Midnight is desperately trying to forget a tragedy that killed the one he loved most. But in his mission to save her, he must go through the pain of remembering. Will he be able to hold on?
It is too painful too remember, so Midnight Dust spends his days refusing to recall the death of his love. But when Princess Celestia gives him the chance to go back, will he be able to risk the pain to save her? Will he be able to bear the weight of his own pain?
“Midnight! Go, get out of here! It’s getting too strong. Go!”
“No, I’m going to stay with you. I can help you!”
“No, you need to – aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh…”
“…aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!” Midnight Dust woke up with a start, sweat streaming down his flank. His dreams were getting worse. “It’s just another nightmare,” he calmed himself. But it wasn’t “just another nightmare,” it was a terrible memory that he repeatedly tried to shove from his mind and forget that it had even happened. He tried to sleep, but his agitated mind would not let him rest. Even if I could fall back to sleep, it would only result in more memories that I’d rather not let resurface. I’ll take a walk.
It was still only 5:00 in the morning, but there were a few other ponies up, mainly the hospital workers that happened to come to this quiet part of Canterlot. As other ponies slowly awoke, Midnight strolled back to his apartment to gather his things and get ready for the day. His job as a mechanical engineer was a good job for him because it helped him immerse in something other than the memory of what happened.
He shivered, not because of the cold, but because remembering the slightest bit of that horrible event shook him at his core. He pushed it aside and moved on with his day.
The rest of the morning went on without incident. But at lunch, a thestral flew to his shop with a message, “The Elder Sister Sovereign, Princess Celestia, has requested audience with Midnight Dust.”
“I’m here,” said Midnight.
“Come with me.”
As the two flew across Canterlot, Midnight began to wonder. Why would the princess of the sun want to see me? As the guard and his inquisitive visitor arrived at the castle, Midnight gained a sense of foreboding.
In the throne room, Celestia waited for the arrival of her guest. When she heard the doors of the chamber open, she stood up and addressed the one to whom she wanted to speak. “Midnight Dust, I realize you have experienced much in the past few years. As I feel the need to help all of my subjects through their worst predicaments, I have found a solution to your suffering. The paleontologists have uncovered something of great importance. It is a portal to any place or time. At the end of your journey, the gateway will take you back to your original entry directly after you leave. I realize that you would like to fix something in the past. I will grant you this one chance to go through the portal.”
“Yes, I accept this offer!” “Wait, there is more. Once you go through the portal, you have three days to come back. If you do not come back within the amount of time allotted, the portal will close and you will not be able to come back.”
“I accept!”
“Then go. You have somepony to save.”
So Midnight walked to the portal at the other end of the room, and stepped through.
Stepping through the portal felt as if ice were being dumped onto him and then instantly evaporating. The sensation made him shudder. As the feeling passed, he abruptly experienced the sense of freefall. With the wind rushing through his mane, he was suddenly struck with terror: his wings would not open, no matter what his mind told his body to do.
Then, just as unexpectedly as he started plummeting earthward, he just stopped. No warning, not even a sign of the ground, it seemed as though gravity stopped working. Soon, his surroundings appeared before him. He was in a dark hallway that was lit with candles that made it light just enough for him to see a couple of yards ahead of him. Behind him stood the entry back to his own time.
As he walked down the passage, it dawned on Midnight like the sunrise itself that he was in the passages that he had discovered as a young colt. They wound under the castle like snakes; they curved and twisted, and could lose any stallion that got caught in its traps. But not Midnight, he had practically lived there all his life and knew it like the back of his hoof. He used to come here every day; until he met her…
… no I can’t remember now; I won’t be able to save her if I do. No, he couldn’t remember because the memory made him feel like he was covered in a blanket and couldn’t get out. If he remembered, he might break down in such sadness that he might never want to leave his place. I need to stop and move on. But he couldn’t stop. All of a sudden, one memory slipped through…
Midnight Dust was on his daily stroll through the catacombs, but today he had decided to go deeper than usual. All of a sudden, he heard a small sound coming from off to his right. As he listened harder, he realized that it sounded like a baby. ‘A baby! Down here!’ Keeping an eye out for the owner of the crying, he rushed off in the direction of the noise. He turned the corner but the possessor of the wail was no filly, but a draconequus…
“And now I hate that… that evil animal!” He shouted. He was so angry with it. How had he been so gullible as to take care of it? But his anger suddenly turned to sadness. He didn’t want to remember. But it seemed that the memories would not stop…
He’d heard of discord, but this one's features were different. He had the head of a goat, horns of a bison Midnight walked up to the small creature and it whimpered and tried to hide. “I’m not going to hurt you, here, eat this. You must be hungry.” He handed it a sandwich that it took and ate ravenously. “What’s your name, little one?” Midnight inquired.
