Chapter 3: The Surprise
“Man,” Midnight said with a smile as he and Twilight slowly made their way down the road, “That was a pretty good sandwich. You said it was daffodil?”
“That's right,” Twilight confirmed, “Soufflé's Diner has the best food in town, unless you want baked goods. Sugarcube Corner is the best place for cakes and such.”
“I'll have to try that sometime,” Midnight chuckled, “When I'm not stuffed.”
Twilight giggled, “Good idea. Pinkie once lured me in, after I just ate a huge sampler platter Soufflé put together for me, of some of his newest dishes. Let's just say, I spent most of the night in the bathroom with my head in the toilet... It was worth it.”
“Pinkie?” Midnight pondered, “That's the friend I haven't met yet, right?”
“That's right,” Twilight nodded.
“So when am I going to meet her?”
“Oh... soon enough,” the lavender mare said suspiciously.
Midnight wondered if they knew about him and were setting a trap, or if they had something more friendly planned. After a few seconds of pondering, he noticed they were heading toward the library. Midnight did find it strange to be living in one, but it did make sense to have one's home and business connected. It eliminated the need for a separate building and thus reduced the cost of owning said business. Of course this didn't apply to the library, but there was still a convenience there.
“Are we going back to your place?” he asked.
“There's something I need your help with,” Twilight said, “Meet me inside.”
With a flash of light, Twilight vanished into thin air. Midnight gaped at that. His magic had no teleportation. In fact, it was supposed to be impossible. Sure there was the Blink spell, but that was just a quick burst of speed. Midnight, wanting to see what Twilight needed, hurried to the tree. He opened the door and stepped into the dark room.
Suddenly, the lights flashed on, and his vision filled with pink, “Surprise!”
A quick right hand was all that saved him from the Solan blade, as the sounds of battle waged around him. Half of the city of Kilik was in ruins, the other half would likely be soon at this rate. The armored foe fell to the ground in a heap. A swift, strong kick took down a second enemy. An officer aimed a rifle at him, thinking that would end a Mage Guard. He was a fool. Another would-be attacker was swung around, used as a meat-shield. The high velocity round made short work of the chest plate as well as the flesh beneath. The look of horror on the sniper’s face, as he murdered his own comrade was priceless. He dropped the dead soldier and faced the Solan officer.
He focused through his seal, and hurled a fireball at the annoying rifleman. The burning bolt flew true, only to harmlessly strike a lavender wall. His confusion was interrupted by a pair of orange hooves slamming into his side, launching him into a snack laden table.
Midnight groaned as he tried to sit up, but was restrained by a livid Applejack. He looked around as best he could, confused by the chaos. There were about twelve other ponies there, most were fine, but a few... Rarity was lying on the ground, seemingly asleep. Rainbow Dash was glaring at him, hoof to her chest trying to catch her breath. Some pink pony was crying, holding a bloody rag to her nose. Finally, Twilight was shaking, staring at him in fear while Applejack glared at him from above, snorting threateningly at him. Every one of the dozen sets of eyes were looking at him with fear, anger, or both.
“What... What just happened?” Midnight asked.
“You just stay right there,” Applejack warned, pressing her hooves against his back for emphasis, “Thunder Lane, fetch the guard, would ya kindly?”
“Gotcha,” a stallion Midnight couldn't see said, before the rustle of feathery wings went from the building.
Midnight laid his head down, awaiting the inevitable.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
The cell was a lot nicer than any other he had seen, but it didn't improve Midnight's mood. He laid in his cot, thinking about those ponies he'd hurt. He broke Pinkie Pie's nose, Twilight's fifth friend, kicked Rainbow Dash in the chest, threw Rarity into a sleep spell cast by Twilight, and, worst of all, he used his seal to try to kill the lavender unicorn. He used his seal where everyone could see. They knew he wasn't like them. He wondered if they would keep him alive to study, or if they would dissect him.
His dark musings were interrupted when the jail door opened and six mares walked in accompanied by the guard. Midnight couldn't bring himself to look at them. He hurt three of them and tried to kill a fourth, the one who gave him a bed to sleep in and food to eat, no less.
They stood there staring at him for a good minute before Twilight spoke up, “What happened back there?”
“Tch, I'll tell you what happened,” Rainbow interjected, “He went nuts and tried to kill you.”
“Rainbow,” Twilight snapped, “We talked about this. If you want to be here, keep your mouth shut.”
Twilight usually put up with the pegasus' tendency to speak before thinking, but was in no mood to deal with it at the moment. Not to mention Midnight probably wouldn't react well to anything she said. She returned to looking at the stallion expectantly.
He sighed, “I... I don't know. It's like, one moment I'm walking in, and the next I'm... somewhere else... fighting in a battle. I didn't see ponies, I saw enemy soldiers that wanted me dead.”
“What are you really?” Applejack's question not only caught Midnight off guard, but the other five mares as well.
Twilight began to scold a second friend, “Applejack, please let me-”
She was interrupted by Midnight, “A human.” Twilight stared at him, slack jawed. “I was a soldier in the Doltan Special Forces, the Mage Guard.”
