Chapter 1: Coming in Hot

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It's a strange feeling, helplessness. To do everything one can yet still have no power or control over the situation can be detrimental to a person's psyche. Unfortunately, helplessness, was exactly what David Lawson felt in that moment. His ship destroyed, and his crew dead, David rode in the only escape pod, hurtling toward nearly certain doom. In the ship's explosion, the escape pod was damaged by shrapnel and its guidance computer was malfunctioning. As such, the pod hurtled toward the nearest planet, rather than any kind of space station.

The pod approached the unknown planet quickly, and David had little time to correct the craft's course. Its flight path took it straight down into the planet's atmosphere, and it was certain to burn up on entry.

Fear, anger, guilt, and a hint of anguish clouded David's mind as he hurdled towards the planet at terminal velocity. Even if the pod's computer was working, there was no way to know the planets gravitational pull and/or trajectory. Against his will, David was coming in hot. Literally.

WARNING. WARNING. WARNING. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY COMPROMISED. ADJUST COURSE 115 DEGREES

"Shit shit shit, how do I do that!?"

He frantically ran around the small pod, finding it difficult to move with the current shifting inertia. He managed to get across right as the flight computer issued another warning.

WARNING. WARNING. WARNING. 30 SECONDS UNTIL COURSE CAN NO LONGER BE CORRECTED. POD NOT RATED FOR 300 G IMPACT.

"WELL NO SHIT!"

David started hitting every button he could reach, trying desperately to get the out of control pod to turn and slow its descent. Frantically grabbing everything in sight, David finally found the flight controls just as the computer started wailing like a siren.

WARNING. WARNING. WARNING. HULL INTEGRITY CRITICAL. CORRECT COURSE IMMEDIATELY.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, I'M TRYING!!"

He seized the controls and pulled back with all his might. Slowly, but surely, the pod started to tilt upwards and slow. Time, unfortunately, was not on his side. He pulled and pulled as hard as his arms could manage but the pod was still coming in too fast. David watched the altimeter as the pod plummeted into the atmosphere. What felt like hours lasted merely a minute as the pod burned through the atmosphere at tremendous speed. David could clearly see on the control panel that he was still going too fast. Abandoning all hope of slowing the pod, he made the decision to run to the back of the pod and strap himself in for a hot landing.

"Fuck me fuck me fuck me fuck me fuck me," he prayed, since those were the only words that seemed to come to mind in his time of need.

Time slowed as David's ship speared towards the ground. The altimeter spun like a disk as the pod careened downwards. David held his breath and made out the numbers on screen as they counted down.

10,000 feet, 9000 feet, 8000 feet, 7000 feet, 6000 feet
The sirens blaring in the pod were deafening now, red flashing lights illuminating the interior in a crimson hue that almost seemed to foreshadow the coming storm.

5000 feet, 4000 feet, 3000 feet, David closed his eyes and braced himself.

2000 feet, 1000 feet, 500 feet, brace for impact... The pod screeched down, rocketing toward the mountainside three hundred mph faster than it was rated for.

Canterlot's famous mountain bore a steep slope. From the top of the mountain, if one was to look down, it would almost be a straight drop. Vertigo was abundant on this peak. As luck would have it, the pod was the next visitor to grace the tip of the mountain with its presence. Coming down near the peak, the pod flew parallel with the mountainside, just barely glancing into the side of the mountain, displacing in seconds what a millennia of erosion had failed to remove. Sliding down the side of the mountain slowed the pod's tremendous speed greatly, granting a much needed reprieve from the insane G forces the hull was enduring upon touchdown. The pod punched through rock and stone like a halfback breaking tackle after tackle. Each boulder the pod obliterated jarred the lone occupant as massive amounts of speed dissipated into the rocky ground below. Once the pod had cleared the peak, it careened further downwards, diving into the cliffs below.

The heat shield smashed into the cliff side, tearing half of the cliff with it. Steel, titanium and aluminum shredded off of the side of the pod as it tore down the side of the cliff, carving a deep trench into the side of the rock face. The sound was deafening and fearsome. Trees below gave way against the unstoppable force that now found its way burying itself into their ancient home. Nothing could stop the machine as it pulverized its way through the mountainside, leaving bits of metal and sending shards of shrapnel and rocks flying in all directions.

Meanwhile, inside the pod, David was thrown around, almost like a rag doll. Bits and pieces of the pod were being torn apart and sent flying around inside. It was all David could do to cover his head with his arms and hope for the best. This strategy would not save him. A steel panel was ripped from the wall and thrown around the pod like a bouncy ball in a rubber room. It bounced off the walls and slammed into the computer, shattering the screen and sending sparks flying. Its sheer inertia sent it through the computer and bouncing off the wall. It flew through the air, ricocheted off the wall, and hit David's head, knocking him out instantly. The computer, now a mangled mess of wires, broken glass, and twisted steel, sent sparks flying like a sprinkler, starting a fire on the far side of the pod.

The pod continued to tear through the mountaintop tree cover and into the forest below. Fire, shrapnel, twisted steel, and a deep current of displaced rock were left in the pods wake as it finally started to slow. Hitting tree after tree and rock after rock had completely caved in the front of the pod to the point where debris was starting to be thrown into the pod by its terrifying momentum. Tree splinters, dirt, and rocks were violently thrown into the pod, peppering David while his limbs flailed freely in the back of the pod.

Rock and steel became one, trees splintered and died, and several millennia of erosion into the mountainside all happened within thirty seconds of the pods initial touchdown. Finally, it came to a rest near the base of the mountain. Burning, deformed, and heavily damaged, the pod stopped at the base of a tree. Fire and smoke soon overtook the craft. The many electrical systems inside sent sparks flying, catching even more flammable materials on fire. The computer, once the only thing allowing David to control the drifting pod, now sat in ruin, nothing more than a smoldering mess of metal and copper wires.

The pod quickly filled with smoke as the fires raged on and the outside environment finally stilled. The only thing moving now were the flames as they danced about, happily eating away at the oxygen inside the pod while burning the inside. That is, until David stirred. Moving his head, he groggily started to wake, his blurred vision barely registering where he was or what had happened.

"Uh... where... wha... oh... oh shit," He said, panic slowly rising in his voice.

He quickly reached for the release on his harness, only to find it was jammed.

"God damn it! Where's my knife?" he thought to himself.

Feeling his way around his person, he finally found his pocket knife attached to his belt on his right side.

He grabbed the knife and flipped it around to the seat belt cutter and began to tear into his harness. The smoke was completely filling the pod, making it nearly impossible to see and breathe. David coughed harshly while cutting as fast as his hands would allow.

Inch after wretched inch of the fabric ripped and tore under David's forceful pressure. The blade slowly but surely did its work. The smoke made it impossible for him to see just how much more he had to cut, making the process seem to drag on and on forever. He knew there were six straps in total he had to cut. He was on three now. The faint sound of fabric being torn apart was David's only assurance to press on. Blind faith was all he had now.

He finally cut through the last strap and pushed himself off of the seat. He immediately cried out in pain and fell down as soon as he put any weight on his legs. The smoke quickly forced him into a coughing fit on the ground. With barely any air left in his lungs and his legs not cooperating, he did the only thing he could. He crawled forwards. The interior of the pod was only fifteen feet long by seven feet wide. David braced himself for the difficult crawl ahead. Under normal circumstances, it would have been easy even for a small child, but now, it might as well have been up there with scaling Mount Everest.

Tears filled his vision as David's eyes were assaulted by the smoke, now making it completely impossible to see. With nothing more than pure adrenaline pushing him to go on, he finally found the door. He reached for the handle and once he found purchase, pulled himself up until he was standing, albeit painfully. Searing hot pain shot through his right leg and a sharp, needle-like pain assaulted his left calf. Having no oxygen left to complain, David pulled the handle down. The door budged, but didn't open. Fear and panic racing through his mind, David put all his strength into one last attempt to save his life. He took a step back, sharp pain rocketing up and down his legs, and shoulder-checked the door. Nothing. He tried again, pure agony forcing him to double over in pain against the door. His lungs burning for precious air, he tried again, only to get a slight nudge from the door. His muscles went into overdrive and his mind raced for options. Nothing else came to mind.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, think! There has to be a way out! Why can't I think?!" he screamed in his head

His world was fading now; smoke blocked his vision and stripped him of the life giving oxygen his brain so desperately needed. Stealing his resolve and finding no other options, he took several agonizing steps back, reaching the other side of the pod.

"If this doesn't work, I'm going to die..."

He charged forward, desperately fighting the pain in his legs as he closed the distance in a fraction of a second. He could not see the door but barreled ahead anyways. If he missed, he was sure to die.

He slammed into the door as hard as his damaged body could, and miraculously managed to break it free of the pod. He fell face-first into the rocks and dirt. Coughing up bile and blood, he finally managed to wheeze and gasp for a gulp of fresh, life-giving air in between his coughs. He vomited, blood finding its way into the puke and out of his system. He gagged and vomited again, and again, until he could only dry heave.

Gasping for air between bouts of puke, David felt the hot, burning sensation in his lungs finally start to dissipate, his wheezing and labored breaths finally restoring his ability to think. He pressed himself up to his knees and hands, holding himself there, struggling to force some air into his lungs for several minutes. His neck burned, like someone had poured acid down his throat and forced his mouth shut with an entire roll of duct tape. His legs were bleeding. A lot. He could feel the puddle forming underneath him. Reeling from his near death encounter, David rolled onto his side, the pain in his legs and throat hitting him in full force. He struggled to move, but forced himself to get up and crawl anyways. Getting away from that damned pod was all that mattered to him now.

Clawing into the dirt with his hands, he pulled his body forwards and away from the crash site, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. After a few minutes, he reached a small tree and crawled up to it, turning around so he could rest his back against the tree trunk. It was then that he finally looked down at his body. His right leg had been burned badly, sickly yellow-red blisters running all along the scorched limb. His pants' leg had also melted to the skin, meaning the skin would have to be completely removed and cleaned if there was any hope to save the leg. Any attempt to move it resulted in extreme pain all along the front side of his leg.

His left leg wasn't fairing much better as a nine inch rod of titanium was happily impaled deep in his left calf, spilling his blood out onto his pants and trailing back to the pod. A few inches of metal could be seen on either side of his leg. Looking down at his arms, he found several cuts and burns along them and his uniform. His gloves had multiple cuts with blood seeping out from his hands. To top it all off, he was wracked with a head splitting migraine. He brought a hand up to his temple and when he pulled away, his glove was completely covered in blood. He didn't have a chance to notice beforehand, but his head and the upper half of his uniform were drenched in blood. Feeling his head again, he found the source of the bleeding. He felt a deep gash on the side of his head leaking the precious life-fluid all over his neck and shoulder.

David was a mess, and he knew it. It wouldn't be long until he would pass out and die from his injuries. He took some time to say one last prayer before the inevitable took him.

"Lord, I'm not a religious man, I know I don't talk to you very often... okay, ever... But please don't let me die like this... Please let me make it right. I have to make this right..."

He fell silent. He had no first aid kit on him and the only one nearby was in the smoking, smoldering inferno that was the escape pod. Even if he tried to go back in and get it, with the shape his legs were in, he knew he wouldn't make it back out.

David sat there for a while, contemplating his options. The pod was now burned through and through. Even if he could make it back, the first aid kit was surely scorched like the rest of the interior. David knew he couldn't get up anymore. He felt death tugging at his soul, begging him to give up his futile desire to stay alive with hope for a miracle and just accept the sweet embrace of eternal slumber. His vision was blurry and unfocused now, unconsciousness looming over him, tempting him. He felt cold, but he wasn't sure if that was from the blood loss or from the cold air. He could barely feel his legs and arms anymore. Somehow, he wasn't shivering. In fact, this was the warmest cold he had ever felt. It wasn't long before his eyelids drooped and his shoulders slouched.

"Who knew a tree could be so comfortable?"

It seemed that he was all alone, on a planet no one knew anything about.

"Heh... Never thought it'd end like this. I was always the strong one right dad? I'm sorry I wasn't there when you passed... You know how it gets, the whole hundred years one way thing. Hehe... I'm so sorry. Are Mike and Kait up there with you? Hey, guys, again, sorry for not being there... I'll be with you guys in a little bit here I guess? So um... wait up for me huh?"

David, having said his last goodbyes, surrendered himself to the inevitable. However, before he could close his eyes for good, a figure caught his eye on the cliff side. He held his right hand up to block some of the light from the fire to see the figure better. It looked wolf-like but kinda... small? A dog maybe? Kind of a dark color and... was that a scarf? He swore he could see a pair of brilliant blue eyes before sleep took him back under its influence and he began the quick journey into unconsciousness.

