//------------------------------//
// Arc I - Chapter: 2 - Off To A Good... Wait, Nevermind 
// Story: A DJ in the Night 
// by dj_neon_lights 
//------------------------------//


A DJ in the Night
By: Michael A
Chapter: 2 - Good Beginning, Bad Ending...
[Romance][Slice-Of-Life]


I really hate alarm clocks… My eyes slowly opened as the sound of my alarm clock filled my tired ears. I reached out a hoof, trying to find the confounded machine. My hoof slammed against my nightstand, hitting nothing but it's wooden top. I groan, the annoying sound continuing.

With a sigh, I sat up in my bed, wiping the sleep from my eyes with a hoof. Now being able to see my alarm clock, which had somehow moved from to the other side of the nightstand, and turned it off, ending it's annoying rant to my eardrums.

As my brain slowly awoke, memories from the previous night filled my ears, bringing a smile to my features. I had gone back to my apartment soon after Midnight left the club, practically passing out the moment I reached the threshold. Thankfully, I had actually been able to make it to my bed before falling asleep, as sleeping on the floor usually ended with my back hating me. 

I reveled in the memories of talking with the mare... then I remembered I had a date tonight... Oh crap.

Now, there are two versions of what happened next. The first one (the one that I convinced myself is what happened) being that I calmly thought about my plans for the night before getting some breakfast, and the second one (being what actually happened) was me getting out of bed and running around in a panic....

To say that I was nervous... would be an understatement. I had not been on a proper "date" in, well... I don't even know. The last pony that I had ended up dating was this girl in one of my classes in college, and that didn't exactly end... well. I still shudder at the memory. Because of my lack of experience in the area, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. The restaurant we were going to go to was more upscale, and I wasn't sure of how I was supposed to dress!

I ran into my bathroom (which was connected to my bedroom) and stared into the mirror. I was a mess. My hair was a wreck, my clothes were wrinkled and dirty, and from one whiff of my coat I soon realized that I smelled like dead pig. 

I stripped of my collared shirt and tie before jumping into the shower. The warm water instantly relaxed my sore muscles, and my nerves began to calm. I scrubbed myself as much as I could, trying to get every ounce of dirt and grime off my body. 

I stepped out of the shower a few minutes later, feeling refreshed and less nervous than before. I trotted from my bathroom to my bedroom, opening my closet with my magic. Although I wasn't the most organized of ponies, I made an attempt to keep my closet clean. My many collared shirts hung on their hangers, my collection of white ties hung on the door. I flipped through my shirts with my magic, hoping that I had, at least, one that could be considered fancy. After flipping through a few times, a thought popped into my head that made me face hoof. I closed the closet, trotted over to my nightstand, and opened the bottom drawer. 

My magic enveloped the item inside and pulled it out, unfolding it with my magic and levitating it in front at me. I gently placed a hoof on it, smiling at the memory of when I had received it. It was the last item my grandfather gave me before he passed; a brilliant white dress shirt with a matching black tie and black blazer. My grandfather had been a tailor, and an amazing one at that. Before he passed, he made made this for me, telling me that he didn't trust anypony else to make one for me after he passed.

To be honest, I almost forgot about it. I had never needed to dress fancy; my version of "fancy clothes" was literally what I wore normally. I mean, most ponies are usually just naked.

I smiled at the well-crafted piece of dress wear, marveling at how even in his dying days my grandfather could still create something as awesome as this. I gently laid it on my bed, making sure not to wrinkle it. My gaze shifted from the bed to my clock, noticing that it was just past nine. Good, I still got an hour to get ready.

Embarrassingly, I spent most of that hour trying to put my mane into some sort of fancy style. I toyed with several ideas but decided to just go and slick it back with some gel. To be honest, I thought I looked good. Well, more than usual, at least. The rest of the time was spent setting my grandfather's custom tux on before pacing around my living room, pretty much trying to put a groove on the floor. At around nine fifty, I heard a light knock at the door. This is it…

I slowly walked to my door, taking a deep breath before opening it and–Oh my Celestia! I’ll never be sure, but I could’ve sworn that I could feel the ground on my lower jaw.

Midnight stood in front of me, looking nervously at the ground. Her mane was in a ponytail, set in just a way that made her look so freakin' cute. She wore a brilliant blue dress, with golden accents. Around her neck was a simple, but beautiful, necklace with what looked like a sapphire, carved in the shape of a crescent moon.

The mare pawed at the ground, refusing to look up. "We hope our attire isn't too much..."

I shook my head, snapping myself out of my trance. "No, you look beautiful!"

Her nervous expression changed to a smile as a blush spread across her features. "You mean that?" I nodded, she smiled. "Well...you look exceptional as well."

