Chapter 8 - Forgotten Rendezvous
The dull thud of the mug hitting the floor gave no echo. Midnight Harvest just stared with bloodshot eyes at where it had dropped. He'd emptied it, and a dozen before it. His other mug was still half-full. The pony reached, but watched as his leg split into two hazy images. He tried to fit his hoof into the handle, but only pushed that mug over too. He bared his teeth, clenching so hard it hurt. Giving up on trying to use the mugs he flopped onto the table and slid his legs to wrap around the bottle. Three empty ones were strewn around him, two others broken in the kitchen. With difficulty he finally managed to tip it so the opening was in his mouth.
His sense of balance did not approve as he leaned back. Midnight tipped over and collapsed onto the floor, losing his grip on the bottle. The cider spilled onto him, inciting him to try and save what he could. Without thinking, he simply tipped the bottle up over his mouth, quickly filling it with more than it could handle. Turning over and retching, he coughed and spat while trying to evacuate his lungs of the burning drink. He coughed again and again, and finally gagged. He'd recovered from his fit only to reach once again for the bottle of cider. Grabbing it and lifting it to his mouth only resulted in a few drops falling. He'd spilled the rest.
Gritting his teeth again, Midnight began to shake. His eyes squeezed shut as he convulsed, shudders running down his spine. With every flinch and shiver he brought his legs in closer to his body. He tucked his head and held it between his legs as he curled into a ball. The sound that followed started as a sob before droning on into a long groan. His expression was frozen in pain as he gripped his head tightly. The sound he was making trailed off as Midnight began to hyperventilate. He sucked in quick, spastic breaths before he clenched and groaned again.
With a start he shook himself out of the ball and looked around. The mug he'd dropped still had a bit of the cider in it. Midnight dragged himself to it as quickly as he could and dumped what was left down his throat. It was barely a mouthful. The mug made the same dull thump as he let it go and flopped onto his back. He was looking at his ceiling now, unable to recall how he'd gotten into that position. From his back he could see the warm royal blue that mimicked a perfect night sky. The little glow in the dark stars and planets his dad had given him as a gift so long ago made it look like it truly was night. The fond memory was gone as quickly as it came.
He had hoped for emptiness. Instead, Midnight Harvest could only think of those notes. The song that played in his mind every day. The tune that filled his thoughts and his dreams. Even drowning himself in cider and wine couldn't mute it. They'd only made it more clear. Wincing again, he hugged his head and wheezed, "Damn coward." Absentmindedly, Midnight reached around and found a bottle. He lifted it, and discovering it was empty rolled onto his belly, then tried to drag himself towards one of the others on his floor. He didn't make it far before a wave of nausea and dizziness paralyzed him.
The dizzy spell passed, but he remained motionless, spent, without even the energy to keep moaning. The alcohol was burning his stomach, chilling his veins, and making the world spin. But despite everything he'd imbibed the music was still there. It rose above the haze and the burn to continue persistently inside his mind. The song was never overwhelming, never deafening, and never stopped. It continued, just a constant playing inside his mind, gently reminding him every moment of what he'd done.
"I did what you wanted," Midnight whispered. "Please--I did what you wanted." A horrible feeling rose in his stomach. Mustering all the strength he could, Midnight got up and ran to his bathroom. He made it just in time as his stomach refused to hold the cider any longer. After several seconds of spasms and groans he collapsed against his bathtub and took big gulps of air. His body felt like he'd just run a marathon.
Midnight pushed against his tub with a growl. He was sitting in his bathroom throwing up his guts. He was drinking to try and forget his regrets, to silence the song that judged him, but the simple tune was forcing him to remember. Try as he might there was no forgetting what he had done. He almost started to cry, but instead turned to anger. Slamming a hoof against the floor, Midnight shoved himself up. His sense of balance destroyed, it took all his effort to remain upright. He failed.
Tumbling forward, Midnight barreled into the hallway and slammed his head right into the wall. He couldn't fight off the darkness. His mind was already addled. With wine and cider flowing through him, his grip on wakefulness was already weak. The blow only sealed his fate. Lying in his hallway, Midnight finally passed out.
The sound of screaming jarred him awake. Midnight was confused. Where was he? His hallway was gone, he wasn't in his house anymore. He was in the street watching ponies flee from something. The confusion began to leave him as he recognized where he was. This was Canterlot, but it was days ago.