"Heh, probably the wolves here to collect an easy meal..."

With that, David's view faded to blackness, and he surrendered himself to sleep and most likely, death.

Chapter 2: From a Certain Point of View

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"Just one more hour. Just one more measly hour..."

Midnight Shadow stared listlessly at the clock on her desk. This was the fifth time in just as many minutes that she had looked at it while filling out paperwork. Her job required her to work long hours into the night and early morning. Not something she was unused to at this point, but boring as hell all the same.

The room was dimly lit by a sapphire glow emanating from her horn and the pencil she was currently levitating. The only noise reverberating through the air being the constant tick-tock of the clock on the desk and the little scribbling sound of the pencil on the hundredth piece of paper to litter Midnight's desk. She sighed and leaned back into her chair, her vertebrae popping half a dozen times as she relieved the pressure and tension from her back after sitting behind a desk all night.

"Uhh... I need a break. I hate paperwork," Midnight whispered to no one in particular

Yawning sharply, she released her magic hold on the pencil and turned away from the desk. She rose from her lumbago-inducing prison and dropped to her hooves. Arching her back and stretching like a cat, Midnight felt several more joints pop and crack as more and more tension was released from her body. Stifling another yawn, Midnight started for the door, stealing one more glance at the clock on her desk. The echoing clip-clop of her hooves on the hard floor filled the air as she walked.

"Great, 4 AM... Maybe I should just turn in early. Not sure how much more of this I can take tonight. Why did I take this Night Guard gig?"

Walking out through the door from her office, Midnight swiveled her head to the right. No one. Then to the left. Nopony. The coast was clear, but then again, it was always clear this late, or early, depending on the pony. The only ponies awake at this hour were the thestrals and Princess Luna, and Midnight hardly worked with either. Even so, if any were mulling about, her little game of hooky would not go over well.

Midnight walked back into her private office and quickly filed her paperwork, ensuring the classified material was properly secured before moving onto more trivial paperwork. Once her desk was clear, she moved back to the door and checked one more time to ensure the coast was clear. Midnight willed her horn to glow and her familiar blue aura encapsulated the keys sitting idly on the far end of the desk. She levitated the keys over to her waiting hoof, her magic then grabbing the door and gently pulling it closed. She placed the key in the lock and twisted until there was an audible *click* signifying the door was secured. She walked over to the far side of the main office where her saddlebags, and hers alone, were sitting unattended. They seemed so small compared to the emptiness of the room around them. She opened the pouch and slid her keys inside. She then drew out the only other item in the bag, a thick winter scarf, and wrapped it around her neck. It wasn't particularly freezing yet; winter had yet to hit in full swing, but fall was quickly ending and the outside air was fairly chilly in the late night and early morning.

As she levitated her saddlebags onto her back, Midnight made for the door. She ensured that the office was properly cleaned and empty with one more glance before closing the door behind her and locking it. The brisk chill of early winter hit her immediately and she shivered at the initial feeling. Finding no pleasure in the cold, she couldn't help but consider going back inside the complex. However, knowing full well why she came outside in the first place, she started walking away from the building, quickly scanning left and right for any ponies that would see her ditching work. She was a dedicated mare yes, but even the most dedicated of individuals could play hooky once in a while. Midnight was no exception.

Seeing no ponies nearby, or at all for that matter, she walked down the road into the Canterlot central district. The city was quiet, with all but a few lights flickering in the few stores still manned for any potential Thestral customers or the occasional early riser. Midnight found no reason to stick around in this area, so she turned to follow the road leading into the Canterlot residential district. Midnight found herself walking through the upper class neighborhoods of Canterlot often. It was pretty much the only way she could get to work on time every day. She hated it. Every snob and upperclasspony this side of Equestria crammed into one square mile of arrogance and narcissism.

Wanting to get home as fast as possible, Midnight walked faster, breaking into a trot, trying to create as much distance between her and the snobs as physically possible.

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Midnight soon slowed to a normal walking pace, as she exited Canterlot proper and entered the countryside. Waving at the guards stationed at the gate, she continued down the road, finally finding some relaxation in the sound of the soft whistling of the breeze as it gently caressed the mountainside. The forest flanking both sides of the road were scary to most at night, but to Midnight, they were relaxing. As she continued her walk, she checked the watch on her forehoof.

4:47 AM

"Awesome! I might just make it home before five for once!" She cheered in her head.

Finding a new bounce in her step, Midnight happily trotted along the path toward her house. Rounding the corner at the bottom of the road, she continued walking along the well beaten path into the countryside. She didn't hate the city, but she found much more solace in the peace and quiet one could only find a fair distance away from anypony else. The soft breeze filled her mane and fur, breathing a feeling of relaxation into her. Memories of when she used to play tag with her dad in the mountains as the breeze washed over her, filled her head.

Midnight followed the road for a few hundred more feet and finally saw her house silhouetted against the countryside. Holding back her excitement, she made her way to the door, thankful that her little game of hooky went unnoticed by any spying eyes that might have still been at work.

Midnight reached into her saddlebags for her keys, but paused when she heard a faint rumbling. Turning around, she couldn't make anything out other than the garden in front of her house and the road leading back into Canterlot. Midnight began to worry as the rumbling only got louder and louder. Looking left and right, she couldn't identify the source of the noise.

"What is that noise, where is it coming...from..."

Midnight barely finished her sentence as her gaze turned skyward and saw a terrific sight. The most beautiful meteorite shower she had ever seen. Thousands upon thousands of lights danced through the sky and brilliant flashes illuminated the dark world. The display was as marvelous as it was bright and... getting... closer... Midnight squinted her eyes to be sure if what she was seeing was real. Most of the specs had flashed brightly, then burned out, but one was getting bigger...

"Why is tha-" Midnight started, but was interrupted by the rumbling turning into a thundering. Her body began to shake as it got louder, and louder. Her eyes went wide and before she could react, it turned into a screeching.

The sound was louder than anything she had ever heard. She pressed her hooves against her ears as they splayed back against her skull. She barely caught sight of the bright, screeching monster that rocketed downwards through the sky into the mountainside. Midnight stared, slack-jawed at the sight as the last of it disappeared behind a cliff. The sound of rocks and trees now being obliterated filled the air.

Midnight dropped her saddlebags and charged into a full gallop towards the mountainside; her scarf blowing in the wind as she moved. Only one thought filled her mind.

"That was more than just a shooting star."

Ten minutes later

Midnight reached the edge of the cliff to find a sight of pure destruction in front of her. Jagged, twisted metal jutted out of the deformed rock face at odd angles, sending shivers down her spine. Trees were snapped clean in half, the splintered remains all but stumps compared to their untouched brothers. There was a deep trench carved into the side of the mountain. All along the desecrated path were small fires and more twisted metal.

Looking further down the trench, Midnight saw bigger fires and smoke billowing from the bottom of the cliff side. Preparing for the many possible circumstances running through her head, she readied herself for the trip down. Taking a deep breath, she began the slow journey down the cliff to find whatever it was that had smashed into the mountain.

After five minutes of climbing, Midnight finally saw something promising.

"Is that a piece of... glass?"

Midnight approached the damaged piece and inspected it closely. It was attached to some kind of metal, with screws and bolts running through the glass into the unique backing. There seemed to be some kind of wires sticking out of the side. It looked like whatever it was had been ripped clean off the side of whatever had crashed here. Putting it to the side, she continued her descent into the unknown, intending to study the glass later.

The descent was unbelievably long. Midnight descended a full three hundred feet, finding strange new debris and objects of interest, before she was even close to the source of the destruction. She finally found a small cliff to rest on when a glowing blaze below caught her attention and she directed her eyes to the source. With smoke billowing out of the side and front, a giant metallic tube lay at the base of cliff side, looking every bit as guilty of the carnage as a mutilated piece of metal could look.

Midnight stepped closer to the edge of the cliff as she eyed the wreckage more carefully. Something was... off. The side of the tube was billowing smoke, but part of it seemed to be missing. There was a hole in the side of the tube that strangely resembled a large doorway. As she looked more closely, she saw more of the metal laying next to the tube, looking just as burnt as the inside surely was. That was it then, that was a door, and if that thing had a door, then there had to be something inside that door...

"Sweet Luna... is this an alien spaceship?" Midnight gasped.

Scanning the area for more details, her eyes fell on a trail of a very familiar looking fluid leading away from the ship. Even in the low light, tainted by the harsh titian glow emanating from the craft and surrounding fires, Midnight could identify it as blood. Following the trail with her eyes, she couldn't help but feel her heart pound in her chest as they neared the end. 5 feet. 10 feet. 15 feet... Midnight felt her breath catch in her throat. Her jaw dropped and goosebumps rose all over her body. Sitting there, not twenty feet from the craft, she saw the alien laying against a small tree with a puddle of blood forming around its body. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw that the creature was staring straight at her. She made eye contact with it. A pit formed in her stomach, immediately making her feel sick.

"I knew that was more than just a shooting star..." Midnight whispered

The creature's head slowly tilted to the side as it appeared to lose consciousness, and fall over onto its side leaving Midnight to stare at the dying alien life form now on her planet. She cautiously trotted down the last bit of the cliff to the crash site and the strange creature. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to run and get the royal guard. There was no telling what this thing was capable of. It could explode. It could eat her. It could abduct her and experiment on her. There was no telling, but Midnight couldn't just let it die. She had never been able to sit idly by and watch something die. She cautiously walked forward; the billowing smoke obscuring the doorway of the ship and filling the air with a strange musk somewhere between a bonfire and a funeral pyre.

Making her way past the ship, she found herself slowing to a crawl. There it was. The alien that crashed here not twenty minutes ago. The only sign that it was still alive was the slow and weak breaths coming from its barely moving chest. Each step forward felt like it took ages to complete. Fear screamed at Midnight to abandon the creature and get the Night guard, only the creature looked far too wounded. Going to get the guard would take too much time. The Night Guard was too small and limited to send anypony out of Canterlot and the Royal Guard was off duty for at least another hour. By the time they got here this thing could be long dead. No, she had to help it. There was no way she could let it die. Who knows what information it could know. Obviously it had the technology to fly through space, it could know so much more.

"Maybe it knows a way to reverse aging? It could have some kind of force field that doesn't require constant magical effort from a unicorn to maintain. Perhaps it could know a way for those not gifted with wings to fly? I have to save it... No matter the risk."

Despite her brave intentions, Midnight couldn't help but look at both sides of the possibilities.

"What if it eats ponies? What if it's just a decoy and the real alien is invisible and waiting to claim an easy meal?"

Even so, Midnight forced those thoughts to the back of her head.

"No, this creature is hurt and needs help. I have to help it."

She was less than ten feet away from it now. Close enough to see all of the small details she couldn't see before. Firstly, it was wearing clothes, so maybe it wasn't so different from ponies after all. It's legs were longer than a ponies, and it had strange, elongated hooves that seemed to be flattened and stuck out past the ankle. Black, working boots adorned its hooves while its pants were a deep navy blue. A black belt with some accessory mounts wrapped itself around the creatures waist. Clearly there was meant to be some additional apparel there. Further up, its shirt was jet black, with a logo that read "Nebula" in bright blue, fancy lettering. It's sleeves covered most of its... fur? Apparently, it didn't have much. Just enough hair on its forearms to maybe keep warm in mild cold, but nothing frigid like the equestrian winters. What caught her attention here was the strange, spider-like appendages attached to its forearms. They were covered in a thin black material with all the tears and blood the rest of its body was covered with. Finally reaching the creatures head, its face was decidedly flat, with smaller eyes than a pony, ears on the side of its head, a small nose that could not possible supply a creature that big with enough air, and a decent amount of fur on the top of its head.

Getting even closer, Midnight started to see the sure signs that this creature had in fact, endured the devastation behind them both. It's pants were torn on the left side, and a jagged piece of metal stuck out through both sides of the lower part of its leg. Blood was oozing out of the torn clothing, creating the small puddle now surrounding the offending impalement. It's right leg had terrible burns running all along it, with only a few burnt and melted pieces of cloth clinging to the charred skin. Its chest was mostly unscathed, save for a few tears in the shirt fabric and a few small burns. There seemed to be only minor burns and cuts on the creatures arms and spider-hooves. Finally, the creatures head had a deep gash on the left side, running from just above the eye to just above the ear. Blood had been dripping down the left side of its head for quiet a while, as its shoulder and neck were drenched in the crimson liquid.