I suppressed the blush that threatened to spread across my face...I think. "Thanks...shall we be going?"

She nodded. "Let us embark."





Okay... maybe I didn't think this through. I stared at the restaurant, and it wasn't what I expected. It had only taken a few minutes for me and midnight to make it to the restaurant, and I visually gasped when I saw it. I can't be certain, but I think the ground was literally made of gold! Marble columns ran across the front of the restaurant, with a decently sized garden in the front. Marble statues sat a lung the greenery, adding an even more fancy, and expensive, taste to the area. The ponies that stood in line in front of the restaurant all wore the most elegant of attire.

I don't think I can afford this.

Midnight didn't see my pause, and continued trotting up to the front of the line, eliciting some angry glares from the patrons in line. I followed after her, and the patrons glazes shifted from her to me, now showing disgust. I lowered my head, trotting blindly after Midnight.

Once we made it to the front, Midnight talked to the stallion who I could only assume was the pony who seated us. There is probably some fancy name for him, but I had no clue what it was. The stallion nodded, ushering us in. Midnight smiled at me, motioning with a hoof for me to follow. I tried to keep my cool, but I could feel the glares from the ponies in line burning the back of my skull.

Again, I was stunned. The inside of the restaurant was even more elegant and expensive-looking than the outside. Paintings that I could only imagine cost three times my yearly salary hung all around the restaurant. Statues of various famous ponies littered the area, with a large fountain in the middle. A large, crystal chandelier hung in the middle of the restaurant. The server brought us to our table, and we sat down.

"Okay, this was not what I was expecting," I admitted, still admiring the atmosphere. 

Midnight cocked her head slightly. "How so?"

"Well," I began, "I wasn't expecting it to be so... expensive! I mean, I think this tablecloth is probably worth more than anything I own!"

Midnight giggled at my outburst. "We can understand that."

The server returned and gave us our menus... Only five items? "Wow...is this just a kids menu?" I asked the server, and received an 'are you joking?' stare. I responded with, "Nevermind," hoping I could just brush it off.

Midnight ordered us some wine that I'd probably get a headache from trying to pronounce. The server nodded and left. I clopped my hooves together, trying to think of a way to start conversation. "Soo..." I began, "do you go to places like this often?"

She nodded. "Quite often, actually."

I nodded in response. Okay, that wasn't getting anywhere. Luckily, the server returned with the wine and poured us both a glass. Midnight nodded to the colt, talking a dainty sip of her glass. I tried to copy how she drank, hoping it would help me blend in. Bleck! What is the foul liquid that assaults my mouth with its pre– "This is quite good, Midnight," I said, my voice and expression the complete opposite of how I really felt. Midnight smiled, and I took another drink, if only for her... Hmm, I wonder if I could get drunk off of this crap… I took a large gulp.

After finishing off three glasses and not even feeling slightly buzzed, I figured that it wasn't going to work. Midnight had begun talking about astronomy, and I listened intently. I was thankful that she'd finally started a conversation, as I was blank on what to say. Well, that was not true. I had plenty of conversation starters in my head, but none of them would fit for the atmosphere of the restaurant. I listened intently until the server returned to take our orders.

Midnight ordered... something. All I know is she said it in fluent Prench. I stared at my menu, completely clueless on what to get. Deciding to pick something at random, I tried to pronounce it... and failed. I ended up just pointing to what I wanted, and the server ended up understanding.

Midnight and I talked some more until the food arrived... What did I order? The dish in front of me could only be described as a cube of... mush. I couldn't tell what it was made out of! The plate it was served on was huge, only emphasizing how freakin' small the thing was. I poked at it with a hoof, and the thing responded by jiggling like jello.

Midnight's food seemed to be some sort of salad, and I instantly cursed myself for not ordering what she got. Figuring that I might aswell try and eat whatever I ordered, I then began to ponder over the enigma that was the dozen or so utensils lining my plate. There were three forks ranging in size, four spoons, and three knives. I picked up one, only to be stopped by the sound of Midnight chuckling. 

I looked up at her. "What?"

"Oh... it is just amusing that you are choosing the salad fork for your entree."

My... what? There was a difference? "Oh... Then which fork should I use?"

She giggled again. "You should be using the one closest to the plate, as the furthest one, the one you picked, is for a salad if you were to have one."

Deciding not to question, I began to eat the... cube. Well, it's not bad. Kinda dry, but not bad. Still, even after consuming it I felt as though I'd only eaten a single grape.

