//------------------------------// // 122. The Midnight Dour - Part 2 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// Over the next few days, everypony noticed Midnight wasn’t himself. Every day, he woke up, attacked his chores like a soldier, barely said a word, and once he was done, he’d isolate himself in his workshop. Twinken always tried to go talk to him once Midnight was alone in his workshop but for some reason, he just couldn’t bring himself to do so. Applejack was satisfied to see Midnight minding his chores but even she was concerned with her brother’s behavior. *Knock-knock* Midnight opened his door to see Applejack, and she noticed he looked tired. Very tired. “Howdy, Midnight, um… Mind runnin’ int’ town for me?” “Busy,” Midnight said curtly before he made to close the door, but Applejack stuck her hoof in to stop him. “Midnight, Ah need ya t’ take care o’ some errands,” Applejack insisted. “Big Mac’s haulin’ an’ Bloom n’ Twink are in school. Also, Ah think gettin’ outta this stuffy workshop will do you some good.” Knowing Applejack was too stubborn to take no for an answer, Midnight growled, “Fine… What do you need?” Midnight walked through town, saddlebags tied to his barrel, his manner stoic as he drowned out the world around him. Lots of ponies waved, said hello, but all they got from the blue unicorn was the cold shoulder. Literally. “Ooh! Is it just me or is it chilly all of a sudden?” asked Bon Bon. “It’s sunny out but yeah,” agreed Lyra. “Well, whatever it is I suggest we just give Midnight a wide berth,” suggested their coltfriend, Noteworthy. The words washed over him like a stone in a stream. Sighing, he sat by the town fountain, and levitated out the list of errands Applejack had given him. _ Buy 1 bag of flour, Pinkie will give you a discount _ Ask Blueblood for some oil, barndoor hinges are getting rusty _ Check the weather schedule for this week _ Ask Rarity to come by the farm, I’d like her to scan a space of land for gems before we start using it _ See Fluttershy and ask her to come by, we have a rabbit problem Sighing, Midnight looked towards Sugarcube Corner and grumbled, “Let’s get this over with…” The bell rang as Midnight opened the door and walked in. “Hi Midnight!” Pinkie was already in his face with a happy smile. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, where life is always sweet! What can I get’cha?” “Hi Pinkie,” Midnight sighed as he levitated up some bits. “I need a bag of flour delivered to Applejack at the farm, can you handle that for me?” “Okey-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie took the bits and stepped towards the back, “I’ll have that flour at Sweet Apple Acres faster than you can say-” “Just get it there,” Midnight huffed as he turned to leave when Pinkie felt a familiar sensation. ‘Ear flop, eye flutter, knee twitch?” she gasped and yelled, “Midnight, watch out for the-” *SLAM* “OUCH!!” Midnight fell onto his rump, clutching his aching snoot, when his eyes flared a brief angry red and the door blew to pieces, Mr. Cake looking shocked as he stood in the threshold… and keeled over. Growling, Midnight stood up, gathered his dignity, and muttered to Pinkie, “Send me the bill…” “Uh…” Pinkie looked a little shell-shocked as she watched Midnight leave. Midnight made his way to Blueblood’s warehouse. From the spark flying out the door ajar, Midnight figured Blueblood was busy. Entering, he raised a small spell-shield to protect himself from the sparks and saw Blueblood working on his project, another airship. It was coming along nicely, nearly fifty feet long, with wrought-iron frame, magically reinforced wooden hull, it was still a long ways from completion but still impressive looking. Blueblood was sitting on a platform, his face protected by a welding mask, he wore a jacket and leather apron, and was pointing his horn at a spot where two metal plates met, and was forging them together. Before long, he stopped and lifted his mask to inspect his work. “Hmm, things are progressing nicely…” “Blueblood!” The inventor looked to see his friend and smiled, “Midnight, my friend! Didn’t hear you come in, sorry if I kept you waiting.” “Not at all,” Midnight waved it off, sounding not right to Blueblood. “Listen, um, do you have any oil you can spare? Applejack said the hinges on the barn door are getting rusty.” “”Certainly, give me a moment,” Blueblood shed his protective clothing and looked to a metal cabinet. Opening it he scanned its contents and perked at the desired item. He levitated out a small oilcan. “Now, let’s just fill this up and you’re all set.” Midnight plopped down, sighing impatiently as Blueblood filled the container up. “Here you are, my good stallion,” Blueblood said graciously as he levitated the oilcan towards Midnight. “An ample squirt from this will have those hinges opening smoothly in no time.” “Thanks for keeping me waiting,” snapped Midnight as his aura enveloped the oilcan. But the moment their auras crossed, Blueblood gasped as he saw, in his mind, Midnight except it wasn’t Midnight. He released his hold on the oilcan and shook his head clear, but by the time he centered his thoughts, Midnight was already gone. Midnight groaned as he felt a migraine but he was also feeling bad about the ways he’d treated Pinkie Pie and Blueblood. I’ll apologize when I can… He approached the Ponyville Weather Office and knocked on the door. It opened to reveal Cloud Chaser. “Hey Midnight, what can I do for you?” “Thunder in?” Midnight asked wearily. “Uh yeah, but he’s going over-” Cloud Chaser looked to Thunderlane’s office, only to be rudely pushed aside as Midnight walked up to it and knocked. “I’m kinda busy in here!” Thunderlane called