“Facet,” he replied in between quick bites.
“Where’s your mommy?” asked Midnight
“I don’t know. I remember my parents told me they were going off to a war and I had to stay behind. But I think they put a spell on me so that I wouldn’t wake up because when I did, I was down that path.”
“Do you know much about your kind?” Midnight questioned.
“I know ponies don’t take to our race very kindly, but seem nice enough,” answered Facet…
Midnight ripped himself out of his stupor. I Can't take it anymore. The last thing he saw was his younger self before everything went black.
"...who do you think he is?" Midnight heard a female voice say. "I dunno, but I swear I've seen him before." Midnight's apparently younger self replied. "I feel that feeling of de já by too." That voice, so beautifully silky and soft. It was her. Aurora Borealis. "I think he's awake," whispered Rory, then in louder voice "You up yet?" "Yea-ow," Midnight tried to say while sitting up, but was cut off by the blinding head ache that it gave him. "Maybe you should lay down, you got a nasty bruise on your temple when you fell. You should be thankful that you didnt get a concussion" said younger Midnight. Midnight's head was spinning. What have I gotten myself into, jumping through the portal like that. I am in the presence of my younger self, shouldn't that create a paradox? His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by that sweet voice, "Who are you?" "I'm sorry, I can't tell you Aurora," Oh crap. I've let it slip. "How do you know my name?" "I can't tell you." "Who are you?" the question was repeated, but by young Midnight. "Alright, alright. But if you don't believe me, it's your fault, not mine." "Ok," "Ok," "You guys probably aren't gonna believe this, but I'm from the future. Midnight, I'm you. Rory, You are going to get killed if you go down there. Midnight, Facet has been getting more and more angry at you, and if you take her down there, he is going to unleash his anger on her, because she has been keeping you from visiting as much." "Very funny, but Facet is my best friend next to Rory and he wouldn't hurt her," young Midnight replied." We're going down to him." "No, you can't," "And who is going to stop me?" young Midnight let this sink in, "C'mon Rory, let's go." "No," Midnight whispered. He had lost, she was still going to die. No, there is still one way. If he could drag himself down to the chamber where Facet was, then he'd be able to stop him. Midnight got up, but immediately fell back down. I have to do this, for Rory. Midnight staggered to his hooves, ignoring the pain, and walked in a stumbling gait down a side tunnel.
"Well he was crazy. Don't you think?" asked young Midnight. "I don't know, he sounded pretty convincing to me. What if he's right?" "Oh, c'mon. It was probably just some delirious dude that got lost down here. The only part that that confuses me is that he knows our names." "That's what worries me," Aurora replied uneasily "I mean, if he knows our names, then what if he really is telling the truth." "I still think he's crazy." young Midnight stated. "Let's go, I don't want to keep Facet waiting." "Alright. Race you there." Aurora giggled and galloped off. "Hey, wait up. I am showing you the way ya know," young Midnight replied as he galloped after her.
Midnight was beginning to get dizzy and it was getting harder and harder to stay on his hooves. The only that kept him going was that horrible memory that usually made him break down into tears, but now was giving him strength. Only a few more corridors. Almost there. I can make it, but he couldn't make it; he fell over on his side. No. I've failed. And then he heard a scream. Aurora. he got up. I will not let that bitter animal to hurt Aurora. He staggered forward and gasped. Right around the corner was the now six foot draquonequis standing over Aurora and young Midnight. "NO!" Midnight roared. "It's me you want. Not her." Facet turned toward Midnight and said, "And you are?" "I am Midnight. You want me because I didn't come down here. You got lonely, and that loneliness turned to anger." Facet walked over to Midnight and said, "Yes it is you I want." With that, he picked Midnight up by the tail and flung him a across the room. Midnight smacked into a wall near Aurora and young Midnight. "I love you Aurora Borealis." Midnight whispered. "RUN," he yelled to the two ponies. And they did. With a burst of speed, they sprinted out of the room. Facet walked over to Midnight. Good-bye world, Midnight thought, before he was bathed in flames. The flames gave him itching, tingling sensation all over his body.