What guard remained were trying to get ponies out of the city. There wasn't been much else they could do. The one that was attacking them could drain the magic from any pony of any tribe. The assault came so fast, and the scramble to save any was frantic.
Midnight realized what he was seeing. Events of his life only a few days ago. The day Tirek had attacked. The day he'd done the unthinkable.
Shepherding civilians through the back streets, Midnight had hoped they could make it to the city gates. They'd not made it far. Now he was standing his ground.
Tirek was chasing them, or at least had been. He was in front of them now.
Armed with only a spear, Midnight put himself between the civilians and a warlord.
Midnight tried to charge, but couldn't. Magic surrounded him, pulling him off the ground. He was face to face with the beast. He stabbed with his spear, but the weapon broke in half. He was met with only laughter, Tirek insulting his attempts at resistance. Midnight retorted angrily, cursing the much larger opponent. It did no good.
He had no control over his words, like a passenger in his own body. The scene was playing before him, and he was powerless to stop it.
Tirek opened his jaws, and the magic-stealing power was rising up.
"Wait!" Midnight yelled. "You want magic? I know where you can get a whole belly full."
The warlord halted, looking suspiciously at the pony he held in his magical grip. "I know where I can get all the magic I need. You are just an appetizer."
"A couple of terrified ponies?" Midnight asked with a sneer. "Hardly an appetizer. I'll make you a deal. Let the ponies behind me go, and I'll show you something that will make a much better meal for a brute like you." His taunt was met with narrowed eyes. "Or you could eat up our magic and never find it. Your choice."
Thinking for a moment, Tirek glared down at the huddling ponies before him. They cowered, quite the opposite of the hovering guard. "Fine," he growled. "But if you think you can trick me, I will make you regret the moment you were born."
Without hesitating, Midnight waved at the group he was leading. Once they had disappeared around a corner, he finally addressed his captor, "Alright. We're looking for a cave on the side of the mountain. It's below the castle, on the far side. We're looking for some glowing green marks. That is, if you are any good at getting past illusions."
"And you would just reveal this willingly?" Tirek demanded, still suspicious.
"I gave my word."
"You gave your word," Tirek mocked. "Very well, then let us find this cave of yours."
Midnight felt trapped behind his own eyes. He could see and hear, but despite all his efforts could not move. His body would move, but it was not him doing it. He was a prisoner inside himself. The harder he fought to try and move, the more constricted he felt. He was aware for a moment that the events before him were getting murky, images flashing by more quickly, so he focused harder on being free of the nightmare. This was a flashback he did not want. He'd just drunk himself into oblivion to make this all go away. Now he was in the midst of it, a captive to his shame.
He could not even close his eyes. He saw they were in the cave, which only pushed Midnight to fight harder. He wanted to wake up, wanted to get away. No matter how much effort he expended, Midnight still had to watch. He couldn't even close his eyes. He had to watch as Tirek looked around at this strange cave. It had crystals that glowed a deep emerald. They pulsed, and ribbons of green light filtered to the ground. The spot they touched glowed the same bright green as the symbol on the floor of the cell-block. They had reached its source.
"What is this?" Tirek had demanded.
"I don't know, some kind of magic," muttered Midnight in response.
"You don't know? Then how did you know it was here?" Tirek still sounded suspicious.
"I don't know, I just did," he murmured as the music played in his mind again.
The music from his memory overlapped with what he was already hearing. For the first time, it was getting louder. It echoed in his mind, the sound of whistling. It was so loud now, his thoughts consumed in a cacophony that beat against the inside of his skull. Everything went dark for a moment. then he could see he was lying on the ground; Tirek had vanished. He didn't remember how he got there, or how long he had been lying there.
Slowly lifting his head, Midnight looked around. He was still in the crystal cave, but the green glow was gone. It struck him then that he could move on his own. He wasn't just an observer, he was back in control. Then came the greater realization: the music was gone. He thought about it, searched for it, but it wasn't there. He couldn't even recall how it went. In that one moment, he smiled. It was no longer in his head. He knew this was a dream, but at least for that moment he was free.
The sound of footsteps broke the elation. A shadow had moved into the cavern's entrance, the figure's silhouette now moving towards him. He watched it approach with wide eyes, finding he was only able to move his head and neck. He knew exactly what was coming for him. That had to be why the music had stopped. His usefulness had met its end. This was it for him.
