have some cloud you can go and sleep on?”
“You are a mean one aren't you?” he spoke down to her.
“No...” She saw his face not change in expression. “Not always...” she clarified.
Midnight came down like a gentle butterfly, not disturbing the dust beneath him with his landing. Aurora then continued, “Look, I'm sorry about messing with you during the conference, and for getting us kicked out of the inn...”
“Thank you, apology accepted,” Midnight said smugly. “Although I still don't have a place to sleep tonight, so if you have any suggestions, I think I'll call it even.”
“I don't even know where I’m going to sleep tonight, mother would surely be disappointed if she knew... I think I'd be best if she didn't see me...” Aurora sulked.
“You think your parents are bad? If she heard I was kicked out by an Earth Pony, my mother would literally bite my head off. I've seen her do it before.” He took a few steps to her and sat down on the opposite end of the bench, resting his legs.
Aurora poked her head up in disbelief. “You're exaggerating.”
“Honey, I'm an Eclipse. You do know who my mother is, right?” He cocked his head back, waiting for her it to click in her head.
“Wait... Like...” Her head shot up, “No... You? You're kidding, you're saying your mother is-”
“Yup, the one and only.” Midnight cut her off.
She chuckled, “You won't believe it, but I'm Aurora Sunshine. My mo-”
“W-w-wait,” he stopped her. “From the Sunshine family?” He dropped his jaw.
“Yes!” she said with a faint laughter.
“That means your mother is...” He trailed off.
“Yeah! Oh the heavens, what are the chances?” Her smile kept growing.
Midnight caught a whiff of her joy, it appearing on his face. “You know, you are exactly what I heard you are like.”
She lowered a brow. “What do they say?”
“Doesn't matter...” He dodged the question, “Although now it makes sense why you were sitting in the front row at the conference.”
“Yeah, you too... Can I ask you a question?” She now had her entire body directed toward him, a foreleg hanging off of either side of the bench as she scooted a few inches closer to him.
“Do you really need my permission for that?” He was almost mocking her. Almost.
“Why were you looking at me? Back at the conference?” she asked with genuine curiosity in her eyes.
He averted his eyes some, and with a sigh he went to answer. “I was tired, I didn't realize you were a Unicorn, and...” he scratched the back of his ear.
“And..?” she urged him on.
“And I kinda thought you were cute...” He avoided Aurora's gaze as she burst out into laughter.
“You..! You thought..!” she wheezed between words, finding this hilarious.
“Calm down there, bonehead, that attraction didn't exactly last long.” He crossed his forelegs.
She let out a few more hardy chuckles before calming herself. “Are you sure about that? Cause I've never heard of somepony's feelings ever disappear that quickly, but then again I have never heard of a Pegasus having feelings for a Unicorn!”
Midnight's voice returned to a toxic grumpiness. “They weren't ‘feelings’. I thought you looked good, that's it.”
“Whatever you say...” She continued her joking.
“If you don't mind, I have to go find an inn with an spare room for me.” He bounced up using both wings to propel himself upward, landing on his hooves.
“As much as I don't mind, I'm worried you do. I mean, you were undressing me with your eyes just a few hours ago.” She laughed under her breath, trying to keep her composure.
This angered Midnight a great deal. “Why are you being such a huge bitch? Even if I did still think you were cute, which I don't, we’re different races. That doesn't even work!”
“Why not?” she said with a cheeky grin. “Sure, we couldn't bear children, but I am fairly certain Unicorn and Pegasus parts would work just as well together up to that point.”
“You know what I mean.” He sighed, fed up with her.
“I might. That doesn't make it any less funny to mess with you,” she snapped back.
He softly shook his head as his eyes fell with an odd depression in them, enough to make Aurora feel a hint of guilt.
“Alright, alright, I’m sorry for messing with you. I'll stop. I'm actually quite flattered.” She looked at him with a gentle warmth in her smile.
He turned his head back up to meet her gaze. “Thank you.”
She cocked her head to the side, inspecting him with pleasing results. “You know, for a Pegasus... You don't look too bad yourself.”
