Midnight Sun

by FluxFeather

Chapter Six - New Moon

Author's Note:

Finally we are getting into the next segment of the story. I ran into a few writers blocks while writing this chapter, but I'm just glad that I was able to get it finished. Anyways, enjoy. :)

A few months had passed since the gala, which was probably the best day of Starlight's life as she would consider it. But today was a day she dreaded. It was her birthday. The thought of getting older displeased her as she knew that Rainius would always stay and look the same no matter how many years had passed, he was immortal, meaning he could live forever. Suddenly, Starlight pushed through tons of ponies in red cloaks at daring speed. It was a race against time, as Starlight continued to push past ponies to make her way closer to the castle where Rainius was to reveal himself to all the ponies at the festival once the clock strikes noon. Starlight was trying to prevent this as his life (despite immortal) hung in the balance. Time was of the essence. She knew she couldn't slow down; not even for a second!

The roar of the crowd was all that Starlight could hear above all, but as soon as the clock struck noon she could hear the loud bell, it was then she knew that she may be too late. "Rainius!!" She screamed before she pushed past a bunch of ponies, but right before her eyes everything changed, instead, she was in a field, pushing branches out of her way instead of ponies. She looked around curiously. Rainius was nowhere to be found, but there was one other pony there. This pony resembled Starlight greatly, but she looked like somepony’s grandmare.

Starlight dared to bring herself closer to this strange pony, but as she was about to take a step, she heard a noise of snapping branches. She looked over to see Rainius in all his glory walking towards her. She sighed relieved, but then her mind focused back on the old mare. "Rainius, don't, she'll see you!" She called out to him. He ignored completely. Like he couldn't hear her at all. He took Starlight's hoof and the two began walking over to the mare. Starlight felt a sense of uneasiness as she came closer to the being that greatly held a resemblance to her. Once she had gotten a closer look, she realized that this mare was her! She went to put her hoof against the mares, but they didn't touch, instead, it touched a mirror. This was her reflection. Rainius still stood beside her. Still as young-looking as ever.

"Happy birthday, Starlight…" He said, kissing her now old wrinkly hoof.

Starlight shot up from her bed with a bit of a shock, her breathing had increased, it seemed like she was hyperventilating. Probably her worst fear was to be an old mare while Rainius still looked like a stallion in their prime. "Oh, good morning, Starlight!" Twilight cheerfully announced. Then she noticed Starlight's rats nest of a mane. "Oh, is this a bad time?"

Starlight got up and brushed her mane thoroughly with a hairbrush. "So, how's the play coming along?" She asked.

"Oh, it's coming along quite nicely," Twilight replied. Twilight was putting together a play with the students of the school of Friendship on one of her favorite pieces of literature. 'Roanio and Filliet' by Shakespur. "Also, is that a strand of grey hair I see?" She examined Starlight's mane. Starlight immediately freaked out.

"Where?!" She got up and quickly looked in her mirror, looking for a strand of grey hair in her mane, but couldn't find any. She turned back at Twilight a little annoyed.

"Happy birthday," Twilight said before leaving Starlight's room with a bit of a giggle.

"Haha, very funny." Starlight said unamused by Twilight's little joke.

As Starlight was making her way downstairs for breakfast, she was stopped by the very pony she loved. Rainius. "Happy birthday, Ms. Glimmer." He said, wishing her a happy birthday, despite how much she loathed it. "I got you something." He gave her a present.

"Shh." She said with a hiss. "And I thought we agreed to no presents."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist." He said, smiling. Starlight opened it and what it was was a pair of turquoise headphones with her cutie mark engraved in them. "I know how much you love music, so I got you those; custom made."

"Mmm… thanks." Starlight said annoyed.

"Oh, come on Starlight. Your birthday is something to celebrate." Rainius said.

"Yeah, but my aging is not." Starlight egged on.

Rainius chuckled. "You're aging. Yeah, I'm pretty sure 23 is a little young to be worrying about that. I mean I'm 1109." He said to try to make her feel better about her age.

"Why am I dating such an old stallion?" She joked. The two shared a giggle before they both headed downstairs where Twilight was waiting for them.

"Morning, you two!" Spike greeted them as Twilight set up the table for breakfast.

"So, Starlight. Luna and Celestia want you to go over to the castle later tonight for your birthday. And also because they want to see Rainius." Twilight told them.

"Great…" Rainius and Starlight both said unenthusiastically in unison.

Twilight stared at both of them awkwardly for a moment before she decided to break the silence. "This’ll be good for both of you." She said. Though both of them didn't really look like they cared.

"Fine." They both said in unison.

Later that night in Canterlot everything was all prepared for Starlight's birthday. Twilight was there too. She and Starlight were looking at historical paintings that the Princesses had. Then Starlight noticed one with these four bat ponies on it and it had Rainius in it standing off to the side. "Rainius? Is that you?" She asked.

"Yes. I was apart of the Bat Syndicate." He replied.

"What's the Bat Syndicate?" Starlight inquired.

"They're kinda like the royalty of Hollow Shades and law enforcers of our kind. The bat ponies. Their bat ponies themselves." He briefly explained.