"So fatalistic," a calm voice spoke. The shadows finally broke from around the figure. Tobias knelt down beside Midnight, looking him in the eye. "I won't break our deal." He placed a hand on Midnight's forehead, an honest smile on his face. "I wanted to thank you. You gave me so much more than I even hoped. I wasn't about to go back on my word. I did as you asked, plus a little extra. Thanks again, Midnight Harvest." Standing up, Tobias made his way back towards the cavern's mouth.
"Stop!" Midnight called out. It surprised him when Tobias complied. "We all know what you are going to do," he continued. "Please, I know you can be reasonable. I know you like to make deals. I want to make one. What do you want in return for leaving Equestria alone? Screw everything else. Me and you, right now. You can have anything in my power to give you. You can kill me--I don't care. Just leave Equestria alone."
Tobias looked back at the Night Pony. His expression never changed, but there was something in his eyes. It looked almost kind. "I'm sorry, I cannot make that deal."
"Then why the hell show me this?" Midnight snapped at him. "I know what I did, I don't need a reminder! We made a deal, sure, but I already have to live with this! Don't make me relive it!"
"You did not plan on living with this," Tobias said softly. He had not even needed to shout, he'd silenced Midnight easily enough with his insight. "It makes the most sense. You drank yourself nearly to death because you blamed your friends for what you did. Or at least that is how you feel. You interrogated them secretly, gave them the impression that what happened was their fault. It wasn't. That's why you have no intention of trying to live with what you just relived."
"Well," Midnight growled. "Don't you have it all figured out."
"Most of it. Maybe not all. We're still working on the details. It's always the details. Let me offer you one. Listen to Pleiades again. He has some good ideas. Make it right, and help him."
This took Midnight by surprise. "He wants to hunt you down and recapture you. He wants to put you back in a cage."
Tobias only grinned as he spoke a single word, "Good." Extending a finger, he poked Midnight in the head. "You won't remember this, but you'll know what to do."
He was jolted awake. Whipping his head back and forth, Midnight quickly came to his senses. A headache screamed its presence, but there was no time to worry about it. He had to get back to the hospital. That thought burned in his mind so hot that it made whatever pain he felt inconsequential. He couldn't figure why he felt this way, but he knew one thing was clear: he'd made a mistake trying to dissuade Pleiades. He'd made the mistake of tricking his friends, whether it was a lie of omission or not. The worst mistake of all, he'd made a deal. Even if it wasn't for himself, a deal was a deal. Pleiades offered a way of righting that wrong. Prepared or not, he was going to help them. He had to make things right. Anything and everything from this point was his fault. He couldn't run from that.
This new frame of mind overwrote everything he'd felt the day before. He had wanted to drink. Maybe even drink himself to death--he wasn't sure. That no longer mattered. He knew what he had to do, and that was make things right. He wasn't about to live a lie for the rest of his life. He wondered for a moment what could have shifted so much in his head, but he couldn't recall. Whatever it had been was gone. But now was not the time for deep thought. He was out his door in a flash on his way to the hospital. He had a lot of explaining to do.
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It was going good... And then um... What happened again?
i understand what happened but not midnight intent, did he want tirek to finish off the monster? did he even know what was going on?
... This is going to be another train wreck like Human, isn't it? The human, for some convoluted reason, is going to orchestrate an even more convoluted defeat for himself that will drag the readers through chapter after chapter of crap that's all going to be pointless in the end as we found out it 'all went according to plan.'
Oh, and word to the wise, try and keep the parts stupid OC's have in the story to a minimum; we came here for the interactions between the main cast, mostly the princesses, and Tobias. Not to watch the Equestrian military reaffirm how pathetic it is through the asinine actions of these three moronic guards.
I'll keep reading for now, but it's becoming more and more unlikely that this story will actually live up to the hype. I doubt this will be a 1000+ upvote worthy fanfic by the end. Hopefully if that's the case, the readers who jumped the gone will have the decency to switch their thumbs-up to a thumbs-down so more people won't be lured in by false advertisement.
5530188
His reasons make even less sense now; how this guy was actually allowed into the military is beyond me. I know the royal guard is a joke, but even they must have standards, right? A pych eval should have been enough to keep this guy out.
5530453 this is the hardest part for me since I'm walking two fine lines. I don't want to dump exposition, but at the same time I don't want to draw the plot so thin it snaps under its own weight.
I want to cycle well into a good driving plot point that can involve all the princesses (cadence omitted because of number restrictions) but also not draw everything away.
There are devices not revealed yet, though at this point I might have to stop posting single chapters, otherwise it could break the flow. I'm fully aware of the current plot concerns, I was expecting them, just not to a certain degree.