After we were both done eating, the server returned with the cheque. Holy shit!!! My eyes went wide as I stared at our bill, my blood running cold through my veins. Okay, if I mortgaged my apartment and sold some of my equipment then maybe I could–

My mental tirade was cut short as Midnight levitated the bill out from in front of me. "Do not worry thyself, as we shall cover the bill."

I wanted to feel relieved that I wouldn't have to live on the streets in order to pay for the bill, but I couldn't because of the rising guilt of seeing her pay the entire thing... I said nothing, and stayed silent...

A few minutes later we left, and I immediately turned to look Midnight in the eyes as soon as we were out of earshot from the restaurant. "I am so sorry for that!"

"Whatever for?" She asked, looking at me confused.

"For making, you have to pay that…monster of a bill! I mean, I make a good living, but I don't think I even had enough in my bank account to cover that!"

Midnight giggled, something that I found quite cute. "'Tis okay, Neon, we have a substantial amount of wealth, and will not even be phased by such a price. All is well, do not fear; your company was worth it enough."

I blushed. I mean... yeah, I blushed. "T-thanks," I said, rubbing the back of my neck with a hoof. "I had a really good time..."

Midnight frowned. "You seem contemplative... I believe you are not being truthful about your enjoyment of our dinner... ‘Twas it me?! Did I offend you in any sort???" She began, panic beginning to rise in her tone. "We must apologize for any discomfort that we may have caused thee and-” She was caught off-guard as I pulled her into a hug. I couldn’t stand seeing the mare working herself up like that, and saw it as the only thing to really do. 

We held the hug for several minutes before I pulled back. I put a hood to her chin and brought her gaze to my own. “Listen. I will admit that my experience at the restaurant wasn’t the best, but I promise you that it had nothing to do with you. I’m just not used to that kind of atmosphere, and it was kinda awkward being out of my element. That being said, I did have a great time talking to you. Although the atmosphere wasn’t to my taste, it was still worth it because I got to spend it with you.” Wow, I didn’t expect myself to actually say that. Damn, I hope she doesn’t take that as corny. 

What happened next I wouldn’t’ve expected in a million years. Midnight jumped forwards, wrapping her hooves around my neck. Not expecting this, I fell backward. The dark blue mare held her hooves around my neck tightly. I was stunned at first, but then I hugged back. She held her hooves around my neck for what seemed like an eternity, before I felt her hooves loosen around my neck. She stood up, dusting herself off before helping me to my hooves. 

“We apologize for the outburst… it is just that your words touched me, and I couldn’t help myself…”

I smiled. “It’s all right, filly. You got nothing to be sorry about,” I said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. 

A smile grew on Midnight’s face as she snuggled into my side, nuzzling into my neck. “I cannot thank you enough for how much of a gentle colt you have been to be… It has been some time since we have met somepony as kind as you have been.”

I was shocked at first, but soon found myself snuggling into her as well. “I’m no gentlecolt--I’m just an awesome DJ who doesn’t like seeing a pretty mare such as yourself upset.”

She didn’t respond, instead just snuggling up into my side more. We began to trot towards my apartment, still remaining pressed together. Moonlight shone down upon us, almost as if the moon itself was a spotlight. The cool night air blew through our manes and coats, causing us to snuggle in even closer, trying to leech off of the others’ heat.

Tonight had been perfect. I almost had a heart attack from seeing the bill, received death glares from Canterlot's upper crust, and had the most awkward dinner of my life. But, it was all worth it from the last few minutes. I was in heaven... Until I felt something hard bash into my head. 

I feel to the ground, my ears instantly filled with a high pitched ringing. My vision blurred, and I tried to see what had happened. I saw the shadowy form of what I thought was midnight being attacked by another pony. I instantly tried to get to my hooves, to help her, but my limbs didn't respond. As my vision finally began to fade to black... I could've sworn I saw Midnight with wings.





Oh my Celestia! My head hurt! When I awoke from my forced unconsciousness, I couldn't even think through the raging pain in my head. I brought my hooves up to my temples, trying to get the pain to stop. Luckily, it the pain began to subside, and I relaxed as the pain eventually subsided. It was then when I heard the soft beeping of something to my side.

Suddenly, it hit me. I looked around, confirming my theory—I was in a hospital.

I lay in a hospital bed, most of my body being covered in a thin cotton sheet. An IV drip needle was inverted in my left hoof, connected to a bag that hung beside my bed. A heart monitor sat beside my bed, slowly beeping. The rest of the room was not much different than a standard hospital room; its walls were a bland white and the floor was tiled. I tried to shift my body, soon realizing that I was sore as hell. I groaned, leaning back into my pillow... Oh, shit!