“I thought you said you’d stop,” he said, unamused.
“I did, that was serious. Out of what all the Pegasi I have seen, you look kind of ok for one.”
“It went from ‘not too bad’ a few seconds ago to ‘kind of ok’ now?” He cracked a half smile.
“It's a compliment. Take it or leave it.”
“Fine, but I do think I have a room to hunt down.” He went to leave Aurora, being stopped by her voice.
“Do you really think any inn will have a spare room?”
Midnight sighed. “No, but there's a chance.”
“There is technically a chance I'll grow wings one day. That doesn't mean I'm going to start taking flight lessons.” She hopped off the bench, trotting to his side.
“What's your plan then?” he remarked.
She gave it a few moments of thought, eventually grinning at an idea. “Have you ever slept underneath the moonlight in an open grassy field?”
“No,” he answered with a hint of snark as he found the idea silly.
“Neither have I, but I've always wanted to.” She twisted around, looking out of the town and into the hills surrounding it, all palely glowing with a blue shimmer. “And since I owe you on the place to sleep, I'll let you join me.”
“You cannot be serious,” he said, taking a step after her without thinking.
“Take it or leave it!” she announced while trotting off into the hillside.
Midnight, after a few questioning thoughts, soon galloped after her. The both of them trotted out into the country for a few minutes until they were comfortably far from the town, where they sat down atop the glistening grass, each blade acting like a feather in a pillow, creating a soft mattress for the two of them.
As they sat together, Aurora found her eyes draw upward to the stars, with Midnight soon to follow after her as they gazed up into the clear night sky, stars like sprinkled glitter upon the black velvet of space.
“Wow...” Midnight whispered to himself.
“You know what they say about stars, that each one is just another sun, and each sun has its own moon, and in between them there is another world just like this one, just slightly different.” Aurora told him while lost in the entrancing beauty of the stars.
“So what you're saying is...” Midnight prodded her to continue.
“That we are looking at millions of different worlds, each of them unique in their existence, while all resembling each other at the same time.”
“Do you think there is a world where us ponies can agree on anything?” he joked, laughing to himself.
“Yeah, imagine, a world where a Unicorn and a Pegasus would work...” She spoke softly, almost as if she was imagining it.
“You said you'd stop making fun with me about that.” He dropped his head and turned it to her with a look of disappointment.
Aurora could almost feel his glare, but when she let her chin glide down and turn to Midnight, she only had a hint of confusion in her eyes as if she was trying to understand something. “I did...” She whispered, only to find herself lost in his eyes as if they were stars, uncontrollably leaning in closer.
Midnight's annoyed brow softened as a sudden wave realization washed over him, with a pinch of acceptance as he found himself leaning toward the Unicorn.
They met each other in the center, their lips meeting without hesitation or reluctance, instead with a passion as they embraced each other. Soon, Midnight found himself being pressed down against the pillowy grass by Aurora's own warm, cloth-covered chest. A faint fizz was heard as Aurora's horn lit up, her magic finding its way to every single button on her own dress and every strap on Midnight's armor, letting their clothing fall loosely as Aurora began t-
“What?” Aurora belted out in confusion after Midnight had thumped her leg, causing her to break her train of thought as she told the story.
“Auri, I think he gets it,” Midnight stated, seeing the awkwardness swell up inside of Hopeful as he listened to Aurora's ‘passionate’ retelling.
“Oh...” Aurora said, her mind coming back into the atmosphere.
“Wow... That's really how you guys met?” Hopeful asked to break the silence.
“Yes, it is.” Aurora nodded.
“Well, damn... If it means anything, I'm sorry, for you know, putting us in this situation.”
“Apology accepted, Hopeful,” Midnight said, a sincerity in his voice.
“Although, can I ask one thing? Who are your parents? You didn't actually say their names, just alluded to them.”
Midnight and Aurora exchanged looks, then nodded to each other.
Midnight began, “Well you see... What in the heavens?!?” He hopped up in a flash after something wet touched his leg.
Hopeful turned to the side, staring at the staircase that was previously caved in by heaps of snow.
“It... melted.”