I have read your concerns multiple times and took notes. I am committed not to fall into a trap like the one you suggested, but feel rapid posting may be harming the plot flow.
Just to confirm, are you saying you are going to release larger chapters with greater periods of time between updates? I can see the reasoning in that, but releasing small chapters in bulk is actually a better writing style.
If you start trying to write large chapters, there is a good chance you'll end up adding a lot more fluff to them than you would have normally. That being said, releasing large chunks of story progression at once creates less cliffhangers that could potentially drive off readers as their mind is left to ponder events and settle on unsatisfactory conclusions of what is to come.
The reason writing many small chapters and then releasing them all at once is good in most cases is because it combines the benefits of long and short chapters. Writing many 2000-5000 word chapters will help your story be concise and organized. As an added bonus, readers will rarely stop in their reading to rant about something that happened in the chapter they just finished if there is another chapter still waiting to be read, at which point, what they were angry about may not be an issue anymore. Hence, you end up with a good flow and avoid losing readers when a chapter ends on a particularly stupid-seeming note like the previous chapter with a crying Midnight (You only partially fixed the problems there, by the way).
Oh, and if there is some convoluted plan that the human has for himself losing, I'm going to guess it's to teach Equestrians to stop relying on magical maguffin and powered up princess to get them out of every problem. Like, these three average stallions are going to show all of Equestria that everyone can be a hero if they work hard and that Rainbow Power is the easy way out.
5530766 I wish I could like this comment more than once.
Actually this chapter helps explain even more the last chapter. He is doubly damned in his own way. Whats interesting is Tobias isn't interested in making one deal, but what of a more modified one?
Nice chapter, I wonder what the deal was... Perhaps next time.
5530453 Little soon to jump to conclusions.
Also, the guards make for interesting enough characters and you still need a supporting cast.
Not bad.
I am curious about this Tobias. To what end does he help or damn the ponies he deals with? Why does the patient immortal with immense power bother making these deals? He could simply sit somewhere, and only move when he wants to be more comfortable, and wait and watch as the ponies live and die around him. He wouldn't need to say a single thing, and he could easily unnerve even Celestia and Luna. Because of his simple potential, he could drive them insane.
Sad as it is, I can't help but smile. Drunk ponies are adorably clumsy.
5531414
But that is not nearly as entertaining
5531503 This is true, however, it makes the most sense. After all, what more can Celestia do to him? He doesn't need to sleep, he doesn't need to eat or drink, he can regenerate at least part of his body, he hasn't gone insane, and he apparently can't die. Certainly not for lack of trying, mind you. He can literally wash his hands of dealing with ponies now that he has resurrected Sombra, and just wait in some evil forest, like say, the Everfree, that ponies don't normally go in to. He can sit in peace and calm and not have deals forced on him. Or, he could of just sat and stared in to space in the cell, never saying a thing no matter what they do.
Dang it!! I really wanted to know what happent to Tirek!!
...Huh, so he made a deal, which we don't know the details and what said deal is, and something big is going to happen, beside the fact that he broke out with horn and medallion. And we have no clue on what he's going to do next.
Why do I have a feeling that something ironic is going to happen?
This is a really good story
5531728 my guess is that he is going to get everything Celestia promised him.
so she better pucker up
5531808 Hmm, but here's a better question, what else did she promise him?
5531812
Between Midnight being a daft melodramatic bastard and the whistling tune reminding me of this:
I couldn't really take this chapter particularly seriously.
Interesting chapter. What else is interesting is that my library didn't let me know this was updated. This seems to be a recurring problem. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
5530356 Midnight made a deal with Tobias to stop the music he was hearing, so Tobias had him free himself as the price.
Also I don't think Tobias is the real Threat, atleast directly, he's been so strict whit the deals and prices.
5533737 I have noticed this issue
5533805 Any ideas on what to do about it?
5533808 some have rereleased chapters, mine has a goofed up date, but that is likely my fault, I remember hitting the wrong button
I have an idea of what can possibly happen but I want to wait to see the plot move some before saying something and being utterly disappointed.
What I am willing to speculate is that our human friend may be experiencing something along the lines of superman, because Earth and Equestria are so vastly different is why he is so much more powerful.