Eyes wide and goosebumps covering her entire body, Midnight closed the last few meters until she was standing directly in front of the strange alien. Fear and curiosity battled each other in a relentless hailstorm of emotions raging in her head. At any moment, the creature could wake up and devour her, or abduct her and take her back to its world to be experimented on.

Midnight stood there for what felt like hours before she finally managed to move her hoof. Slowly, but surely, her right hoof came up towards the creature and she gently poked its chest. Nothing. She nudged it a little harder this time, still nothing. Feeling much more at ease, she checked over its injuries to see what needed to be addressed first. Having spent quite some time as a medic, Midnight knew how to treat injuries such as these, but there was one problem: She didn't have her aid-bag. She realized that she didn't have anything except her scarf on her. Cursing under her breath for her lack of foresight, she quickly thought through her options. There wasn't much she could do for the burns now, but with her scarf, she could deal with at least two of the creatures injuries. Removing the garment with her magic, she teared it in half lengthwise, making two strips, one almost double the width of the other.

"I really hope this works. You don't look like a pony, but everything is kinda in the right place still... I think..."

She made her way back down to its leg and raised it slightly with magic. If it was anything like ponies at all, there would be veins and arteries running down its legs. She wrapped the thinner strip of scarf around its thigh, a couple of inches above the knee. Wrapping extra tight to create a makeshift tourniquet, she breathed a sigh of relief as the bleeding seemed to slow. She used more magic to gently raise the creatures head and wrapped the larger of the two strips around its head, covering the gash and slowing the bleeding. Gently lowering its head, she checked over its body once more for serious bleeding. Happy that she found nothing life threatening, she moved on to her next step.

"Ok, hemorrhaging, check, airways are next, then breathing, and then circulation..."

She brought her ear close to the creatures face, listening for any indication that its airway might be obstructed. Hearing only slightly raspy breaths, she decided its airway was clear enough to move to the next step: breathing. Rolling the creature onto its back as gently as physically possible, she checked its chest as it rose and fell, making sure to note if one side of the chest wasn't rising as much as the other. Luckily nothing seemed to be wrong there. For the last step, she had to check for a pulse and blood circulation. Pressing her hoof against the aliens neck, she waited for the beat of its heart. It was weak, but it was there. Midnight breathed a sigh of relief. She may not have saved the creatures life just yet, but she had bought it precious time. Now it was time for her to move it to somewhere where she could treat it properly. She looked for a way to move the alien without causing it more harm, but found nothing of any use. Midnight sighed.

"Guess I'll just have to levitate you up the mountain. This is gonna be a workout..."

Summoning her magic once more, she wrapped the alien in her sapphire aura and gingerly lifted if off of the ground. It was heavy. At least the weight of a full grown stallion. Maybe even a little heavier. Grunting with the effort to lift such a large creature, Midnight slowly lifted until it was levitating just a few feet off of the ground. Turning around, Midnight's heart sank as she realized just how far she had to climb back up the mountain with the heavy alien on her back, so to speak. She turned to the creature now hovering close behind her as she started to walk and spoke.

"I hope that was enough to keep you alive for bit. This is gonna be a long hike."

Every step was agony. Midnight's hooves hurt and her legs burned. Her magic was getting weaker and weaker from the constant strain. More than once, she had slipped and nearly fell off the cliff side. She almost dropped the creature during one of those slips. The rough, jagged rocks hurt her hooves but provided just enough grip for her to climb, albeit just barely. It was a good thing she was a unicorn. Any other pony species wouldn't be able to carry the alien up a cliff without potentially injuring it even more. As she climbed and climbed, her legs grew tired and weary. Exhaustion forced her to stop and catch her breath time and time again.

"I need to hit the gym more often," Midnight groaned.

As she looked up the cliff, she couldn't help the dread that worked its way into her heart.

"Still got a long way to go..."

2 hours of heavy lifting and climbing had taken its toll on the dark unicorn mare. Her mane was disheveled and messy. Her coat was damp with sweat and covered in dirt and dust. More than once she had stumbled and nearly fell, nearly dragging the unconscious alien with her. She had to set him down every so often so as to save her strength, causing the trek to last well into Celestia's early morning sunrise. Even now, with her current situation, she couldn't help but admire the beauty through her tired eyes. Rest would come soon enough, but not before she tended to the creatures wounds.

Finally pulling herself over the last ledge with the creature shakily floating up behind her, Midnight rolled onto her back, making sure to gently set the alien down before releasing her magic hold on it. Panting, she stared straight up into the sky, thankful that she had made it. Taking a minute to catch her breath, she turned to the creature now illuminated by the early morning sunlight. She couldn't help but notice how cute it was. Sure, there was blood all over its face, and a torn up, blood soaked scarf wrapped around its head, but something about its face screamed "friendly." Maybe it was just how helpless it was. It was badly injured and unconscious, completely at her mercy. Midnight was no sadist though. She loved all creatures, small and large.

Summoning her last bit of strength to her weary legs, Midnight rose to her hooves. Her horn glowed with magical energy once more and the creature followed suit not a moment later. With a quick grunt, the alien was hoisted into the air, trailing closely behind Midnight as she began the quick trot back to her house. Luckily, no ponies were out and about yet. It was still a little early for anypony to be outside doing anything, save for Princess Celestia and the royal guards assuming duty from the Night Guard.

Thankful for her luck, Midnight carried the creature the rest of the way to her house. Not a soul traveled along the route to intercept them and before long, they arrived at her house. Finding her saddlebags still lying where she dropped them, Midnight quickly fished for her keys and upon finding them, unlocked the door and pulled the creature inside.

She walked through the main entrance into the living room, careful to not bump the aliens head on any of her furniture or decorations. Hooking a right, she brought it to her guest room and opened the door. The room smelled fresh and clean, not a soul having been there for months... ok years. Stepping out of the way, Midnight levitated the creature through the doorway and onto the bed.

"These sheets are definitely going to have to be changed out after today... Definitely."

Under any other circumstance, she would have gone and reported to the Guard about her findings, but the aliens skin had changed since she first saw it. It was much paler now than before. It looked like it would be dead within a few hours.

"I don't think you'd even make it to the hospital now..."

Quickly making her way back out of the room, Midnight walked down the hall to a closet with three locks. She unlocked all three in a quick, practiced order and opened the door. She found the large crate she was looking for in the middle of the closet, and opened it. On top of the supplies was her old uniform. It was still neatly folded and clean. Taking care not to wrinkle or dirty it, she levitated it to the side and began digging through the medical equipment. Supplies went missing all the time, and it was easy to grab a bag of morphine without anypony noticing.

Grabbing an IV bag, and IV pole, a needle, and alcohol wipes, Midnight walked back to the unconscious alien in her guest room. Once inside, she began setting her equipment up. At best, it would keep the creature alive long enough to give her time to think about what to do with it. She hooked the IV bag up to the pole and, after wiping the aliens arm with the alcohol wipes, inserted the needle in a large vein on its forearm. She was relieved to see the IV bag begin to drip, a smile even forming on her lips. Unfortunately, her smile quickly disappeared upon looking down at the form in front of her, she saw the bloody leg, jagged steal breaching both sides of the fleshy muscle. Midnight sighed. She knew she would have to remove it, but there was no telling if adding drugs to the mix to keep the creature sedated would work or possibly kill it.

Midnight sat there, head in hooves, debating what to do. If she went ahead and tried to fix the alien herself, she could end up killing it. The first extra terrestrial to visit Equestria and she kills it by injecting it with too many drugs. Not how she wanted to go down in history. On the other side of the coin though, if she did nothing, it would surely bleed out. It was close to death as it was already, and taking it to a hospital was out of the question as well. By the time it even got there, it would be long dead. Teleportation had several risks, firstly that the creatures body might not be able to take that kind of dematerialization and rematerialization, and second that its wounds might be worsened by the journey, also killing it. Lastly, she wasn't sure she even could teleport both the alien and herself that far. She had the knowledge, and the equipment to do the work, but doing surgery on an alien creature she knew nothing about with no help would be tough. Especially with the weight of possible future relations with its species resting squarely on her shoulders should she fail.

Midnight took one last glance over the creature before leaving the room and walking down the hallway. She walked up the stairs and took the first door to her right, leading into the bathroom. Finding the shower just as clean and relaxing as when she last left it, she stepped inside and turned the water on, adjusting the water nearly as hot as it could get.

"If I'm going to save that things life, I'm gonna need to get the dirt off my hooves first."

Chapter 3: A Rude Awakening

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Midnight walked down the stairs, her coat now clean and shiny. She walked into her medical closet and began to withdraw her equipment, ensuring to read over each label carefully. She pulled out a large crate and opened it. Her old uniform graced her eyes with its pristine shine and well fitted seams. She set it down to the side as gently as she could and continued her search. After several seconds of digging, she found her medical books. Skimming through her books on the subject of surgery, she came across a book titled "Surgical Studies and Medical Practice.” She plopped the book on the ground and opened it to the correct page she had book marked many years ago.

General anesthetic dosage size/species chart

Setting the book down, Midnight scanned the room for a suitable substitute for the general anesthetic. Cursing under her breath, she realized she had none. She wasn't running a hospital after all. In fact, she could get in a lot of trouble for any of the medical supplies she had "tactically acquired" through her years as a medic. Looking over the room once more, she saw her bag of "liberated" morphine. She vaguely remembered reading a study on morphine acting as a sedative. Only about 52% of ponies it was tested on actually went to sleep, but time was running out and so were her options. The good news was that the creature was already asleep. All she had to do was keep it asleep. Returning to her book, she flipped through more pages until she arrived at the page she wanted. After five years of being a medic, she practically knew every line by heart.

Morphine dosages size/species chart

Scanning through the lines, Midnight found yet another problem. She had no idea how much the creature could take. Or if it could take any at all. As it was, she knew she had little time to worry about that, and began reading though the page. The alien was a bit larger than a full grown stallion overall, so maybe just enough to keep a stallion sedated. Then again it might be a good idea to go with less in case the morphine doesn't have the desired effect.

Finally finding a compromise in her head, Midnight grabbed enough morphine to sedate a full grown mare, along with some other supplies and threw them into a bag.

"It just has to be enough to keep it under while I work..." she thought to herself

She walked back into her guest room, and was relieved to find that the alien hadn't moved, and was still breathing. Making her way over to the bed, Midnight brought the morphine up to the IV cable and began to inject the drug into its bloodstream. As if the creature wasn't at peace already, it seemed to relax even more upon the drug entering its system. The already negligible amount of tension in its muscles faded away entirely, leaving the creature in a peaceful sleep. The faintest smile could be seen on its lips as it relaxed so completely, that the only sign of life was its slow and steady breathing.

"Ok, that has got to be the cutest face I've ever seen."

Pleased with the response, and lack of death happening in her makeshift hospital, Midnight got to work. She levitated an apron and a surgical mask out from the bag she had brought the morphine in. She didn't have a full pair of scrubs, but then again, she wasn't really a doctor either. Covering her front with the apron, and sliding the mask onto her face, she began to levitate more tools out of her bag. A scalpel, surgical shears, and a lot of surgical gauze were quickly, but neatly arranged on the desk to Midnight's right as she set to work.

An exhausted Midnight wiped the last few beads of sweat from her brow as she finished wrapping the last of the gauze on the aliens head. She tiredly turned her head to see the clock on the dresser behind her. Three hours had passed since she made her first incision. The surgery had gone very well considering the different anatomy and risks associated with working on an alien.

There was a nine inch steel rod, coated in blood, laying on a rag in the middle of the room. The alien had been incredibly lucky the rod had missed any bones, veins, or arteries. Removing the impalement had proven to be difficult, but not at all impossible. In fact, Midnight was startled by how similar the creatures body was to that of a ponies. Granted, the structure was different on just about everything, but the similarities were there for sure. Bones in the same place, tendons, muscles, even its blood was the same color. It seemed to breath oxygen, so its blood most likely functioned the exact same way as a pony's too.

"And here I thought aliens would have bright green blood or something like that, hehe..."

Midnight tiredly observed the aftermath in the room. It looked like a war zone. Blood on the bed sheets, dirt here and there, the floor littered with medical tools and bloody rags. Midnight's apron was smeared with blood across the front from when she had tried to pull the metal rod out and some blood splattered onto her. Her mane was disheveled and messy again, and her coat had many blood stains soaked into it. A lesser mare would have been queasy, or just downright sick. Midnight was used to getting dirty though. She knew that as long as the patient lived, it didn't matter if she was completely covered in blood, dirt, or anything else.

She checked on the aliens pulse again.

"Ok, that's about fifty bpm" Midnight said to herself, "By pony standards, you're doing great. I just hope it's the same for your race..."