Twilight stared at the pony in the cell as if he sprouted a second head. Countless questions raced through her head, but one came out on its own, “What's the Mage Guard?”
“Killers,” was Midnight's reply, “The name is meant to make us seem like protectors, but we weren't. People that show promise are taken and given special training. We're trained in melee, firearms, and explosives. We're taught how to pilot fighter craft, and armored tanks. Most importantly, we're trained in magic. Most seals can only control one of eight elements; earth, fire, water, wind, mind, body, spirit, and shadow, but we're given 'grand seals', which can use all eight.
“I was taken from my home at seven years old. When I was ten, my basic training was finished and I was ready for the final step. They took me in the middle of the night to a temple and strapped me to an altar. Then a priest took a knife, forged with the blood of the demon lord Nag-Ta, and drove it into my heart.”
“What? How could you survive that?” Twilight asked.
“Like I said, it was forged with demon blood,” Midnight continued, “Nag-Ta's blood flowed through my veins, giving me untold power, but at the cost of my humanity. I killed, I murdered, and I slaughtered everyone I was told to and then some. I became the most powerful of the seven Mage Guard, but then when I was fifteen something happened, something that was forbidden for us... I fell in love.”
“Sarah...” Twilight gasped. At Midnight's confused expression, she explained, “You, uh, talk in your sleep... or rather scream.”
Midnight gave a sad smile, “Yeah, Sarah, my honeysuckle. A Mage Guard's power stems from his demon. Demons are weakened by things like love. When I fell in love, it weakened me, and my superiors noticed. They found out I had a lover and were going to execute her, so I took her and ran.
“There's a reason there's only seven Mage Guards. When one dies, their power is reformed into the Demon Blood Dagger, ready for the next host. There were only eight demon lords, and one, the arch-demon, is in the Doltan King, so when I ran with my demon, they lost one of their most important military assets. They chased Sarah and I for a year until I had enough. They weren't going to rest until they had their demon back, so I decided to give it to them. I knew it was only a matter of time before they got it anyway, and Sarah had just given birth to our daughter, Tiffany.
“I found a ritual that could cleanse the soul of evil. I acquired the needed tools and reagents, and began the spell. It worked, but... not the way I thought it would. Nag-Ta was purged from my body... and released into the world. He didn't revert back to the dagger like I thought he would, but took on a physical body of his own. He was released in all his evil, twisted power, and immediately set about killing everyone in the village until it was just me, my wife, and my daughter. He dragged them to where I was laying, still too weak from the purge to even sit up. He held them up, Sarah in one hand, Tiffany in the other and said, ‘Watch, and suffer the memory. Remember what happens to those who enslave a god.’ And then...” Tears started rolling down the former human's blue face, “He burned them alive, right in front of me. There was nothing I could do, but wait for him to kill me, but he didn't. He let me live as punishment.”
By this time, every single pony was in tears. Even Rainbow Dash didn't try to hide them. What he went through was unthinkable for them.
Midnight took a deep breath and continued, “Nag-Ta haunted me for three years before he finally decided to finish the job. He found me in my cabin and cornered me. Just before he finished his sick game, I was surrounded in a bright, rainbow light. I felt my body contort and warp, and then... I woke up in a dimension I've never even heard of, without even using a Gate.”
“That's... that's horrible,” Pinkie said, her voice nasally from the injury, “No wonder you hit me. You probably thought I was one of those meanie-pants trying to hurt you.”
“But... Why did you lie?” Applejack asked.
“I didn't know what would happen. Like I said, this is a dimension I've never heard of, and I know every one that's been documented and visited. That means I'm something you've never seen or heard of before, as is my magic. I expect I'm going to be studied, or dissected.”
“Dissected?” Twilight was taken aback, “Why would we do something like that? That's awful!”
Midnight looked at her puzzled, “Then, what are you going to do to me?”
“We are going to help you heal, and make a life here, of course,” said a new voice from the door, “If you so choose..."
Midnight stared in awe at the sight of a shimmering ivory pony, more than twice his size, with great majestic wings, a long, sharp horn, and a mane and tail the colors of a warm spring morning, billowing in a nonexistent wind.
In his stupor, he could only say one simple word, “Beautiful...”
Princess Celestia giggled, “Are you always a flatterer, or only when dumbfounded?”
“Princess, you came!” Twilight exclaimed.
“When you said your friends were attacked, I wasted no time,” Said the Princess, “Of course, Gold Mine will likely be upset that I left in the middle of his claim, but I'm sure Miss Keeper will explain things for me. I heard everything and I must say, I expected some crazed mad pony, not an emotionally scarred alien.”
“Oh, right. Princess, I'd like you to meet... Wait... What is your name?” Twilight looked at the stallion inquisitively, “Your real name, I mean.”
He sighed and answered, “David Corbin... but, if I'm going to be staying, I think I'll stick with the name you gave me. Midnight Star sounds kind of cool, anyway."
“Well then,” Celestia gave a warm smile, “Welcome to Equestria, Midnight Star.”