"Bat ponies have laws?" Starlight teased. Twilight though, seemed intrigued.

"Not very many. But if one of them is broken. The consequence is always death. Or you can go to them if you just want to die." He said.

"You know you need to stop talking about that. What even got you to start talking about that in the first place?" Starlight asked.

Rainius's expression went grim. "Because I've had to consider it." He said, remembering the fight with Fury and the state Starlight was in after he had tried to kill her just to get revenge on Rainius. "I had joined them when I was 98 and I stayed with them until I was 103. I just couldn't do it anymore." He began to point out the ponies in the painting. "Shadow Mark is their leader. The one in the center. Crimson Moon is the one on the left. Dark Meadow is the one to the right. Duke Tail is the one next to Shadow. Amber Night is the one next to Dark Meadow, her brother. And then the pony in the back is me." They all laughed.

"Tis time," Luna announced. While Twilight, Celestia, and Rainius were talking, Starlight and Luna were walking down the castle hallways. "So, what dost thou have on her mind?"

"What happened the day you made Rainius into an Alicorn?" Starlight asked curiously.

"Well… the doctor said that he wasn't going to make it, and when I had gone into his hospital room I could see the wounds." Luna said.

"How bad were they?" Starlight seemed eager to know, much to Luna's surprise. Starlight had always shuddered at the thought of Rainius being hurt or in pain in any way.

"Didn't thou hear me say that the doctor said he wasn't going to make it?" Luna said with a giggle.

"Oh, right." Starlight replied. "So, what else happened?"

"I turned him into an Alicorn so he wouldn't die. I could never live with myself if he was to die." Luna told her. "I just hope someday he could forgive me…"

"I think he will." Starlight assured her. "I just don't know why he hates being this immortal being with powerful magic. It just must be nice to just not age. Never get tired and never have to eat or drink, or even sleep."

"He doesn't see it that way… he believes that he's damned regardless. He feels like he has no soul." Luna continued.

"I doubt that. He has a soul. Despite what he might think." Starlight claimed.

"I'm glad that you and I can agree with that," Luna said with a small smile.

Meanwhile, Rainius, Twilight, and Celestia were in the throne room. "So, Twilight? How is the play coming along?" Celestia asked.

"It is coming along great. We have everything all finished. The students are practicing their lines. The play is this Saturday." Twilight said. "I hope you'll be there to see it."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Twilight," Celestia said. "And I don't think Rainius would miss it for the world either."

"I'll be there. It should be quite interesting. I mean it's Roanio and Filliet. One of the most greatest romance writings in history." Rainius said.

"It is quite the tale," Twilight replied. The one thing that was on her mind was Rainius. He immediately picked this up.

"Aunt Celestia, can me and Twilight have some time alone?" Rainius asked.

"Oh, okay," Celestia said, giving the two Alicorns space. Once she left Rainius didn't have any time to react before being pulled into a kiss by Twilight.

He pushed her back, breaking themselves apart. "Twilight. We can't do this." Rainius began. "Especially not on Starlight's birthday."

"You're right…" Twilight sighed. "Why don't we go see how the birthday girl is doing?"

"I agree... But please keep your thoughts to yourself, Twilight." Rainius asked of her.

"So, after he had left the Bat Syndicate, it was probably the best thing he could've done," Luna said.

"But, why doesn't he really want me to be immortal like him?" Starlight asked.

"Well, try looking at it from his side of the argument. What if you were the Alicorn, and he wanted you to make him immortal? Would you be able to "take his soul" or not?" Luna said.

"I don't care about what happens to my soul!" Starlight finally said.

"But you don't think that Rainius might feel otherwise?" Luna asked her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Starlight said.

"Well, Rainius thinks that your soul is not something worth taking away just to become an immortal." Luna said.

Starlight had never thought of seeing it from Rainius's perspective, but it still didn't change her decision. "I'm not sure what he sees. I'm pretty lame." She said.

"I'm not sure why you doubt yourself. He could've had any mare out there, but he chose you. He obviously sees something special in you. He just doesn't know why you don't see it." Luna reminded her.

"I guess you're right… but… nevermind." Starlight paused. "I know that all he wants me to do is celebrate my birthday, which I guess I can do… for him."

"Glad to hear that," Rainius called from the other side of the hallway with Twilight and Celestia. Starlight wondered how he could hear her then she remembered that he had supernatural hearing abilities, but she didn't focus too much on that. She was just glad to see him.

"Rainius!!" Starlight galloped over to him as fast as she could before throwing herself onto him.

"Well, it seems that you're happy to see me…" Rainius looked over to his mother. Luna smiled. Rainius smiled back. But that was all that happened. Not a single word was said between the two.

"Well, I think we should head out. It's getting late." Twilight said.

"Yeah, I think we should." Rainius agreed. Starlight as well.

"I just hope Spike hasn't made a mess of the place while we were gone," Twilight said.

"Probably not one that he couldn't clean up." Starlight said with a giggle. The others giggled too.

"Thanks for everything, princesses." Starlight said, leaving, but she gave one last glance at Princess Luna before making her way to follow Twilight and Rainius.