7, 21, 1000, C.E.
12:00 P.M.
Royal Lunch Banquet.
After a long and boring morning of answering question after question and listening to petition's from royal snob's Midnight just wanted to sit down and relax. So when lunch time came around she grabbed Gadget and Hot Shot and bolted out the royal council. A few minute's later she and her cargo were deposited at the long table full of food as far as the eye could see. Midnight stretched out her wing's after being cooped up in that awful chair for several hour's.
"Awww It truly feel's good to be out of that room." She said as she sat down in a seat next to Luna who looked like she just woke up. Midnight saw that her mane was a mess. It looked frazzled as if she had been struck by lightning. Midnight chuckled as Luna looked like she was about to fall face first into her bowl of cereal.
"Sis are you ok?" She asked failing to stifle her laughter. Luna looked at her and smirked.
"Alas dear sister. We art fine. Just as you would say 'a little out of it'." She said as she wobbled a little bit. Midnight just looked upon her tired sister with and shook her head.
"You really should take some time off." She said as she grabbed a bagel and began to spread butter on it. Soon the group was joined by Princess Celestia, who had a wicked smile on her face. In the background the group heard the school pony's all rushing out the door as Cheri lee headed to the train station.
"So dear sister's did i miss anything?" She asked as she grabbed a slice of cake and put it on a plate. Midnight eyed the cake from her spot at the table. She smirked.
"Well dear sister you missed out on nothing. The day court was boring as usual." She said as her horn flared up. Celestia smiled as went to take a bite of her cake. Only to have her fork strike thin air. Celestia's eye's narrowed to pinprick's.
"Midnight?" Midnight smirked.
"Yes dear sister?" She replied batting her eyelash's a look of pure innocence on her face.
"Do you remember the conversation we had before about not touching my cake?" She said her eye's trying to burn a hole thew Midnight's smug face.
"Why yes big sis i do remember." She said as she calmly look a sip of her tea not flinching. Celestia looked like she was getting angrier by the minute.
"And do you remember what happened the last time you stole my cake!?" She barked across the table. Midnight thought back to that fateful day. Then she smirked.
"Yes i remember. I remember that the next week i awoke in a crate on the doorstep of my knight's house." She said as she took another bite of her food. The Princess's conversation was interrupted by the big wooden double door's to the dining hall being throne open. The last person Midnight wanted to see came striding through the door's, a huge grin on his face. Midnight gave Celestia her cake back and then began to stare at her food intently. Gadget noticed the sudden shift in mood and looked to her with concern.
"Lady Midnight are you ok?" He asked looking worried. She looked to him then to Charlemagne who took a seat directly across from Midnight. He looked to her and smiled softly. She looked from him to Gadget. And shook her head. That strange feeling was back. This time it was more intense than before. She looked to Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. They all looked from Midnight to The Prince. The Prince however was oblivious to there look's. He simply cleared his throat.
"My dear lady Midnight do you have the evening off tonight?" He asked. She looked at him with a confused face.
"No Sir Charlemagne i do not." The Prince looked sad at this new's. Midnight however went on.
"For i shall be attending the game's tonight." The Prince looked thrilled. Well it seem's my plan shall work after all. Midnight's eye's narrowed. What plan? The Prince looked at Gadget who was sitting tall and proud by his majesty's side calmly eating a bowl of cereal. Charlemagne scowled at him looking so content next to his queen. He looked like he was about to lunge across the table at Gadget, but he soon thought better of it. Once i defeat you tonight i will have my audience with the Queen. Midnight's curiosity got the better of her.
"Sir Charlemagne what are your plan's tonight?" The Prince was shocked but composed himself. He cleared his throat shooting Gadget a gleeful smirk.
"Well your highness i planning on participating in the gladiatorial spectacle tonight." The whole table was silent for a second. Then Gadget piped up.
"Oh so your a fan of the arena?" He asked smiling. The Prince shot him a glare.
"Yes Sir Sky-Rose. What concern of yours is it?" The Prince snapped. Gadget just smiled.
"Well i was planning on participating as well." He said musing at the thought. The Prince looked at Gadget.
"You? Really?" He said giving the unicorn a deadpan look of disbelief. He had hoped to challenge Gadget to a match in the arena. Now the idiot was making it to easy. The Prince kept his wits about him thow. He knew that even thow his adversary was a buffoon he still attained the title of knight. That in and of its self deserved his begrudging respect, no matter how little of it he gave. The Prince eyed Gadget like he was a piece of meat left out to dry. Princess Midnight was not liking the viscous thought's running through the prince's head at the moment. They were all about him standing over Gadget's dead body in various manner's of death and dismemberment.
Gadget was picking up on The Prince's negative emotion's directed at him and he was looking nervous.
