The Story of Midnight Stargazer

by MidnightStargazer

Chapter:1 Saying our Goodbyes

When Midnight finally was out of the rather awkward situations he got into, he once again, had a quick look around his room, checking if everything is in place.

„Okay...everything looks fine...wait...i think something is missing..”-said Midnight, while looking in his saddlebag.

„My purse! Of course!”-he said.

*Well, I don’t really have that much money to worry about it, but still*-he thought to himself.

He finally left his room, closing his door behind.
Upon leaving his room, a strange feeling struck his mind.He is going out of town...for the first time, he will finally visit some other place, other than his own village.
In his entire life, he dreamed of going on adventures, and long journeys, just as in the stories he heard from the costumers who came in to their shop.
He originally wanted this to happen much earlier, but as the town’s reputation decreased, it’s security was next.
His parents rarely allowed Midnight to go far from their home, especially at night, despite he really admired it.
But in time, as Midnight got older, his comprehension also matured, so he accepted the fact, that this town, is not the same as it used to be.

After he left his room, he started to trot down, and looked around the hallway, which separated his room, with the living room downstairs.

He observed a large painting, which hung on the nearest wall, next to the stairs.It portrayed a beautifull mare, with a redish/fiery mane, and white coat, jumping off from a cliff to an ocean.
His dad bought this particular picture, when Midnight was still a baby.He asked about it a lot of times, but he just told him, he bought it from a traveling merchant, who just happened to wander in their shop, to ask about directions.

He continoued to walk down the stairs, until he reached the living room, where his mother quickly appeared in front of him, and at the same moment it was just as quick as it began, she was in the kitchen now.

„Oh you are finally awake!”-said his mother.

„Yeah, yeah I organised everything, my room is clear, and I am ready to go!”-he declared, proudly looking at his mom.

Her face looked happy as well, she looked at his son, and the times when he was just a little colt came in to her mind, she could not believe he grew up so fast.
She blushed a little bit, and placed her hoof on his back, while stroking his coat.

„But you should at least have some breakfast, why would you rush?” she asked, in a motherly tone.

„Okay,but would you stop that please?” he said „It’s embarrassing..” while backing off a little from his mother.

„He-he, why are you so silly? I just love you!” she giggled on this,while she trotted to the kitchen.

„Just sit down, and I will make something for you!” she got some ingredients out to one of the cupboards, and started making a delicious looking sandwich.

She always knew what Midnight liked, he thought this was something related to being a mother, it was like a sixth sense for her.
While sitting at the table, Midnight stared at one direction, more precisely at the window, which was open for a reason, and he had a clear view at the street outside.He stayed like that for a while.

„What are you staring at sweetie?” she asked „Is there somepony at the window?”

„No no, I just...I am just so excited about the coming days,” he started to eat the meal her mother made for him.

„You will surely have a good time, you are just like your father,” she stated „He also started tradesmanship as a traveling merchant.” she packed away the things she needed before to their place.

*she sat down next to Midnight*

„When I met him, he was just about to settle down, and we decided to build our home here,” she put her hoof to her cheek „Ah, those were the days...”

„Umm Mom, would you cut the whole nostalgia thing out?” he said after he finished eating „I heard it about a hundred times already,”

After finishing breakfast, Midnight quickly stood up from the table, and trotted to the entrance door.

„I don’t even get a little hug from you?” she walked up in front of Midnight.

„Well, sure I guess, whatever...” he walked closer and gave a quick hug to her.

His mother stood there, her face gone from happy to a more distressed one while the hug lasted.
He then, proceeded out of the house, only to be stopped again.

„Be sure to say goodbye to your dad too!” she shouted.

„Okay, of course, just stop shouting, I don’t really want to entertain other ponies anymore” he rolled his eyes on this, and walked to their shop’s entrance.

His Mother slowly closed the door behind herself, but she turned around, only to have a last look at his beloved, now grown up son.She knew, she won’t be able to see him for a while, or more.
Midnight heard the door closing, while he looked at the store.

„Finally,” he thought in himself.

The shop’s outside,didn’t look really different from their home’s, it also had a wooden structure, but it had a sign, hanging next to the
entrance.

Midnight then proceeded to the store, only to open the door to his dad, who fell back with a couple of boxes falling to the ground.

„Oh dad are you okay?” he said while he opened his eyes wide in shock

„Auch!?!” he heard only this from his dad

„Son, could you pay more attention to what are you doing? I nearly broke my back here.” he let out another another groan in pain

His dad was always kind and careing when he was younger.Because of the time they spent together in the shop, it kind of helped to develop a strong relationship between them.
As the city’s qualities gone down, and less people came into the village, the less costumers gone in the shop.This caused a lot of stress, and arguaments inside the family.
His dad also became a bit bad tempered, and sometimes rude, Midnight knew, it was not intentionall, it’s just because the ways the business goes right now.

„Sorry dad, i did not mean it, I just wanted to say goodbye to you! Here, let me help!” he said, while providing a helping hoof to his father, who laied on the floor, with a box on his head.
He stood up, and removed the box from his head.

„YEAH YEAH SURE...JUST LET ME GET ALL THESE BUCKING THINGS BACK TO THEIR BOXES ALREADY!” he said, and kind of yelled this to his son, while starting to pack things back to their palces.

„I NEED TO DELIVER THESE IN TIME, BUT I WON’T BE ABLE TO ARRIVE AS PLANNED...Thanks to you...”

Altho Midnight know he didn’t mean all of this, but when he heard all these disgracefull words, he felt sad in his heart.He sort of got over it in time, and learnt how to keep his face still, and not to show his true emotions.But...this was a regular thing between them.He would get yelled on, for every little possible thing he did wrong.
Midnight stood next to his dad, while he packed the final piece of goods in the crate, and said.

„...Could I at least help you carrying the boxes out?”

„No...you can’t...” and with this last sentence, he bursted out of the shop, and smashing the door in front of Midnight.

The force, which he used to close the door...next to the anger which was in the air, struck Midnight deeply.

„He did not even say goodbye...or a simple hello...” he thought in himself

He sometimes wondered, what caused all this bad behavior.He saw families who were happy.The thing which made him feel bad, was when he saw a colt of his age, playing with it’s dad.
Why can’t he be like them?What is the difference?He asked these questions from himself a lot of times.
After getting back to reality, he shook his head a little bit, to snap back.
He looked around the shop’s interior, observed the layout of the goods and the furnitures.It seemed his dad made some adjustments lately.A line of armor pieces took place on one of the longer shelves, above, and under them, were magically imbued jewelries, and different equipment.These were the main attractions of the shop, there weren’t many magic shops in the region, if there were actually any besides their own.

„Hah...” he let out a quiet sight

„Well then, i can only say goodbye to the shop in person.” he said in the empty room

„Goodbye then...I hope dad will change while i won’t be around.”

This place was special to him, he literally grew up here.He watched it get bigger and nicer.They always made some additions or modifications to the structure, there was something new to see every year.
After taking his leave, he stepped out the shop, and locked the door.He hid the key to a regular palce, next to the little mat, in front of the entrance door.
He turned around, to find his dad somwhere, but he wasn’t there.

He already left in a hurry, and probably in anger.

Author's Note:

In the next chapter, Midnight will finally depart from this rather depressive settlement, and explore a little bit.