It was a dark night and everything seemed to be going as normal in Alpines City.
The one thing that wasn't going as planned though, was the arrival of a certain pony.
Anyway, our story begins in a somewhat crowded restaurant. Our main character, walking back to sit down with his chicken sandwich and soda, pushed a few blue strands of hair out of his eyes, then glasses back to his face.
"Ugh," he muttered to himself, taking his headphones off and placing them around his neck before almost tripping on someone with wings and a horn.
"Hey!" she said as he almost fell.
"Why are you in the floor?"
"Thou art asking us questions that we know not the answers to."
"So, to put it simply, yous fell."
He noticed she had hooves for feet, and a muzzle. Her horn and wings looked like they were real, even better than some plastic surgeons could do. She was dark blue, had sky blue eyes, and wore a halter top dress that was purple and had a black neck with a crescent moon on the front of it. Her hair and tail were a more vivid purple than the dress, and seemed to naturally have glitter mixed into her strands.
She also wore a black tiara.
"You might say that about us," she said as he helped her to her feet hooves until she was steady, "Thank you. We are most appreciative of your help."
"Eh, don't mention it," he said, closing his mechanical wings and pushing a strand of blue and black hair from his face.
"Before you go, what is your name?"
"Midnight Fang."
The girl looked at him, then then asked again, but her horn glowed this time.
"What is your name?"
"Without all of the stuff on, I'm just Seth."
"I see."
She had used her magic to see Seth under Midnight Fang, along with the others in the restaurant, most of whom were wearing things like wings, horns, animal ears, tails, and hair dye, just to name a few things.
"Anything else," Midnight replied as the girl's horn dimmed until the glow subsided completely, "Also, what's your name?"
"I am Princess Luna."
"Okay, Princess," Midnight said, "Want me ta get ya something to eat?"
"No, I'm quite fine."
"Ahright," he replied, taking her to his table, "Still wanna sit with me? Ya look like ya new around here."
"I believe so."
Following Midnight back to the table, Luna took note of everyone. Some were dressed as cavemen and cavewomen, others wore odd things like dark glasses, and one person wasn't wearing any strange getup for some reason.
"Why do you all dress like this?"
Definitely new here, he thought, looking at the girl's mareish face, Well, I'll let her spend the night with me.
"Luna, you've got two races of people in the world, since you go by antiquated terms. Those races are people who worship cosplay, and people who don't. Pretty much everyone here does it, but the South, it's the other way around."
"How did you change the appearance of your eyes and acquire your wings and fangs?"
"I just went and bought a pair of vertical crimson contacts, had a pair of wings made, then went and bought the fangs," Midnight said, "I'm cosplaying a guy I came up with, Midnight Fang."
"Pray tell, why would you not rather lead your own life?"
"Cosplaying is fun. You get to dress up like any character you want, and try to act like them. It's even better if you do one you make up yourself," he looked at the princess, "You must be a fan of My Little Pony, right?"
"We are cosplaying the younger sister of the heavens."
"Neat."
After a few minutes of talking and Midnight devouring the sandwich, alongside a bag of red soda, they were tired for the night. Luna, though, still wanted things to be explained to her.
"How about tomorrow," Midnight said as they both left the restaurant, "I have nowhere to be, and there are a few movies you need to see before you understand more of what's going on.
"We... have not been completely honest with you," Luna said when they were a few blocks from the apartment as a new sense of guilt washed over her.
"Yeah, what do ya mean?"
"We are not from your world, rather, one where ponies are the dominate species. A nightmare overtook us and we were banished here"
"Sure you didn't just hit yous's head?"
Luna used her magic to levitate a few things.
"Do you believe us now?"
"Now I get things," Midnight said, seeing Luna's expression fall to guilt, "But who cares about that? Let's watch a movie and live in the now. No use holding it against you if you were embarrassed about it."
"Aren't you-?"
"Dude, Luna, dude, I don't know when, where, or how it is for you, but it's 2019 here. Dat doesn't matter."
"I understand."
The rest of the walk back to the apartment was filled with the two of them talking and, eventually, laughing.
"What do you want to see?" Midnight said, letting Luna in, "My Little Pony, The Croods, Ed Edd n Eddy, what? I swear, I got all of the movies and TV shows on DVD."
"I guess The Croods?" Luna said, unsure of anything as Midnight went and began digging through two boxes of DVDs for the movie.
"Like I said," he emptied one box and went through the pile, "Every. Good. One. Here."
"Of course," the princess said as Midnight found the DVD, went over, and turned on the TV to put the disc in.
"What is this?" Luna said as a video began playing on the TV.
It was of Midnight Fang as a vampony and another pony. Midnight was sleeping, then the other pony came over a few seconds later and began poking Midnight. Slowly, Midnight opened his eyes and glared at the other pony, but keeping his body completely still as if he were still asleep. The poking continued for a few seconds before Midnight shot up, hissed, and jumped the other pony, draining and eating it.
"By my sister's mane," Luna said at the gory mess on the screen, "Why would you dress as such a creature?"
"Because it's fun," Midnight said, putting the DVD in the player, "Plus, I came up with him. Mostly by accident, but I like him."
"What, pray tell, is fun about that?"
"It just is."
The movie began.
"What are we supposed to do?" Luna said as a girl's narration began over cave-drawings.
"Just kick back and watch."
Surprisingly for Midnight, he didn't have to explain much to her, but she still didn't seem to grasp the concept yet.
Or care to dress in an animal's hide.
"What movies are next?"
"Well, I'm assuming, since you come from the world, MLP is outta the question. Everything you've told me lines up with what happened in the series so far, so yeah. I do have other things like Rick & Morty and junk in here. Then again, if none of them suits you and you still wanna do it, you can always make up your own, or go from like a book or game or something."
"I see."
With the rest of the night been spent watching movies and playing games, Luna still couldn't decide.
She knew she wanted to cosplay though, but what?
Their train of thought was broken by Midnight's yawn as he tried to stand up.
"Shit," he said, looking at the clock, "It's 2:30."
"I guess we can continue tomorrow?" Luna said as Midnight stretched and went to his room.
"Yep," he said, "I can pull out the futon in my bedroom if you wanna do that, or I can get you a pillow and blanket and you can sleep out here."
"It's quite alright. I need not extra accommodations because of my nature."
"Also, the royal speech thing, you don't have to do that if you don't wanna."
"I do believe my speaking has been out of place since my arrival. Once again, Midnight, thank you for taking u... me... in."
"Not a problem. Now, TV room or bedroom?"
"Out here will suffice."
"Ahright, gimmie a minute," Midnight said, returning momentarily with a blanket and pillow, "Not da best in da world, but hey, it's still something, right?"
"Right," Luna said, getting situated, "This is nice."
"If ya need me or anything else, just get up and get it. I don't really care."
"Okay then."
Midnight went to take off some of his getup, then crashed on the couch in his room for the night.
"She'll be alright."