The voice of reason in this tale is Luna, she will be the one to eventual solve the issue. Think about it, what is the one thing Celestia cares about the most? it stands to reason that he will make a deal for the one thing that will write all the wrong, or at least make up for the damage. Reprimands of conflict are a bitch, just ask the Germans
5520679 What remote location exactly? How could she be sure he'd stay in one place voluntarily? How do you know the effect is no longer an issue?
PS: You're making many assumptions based on hating Celestia. That just makes you stupid.
5521245 You could say that about pretty much every children's cartoon/story race.
Oversimplification is an unfortunate consequence of writing for children.
If we are talking about how the ponies would REALLY act if they were REAL... well, we pretty much have to rewrite the whole show.
5533783 Maybe Midnight is really hearing a drum beat in his mind...
*hands Midnight a certain watch...*
And now it's a Doctor Who crossover and Tobias is the Black Guardian!
....
Why does that somehow work?
This is playing in my head when I read this.
5531709
Maybe something, maybe nothing. He might have just absorbed the energy and went on his way. Remember, Chapter 5 starts "Tirek's battle with Princess Twilight had far-flung repercussions," so at the very least we know that Tirek found his way back to canon (or at least near-canon) afterwards, facing Twilight and being defeated by her.
5533875 Too bad it was a whistled tune.
5533875 That just gave me a really good idea... and I sorta wish I'd done it. I never considered drums when writing the script. The song is set for this, but that crossover. Hmmm...
5535271 I didn't want to push it with Tirek, but that's pretty much what I aimed for
5530766 I don't plan on writing longer chapters. I like having the lengths I am getting out. I was meaning more like having chapters released two at a time, something to extend the plot a bit more than I am now. This is really just a thought, and may stick with my current posting schedule because my editor's time is limited.
As for convoluted plot, not where I'm aiming. I'm keeping Tobias 90% mystery for now, but he isn't the sort to orchestrate his own demise. What's the gain in that?
... snap my back like a fucking twig. That's why the Oculus could have been breached, because Midnight induced Tirek to dismantle the magic in it. And now I'm here, idly wondering what in the world led Midnight to make a deal with Tobias, and what sort of request would have cost Equestria the Sapien's "safe imprisonment" (note the quotes).
I'm guessing he's not all there from the kind of interaction he had with Tobias, and that's why his behavior is so un-Guard-like.
5531519
I think one of the defining reasons why Tobias won't do that is because he seems to be a genuinely good person underneath it all. He certainly doesn't always take the moral high road when it comes to his methods, but his goals are undeniably good. Despite all the times he's been betrayed, he still unerringly holds up his end of all the deals he makes. Despite having ample opportunity and motive, he goes out of his way to not kill ponies. He wants to be a good guy, but for whatever reason he can't be.
That's one of the biggest reasons why his "defeat" is still a mystery. We know it'll happen, since he already prophesied it, but what that actually means is still unknown. The biggest question left to answer is why electricity causes the effect it does and what that effect actually means. Once we know that, we'll be better able to predict why he's doing what he's doing and what the actual result will be.
5530766 Allow me to voice dissent. I am fine with the chapters present length. And I would be fine with chapters being released two at a time. But I have had poor experiences with stories that post too little (in word count) too often. They seem to get lost and the plot meanders. I don't get enough time to settle into each chapter and loose interest. Both the problem of length and what you mentions should be salved by writing short chapters and editing them together. Maybe.
Or, I am thinking of "short" as much shorter than you are. In which case, nevermind.
5535937 Is this what he whistles? Because It's literally the only one I can think of.
There wasn't been much else they could do.
The combo of, "wasn't much." And "hadn't been." Is real!
5559586
I laughed so hard when I listened to that xD Oh my, my rib cage hurts.
i just hope that twilight and her friends don't get involved. if that happens i'm leaving this for good.
5577853 Sooner or later they will have to get involved, don't forget that A. They are now a serious power to be reckoned with, and B. He spoke of Twilight's promising ambitions before, so he will have some kind of conversation wit her at the very least.
5579364 I hope Celestia taught Twilight how to discern lies from truth because if that's the case, Twilight's world will crumble to ashes.
Ohhoohoohoohooo, awesomeness! :D
Nicely done dude!
5559586
Either that, or the Andy Griffith Show theme.
I haven't even finished this yet and I have already added this to my favorites, good job dude, I love this so far, can't wait to finish it tomorrow
5531709 He got pounded into the dust by Twilight.
After blowing up her home/Library/Really Thick Tree.
The question is what did he make an agreement for with the Sapien?
And a massive hangover to nurse