I shot up from my bed, ignoring the pain that flared up in my head and body. I took a deep breath as I grabbed the IV needle in my magic, and slowly pulled it out. I jumped off of my bed, wobbling on my hooves. I took a few shaky steps, my body getting used to standing again. As soon as my body adjusted and I ran towards the door. I went to open the door with my magic, only to receive a roaring headache. I shook my head, turning the knob instead with my hoof before pushing it open. 

The door opened to a well lit hallway, patient rooms located along the entire corridor. I was about to make a break for the end of the hallway before I noticed a nurse trotting down the hallway. She noticed me immediately, and began to gallop towards me. 

It only took a moment for her to reach me, and she immediately put her hooves on my shoulders, trying to lead me back to my room. "Don't go anywhere," she began, "you need to rest."

I pushed her hooves away. "No! I need to find Midnight!" I yelled at her, intent on running to go find the mare. 

The nurse put a hoof on my shoulder, this time more caring than concerned. "Don't worry, your friend is fine. After all, she was the one who brought you to us."

I visibly relaxed, letting the mare guide me back into the room. I craved back into bed, feeling the adrenaline wear off as my head started to hurt again. She nurse began to replace the IV needle back into my hoof. I winced as the sharp metal penetrated my vein. 

"Now relax," she began. "This is a painkiller, and it should help with the pain."

I nodded in understanding, trying to relax. I took the opportunity to look at the mare properly. She was a decently sized earth-pony mare with a red mane and a white coat. Her cutie-mark was a syringe over a health cross. 

"Excuse me, Miss..." 

"Good Health."

"Miss Good Health, would you please fill me in on what's going on?" I knew that Midnight was safe, so even though I wasn't pressed to get details, I was still curious.

"Oh, yes, you were unconscious when you arrived," she began, trotting over to retrieve a clipboard from the bedside table. She read over the clipboard before nodding and returning her gaze to me. "You arrived yesterday unconscious with a decent sized head wound and a concussion. Your friend, Midnight, rushed you in. For a small mare, she was really fast. Anyways, you were treated but remained unconscious. Your friend stayed almost the entire time, but said she had to go 'attend matters of great importance' and would, 'return upon the end of last light!'"

I chuckled, noticing Midnight's speech pattern immediately. Yeah, that was her, alright.

"From what she told us, you were attacked by a random mugger; struck across the head with some sort of pipe. She didn't say how she got away with no visible harm, but we decided not to press as to not activate the memory. I can imagine it would've been quite traumatizing for her," the mare finished, trotting towards the door. "You need to rest. The blow you received caused some minor swelling to your brain. Not enough to cause permanent damage, but enough for it to hurt like Tartarus. That and your friend shall be arriving soon because it's almost 'last light.'" The mare then exited, leaving me alone. 

I sighed before laying down and trying to get comfortable. The image of Midnight with wings flashed into the front of my mind, but I brushed it off, figuring it was a trick of my mind when I was struck. After all, how could she have a horn and wings...





I awoke to the feeling of my ribcage being crushed. I wanted to scream for the nurse, but I stopped when I heard sobbing. I opened my eyes, noticing I was being bear hugged by a dark blue mare. I smiled for a moment, before I remember my crushing ribs. "Can't...breath..." I sputtered out.

Midnight released me at once, backing off so she sat besides the hospital bed. "We apologize, we were just excited to see that you have awoken from your forced slumber," she began, wiping a free tear from her eye. "We feared that you would be lost to us, but we are overjoyed to see that is not the case."

I smiled, moving my forehoof to rest on her shoulder. "Don't sweat it, 'Night, it'll take a lot more than that to keep me down!" I said, instantly regretting it when my headache returned. 

"Please," she began, "you must not exert yourself, as you are still healing."

I nodded, snuggling back into my bed. "Midnight?"

"Yes?"

"How... How did you get away from whoever tried to mug us? I mean, last thing I saw was you being... attacked." I wilted in the bed, saddened by the fact that I hadn't been able to help her. 

"We... we were able to slip away from that fiend,” she began. "We wish not to talk about it..."

I nodded, remembering how the nurse said it could've been traumatizing for her. "It's okay, all that matters is that you are safe."

Midnight smiled at me, nuzzling her head into my hoof on her shoulder. I could feel a chill go up my spine at her touch, and I couldn't help but blush. Far too soon, she stopped, looking up at me with a surprisingly serious expression. 

"We... I promise you that I will not let anything happen to you. You have shown me kindness that I have not received in a long, long time. You mean more to me then you can ever know..." She lowered her head. "You show me light in my dark world."

Unsure of how to respond, I leaned forwards and pulled Midnight into a tight hug, whispering into her ear. "I'm not going anywhere..."