Seeing as there was nothing more she could do, Midnight retrieved her supplies and rags. Once she had all of her equipment in her magic aura, she left the room, careful not to disturb the sleeping form of the alien on her way out.

Midnight made her way to the back door of the house. Quickly looking both ways in case of any spying eyes, she moved to the trash can and threw the used medical supplies away. She made sure to wrap her bloodied apron and mask together in the bag to create the most compact form possible before pushing it to the very bottom of the trash can, under the rest of the trash.

With the evidence now disposed of, Midnight proceeded back inside, making sure to lock the door behind her. No such thing as being too careful when you have a secret as big as an alien in your house. Walking back towards the guest room, Midnight passed a mirror and stopped in her tracks. She looked like she had been through the meat grinder. A few times. Tired bags under her eyes reminded her that she hadn't slept in over twenty four hours. Coming to this sudden realization, Midnight decided it was time for one more shower, and then some well deserved rest.

Midnight began the slow trek up the stairs to her not so unused shower and warm, cozy bed. The sheets were silk. Soft as a newborn foals flanks. She always made an effort to keep her bed clean and soft. Sleep was her favorite part of the day after all.

Each step felt like a monstrous feat. Midnight's tired legs protested the whole way up, ignoring her promises of "Just a few more steps." Finally, she reached the top of the mountainous elevation and tiredly entered her bathroom. Finding herself too exhausted to care about using a clean towel, Midnight simply levitated her pre-used towel from the laundry hamper in the next room and brought it to the bathroom, the ocean blue glow creating the only light in the dark hallway. Midnight ordinarily wouldn't shower in the dark, but in her tired state, she just couldn't bring herself to care.

Setting the towel down on the counter, she willed her shaky legs into the shower and turned the water on. Midnight rotated the knob until the water was hot, and rested her head against the tile wall while the hot water rinsed her coat clean of the foreign blood. The half dried life fluid slowly seeped down her coat as the water wicked it away. A metallic smell filled the damp air and the clear running water under her hooves turned a sickly crimson.

Leaning her head back, Midnight slightly winced as the steaming hot water poured onto her face and permeated through her mane. She could feel the events of the last three hours wash away from her body. The sweat, the blood, the stress, they disintegrated under the scalding waterfall descending on her fatigued form.

After ten minutes of simply enjoying the relaxing water, Midnight started to doze off. Leaning to one side, she closed her tired eyes, and the soft pitter-patter of the falling water tried to lull Midnight to sleep. Unfortunately, ponies are not meant to sleep standing up. Midnight teetered to the side far enough to completely fall over. A surprised yelp escaped her mouth as she reached for anything to slow her descent, finding only the shower curtain there to offer support in her time of need. Fate, unfortunately had cruel intentions for the poor unicorn mare, and the shower curtain ripped in half under her weight as she fell out of the shower. Gravity dropped her unceremoniously onto her side, and the shower curtain lazily fell on top her her tired form a second later.

"Ugh..." Midnight groaned

Slowly removing the torn shower curtain from herself, Midnight rose to her hooves and checked the damage. All the hooks keeping the shower curtain hanging had been ripped through the waterproof material. Midnight sighed and added "buy a new shower curtain" to her mental checklist for later.

Feeling sleep tugging at her mind once more, Midnight reached into the shower and turned the water off. Turning on her hooves, she grabbed the still slightly damp towel off of the counter and began drying herself. After she removed as much of the water from her coat as she could, Midnight shook the rest of the water off of her like a dog having just received a much unwanted bath. Water droplets flew in every direction and the once neat bathroom now looked like a war zone for an army equipped with super soakers. Finally feeling dry again, or at least not very damp, Midnight walked out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. She didn't bother to turn on any lights along the way. She wouldn't need them where she was going.

Finding her bed in the dark, Midnight slid her hoof along its satin silk sheets, and let out a small sigh. She was going to sleep well today. Her horn lit up, illuminating the tenebrous room in a blue hue. The sheets were embraced in the same blue glow and began to open, inviting her with all the warmth and comfort of a long lost lover. Finally feeling at ease, Midnight slipped into the bed and wrapped herself in quite literally the softest embrace she'd felt all day. Her eyes drifted shut and her mind eased. Sleep was only minutes away and Midnight could not contain her relief. A happy sigh escaped her lips as she drifted off to sleep, cozily nuzzling her pillow and signaling an end to the nights troubles.

*KNOCK*

Midnight's eyes shot open.

"No. This has to be a dream. There is no way somepony could be knocking at the door right now! I just closed my eyes not thirty seconds ago!"

*KNOCK*

*KNOCK*

"Maybe if I just don't answer, they'll go away? Maybe somepony noticed me ditching work an hour early and wanted to check up on me... No, I made sure no one saw. That can't be it... What if it's the princesses and somepony reported me bringing a strange animal into my home? Surely the royal guard have checked into the crash site by now. They must have seen the spacecraft and knew there was an alien life form in the immediate area-"

Midnight was drawn from her thoughts by more knocking at the door. Groaning harshly, she rolled out of her warm, silky sheets, and dropped to her hooves. She began the long trek out the doorway, into the hall, and down the stairs towards the front door. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Midnight's heart sunk and a pit formed in her stomach immediately upon seeing who was at her front door. As the mid-morning sun's light filtered its way through the windows on either side of the front door, a figure stood directly in the window to the right, causing Midnight's heart to stop. Standing there in the window, was one of Celestia's royal guards. There was no mistaking it, from his golden plate armor, to his snow-white coat, to the spear resting against his shoulder. As Midnight, and everypony else knew by now, where there was one royal guard, there was likely more. In this case, the others were likely right behind the door.

Midnight froze. Making any sound at this point could mean the end of life as she knew it. The guard in the window hadn't noticed her yet. Maybe there was a chance that she could silently creep back upstairs and they would just leave. Slowly turning on her hooves, Midnight started to climb back up the stairs.

"Just gotta be quiet and hopefully they wo-

*TAP*

*TAP*

Midnight froze again. There was the knocking again, although this time, it didn't sound the same. No, that was the sound of a hoof banging on glass. Midnight slowly turned her head, eyes wide in horror as they fell upon the Royal Guardspony now looking right at her through the glass. To her surprise, the stallion smiled and gave a friendly wave.

"Maybe they haven't found anything yet..." Midnight hoped

Heading back down the stairs to the door, Midnight paused, took a deep breath and opened the door. Greeting her through the bright doorway were three royal guards. Two unicorns and one pegasus. The pegasus at the window held his smile, his emerald green eyes beaming in the daylight. The unicorn who had been banging at the door held a stoic face and began to address her while the other unicorn seemed to be standing watch behind them.

"Good morning miss," The Unicorn began. "My name is Sergeant Stone, and this is Lieutenant Duster and Corporal Ethereal." He gestured to the pegasus and other unicorn respectively.

"Midnight Shadow. How can I help you gentlecolts?" She responded

"We were investigating the meteorite crash about 10 minutes away and just wanted to come by to see if you've seen anything suspicious this morning."

"Meteorite crash? When did that happen?" She asked, trying to play dumb.

"Last night ma'am," Lieutenant Duster chimed in

"I didn't notice it, I didn't get back from work until very early this morning; you see, I was actually just about to go to bed."

"Of course ma'am, we're very sorry about the disturbance. If you see anything out of the ordinary, just let us know, we're going to be patrolling the area for the day, so we'll be nearby."

"Wait, what kind of 'out of the ordinary' are we talking about here? I don't understand."

"Just anything strange, we've been getting some extraordinary reports from the area and just want to make sure that everypony is safe and well."

"Uh, alright. If I see anything strange, I'll report it to you guys right away."

"Fantastic. Alright guys, let’s get moving. Ma'am, thank you kindly for your time. We'll let you get some rest."

At that, the three stallions turned and began to walk down the steps away from Midnight's house. Closing the door behind them, Midnight let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding in. She slid down until she was sitting on her haunches and breathed.

"Oh my Celestia that was close," she whispered, as if even the slightest noise would bring the royal guard right back to her doorstep.

"I should probably go check on the alien. Make sure they can't see him through the window or something."

Midnight rose to her hooves and walked to the guest room. As she rounded the corner and turned into the doorway of the room, she froze. Standing there, in the doorway, barely a foot away from her face, was the alien.

A few minutes earlier

David awoke to the sound of knocking at the door. He kept his eyes clenched shut and tried to ignore it. A few seconds passed and he thought maybe he might be able to get back to sleep. Then the knocking returned, only louder this time. David's eyes opened slowly, groggy and impaired. His vision came to him at a snail’s pace, the whole world appearing as a blur. He blinked several times to clear his eyes of the crap that was surely obstructing his vision. After a few moments, he began to see clearly. White. All there was was white.

"Why is there only white? Did I die? Is this heaven? Purgatory? ...Hell?" David's thoughts raced.

Turning his head to the side, he saw a very light turquoise on the wall next to him.

"Oh, never mind. White and blue... Already too colorful to be Hell."

His eyes scanned the rest of the room, taking in every detail. There was a dresser on the opposite side of the room. It's snow white color seemed to compliment the light blue walls well. There was a desk sitting against the wall behind him, directly under a window. Both shared the color scheme of the dresser, accenting the room with a blue and white pattern. Serving only to amplify this, the sunlight filtering into the room through the white curtains bathed the room in a slightly orange hue, glistening off of the polished desk. Scanning to his left, he immediately spotted what appeared to be an empty IV bag attached to his arm. Not knowing what it could be pumping into his system, he pulled the needle out of his arm and wrapped the now bleeding vein with some excess bandages from his arm.

"Maybe I was picked up by another ship that was close enough to get to me in time..."

Looking further down, he saw that he was laying on a bed. The sheets felt so soft and warm under his body. He immediately wished he was under them and wrapped up in their silky embrace. His eyes found their way onto his beaten body, surprised to find that his arms had fared well, and he still had free mobility in all of his fingers and joints. However, the story was not the same for his legs. his right leg was wrapped in many bandages from the ankle all the way up to the thigh, making it slightly difficult to move. His left leg had bandages tightly wrapped around his calf, but was otherwise left untouched. Despite the burns and impalement, his legs were in no pain. In fact, his whole body felt warm and tingly. Then, he realized something.

"Where are my pants? Where's my underwear?" He croaked

Rolling over to his side, albeit with great effort, David pushed himself up into a sitting position, his legs sliding off the bed to the floor. The floor, however, met his feet much sooner than he anticipated. David was surprised to find that the bed was barely a foot off the ground.

"Maybe whoever saved me is really short..."

Careful to keep weight off of his left leg, David limped to the desk and pulled the curtain to the side. As sunlight now poured into the room unobstructed, David, squinted his eyes and took in the outside world. His gaze fell onto beautiful rolling hills, and flowers blooming as far as the eye could see. Searching to his right, David saw a forest, vibrant and green. Scanning left, he saw what could only be described as the base of a mountain. Jagged rocks and small cliffs greeted him on this side. David took a few minutes to admire the scenery and open the window. The cool mountain breeze gently caressed his face and filled the room with its sent.

"Where the hell am I? This place is so beautiful... I've never seen anything like it..."

David was torn from his musing when he heard what sounded like voices coming from down the hall. Maybe whoever had rescued him was just in the next room. David looked down at himself once more. Even if they had saved him and likely already seen him naked, David would rather meet his hero in the decency of modern clothing. Limping away from the window, David began his search for clothes. He didn't have to search for long, finding a pile of his bloodied clothes in front of the bed. Leaning down slowly, he retrieved his pants and slipped them on gingerly, careful to avoid putting too much pressure on his left leg. The pants, which looked more like shorts now, what with the burns and holes littering the leggings, slipped on easily enough, and David already felt better about his appearance. Minus the blood stains and burns.

Hearing a door close, David's attention was again torn from his current activities and redirected to the sound of footsteps coming closer. Except, they didn't sound like footsteps. They seemed to come down heavier than a normal person, and it sounded like there were two of them. As they got closer, a new realization crept into David’s mind; there was some kind of... clopping noise accompanying the footsteps. Something akin to a horse walking on hardwood floors. As the mysterious footsteps approached the doorway, David prepared to meet his rescuer. Hopefully they weren't some terrible alien only saving him so they could fatten him up and have a large meal in the not-so-distant future.

The footsteps reached the edge of the doorway and David prepared himself for whatever would enter. As his heart seemed to beat out of his chest, his savior rounded the corner and stepped into the doorway.