"Why does he hate me so much?" He asked Midnight. She nearly choked on her glass of whine she was drinking. As soon as her fit of coughing stopped she looked between Gadget and The Prince. The whole table looked at her like she had grown a second head. She laughed nervously at the concerned stare's.
"Oh don't mind me." She calmly stated taking a small sip from her wine glass. Her cheeks were flushed from embarrassment. The Prince gave her one last sympathetic look before he turned to Gadget, his smile replaced with a scowl.
"Soon my queen you will be mine and we shall live a long,lovely, life together." The Prince was lost in his day dream's.
"oh sweet merciful heavens above." Midnight thought She poked at her salad with her fork and grumbling to herself pushed it away from herself. As she did so Gadget gave her a look of concern. Midnight cleared her throat.
"My dear sister's i am sorry for having to cut my lunch with you short but i must take my leave." She said bowing to her co-ruler's. Celestia and Luna gave Midnight concerned look's.
"Midnight is everything all right?" Celestia asked scanning her sister's feature's for any sign of distress. She saw some, but then it was replaced with a fierce look of determination. Luna picked up on her sister's emotion's.
"Yes dear sister tell us what doth trouble thee so?" Midnight looked from her sister's to the Prince. Then her gaze settled on Gadget and her face twisted into a vicious smile. "You will not loose this night Gadget!" She said steeling her resolve.
"I have an important errand to run." She said giving her sister's a wink. Princess Celestia and Luna gave each other a puzzled look. Before they could inquire as to what the errand was Midnight was out the door dragging Gadget away from his food and out into the city beyond.
Hot Shot looked after them with confusion. He shrugged his shoulder's and went back to eating his food. Princess Cadance looked at his with a smile. She then nudged Shining Armor and whispered something into his ear. She looked from her to Hot Shot. Hot Shot payed them no mind. He just continued eating.
"Hey Hot Shot?" Shining asked. Hot Shot looked up from his food giving Shining a inquisitive look.
"Yes?" Shining smiled.
"Hoe would you like to cheer on your brother at the Coliseum tonight?" Hot Shot looked over from Shining to the city. He looked at the city longingly. He shook his head.
"Sure that would be nice." Shining nodded and went back to eating his food.
1:00 P.M. Canterlot Grand Coliseum.
Gadget was puzzled but he followed his Majesty none the less. He knew the coliseum was huge but he had never been inside it before. His face was alight with curiosity as both of them went to the sign up booth for the festivity's this evening. While Gadget acted like a foul in a candy shop, Midnight laughed at his antic's and went to go and sign them both up. "Oh yes this plan will go off without a hitch." She thought to herself. After that she went over to Gadget who was examining a rack of ancient gladiatorial weaponry. He gingerly poked a spear with his hoof.
"Ouch!" He said pulling his hoof back, a tiny dot of blood staining his black coat crimson. He turned to Midnight who had an amused look on her face.
"So done inspecting the scenery?" She asked. He nodded his head sucking on his hoof like a foal.
"Here let me see." Midnight said as she grasped Gadget's hoof in her magic. The blood had stopped flowing but there was still a dark stain on his hoof. Midnight looked at it with a sudden hunger welling up inside of her.
"Midnight? You ok?" Gadget's voice broke the spell Midnight was under and she shook her head to get the thought's of blood off her mind. She gave Gadget a timid smile.
"Uh yes i-i'm fine." She said as she let go of his hoof and began to walk back to the middle of the arena. Gadget looked at her with mild concern. He soon fallowed after her. When the two were in the middle of the arena Midnight cleared her throat. At this unspoken command Gadget stood at attention. Midnight giggled at this but soon she took up a serious look upon her face.
"Now Sir Sky-Rose can you tell me why we are here?" She asked him. He looked at her with a small smirk creeping across his muzzle.
"Well My Lady i can assume that we are here to do something of import in regard's to the festivities scheduled for tonight?" He said looking strait ahead. Midnight had to fight to hide her laughter. She didn't really care much for formality's but Gadget took his duty's very seriously. She loved to tease him to no end.
She slowly made her way over to him and then began to circle him, inspecting him.
"Toned muscle's, Stout stance, Not very big for a stallion but big enough to hold his own in a fight,"- While Midnight studied Gadget he stood as still as a plank of wood.- "All in all if he had more access to his magic he would be a formidable fighter in the arena." Once Midnight was done she stood in front of him hung her head and sighed. Gadget's composer faltered a little as she radiated wave's of sadness.
"Princess are you ok?" He said taking a step forward. As he did so he felt her emotion's change on a dime. She went from sad to happy. He was puzzled. Suddenly her head shot up, a demented smile on her face, and she shot out a powerful blast of magic aimed directly at Gadget's head.
Canterlot Royal Garden's.
In the deepest part of the secluded garden's a stone statue of a strange creature began to get hairline fracture's on it's smooth surface. Through these small crack's, if one pressed there ear's against the cold stone, bit's of demented evil laughter could be heard.