out. “Thunder, it’s me! I need this week’s weather report!” Midnight yelled back. There as an impatient sigh and Thunderlane said, “Come in.” Midnight opened the door and found Thunderlane looking up at a chart depicting the week, with weather symbol-shaped magnets sticking to some of the spaces in the weekdays’ columns. “I take it the weather for this week isn’t fully planned,” Midnight deadpanned. “You try scheduling a drizzle for some gardeners on the same day some parents want to be nice and sunny for their kid’s birthday party,” Thunderlane groaned as he sat at his desk and rubbed his temples with his primaries. “Tell them to have their kid’s party indoors, and get back to me on that weather schedule,” Midnight groaned in vexation as he turned to leave. “Hey Night?” Midnight looked to his friend, who looked concerned. “Everything alright?” “I’m fine, Thunderlane, never better, get back to your scheduling and mind your own business!” snapped Midnight rather harshly as he stormed out. Cloud Chaser stepped into the doorway, watching Midnight leave, before she pointed at the ornery unicorn while asking Thunderlane, “What crawled up his tailgate and died?” Thunderlane was speechless – He’d seen Midnight angry before, but this was different. He could’ve sworn he saw Midnight’s eyes flash red for a brief moment. Threaded needles flowed in grace and precision as they sewed soft fabrics together, a pair of scissors snipping the threads once the stitch was complete and Rarity marveled at her latest work of art. “Ah, my muse has blessed me today to have made so gorgeous-” *Knock-knock-knock* “Coming…!” Rarity sang as she answered the door to see a familiar face. “Ah, Midnight, I- Oh my, darling! You look positively awful!” “Sleep troubles,” Midnight replied in a grumbling tone. “Can I ask a favor, Rarity?” “If you need some form of sleep-aid, darling, I have some-” Rarity offered only for Midnight to cut her off. “No! Applejack needs you to come down to the farm and scan a space of land for gemstones. She wants to know what she’s dealing with before she uses the space for planting.” “Well, Midnight, I’m actually in the middle of an order for an important client,” Rarity looked anxiously to the dress, still not quite finished. “Perhaps once I’m done and have delivered it, I can-” “Just do it when you can!” Midnight snapped irritably and stormed off, leaving a very-miffed Rarity. “Hmph! Well, I never!” Midnight made his way to Fluttershy’s cottage, sighing in relief, “Last thing to do, then I get back to-” Keeping up appearances? Fooling yourself? “Go away…!” Midnight growled as he shook his head. “You’re not real! The Voice chuckled darkly, Oh I think we both know better, Midnight… Heh-heh-ha-ha-ha-ha! “We?” Midnight echoed before chuckling, “I thought you said that you were me!” I said it before, I’m that part of you that you don’t want your worthless friends to know about. But before long, there will only be me… And you? You will be nothing more than a distant memory, cursed and hated. “SHUT UP!” Midnight yelled, a blast of cold pulsing around him, and coating the plants with frost. As he panted, he heard somepony. “Midnight?” He looked to see a concerned Fluttershy, poking her head out her door. “Are you alright? Was somepony bothering you?” “No- It’s… nothing,” Midnight waved it off as he calmed down. “Listen, Fluttershy, Applejack needs you down at the farm, said something about a rabbit problem, figured you could help.” “Oh I see. Well, I’m not doing anything right now, I’ll head on over and see how I can help,” Fluttershy answered helpfully, and her gentleness made even the melancholy Midnight smile and feel a bit better. “OK, don’t wait up for me. I’ll meet you there.” Fluttershy nodded and took flight, headed for Sweet Apple Acres. Midnight was halfway back to the farm when something landed in front of him, and he saw it was- “Hey Midnight!” He looked to see Rainbow Dash and Soarin fly down to him, the latter saying, “Sorry if our hoofball hurt ya! We’re just having-” “A little one on one!” Rainbow interjected, “Y’know, hanging out, having a little fun.” “Aw come on, Dashie!” Soarin put an arm around the mare’s shoulders. “That’s no way to talk about our first date!” “Date?” Midnight gave Rainbow Dash a teasing look, Rainbow blushing a bit. “…Yeah, the big dope here finally got me to say yes,” Rainbow socked Soarin in the arm, making him smile sneakily while rubbing the new bruise. “And his idea of sappiness is to play hoofball… which is totally cool by me!” “…Enjoy yourselves. I have things to do,” Midnight said brusquely before walking away, and leaving a literal chill on the dating pegasus ponies’ wings. “Whoo! That was weird…” Soarin muttered as he landed and rubbed his chilled wing. "What, can’t take a little drop of temperature?” teased Rainbow. “It’s how I felt the temperature,” Soarin corrected, feeling disturbed by it somehow as he watched their friend walk away. As Midnight walked onto the Apple Family property, he saw Fluttershy and Applejack having a word. Sighing in relief, he hopped the fence and started making for his workshop, when… “Midnight Blaze, y’all get yer blue butt over here!” Growling in vexation, Midnight felt that anger again. No! Must… keep calm… Taking a deep breath, he took a moment to center himself and felt it abate. He turned to see Applejack and Fluttershy approach, the former saying, “Y’all can help Fluttershy with them rabbits, if’n tha’ ain’t a problem…” She dares challenge to you, Midnight… An insignificant mud-mucker! Punish her, put her in her place… Midnight shook that infuriating temptation away, and said, “Not a problem at all, sis… Come on, Fluttershy, let’s deal with this… problem.”