Time seemed to freeze as the two very different creatures stared at each other. David's face was frozen in a mix of shock and awe at seeing a mythical creature standing in the doorway. Midnight's eyes were wide with surprise. She couldn't move, nor speak. The shear realization that the alien she had worked so hard to save was now very awake, and very alert hit her like a truck. It also happened to be staring right at her. The silence filling the room was overwhelming. The sound of a pen dropping a mile away would have made more noise than the pair of otherworlders locked in a perpetual stare down.

David was sure he at least had a major concussion now. He brought his hand up to his head to gently feel the bandages on the side of his head.

"Maybe I am dead..." he thought to himself.

Standing before him was a creature he only knew from legends. A majestic unicorn... Only, it was a lot shorter. The top of its head barely reached his waistline. It's coat was a dark graphite, and its mane and tail were a shiny ebony. There was a turquoise shooting star adorning both of its flanks. Its mane and tail were so disheveled, loose ends sticking out at every odd angle, that it strikingly resembled a young teen with bed head. What truly caught David's attention however, was the unicorns face.

"What's with that face... somehow, it looks familiar... Almost.. human... Its muzzle doesn't stick out anywhere near as long as a horse back on earth and its neck is so much shorter. And what's with those lips? Soft, feminine lips like that shouldn't be on a horse... should they?"

All that paled in comparison to the most prominent feature on the equines face. A pair of beautiful, piercing, sapphire eyes stared intently at David. The way they twinkled in the morning sunlight... Captivating and beautiful. Like nothing he had ever seen. Not even people had eyes as vivid and gorgeous as those deep blue wonders.

Seconds might as well have been hours as the two stared each other down. Both wonder and shock painted across both of their faces.

"Uh..." David began, only to be interrupted by a decidedly feminine scream from the equine in front of him.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," she screamed, fear now written all over her face.

Midnight turned on her hooves and broke into a full gallop away from the doorway.

"How could I have been so careless!? With no way of knowing what this creature is capable of, safety precautions should have been put into place! It should have at least been tied down until I could make sure!"

In her tired state, Midnight had neglected to ensure the alien couldn't just grab her and eat her upon waking, and she was locked in a stare down with it for twenty seconds!

"Ok, I just need to create some space, then I ca-"

Midnight was torn from her thoughts when her face slammed into a wall. Dazedly stumbling away from the new hole in the wall, Midnight struggled to regain her balance. Trying her best and failing to regain her ability to stand, Midnight flopped onto the ground. A red mark appeared just under her horn on her forehead.

"Ow..."

Midnight felt her blood freeze in her veins. In her drowsy, possibly concussed state, she hadn't noticed the hoofsteps behind her. Only she knew those weren't hoofsteps. There were only two of them, not four, and they sounded much softer. Rolling onto her side, Midnight turned her throbbing head toward the sound right behind her. As her eyes opened, a terrifying sight befell her. The alien was not walking towards her anymore, it wasn't even walking at all. It was right on top of her, leaning over her like a predator about to claim its next meal. Its hands were closing the distance between them, and it was all Midnight could do to clench her eyes shut and let out a small whimper.

"Maybe I should have left this thing in the forest after all..."

To her complete surprise, Midnight felt no pain. In fact, she felt something pleasant. The loose ends of her mane were brushed out of her face, and soft, thin pads gently stroked against her coat. If she didn't know any better, she'd say was being petted. She felt a gentle pressure cover her forehead, where she had rammed the wall like a blind battering ram, and took this as her chance to open her eyes. The creature had a look of pure concern on its face. There was no malice in those striking brown eyes, no hate, and no semblance of any desire to cause pain. Only one emotion relayed itself through the chocolate orbs: concern. This alien was genuinely worried if she was okay.

"It's alright little guy. I'm not gonna hurt'cha." David spoke softly, giving a small smile to show that he wasn't a threat.

Midnight's jaw dropped.

"Did it just... Speak? How could it... It spoke Equish? How did-"

Midnight's thoughts were interrupted by the door being bucked open. Both pairs of eyes darted to the Royal guardspony now standing in the splintered door frame. In the chaos of what had been going on inside the house, neither of its occupants had noticed the knocking on the door and the muffled "Ma'am?" coming through the other side.

One look at the situation in front of him and the stallion leapt into action. His horn sparked to life and a golden aura engulfed the sword strapped to his back. In one fluid motion, he ducked his head and ripped the blade free of its sheath, slashing horizontally at the alien hunched over the fallen mare.

"Wai-" Midnight started, but she was too slow. The royal guardspony was already swinging the blade, cutting through the air like a hot knife through butter.

Before he even knew the pony wished him ill intent, the sound of sharpened steel leaving its leather prison filled the air. David released the unicorn and leaned back, finding no other way to avoid being struck. David's wounded legs could not support his weight at such an angle and he fell back. He just barely dodged the lethal steel as he fell onto his back. He rolled onto his side and pushed himself up with his arms, doing everything he could to keep weight off his left leg. His attacker would have none of it though. He brought the sword downward intending to impale his prey. Rolling to the his left, David narrowly dodged the blade by only a few inches as it pierced the hardwood floor, sending splinters flying in all directions. He continued to roll until he reached the other side of the entrance where a table had some decorative pots and flowers resting on top. The pony attempted to free the sword, but couldn't seem to break his weapon out of the floor. He stood there for a couple seconds, grunting in effort to free his blade, and giving David the much needed time to rise to his feet. Adrenaline now pumping through his system, he looked for the nearest weapon to defend himself against his assailant. Luckily the pony was still preoccupied and didnt have his sword at the ready.

Scanning for anything he could use, David's eyes fell upon the potted plant on the table to his left.

"That'll have to do."

The pony gave up on trying to remove his sword and was now closing the short distance between them. Grabbing the vase and turning in one fluid motion, David arched his arm and brought the vase down as hard as his adrenaline fueled body would allow. Perfect contact was made against the small demon horse's cranium and he stumbled back, grunting in pain.

David had no time to contemplate how or what had just happened and began to half limp, half jog out the front door. He heard more hoofsteps coming from outside, and stopped in the doorway. Fear and confusion painted his face. Two more small horses, both wearing the same white coat and golden armor blocked the door, panting slightly.

"Fuck! They must have just ran up here. What the fuck is going on!?"

The two new assailants looked almost identical to the one inside. The only difference was that one had wings instead of a horn, and they both had spears instead of swords.

"What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck?" David’s mind raced through its extensive vocabulary in a futile attempt to rationalize the scene unfolding in front of him.

David began to back peddle, nearly tripping over the dazed white devil still stumbling about to get his bearings. He tried to grab David's foot as he moved past, just barely failing to grab a hold. David raced back into the guest room and slammed the door shut behind him, three pairs of hoofsteps close on his trail. He scanned for something he could use to defend himself with. Finding nothing but the IV pole, he considered his options.

"Run away and maybe escape, or stay and fight three to one?"

The choice seemed clear enough. David quickly closed the distance between him and the window and climbed out. It was a short drop, not more than five feet. David gently lowered himself to his good foot, then his bad. He ducked down and proceeded to limp away from the unicorns and pegasus. Not a second later, he heard the door break open and hoofsteps on the soft carpet filled the room behind him.

Midnight stumbled into the room after the door had been broken down where all three guardsponies were checking for the alien.

"I see it running towards the cliffs!" called Sergeant Stone from the window.

"Alright, let's move ponies!" Lt Duster shouted.

"Wa- You can't. It's no-" Midnight started, only to be cut off by the Lt. Duster.

"Ma'am, we're going to have a nice long talk about what happened here later, but right now, I need you to stay here and stay calm. We'll deal with the creature," he said with obvious disappointment in his voice.

"But-"

Midnight never got to finish. All three of the guardsponies were already out the door and galloping out of the house in pursuit of the alien creature. She tried to run after them, but stumbled and fell again.

"Alright... I might have a concussion..."

David started to limp faster, then hobble, then jog as best as his wounded body would allow him. The pain was immense, but compared to being stabbed, he could manage. He hadn't covered more than a hundred feet when he heard the tell tale sound of hoofsteps closing in on him. Chancing a glance behind him, David saw two unicorns galloping towards him and a pegasus closing in even faster from the air. Not believing what he was seeing, but wanting to get the hell away from it nonetheless, he pushed his body harder. Gritting his teeth as the pain seared in his legs and blood began to soak through the bandages, he broke into a full sprint.

David’s lungs burned and his legs seared with pain. Until this point, he had been feeling warm and tingly, despite his injuries. He wasn't sure what had dampened the pain so immensely; by all accounts, he should have been in agony. However, now that his body was being damaged by the physical effort he was enduring, nothing could stave off the intense amount of pain coursing through his body. Despite his efforts, the hoofsteps and wingbeats were only getting louder and closer. David knew at this rate, he couldn't outrun them. He was running out of options, and it was looking more likely that he would have to take them on after all. If he could get them to come at him one by one, then maybe he could survive, but there was nothing to use as a choke point, and no weapons to use to even the playing field.

David's mind raced for an answer, and fate gave him one, in the form of a cliff. While his mind desperately searched for options, David misjudged the distance, and almost didn't stop until it was too late. Bringing his feet to a screeching halt, David nearly slid off the cliff side. His toes hung precariously off the edge. He turned and saw the three attackers forming a half circle around him and closing in. With his back against the metaphorical wall, and his enemies giving no route for escape, David's eyes quickly scanned the immediate area for anything he could use to defend himself.

"Fuck, I'm trapped... I need something. Some kind of weapon!"

The only potential weapon there was a small stick, maybe two inches wide by twelve inches long. That and a small boulder that was far too large to pick up. The stick was his only option.

"Looks like I'm fighting my way out. I'm not gonna die to some tiny horses!"

Grabbing the stick, David let his natural instincts take over. The hair on his arms stood on end and his back arched to give him a nearly feral appearance. Teeth barred and a snarl forcing its way out of his mouth, David shouted.

"COME ON THEN, WHO WANTS SOME?!?!"

Silence. Stunned, deafening silence filled the air. Then, the pegasus turned its head to its comrades and spoke.

"It speaks... IT SPEAKS!"

"CORPORAL, GET THE OTHERS!" The unicorn with the sword shouted to the other unicorn. Not a second later, a loud pop and bright flash appeared where it was standing and then it was gone.

David's mind was completely occupied with only two thoughts. Fight, or Flight. Flight was out of the question, so Fight seemed to be the only choice left. Every muscle in his damaged body tensed and prepared for the coming fight. As he was now, David was too far gone to notice or care that the equines were speaking. All he cared about was that now there was one less mini horse to fight, and he would need to be fast. There was no telling how long their buddy would be gone for.

The pegasus slowly lowered his weapon and took a cautious step forward.

"Stand down and we won't hurt you. Just come quietly and we'll see to it that you aren't harmed. I promise we'll take care of you and your injuries." The pegasus said, trying to calm the now feral alien in front of him.

For a moment, David seemed to believe his words and lowered his weapon. As the pegasus closed in on him, David saw movement out of the corner of his eye. The unicorn was slowly circling David's side, trying to get behind him.

"Oh no, I'm not getting cornered by you, you little bastard."

David preemptively took a step forward and swung at the pony in front of him, his body acting before his mind could think better of it. The pegasus ducked just low enough for the stick to graze the top of his helmet and pass over.

"That was for free. The next one's gonna cost you. I know you can understand me. Drop the stick and surrender. You have my word that we wo-" The pegasus started, only to be cut off by another swing. He barely dodged before David swung again, forcing the pegasus to back up further and further as the human advanced away from the cliff.

Seeing that diplomacy wasn't going to work out in this case, the pegasus propelled himself forward, his legs acting as springs, launching him into the alien in front of him. He connected with David's waist and tackled him to the ground, sliding dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. David was stunned for a moment and dropped his weapon. The stick rolled a few feet away from the scuffle and stopped just out of reach of both parties. Sgt. Stone, quick to pick up on the new tactic, jumped onto David's legs and pinned them down with his body while Lt. Duster tried to contain his upper appendages.

"Shit shit shit! I can't move my arms or legs! Fuck! Think, David, there has to be a way out! There's always a way out!" David thought through the grunts and heavy breathing both parties were exerting.

"You can't win this fight! Grrr. Just stop fighting us!" The pegasus screamed in David's ear.

David's mind raced. The pegasus's words fell on deaf ears, and David continued to struggle. Fear, rage, and a raw desire to survive forced David to fight on. No matter how much they tried to reason, David was too far gone to care. If there was a chance to get away from these demon horses, he was going for it.

