Midnight Hooves in Ponyville

by Paradise Oasis

chapter 9

Archivist's note: The sections of this journal, covering Midnight's time in the Tambleon laboratory, is hereby classified by order of the Royal academy's board of directors. The surviving entries then pick up with his return to Ponyville, some eight years later.

year 11, 25th day-

After eight long years, I have come home.

I have put these past eight years, and all that had occurred within them, behind me. I no longer want anything to do with politics, or the royal court. Princess Celestia finally became aware of the corruption in her court that stripped me away from my family. The bearucrats who sent me away, have been tried and punished for their corruption, and Ditzy's mother is dead. Celestia pardoned me for my involvement in the Tambleon incident, despite all the lives my actions cost. Now, I desire only to return to my home, and pick up the shattered pieces of my life.

The only thing from that time in my life that I still carry with me... is the rainbow of Darkness. It hangs now, in a small pouch tied around my neck, the sound of a beating heart emanating from the bag. I carry it still, as a sign of my past sins... and so it's evil will never taint another Pony's heart, as it did mine. I thought I could use it's power without giving in to the evil inherit within the rainbow of Darkness. Oh what a fool I was, to think I could not fall into shadow.

Never again.

My body bears the mark of my past Sins... A massive, hideous scar on the left side of my face has erased any trace of the handsomeness I was once renowned for. And the eye that scar runs over was destroyed... and has been replaced by one of the magical seeing gemstones I developed, to correct the vision of ponies with eye problems. There are many gashes all over my legs and body- even my Cutie/brand mark is gone, a large gash on my flank where it once was. The Ponies I pass on the road regard me with pity and terror, as I am now as hideous on the outside... as I have always been on the inside.

As I approach the town of Ponyville, I notice that the town hasn't really changed much in the past decade. Oh, the self-propelled train and the train station are new, but almost everything else is as I remember it. As I enter the town, many of the young colts and fillies stare, not knowing who I could be. But the adult ponies... at first, many of them do not recognize me, but after a few minutes, I begin to hear whispers of "Is that... what happened to him? ... I never thought we'd see him again!... he has a lot of nerve, coming back here!" I am also trying to keep somewhat of a low profile. I know this town is inhabited by the six mares of Harmony... although I never got the chance to see them up close at Tambleon, I have seen their handiwork close up. I most certainly have no desire to run into them.

I stop into Breezy's shop, where he is tinkering with a fan. He drops his screwdriver in shock when he sees me, and it is several minutes before he can even get a coherent sentence out. Everybody thought I was dead, he told me, taken away by government stallions-in-black, just like all the conspiracy ponies claimed. He never asked me about my scars, figuring I must have been though quite an ordeal. As I caught up on what the Town's ponyfolk were up to, I happened to inquire about Ditzy and Dinky Doo.

Breezy Shook his mane, sighing. Ditzy was still a Mail-mare, and still the kluztiest pony in all of ponyville. She had given herself over completely to her klutzy antics, and didn't even try to be a semblance of normal anymore. It was all right, though, as most of the town's ponies had become accustomed to it. As for Dinky, she had been sent away to magic kindergarten in Canterlot about two years back, having tested out of Cheerilee's school- though she did come back to ponyville for weekends and holidays.. She had a real talent for magic, Breezy told me, and I should be proud.

Smiling, I thanked my old friend for the news, and headed back for my house. It was much to my surprise that the old key I had still worked, opening the old, squeaky door with a click of the lock. The house was much as I remembered it, except for the small philly's toys scattered about the floor. I went into my study, to find all of my old books, exactly as I had left them, all covered in dust. Even my book on Unicorn Rhetoric was open on the exact page I had left it on. It was then I heard the sound the front door opening and closing.

"Hey, who left this door unlocked? Oh, it must've been me again! Hee hee I'm such a silly pony! Dinky, are you home from canterlot? I brought some muff-"

Ditzy saw the door to my study open, and stared in. As soon as she saw me she dropped the box of muffins, and stared at me in shock. I tried to say something, but it was as if my throat had tightened up, and would not form speech.

"Muh... Mid-night?"

"...Hi Ditzy..."

Before I could even move, she rushed towards me, nearly crushing the life out of me in a massive hug, tears streamed down her face, and she would not let go of me... or stop crying for several hours.

Later, I would learn Ditzy had never blamed me for disappearing... she knew what her mother had done, and hated her for it. I also learned later that, for the past eight years since I left, Ditzy had waited faithfully for me... something few mares would have done for so long. I would soon learn that there were even those who were not happy with my return, and wished I had never come back.

But for now, I was finally home, and in the waiting hooves of the mare I love. And for now, after all that I have been through, that...was enough.

Comments

[Wind Whistler is love]

Classified?! Drat and darn and such and such-like.

...Wow. Midnight went through a lot there...of course probably mostly his own fault. At least he seems to know that...

These kinds of characters, that make me feel so conflicted, why do I have to love them so much? I don't suppose there could be a better symbol of him being stripped of everything that he was than losing his cutie mark...

In a way it might actually be scarier not hearing exactly what the "Tambleon incident" was...my own sub-conscious filling in the gaps can be so much worse than anything that could be described to me...Seriously, didn't think the Rainbow of Darkness could get any more frightening than it was in the show but, here we are.

Ah, yes, now Twilight and co. would be in Ponyville...that could make things very interesting...

Hmm, wonder if the Elements had anything to do with Tambleon being banished to the realm of darkness or whatever the heck it was called...darnit, now I need to re-watch that episode.

Oh, Ditzy. You incredibly sweet, loyal, loving pony... I just want to hug her!

*grumbles* Still with the haters...oh well, I'm gonna pretend they don't matter for now, and just think about Midnight and Ditzy being together again...

Corrections:
>without giving in to the evil inherit within the rainbow of Darkness
inherent

>except for the small philly's toys
filly's (unless that's some kind of a brand name, lol)

>I heard the sound the front door
sound of

>are you home from canterlot?
Canterlot