Midnight waited for the same lieutenant from day one of training to finish giving her speech. Sure is long- winded, he thought. He wasn't really listening, but he did pick up the occasional phrase. ".. For the good of Equestria..." and "Hero's of our great nation!" particularly stuck out to him. He laughed to himself. He knew from personal experience that there were no heros in war. Only survivors and corpses. Not to say soldiers weren't brave, but most of them would perfer to be anywhere else.
"You will be getting your assignments shortly." The phrase meant the end of the speech, and the end of the most boring ceremony he'd ever sat through. Kinda made him wish for the days of the United Kolts, where you graduated, and went out into the world to fight the empire's battles. His line of thought was interrupted, like usual, by Icescape. He never had gotten a chance to ask about what he saw... he wasn't quite sure how he'd mention it, even if he did get a shot.
"Were all going out into town for drinks and a party! Wanna come?" Icescape seemed pumped at being a full blooded Marine. If the few times they'd managed to get away from base and get a beer were any indication, by the end of the night, Icescape would be unbarebly hyper. Midnight didn't know why, but alchol just made him worse than normal.
Heaving a sigh, Midnight replied, "Yeah, probably. I wanna go check on some friends first though. Alright?"
"Ok! But be quick!" Icescape zoomed off like a rocket.
After he left the base, he headed towards the apartment that Applejack and Twilight shared. Himself and Icescape had one too, though Midnight was questioning having Icescape as a roomie. It was good that they'd been let off base to go secure lodgings the last few days. If they didn't, they got to stay back on base. After Basic Abuse, as it had come to be known, that was the last thing anypony wanted.
As he walked up the stairs to the apartment, Twilight passed him on the way down. "Hey," she called behindher, "you going to the party?"
"In a minute," came the reply. Midnight turned back and knocked on the door before letting himself in. "Hey Applejack, you headed to the party?" His question came out in a hushed tone of its own accord. Something about the way the apartment was decorated lended itself to quite, calm reflection. Kinda like a library.
"Nah," came the reply, from the bed on the other side of the room. "I jus' don't feel like it."
"Awwe, come on Applejack. It'll be fun! I can introduce to Icescape properly!" Midnight slowly approached as he tried to cajole Applejack into getting out of bed. "Plus, even Twilight's going. Don't wanna seem like more of a recluse than an actual hermit, do you?"
"Ah'm not goin'. That's that."
At this point, he was right at her bedside. "Please?" He was practically begging, but for some reason, it felt worth it.
"No."
"I'm not leaving until you get out of bed!" Midnight declared, a smug smile settling on his face. He was sure that would work.
"Alrigh'." Applejack still hadn't even looked at him. Her tone of voice hadn't changed even a little bit the entire time Midnight had been bugging her.
"Alright, whats wrong, AJ?" It was the first time Midnight had even thought the nickname, but it felt right. "You can tell me."
"If Ah tell yah, will yah let me alone?"
Midnight considerd this for a while before responding. "PRobably not," he admitted, "but it might make you feel better."
"Ah'm worried 'bout Applebloom, 'k?"
"And what's really got you down?" Midnight felt he had the answer, but couldn't think of any tactful way to approach the issue.
"That is mah problem."
"Ok, what's the rest of it?" Midnight was getting ready to find the drink stash he was sure Twilight had somewhere. A strong drink couldn't do him any bad, could it?
"Tha's it."
"U-huh. You wouldn't happen to know where Twilight keeps her booze, would you?"
"Kitchen, bottom shelf a the cabinets."
"Thanks." After getting a strong drink, and prepping two more, one for each of them, Midnight walked back into the bedroom. It was then that he noticed AJ had the look of someone who had only recently finished crying. The puffy red eyes and wet pillow were a give away, but Midnight was suprised it didn't come across in her voice. TOugh as nails, he thought,setting the drinks down.
"I figured you could a drink too," Midnight stated matter of factly, taking a seat on the carpet and downing his in a single gulp. Probably a good thing he couldn't get full blown drunk, he'd be in a hospital somewhere for sure. Probably for running out in front of a carriage, or something equally stupid.
AJ downed her drink in one go.She sat up looked at Midnight and asked something that must have been weighing on her mind for a very long time. "Why'd it have to happen?"
Despite the ambiguity of the question, Midnight knew what was going on. He'd have to be careful, in case he hadn't done a good enough job erasing the memories of that night from AJ's mind. "It happens to everypony, eventually. She made it much longer than most, though. She musta been quite strong willed to have lived that long."
"Ah think Ah need another drink." Applejack almost asked it instead of saying it.
"Of course. Just a sec." Midnight returned to the kitchen and made three more drinks. He figured AJ could have two of them, and he'd drink the other.
He set two glasses down on AJ's table, and downed the other. Sending the now empty shot glass back to the kitche, he turned his attention back to AJ. "Are you still torn up about it?"
She gave a slow nod, and after downing another drink, said "It don't hurt like it used to, Ah reckon. Ah mean, it's been awhile, right?" She looked at Midnight and drowned the other drink in a single go.
Midnight realized why AJ still felt so bad. She was starting to move on, and felt like she was betraying Granny Smith's memory. He pulled her into a hug and gave her a quick nuzzle. "AJ, it's ok. She would want you to move on, I'm sure of it. It'll always hurt a little, but you can't hold on to that pain. It doesn't honor them, it's selfish. They want us to live, and the best way to honor them is to follow their wishes, isn't it?"
By the end of this little speech, Applejack was bawling into Midnights mane, and he didn't care. He just held her tighter and let her cry. It wasn't until at least forty minutes later she stopped crying and went into snifling mode. "Ah'd thank yah to tell nopony 'bout this. Please?"
"Of course not, AJ. I'd never do that." Midnight slowly let her go, and checked the clock. Eleven at night. Not too late to go to the party, but that didn't really seem enjoyable right now. He'd rather make sure AJ was ok. He looked at her out opf the corner of his eye.Ahe looked a mess, her mane was free and badly tangled, her eyes were even redder than earlier,and she had a general look of downness about her. And she's still damn cute, Midnight caught himself starting to think. He knew he couldn't allow anything like that,eho knew what'd happen, but he still wished sometimes. With a sigh, he started to get up to prepare more drinks, but had his hoof grabbed by Applejack.
"Please just... stay right here, ok?" she asked, pleading with her eyes, the light gleaming off a last few tears. Midnight felt his will give way, and he sit back down next to her. But she wasn't done, he realized, as he felt a hoof snake around his neck. Oh, please just let it be a hug, he silently prayed, right before Applejack kissed him.
It was a feeling that suprised him. Not quite like fire in his veins, but definently something hotter than blood rushed to his face as he found himself helpless top resist Aj's gentle hoof. As he pushed back into her kiss, returning the affection, he felt her tounge snake into his mouth. Once again, he couldn't resist,but the bumping of teeth almost solved thast problem. After a short second and a very uncharateristic giggle, Applejack was back to kissing him. Gods above, I like this, he thought, as he tasted apples combining with city air to make a strange, but delicious, mix of flavors on Aj's tounge.
Later, bfore he fell asleep,and for some reason, before Twilight made it home, he heard Applejack whisper in his ear. The words were a plea, and one that he was determined to fulfill, at least as long as he could.
"Please don't go away."
End Part Two