As David struggled with the two vice-like grips on his body, a realization hit him. He wasn't currently strong enough to force these creatures off his body. His only hope was to fight a little dirty. David's instincts forced him to take action and find a weakness. Pressing the pegasus up with his arms, David found his target: The assailants foreleg. Pushing the pegasus up towards his face, the limb came within reach and David seized the opportunity. He bit down as hard as his jaw could. The reaction was immediate, a pained yelp escaped the tiny horses mouth and it released its hold on Davids torso, cupping its wounded extremity with its other hoof. David took the opportunity to go for the kill, figuratively. He grabbed the pegasus's mane and forced its head down, connecting its muzzle with his forehead. This time, a much louder scream escaped the pegasus's lips as its head reared back, blood flowing freely from its now broken nose.

Seizing the new opportunity, David shoved the pegasus off his chest and began working on assailant number two. The unicorn was shocked to see its friend knocked back and off of the alien so easily, but through discipline and training, managed to recover fast enough to block the next attack. David's right hook connected with a raised hoof, doing no damage. Quickly playing off his momentum, David shot forth a left jab, connecting right on the unicorns forehead. This knocked it back enough for David to roll out from under it and press himself up to all fours. Turning his body slightly, David forced the hardest kick he could muster with his right leg. The unicorn wasn't fast enough this time, and David's good foot connected squarely with its chest, sending it flying backwards. The unicorn slammed into the small boulder and fell to the ground, unconscious.

Pushing himself to his now bloody feet, David took a split second to look down at himself. The bandages on his left leg were completely soaked through with blood, and his right leg wasn't fairing much better. The pain was agonizing, particularly from the burns on his right leg. In the current state he was in, David wouldn't have made it a mile before collapsing from blood loss. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to ponder these matters, as the pony reinforcements arrived. David saw no fewer than twenty more white horses charging at him, the closest just fifty feet away and closing fast. Strangely enough, he saw the dark grey unicorn from before galloping towards him in their midst. There was no time to run. Even the edge of the cliff was too far away for him to make a running jump and hope for the best. The only option now, was to fight. At least they seemed to want to take him alive now, a kindness he would try to return. Try. He grabbed his stick and prepared for the coming onslaught.

"Stop resisting!"

"Just surrender and we won't hurt you!"

"Drop the weapon!"

"Take him down! Go for the legs!"

Voices rang out over and over, but they fell on deaf ears. David's mind was focused and his tunnel vision made it impossible to hear or care about what the small horses had to say. One by one they came, barreling towards David. The first came in fast, aiming to take out his legs. He sidestepped the tackle, bringing the stick down low and tripping the equine, causing it to face plant and somersault, landing on its back and skidding to a stop next to the wounded pegasus. The next small horse to charge at him was met with a brutal smack to the face, temporarily blinding the equine and causing it to trip and fall while David spun on his "good" leg away from his attacker. Setting his sights on his next target, David threw the stick as hard as his fading strength would allow. It connected right on the next assailants muzzle, causing him to stop dead in his tracks and grab his now bleeding nose.

The rest of the group circled around David and closed in on him together. David prepared himself for the inevitable and readied his fists. He would need many more fists to win this fight. The group jumped on him simultaneously, two hooves connecting with the back of his quads, forcing David to his knees. Two more equines were on his back, one wrapping its hooves around his neck and the other pulling him back, trying to pull him to the ground. David grabbed at the hooves around his neck as the white demon in front of him turned around and prepared a powerful buck. Having almost no time to react, David leaned back into the force pulling him down. Two powerful legs shot forth, but found nothing but air where Davids face was a split second ago. Reaching up and grabbing the hooves, David yanked back, pulling the equine off his front hooves and landing on his belly, right past David's thigh. He brought his fist down and connected with the back of the tiny horses skull, bouncing its jaw off the dirt below and knocking it out cold.

Throwing his head back, he hit the muzzle of the pony on his back with his head, causing it to release its grip on his neck. He leaned back up, and threw another right hook at the next pony to enter his sights. Despite all his effort, David only had so much fight left in him. More hooves grabbed at his arms and forced them down.

"Ugh, how are these things even so grippy? I thought hooves were basically little keratin feet. THERE'S NOTHING TO GRAB WITH!" David shouted in his head

With his arms and legs thoroughly exhausted, or trapped, David looked into the eyes of the pony directly in front of him. He summoned the last of his strength and screamed. Not a frightened scream, but a war-cry. If he was going to die, he was going to go out like his ancestors. With one last battle cry before the bitter end.

David felt something strike his head. It must have been some kind of blunt object because his vision immediately went blurry and he fell down to his side. Another pony was quickly behind him and choking him with everything it had. The concussive blow his temple had just taken, the damage done to his body from the crash, and the strain of fighting off twenty something tiny armored horses finally caught up with David, and his vision faded.

"STOP!"

The pressure around Davids neck loosened and his vision came back somewhat. Standing before him was the charcoal unicorn with the beautiful blue eyes he liked so much. Only, there were tears streaming down from those eyes.

Is she crying? Why is she crying?

"I'll put him under. Just... please... stop hurting him..." Midnight said.

"Put me under? What does she mean? Is she gonna kill me?" Davids thoughts raced.

The dark unicorn walked up to him and kneeled beside him, her face mere inches away from his.

"I promise this won't hurt... Just... rest now... ok?"

With that, she touched her horn to his head, a brilliant blue light emanating from the contact, and David's world went dark.

Author's Notes:

Hey guys. I'm glad you're reading this. That means you've made it this far and hopefully enjoy what you're reading. If you guys have questions about the morphine solution and the scientific accuracy of it, I just want to say that I have done some research on it and what I found said that it could be a possible general anesthetic. My headcannon for this story is that ponies an humans weigh about the same, only ponies are slightly smaller if they were standing on their hind legs walking around like humans. Hence why Midnight doesn't accidentally inject too much and kill David. Also, the only reason David doesn't pass out or die from the pain is due to the adrenaline and morphine in his system. I hope that part isn't too unbelievable. Anyways, I hope my writing style isn't too confusing to follow. I'm kind of trying to go for the "third person, over the shoulder" kind of story, so whatever is happening with a specific character is told from that characters perspective, hence why the ponies are referred to as tons of different things when the story follows David, and vice versa. We all know who and what David is, but to the ponies, he's some strange alien. So the narrator reflects that until they learn what we already know. I hope I'm not insulting anyone's intelligence by explaining that, but I just want to make sure it's made very clear so there's no confusion. In the next chapter, ponies are going to learn all about David, so don't worry. There won't be too much of this in future chapters.

Chapter 4: A Royal Greeting

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David's sleeping form was released from the many hooves holding for all their worth, and he slumped to the ground before being rolled over onto his stomach. The slow rise and fall of his back was the only sign that he was still alive at all.

Midnight took a few steps back, relieved that the spell had worked and her former patient was very much not dead. He was quickly encompassed in a golden aura and lifted into the air. Midnight turned to see the wounded pegasus lieutenant walking straight towards her.

"How long will he be out for?" Lieutenant Duster asked, his voice slightly nasally from his hoof covering his still bleeding nose.

"I don't know. That spell was powerful enough to knock out a full grown stallion for six hours, but then again I gave him enough morphine to keep a full grown mare out for half a day and he woke up in about three hours."

"Ma'am, I'm sorry to do this, but I need you to come with us. This creature is going straight to the hospital, then to the princess, and you're going to have to explain your actions as well, especially the makeshift hospital room and all the morphine. If we have to arrest you, we will."

Midnight sighed. She knew this would be the consequences of her actions.

"Damn it... I really don't want to go to jail...."

"I understand... I'll go with you, just let me stay near the alien. I'll make sure he won't start fighting you guys again if he wakes up, but first I need to check his wounds. He almost died in the crash and he's bleeding badly again."

Lieutenant Duster nodded at her and walked over to assess the rest of his fallen comrades

"If this thing was that badly wounded and still did this much damage, I'd hate to find out what it's capable of at full strength..."

Six of the royal guardsponies were either unconscious or bruised after the fight. The worst case suffered a broken nose and a mild concussion. Everypony was on edge and kept a fair bit of space between themselves and the creature, save for Midnight. The thought of thousands of its kind invading and taking over Equestria plagued the ponies' minds as they carried the creature back towards Canterlot proper. Midnight's checks and quick readjustment of the bandages adorning Davids limbs had done little to stop the now steady flow of blood. As they moved, the fallen human's injuries left a trail of crimson liquid behind.

"Lieutenant, we need to get the alien to a hospital now. He's lost so much blood already, and at this rate, he won't make it," Midnight spoke as she checked Davids bandages yet again.

"Ma'am, we're going as fast as we can, but we have wounded of our own. Plus, you know as well as I do that teleporting an unknown creature could easily kill it," Lieutenant Duster replied.

Midnight sighed. She knew he was right. The unicorns among the royal guard were trained in offensive and defensive magic. While teleportation could be considered a viable tool for both, it was such a high level spell that very few of the guard, save for Celestia's personal bodyguards, could perform it. So the option of having a guard teleport to the nearest hospital and back with some medical supplies was simply not feasible at the moment. Especially since the only guard in the group that had that ability was still unconscious.

Midnight wracked her brain for some options that would help. There were several pegasi guards present, but three of them had injuries due to the fight, and if the alien woke up mid flight... She didn't want to think about what could happen. The only option was to press forward as fast as possible and hope that the already demonstratively durable creature could hold out for another half hour at least.

It was another lazy day at Canterlot Memorial Hospital. With hardly any crime in the city, due to the heavy guard presence all hours of the day, ponies were very rarely admitted for injuries and other emergency situations. There was the occasional broken leg or wing from a young pony playing where he/she shouldn't, so the emergency room was very rarely used for serious injuries. It was a good thing too.

David would need that open spot.

A royal guard bucked the doors open and four unicorns trotted in, levitating the unconscious human into the room. Midnight was right on their hooves, calling for a doctor. The hospital staff were quick to react, rushing out a gurney and several nurses stopped their conversations to assist in whatever way they could. Surgeons scrambled and the E.R was prepped in a matter of minutes. This of course, did not prepare the medical team for what was wheeled into the room shortly thereafter.

Several gasps and audible confusion filled the room as the strange otherworlder was brought to the surgical table. One surgeon did a double take, and the rest of the room seemed to share in his confusion at the sight in front of them. Midnight had forced her way into the room as they began removing David's tattered clothing, ready to provide whatever answers she knew. Several surgeons were occupied with studying David's anatomy, trying desperately to figure out where to hook up their machines.

"If you're looking for a vein or artery, its arms have large veins running down the length. Also, don't give it morphine. It's had enough already," Midnight announced.

All eyes turned to the graphite mare. Several surgeons stared irritably at her while others were simply confused by her even being in the room. After several tense seconds, Midnight finally got a response.

"Ma'am, what are you doing here? This is for medical professionals only," The head surgeon stated as the rest of the team began hooking David to a heart monitor.

A slow beeping sound filled the room as David's low pulse appeared on the monitor. Donning a mask and a pair of scrubs herself, Midnight responded.

"My name is Midnight Shadow. I saved this creatures life last night. The royal guard found it, attacked it, and now it's here. I'm here to help you save its life again with what I know from my work."

"Are you a doctor?"

"I was a medic for almost three years. I'm not a doctor, but right now, I'm the closest thing to an expert on this species you've got."

The head surgeon sighed and paused for a moment.

"Alright. Tell us what you know."

The doors swiveled shut and the medical team began working on the strange creature. As it was, it had lost over two liters of blood. It would take a miracle to save its life now.

One miracle later...

David awoke to the sound of harsh, yet steady beeping. Struggling to open his eyes, he rolled over as much as his body would allow, finding his arm attached to something, preventing him from rolling onto his side. He groaned as he forced his groggy eyes to open, immediately regretting his decision. The bright white light above him was absolutely blinding. Squinting, he turned his tired head to the side, as he struggled to see through his blurry vision.

"So... much... white... Where the hell am I? Was it all just a dream?"

His vision finally focused enough for him to see the hospital bed he was laying in. He could see the many wires attached from the nearby machines to his body... and the handcuffs. Testing for flaws in his vision, he tried moving his arm away from the bed rail.

*Clang*

"That's not a good sound..."

The sound of metal on metal filled the room for a split second, followed by the rhythmic beating of the heart monitor.

"Yep... Definitely handcuffs... or would they be 'hoof cuffs'?"

David groaned loudly.

"Beaten and captured by 3 and a half foot tall horses... How is this not a dream?" David muttered.

"Probably because you're still here. You sure are tough though, I'm glad your awake," A feminine voice came from Davids left.

In his groggy state, he had neglected to even look at the entire left side of the room. Quickly turning his head, he found the source of the voice to be none other than the graphite unicorn from the house he woke up in earlier. She seemed to lean back just a tad as David's eyes fell on her, as if she was still somewhat scared of him. She quickly righted herself, any sign of fear fading almost as fast as it appeared.

