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// (B'Tween) Midnight Hour 
// Story: Blaze the Pony Tale 
// by Wolven5 
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The ticking of the clock was almost mocking as Twinken fidgeted anxiously at his desk. Why did it come to this? Where did he go wrong? Why couldn't he be the bigger pony as he usually is? 

"Twinken! Would you please not tap your hoof so loudly?"

Twinken startled and looked to the front of the classroom where Cheerilee was sitting at her desk and had put her novel down to look at her student with a stern look. He then realized not only had he been squirmy on his seat, he'd been tapping his hoof on the floor relentlessly. 

"Sorry, Miss Cheerilee..." he apologized, Cheerilee sighing as she bookmarked her novel and stood up.

"Honestly, Twinken, I'm surprised at the behavior you displayed today; it really wasn't like you!" 

Twinken's ears splayed backwards as he felt the shame, but also felt his blood boil a little as he reflected on what got him afternoon detention to begin with. 

During lunch, he'd been eating with his friends, when a loud yelp and clatter earned everypony's attention, and they saw Dinky Doo had tripped while carrying her paperbag lunch. The bag had ripped open, sending her food all over the ground, dirtying it. It turned out Dinky had been tripped by Diamond Tiara and then Hotshot made a nasty remark to Dinky, saying apparently she had eyesight as bad as her mom's. 

That caused Dinky to cry, and it only got worse when Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Hotshot all mockingly chanted 'Blank flank' over and over. Twinken didn't know why, but seeing and hearing Dinky cry while those brats bullied her unmerciful filled him with such rage he saw red. As did those bullies when they were enveloped in a red aura and thrown into the nearby garbage can. 

Cheerilee managed to determine Twinken had levitated Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Hotshot into the garbage can since none of her other unicorn students had such talent in Levitation, plus his red aura, which easily implicated him. 

Diamond Tiara threatened to tell her father and have Twinken arrested but Cheerilee talked her down, and then told Twinken to report to her after the school day for afternoon detention. 


She'd had Twinken write lines without magic and after writing 'I will not abuse magic' enough to fill five notebook pages, she'd allowed him a break and told him to sit quietly while they waited for his brother. 

Twinken was tired, as not only he'd been disallowed to write with magic, Cheerilee had made him take off his manipulation shoes, forcing him to write with his mouth. His neck felt creaky, his pencil had bad chewing marks on it and several times he had to clean off his spit. 

"I'm not sorry..." Twinken pouted, much to Cheerilee's disapproval.

"Well, then we have a problem, young colt," she retorted. "Because if I can't trust you not to abuse your magic while at school-"

"Miss Cheerilee."

Student and teacher both looked to the doorway, and there stood Midnight Blaze, whose unreadable gaze was directed at his little brother. Seeing Midnight made Twinken slink down in his seat while Cheerilee cleared her throat.

"Midnight, thank you for coming. I take it Apple Bloom gave you the note?"

"Yes, and I'd like to hear it straight from the colt's mouth," Midnight stated expectantly.

The little colt moaned as both adults looked at him, waiting. Taking a deep breath, he began.
"I... I used my magic to... to levitate Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, an- and Hotshot and I-I-"

Twinken didn't know why he felt like crying, he just felt so confused and angry, and felt like running home, locking his bedroom door, and burying himself under his blanket. Forever. 

As the colt struggled to hold back the tears, Midnight sighed, and went over to give his little brother a hug, and finally, Twinken let it out, sobbing into Midnight's chest, Cheerilee sighing as well. Twinken was a good colt and actually one of the best students in his class. However, what he'd done was next to inexcusable. 

Midnight gently shushed his little brother, whispering 's'okay, s'okay' to him, until finally Twinken calmed down and Midnight calmly bade him, "Go on."

"I levitated them into a garbage can..." he sniffled, "because they-they tripped Dinky Doo and made her cry!"

Midnight looked to Cheerilee, who nodded, "It's true. But that doesn't excuse his behavior."

Midnight nodded in agreement, and said, "I promise, Cheerilee, I'll straighten Twinken out. If the parents of his classmates complain however, you can direct them towards me..."

The way Midnight said those words with the look on his face, it made Cheerilee think of how foolish those parents would be to complain to Midnight about this situation. 

"Thank you for your time, Midnight," Cheerilee nodded to him respectfully, which he mirrored back, and then she looked to Twinken, "and Twinken? I trust this won't happen again."

Twinken nodded guiltily at his teacher but was surprised when she smiled at him and said, "I look forward to seeing you in class again."

"Come on, little brother," Midnight said as he moved for the door, "we have some things to talk about."

At those words, Twinken felt nervous again as he slowly followed Midnight out the door, but right before he went through the doorway...

"Twinken?"

He looked to Cheerilee, who looked to him with concern and sighed, "Good luck."

Rather than encourage him, Cheerilee had unintentionally caused Twinken to worry even more as he hurried to catch up with Midnight. 





The entire walk from the schoolhouse to Sweet Apple Acres, Midnight didn't say a thing to Twinken except "Not yet" when Twinken tried to talk to him, and his brother's tone encouraged him not to try again. Once they reached the orchard, Midnight leaped over the fence while Twinken ducked under it and continued to follow Midnight. They went on until they stood at the highest hill in the orchard, where they had the perfect view of all Sweet Apple Acres, as well as a fine view of Ponyville in the distance. 