"Wha- what are you?" David asked in disbelief.

"I could ask you the same question, but since you asked first, I am a unicorn pony. My name is Midnight Shadow. I'm the one who saved your life. Twice now, but who's counting?" As she spoke, her tone changed from that of a professional conversation to more of a tomboyish, friendly tone. "Anyways, now that you know my name, what's yours?"

"David... David Lawson." He said with wide eyes.

"Well, despite the circumstances, it's very nice to meet you David," she said with her best attempt at happy smile.

David was dumbfounded. Here he was, in a hospital room, that seemed to be no different from any hospital room back on Earth. The heart monitor sounded the same as the ones back on earth, the bed felt somewhat small, like a hospital bed, and even the room looked like an average hospital room. So why in the Hell was there a talking unicorn sitting next to him?

"Okay, seriously, what the fuck? This has to be a dream... Is any of what happened in recent memory real? Is this just some weird cryo sleep shit?!"

David was torn from his thoughts when another pony opened the door.

"Ma'am, is he awake?" the new pony asked

"He sure is, only took him twenty hours to wake up," Midnight responded.

David's eyes fell on the pegasus guardspony that had chased him so relentlessly the day before. He aggressively shuffled back into the bed as the pony approached.

"Oh no, no, you get the fuck away from me!" David shouted, pointing a finger at the pegasus.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. We just need your cooperation so that we can get you to the Princesses," the gaurdspony replied calmly.

"Yeah, you said that yesterday too, right before your goon tried to take me out from the side." David countered.

"Sergent Stone was only trying to get into position in case you attacked... which you did," the pegasus retorted.

"Well, yeah! My back was against a cliff! What the hell was I supposed to do? Take your word for it? I don't trust you as far as I could throw you!" David angrily shouted back.

"David, please. Calm down. Nopony wants to hurt you, I swear. What happened yesterday was a serious misunderstanding, and not how we as a species wanted first contact to go, but if you'll just give us another chance, I promise you that we won't waste it," Midnight said, hopping off the chair and walking towards David's bed.

David's brow scrunched up as he thought about Midnight's words. He slowly looked to his right hand, still cuffed to the bed railing. After several tense seconds, he sighed and spoke.

"Fine, it's not like I have much of a choice," he said, agitation still present in his voice.

"Thank you. I know you're confused, and if there are any questions you have, I'd like to answer as many as I can, now." Midnight said, a friendly smile reappearing on her face.

"Okay... First off, who the hell is he?" David said, pointing at the pegasus guardspony. " Second, how are you both speaking English? Third, I've been out for twenty hours? And fourth, what the Hell is going on?" David asked, struggling to take in the world around him.

"My name is Lieutenant Duster. I'm an officer in the Canterlot Royal Guard. As for how we're speaking the same language, I have no idea. It took several hours for the doctors to fix you up, and, after surgery, they put you in a medically induced coma for eighteen hours to recover. The rest of the time was just us waiting for you to wake up naturally, and to answer your last question, we're just about as lost as you are," Came Lieutenant Duster's response.

David took a few seconds to take in Lieutenant Duster's words before speaking again.

"You all seem way too casual right now for some ponies trying to kill me yesterday... Did you harvest my organs or something?"

David quickly patted himself down with his free hand, feeling for any stitches near his kidneys.

"No, no we didn't. We weren't trying to kill you either. We did have to take you down though. You weren't responding to verbal communication at the time, and you put up quite a fight," Lieutenant Duster said, slightly amused at the alien patting himself down on the bed..

"Yeah well, one of your guys tried to impale me with a sword. Then the rest of you almost chased me off a cliff! How exactly is that not trying to kill me?"

"We're very sorry about that. As Sergeant Stone described it, you were hunched over miss Shadow over here and he thought you were going to harm her in some way. I hope you can understand that from his perspective, the situation looked very hostile. He has expressed his regret for just jumping into action like that, and hopes you understand. He'll be reprimanded later as he's in a hospital bed like yours at the moment. Anyways, once we learned that you could speak, we tried to detain you without resorting to lethal means. You made that tough on us."

"Well... I was trying not to die. I don't care what you say, for all I knew, you were going to kill me. Besides... I wasn't trying to hurt her. She ran into the wall and I was trying to make sure she didn't hurt herself."

"Ah, compassion for another species. That will most definitely be going into the report" Midnight chimed in.

"Report? What report?" David asked, suddenly even more confused.

"The report I'll be taking to the princess along with you," Midnight replied.

"Wait, what princess? You guys keep talking about this princess but I have no idea who the hell she is." David asked, his world only seeming to get stranger and stranger by the moment.

"Princess Celestia. Don't worry, you'll meet her in a little bit. She is one of the kindest ponies in all of Equestria. She loves everypony and she'll definitely take a liking to you once you show her that you're not some pony-eating monster. Plus, thanks to advanced magic therapy and medicine, your injuries are mostly healed already so we can see her today. The only thing is that your left leg will be sore for a little while."

David pulled the sheets up and looked down at his body, stunned by Midnight's words. True enough, the horrible burns on his right leg were nearly fully healed. A small scar running up his leg being the only reminder of the charred skin residing there only a day before. He touched his free hand to his head and felt nothing but smooth skin and short hair.

"Well shit... That's pretty awesome," David said, perking up slightly at the prospect of not having a giant, ugly scar covering the front of his leg.

"I'm glad that you're okay. You were pretty rough around the edges when I found you, and even worse off after your fight with the guard," Midnight spoke, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"We'll have to give you an armed escort, but if you give me your word that you won't try to run off or try anything aggressive, I'll take those hoof cuffs off. If you do anyways... well, we might have to take you there in a cage," Lieutenant Duster warned.

"Ah, so they ARE hoof cuffs... Wait... a cage? That seems... excessive..."

"Fine, I won't try anything. It's not like I'd be able to get away anyways."

"Very good. Let's get you to the princess."

"Uh... Can I at least get some clothes first?"

As the group of guards and human walked and slightly limped through Canterlot, the ponies throughout the city stared with mixed emotions. Awe was present. There were some excited faces sure, but the overwhelming response was fear. Fear of the the strange, bipedal, ape-like creature that walked with the Royal Guard. David had to hide the embarrassment on his face from his lack of formal clothing.

"Really? A toga made out of bed sheets? What is this? Ancient Rome?" He muttered

"Sorry, but we don't exactly have any clothes that fit you yet. I'm sure the princess will have somepony get with the royal seamstress and have her make something in your size. I don't get why you care so much though? Clothes are just clothes. Not like you need to wear them. Also, what's Rome?" Midnight replied.

"I'll uh... I'll tell you later," David said as they continued towards the castle.

Canterlot Castle was truly a sight to behold. Beautiful arches, decorated with intricate patterns and detailed murals decorated every side of the castle. The columns adorning the entrance were nothing short of immaculate; somepony having taken great care to preserve their beauty over the many centuries. The walls were painted white as a cloud on a beautiful day, with the towers adorning a dark purple and gold spiral reaching the top. It screamed "ROYALTY".

David was taken aback at the sight. Never in his life had he seen a building so old. Not just in terms of style, but actual age as well. He never got to explore too much on Earth, and having to travel for a hundred years at a time meant everything could very well have completely changed by the time he got back. Not that he was going there any time soon.

David was pulled from his staring when he felt a nudge against his leg. Looking down, he saw Midnight.

"If you think the view from out here is great, just wait until you get inside," she smiled

David returned a smile and began walking into the castle, royal guards flanking him on all sides.

Once the large doors were opened, David was met with a brilliant red carpet flowing into the main hall of the keep before splitting off into a "T". The carpet was laid out left, right, and up the stairs at the end of the room. In the center of the carpet, there was a gold star, although, this star had eight points and seemed very stylized. The checkered black and white floor was a nice touch under the gold and purple walls adorned with many different banners and tapestries. At the center of it all, looming up the stairs, were two stained glass windows. The one on the right had yellows and oranges, and a hint of red filtering through. The window on the left was blue, purple, and had a small white crescent moon. A warm, orange light filtered into the room, and mixed with the cool, darker light filtering in through the other window, creating a mix of color that beautifully displayed the murals on the floor.

David was lead through the main hall, up the stairs and into the hallway to the right. Following the many corridors, he eventually found himself led to a massive doorway. Heavy wooden doors with medieval knockers loomed over the end of the hallway, but Davids attention was fixed on the many murals in the windows throughout the hallway. Depictions of six ponies blasting away a larger black pony, turning a giant monster into stone, and many more filled the hallway. David would have taken the time to admire all of them, but was pulled away by the creaking of the massive doors as they opened.

The group walked into the throne room to find all of the royal alicorns waiting for them. David had been expecting one pony princess to meet him. He was instead met with four equines sitting on four beautiful thrones, and an entourage of no fewer than one hundred guards on either side of the room. All eyes seemed to fall on David, analyzing his every move. He felt exposed, and being one of the tallest beings in the room didn't help at all. Feeling very surrounded, he gulped and proceeded forward, his eyes locked on the biggest of the ponies in the room.

The four pony princesses stared back with mixed emotions. On the far left, a pink alicorn with a curly mane and tail infused with different shades of purple, magenta, and a cream white sat with a look of pure awe in her purple eyes. She bore a turquoise heart that appeared to be made of crystal on her flanks.

On the far right, a lavender alicorn with a straightened, dark blue mane, highlighted with a stripe of pink and dark purple sat with a look of curiosity. Her even darker purple eyes showed intense interest, even if her face didn't fully commit. On each flank was a pink starburst accompanied by smaller white starbursts on every side.

In the middle right seat sat a beautiful navy blue alicorn mare. Her mane and tail were unlike any other ponies in that, not only were they flowing as if spurred on by some invisible breeze, but they appeared almost ethereal in nature. Her flanks adorned an ink blotch look, complete with a crescent moon in the center. A cosmos of stars and nebulae adorned her mane and tail, flowing freely in the non existent wind. She looked at him with a hint of worry in her face, her teal eyes seeming to exude concern as they fell upon David's form.

Lastly, the largest pony in the room. Her mane and tail flowed freely as well, though, they had a kind of rainbow color to them. There were pinks, greens, blues, and purples flowing in a slowly looping sequence, like the world’s most colorful barber’s pole. Her coat was a beautiful pearl white, and adorning her flank was a bright, fiery sun. Her face held a look of compassion and kindness, the kind of look one would give a long lost friend after meeting again after so many years. Her eyes were a light violet, almost pink. They were among the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen before. They looked like they could tell a story with just a glance. Wise, yet young. Clever, yet kind.

David wasn't sure how to feel. Here he was, about to be interrogated by four talking horses. Four beautiful talking horses, but talking horses nonetheless. A small army of guards surrounded him on both sides. He knew he had to make a good first impression, for humanity's sake at the very least, so he made sure to hide the slight limp he had been dealing with for the last fifteen minutes. He didn't want to look weak in front of the leaders of this nation. Or world. Whatever they were in charge of. He stood up straight, squared his shoulders as best as he could, and tried to puff his chest out in the most nonchalant way possible.

"Okay David, you can do this! Nothing out of the ordinary here. You traveled across a whole galaxy for crying out loud! You were among the first humans to breath Andromeda air! First contact with a race of magical talking horses is nothing to you! No pressure... No... No pressure...Oh who am I kidding, this is so fucked..."

The guards in front of him split off to the sides and fell in line on either side of the carpet, leaving David fully exposed to the princesses now only twenty feet away. Lieutenant Duster trotted forward and bowed, all other ponies in the room following suit. David just stood there like a deer in the headlights.

"Your royal highnesses, we have delivered the extra-terrestrial as you have asked. Is there anything more you would like for us to do?" Lt Duster asked, with a humble and respectful voice.

"No. That will be all Lieutenant. Thank you and your ponies for your work. I'm glad nopony was seriously hurt. You may take your leave. In fact, we will not require any guards at all for this meeting. You may all return to your duties," the largest pony spoke, her voice both soothing and calm.

"Thank you princess, but... are you sure you don't want some of us to remain?"

"I think we will be quite alright. We've shown enough of a display of strength as it is."

With that, Lt. Duster and his guards left the room. Midnight was the only pony not to leave. She stayed bowed, her head low, hiding her face from Davids gaze with her ebony mane. If she was going to say something, it wouldn't be until her princess asked her to. Several seconds of painful silence filled the room before the princess spoke.

"Midnight Shadow, you may rise. We are all eager to hear what you have to say... That said, I believe we are all even more eager to meet you." Her gaze fell onto David as he visibly tensed under her calm, yet piercing gaze.