Celestia was already beginning to set the sun, and as Midnight sat down on the hill, Twinken nervously sat beside him. His anxiety continued to fester and he wished Midnight would just yell at him and get it over with. But as he looked up at his brother's face, he was surprised to see a stallion troubled and afraid. 

Midnight took a deep breath and began.
"Twinken, I'm very disappointed in you."

"I know..."

"You abused your magic! That is the number one rule I gave you when I started teaching you, but you gave into your anger and disobeyed me! And what's worse, you used it to punish your classmates!" 

"I was just trying to stand up to them and help a friend!" Twinken defend himself but his voice was shaky and ashamed. 

"I know..." Midnight said in understanding. "But Twinken... You must understand, that you have powerful magic within you... You're a Beta! Things could have been so much worse if your magic had surged. You could have done something that you might not have been able to take back!"

Twinken didn't know how to respond and felt the tears well up again, only to feel a feathery embrace and looked to see Midnight was wing-hugging him. 

"Twinken... I know what it's like. You have the power and you think 'why not use it?'"

"No! That wasn't it all!" Twinken cried. "I just wanted to stop them from picking on Dinky! I didn't think of it like that!"

That, at least, made Midnight feel better, and he sighed. 
"Alright... Acting in someone's defense is noble. But doing so, out of anger, is dangerous, especially with power like yours. Twinken, you are young and of course you're emotional, and you've still got a lot of growing up to do. But please understand, I have to teach you to have a better control of your magic, but more importantly, you must learn to have a better control of yourself!"

Twinken calmed down a bit, and nodded while wiping the tears away. 

"So... from now on, we're going to establish more concrete schedule in your magic lessons," Midnight decided. "Once or twice a week, we will session your magical studies, and hone your skills."

"I think... I'd like that," Twinken looked up to Midnight, who returned the look with a warm smile. 





"WER' HOME!" Apple Bloom announced as she and Twinken came back from school. 

""Welcome home, dearies," Granny Smith said warmly to her young grandchildren, giving them each a kiss on the forehead, "and Twinken, honey, yer big brother wants t' see ya at his workshop."

"How come?" Twinken asked as she set his saddlebags in their usual place.

"Ah don' rightly know," Granny Smith shrugged, "but he shor made it sound important! So git'along, scoot yer caboose!"

Twinken looked to Apple Bloom, who shrugged, not knowing either, so Twinken sighed, and hurried out the door.


Once he reached the workshop, he noticed the small pipe that served as the smokestack for the stove inside was exhaling a thin but constant stream of smoke. He went up to the door, but it opened before he could knock.

"Come in, little brother."

Twinken entered and saw Midnight at the stove, apparently looking at something before the alicorn's horn flared and the stove made a brief hissing, and Midnight turned to Twinken. The colt saw the stove had been snuffed out but paid it no mind as Midnight asked, "How was school today?"

"It was... different," Twinken admitted, and he explained that Cheerilee had moved him to the front row (likely to keep an eye on him) and oddly Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Hotshot had avoided Twinken and his friends the whole day. Although that didn't stop them from glaring at Twinken. 

"Well, at least Cheerilee didn't kick you out of her school," Midnight sighed in relief. "Well then, little brother, we're gonna amp up your magical studies a bit, and Twilight gave me a few suggestions on what to teach you."

Twinken sighed and sat, expecting long lectures, big words, only for Midnight to say, "So let's try a few beginner's elemental spells."

"HUH?!"

"Come on," Midnight stepped out of the workshop, "this'll be more fun outside."

Twinken followed Midnight, a little confused, and once they were standing in the meadow nearby the workshop, Midnight said, "I think I'll start by showing you the very first water spell I learned. Watch..."

Twinken paid attention and watched as Midnight closed his eyes, his horn gently glowed, and he took a deep breath, slow and steady, held it for a moment, and then blew, the inside of his mouth glowing a faint turquoise light as he literally blew a stream of bubbles!

Twinken awed as they shimmered slightly with Midnight's magic and gently floated around them, and rising up, casting gentle beams of colors as the sun shone through them.

"Whoa! So cool...!" Twinken smiled as the bubbles rose and rose until they popped one by one.

"I'm glad you liked it," Midnight smiled with a chuckle, "because Midnight Hour is going to be fun and educational!"

"'Midnight Hour'?" Twinken laughed a little, Midnight shrugging with a slight blush.

"Well... Twilight started doing something similar with the fillies. They call it 'Twilight Time'." 

"Oh yeah...!" Twinken remembered before asking, "But... I thought we were gonna-"

"Talk and lecture about advanced magicks and enchantments, detailed histories, and so and so?" Midnight chuckled. "Twinken, I meant what I said the other night. I'm gonna teach you to use your magic more skillfully and more responsibly. But you'll learn better if you enjoy the lessons, and you'll appreciate what I teach you all the more."

"I... understand," Twinken smiled gratefully to his brother, before running up to him and throwing his little hooves around the alicorn's neck, somewhat startling him. 
"I love you, big brother...!"

Midnight smiled and wrapped his hooves around the little colt tightly, "I love you too, little brother." 

They stayed that way for a short while before Twinken asked, "Do you think you could teach stuff to Rumble and Button Mash?"

"Well, bring them along for our next Midnight Hour, and we'll see."