"I understand the circumstances of your arrival were a bit... hostile, but I've been told you are sapient. Although, I did not receive a name..." the white alicorn spoke again, obviously curious.

Several tense seconds passed before David found his voice. Pawing his hands together nervously, he thought hard on how to introduce himself. He chose his words carefully, then spoke.

"My name is David Lawson. I am a human being from the planet Earth. As I'm sure you're aware, I crash landed here not two days ago. I thought I was dead until Midnight saved me... twice. Your highness, I'm very sorry to say that I don't know your name. In fact, I don't know any of yours," he finished, gesturing to the rest of the pony princesses sitting before him.

“Oh, forgive my manners. How silly of me. I am Princess Celestia. This is my sister Princess Luna…” Luna, gave a curt nod. “…my niece Princess Cadence…” Cadence gave a warm smile. "…and lastly, my former student, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight simply stared, wide eyed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm just sorry that my arrival had to be under uh... not so good conditions."

"The pleasure is ours. This is the first time we've met a 'hooman'- Sorry, is that how you pronounce that?" Cadence asked.

"It's pronounced 'Hue-man' your highness, and the feeling's mutual. I never thought I'd ever be speaking to a real live unicorn, or pegasus... In fact, you know what, I didn't think I'd ever meet a talking horse in my whole life," David explained.

"What do you mean 'real life'? You seem to know of our species, but we're not horses, we're ponies," Luna remarked

David's heart pounded faster in his chest.

"Oh, I'm very sorry. I meant no disrespect. It's just on my world, the closest thing to your kind are called horses, and they can't talk... Actually, no other species on my planet can talk. Humans are the only ones where I come from... besides parrots I guess... But uh... to answer your question, unicorns and pegasi are creatures of legend. They're myths where I come from. No human has ever seen one before."

Luna gave a nod, apparently satisfied with David's answer.

"It's quite alright David. No offense taken. Actually, your world is the reason why we wanted to talk with you personally. We wanted to inquire about your race. Also, how you ended up here, and if you have any way of returning home. We would be willing to help in any way should you require it. Although, before we ask you those questions, we'd like to hear Midnight's report," Celestia's voice filled the air once more, and David's erratic heart somehow slowed.

"Wait...why is Midnight giving a report on me again?"

David received his answer a few seconds later.

"Yes your highness. I'll keep my report brief and simple. David crash landed on the far side of Canterlot mountain. He was badly wounded in the landing and I was able to save him with some... techniques I've acquired over my time as a medic in the Royal Guard. As the acting director of Special Affairs for the Night Guard, I felt it pertinent that I act and save him. Even if he doesn't exactly fall under my jurisdiction-" Midnight began.

"Wait, she's the director of the what now?

"-I had no time to pass him off to somepony else. I was going to report him to you yesterday morning, but when the royal guard arrived at my doorstep, I tried to get them to leave to avoid an incident. As you already know, David was attacked by Sergeant Stone when he thought he was attacking me. Allow me to clarify that part. David awoke a lot earlier than I was expecting and he startled me. I, uh... ran away and hit a wall... Got a concussion and could barely walk straight. David was checking on me to see if I was okay. He showed compassion for another species he knew almost nothing about. Not only that, but when he was literally chased to the edge of a cliff, he did not try to kill any of the royal guard attempting to subdue him. After careful study of his anatomy while he was recovering, we've determined that he is indeed, a carnivore, or at least an omnivore, and could very easily have done a lot more damage than just drawing a little blood when he bit Lieutenant Duster."

"Oh, she's putting in a good word for me! Thanks Mid- wait, what does that mean, 'careful study'? Did she look at my... No, no she wouldn't have-"

David was torn from his thoughts when Midnight continued.

"In addition, we've determined that he is in fact, male, and despite the obvious differences, his skeletal structure is very much the same as ours. Only, as you can clearly see, he is bipedal."

"She did. She totally did. God dammit."

David fiercely blushed from the total violation of his privacy.

"As such, it is my personal opinion, that, should he want to, David should be allowed to stay in Equestria. He poses no more of a threat to our way of life than a griffon." Midnight finished with a bright smile on her face.

"So much for not looking weak in front of them... First human to land here and I get my junk inspected, get my ass kicked by twenty tiny guard dudes, and the leaders of this nation got to hear it all right in front of me... Wait, did she say griffon?"

"I see. Thank you Midnight," Celestia said, before turning to David. "David, I would like to offer you a formal apology, on behalf of all of Equestria, for how Sergeant Stone attacked you. Please understand that the Royal Guard is trained to use increasing levels of force when confronted with a situation like that, and Sergeant Stone should have tried verbal communication first before jumping straight to lethal means. I understand that you are very upset over what happened, rightfully so, but I hope that you can forgive us one day," Celestia finished, with a bow of her head.

David was hesitant to respond. He took a few minutes to think over Celestia's words before finally finding some himself.

"I understand why he did what he did, and if I was in his situation and saw some alien thing hunched over a defenseless civilian, I probably would have reacted the same way. I can't say I'll forgive him, not yet... but thank you, I appreciate that," David said as the last of his blush faded away.

"I understand, and I appreciate the sincerity of your words. Now, David, as for those questions I asked earlier, would you be so kind as to answer them?" Celestia asked.

David took a deep breath and began, slowly.

"Okay... That's a long story, but... Uh, first off, I just want to clarify that while I do eat meat, I would never eat anything sapient. So you don't have to worry about that. I could also just eat vegetables if the meat thing makes anyone uncomfortable." At the princess's understanding nod, David continued. "Anyways... Alright, this might seem a little too fantastical to be true, but I swear every word is the truth." David paused again, waiting for any of the princesses to give him a sign to continue.

All four princesses nodded their heads in a silent bid for him to proceed. Sighing, David began his explanation.

"Okay, a long time ago, my race developed the technology to travel across space. It's kind of amazing to think about, but we made the technology to travel from our galaxy into our nearest neighboring galaxy, Andromeda. The thing is, the journey takes a hundred years one way. Due to this time gap, companies started popping up, offering massive payrolls to anyone willing to make the journey to the new colony, Horizon V. I joined a newly formed intergalactic company named "Nebula" as a security guard. It was a simple job, I just rode along to Andromeda and once we got there, I made sure no one stole anything while the guys offloaded the cargo and settlers. We were on our way back to Earth when something hit our ship..."

David trailed off. A solemn look adorned his face. Gone was the blush of an extremely embarrassed man and in its place was a look of sadness. There was a tremble in his lips and his vision became blurry. All ponies in the room noticed the pause in his story and the sad look on his face. Blinking back the tears, David continued.

"I was the only survivor. I barely made it to the escape pod in time and... the rest of the crew died on the ship..." David finished as a shiver forced its way down his spine, and his palms dampened with sweat.

Midnight couldn't help but feel like there was something David wasn't saying about the crash, although, whether she would ever hear it or not depended on him. As he was now, there were enough painful memories floating around. She found it best to leave them for later.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. It's tragic that they didn't survive. You have my condolences," Celestia spoke softly. Her words were soothing and healing where no bandage could ever reach.

"Thank you. I just wish I had done more..." David trailed off.

The room grew quiet for a while, everyone taking a unanimous "moment of silence" for the lost crew members. Luna was the next to speak.

"We are all deeply sorry for your loss. If you would like some time before we continue, that would be perfectly understandable."

"Thank you princess, but I'm alright. What was the next question again?"

"Is there any way for you to return home?" Luna asked.

David looked solemnly at the navy blue mare, taking several seconds before answering.

"No. The distress beacon will take over 50 years to reach either Earth or Horizon V, and another hundred or so before anyone comes to retrieve it. I'll be long dead by the time someone arrives."

"I thought you said that you've already traveled one hundred years one way? How old are you exactly?" Luna asked, a confused expression adorning her face.

"I was only able to travel for that long due to the cryopods in the ship. They basically freeze a person while pumping the necessary nutrients and oxygen into the body, keeping them alive while preserving them for centuries. If I remember right, the colony had just been set up when we left. One hundred years one way, then we only made it forty two back, and I'm one hundred and sixty five years old. Heh, I've lived twice as long as most people on Earth ever will." David's face was plastered with a sad smile.

"Why did you take that job? Didn't you have a family and friends back home?" Luna asked, even more confused.

"I did. They're all dead now. I miss them more than I could ever put into words. I guess I..." David trailed off

"I think I speak for all of us when I say you have our sympathy. You've lost a lot of special po- err... humans in your life. That's not something anyone should have to endure alone. Again, if you need some time, we can give you as much as you need. I've sensed much pain and regret in you ever since you arrived, and it is not our intention to bring up memories that pain you so." Luna said with a look of compassion.

"If you only knew..."

"Thank you, but I'll be alright. It's just... fresh is all."

"Very well. Please, continue," Luna said, a friendly smile now adorning her face.

"Well... Where was I.. My father always told me that I would do great things, even though I didn't have much going for me. I spent a couple years in the military before I was discharged and had nowhere to go. It was around that time that Horizon V was discovered and declared ready for settlers to arrive. I guess I figured that the greatest thing I could do was be a part of the new galaxy. A new front for humanity. I guess I figured I would retire once the colony had developed enough and live the rest of my life there. Plus getting to say you're hundreds of years older than everyone around you is pretty cool."

"I see. I understand your intentions, noble as they may have been. Regardless, I am sorry for your loss. Coincidentally, my sister and I know all too well about being centuries older than the ponies around us. We're both well over a thousand years old," Luna said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "It's not quite as grand as everypony likes to think."

David's expression turned to one of confusion.

"What? Over a thousand years old? That... smells like some bullshit. How in the hell could they be that old. Maybe she was being figurative? Might as well roll with it, right? Not like that's the craziest thing Ive seen in the last 48 hours."

"Well uh... you both look... great?" David awkwardly complemented the princesses.

Stifling a chuckle, Celestia responded.

"Thank you very much David. You look 'great' as well. Especially considering the shape you arrived in. Regardless, I am truly sorry that you can't return home. If you would like, we have many different resources that could be used towards finding you a way back. That said, you are still most welcome to stay in Equestria, should you want to."

"I think... at the moment, I don't really have much of a choice. Not that I'm complaining, your world is beautiful. I could have just as easily crashed on a barren wasteland of a planet and died from any number of things. Not to mention the sheer luck of being able to communicate so easily."

"Well then, it's settled. We've already made a room available for you on the chance that you would say yes. There's just one little catch if you wouldn't mind. Twilight?"

At that, all eyes fell on the lavender pony princess. She had been silent thus far, and David still couldn't quite place what she thought of him.

"Thank you princess. David, I would understand if you didn't want to, or just wanted more time to yourself to think after everything you've been through, but I have so many questions that I would like to ask you. We would all like to build a profile of sorts on you, to help you better fit in, should we not find a way to send you home. If you agree to this condition, it would help us understand you better, and also help you to make a life for yourself here. All you would need to do is have weekly meetings with me, in a private and comfortable setting, so I could learn more about you. I understand that sitting in front of four princesses in a strange new land must be intimidating, or at least strange, so my hope is that these meetings can be far more casual, and you can more freely express yourself as a friend. Not an outsider," Twilight finished, and all eyes fell to David. The silence that filled the room was palpable. No one dared to breath for fear of missing the humans answer.

"I... would actually love that. God knows I could use some friends at a time like this."

"YES!" Twilight burst from her throne, wings spread and hooves skyward. Everyone in the room was taken aback by her outburst, David nearly tripping backwards from the shock.

Realizing what she had just done, Twilight sat down as fast as possible. Her wings retracting and her hooves awkwardly shifting about under the gaze of everyone in the room.

"Hehe... Whoops... Got a little excited there..."

The rest of the princesses simultaneously transitioned from shock to laughter and fell into a fit of giggles. Even Midnight joined in the infectious laughter now filling the room. It wasn't long before even David could not keep his snicker contained and chuckled at the display. The entire room enjoyed a refreshingly good laugh at Twilight's expense, after an extremely tense introduction.

Finally managing to stifle his chuckling, David was the first to speak over the group of laughing ponies.

"Well, I'm glad you're so enthusiastic about it. I'm also excited to get to know you too, princess. Thank you."

Hiding her face behind her hooves, Twilight managed a weak and somewhat muffled response.

"Y-you're welcome..."

Celestia was the next to regain control over herself and speak.

"Yes, Twilight, since you're clearly so excited, would you be so kind as to show David to his new room?"

"I... okay..." Twilight slowly rose and trudged from the throne, trying her best to hold her head high, but the still snickering princesses forced her head to hang just a little. Ears splayed back against her skull as her cheeks burned bright crimson.

"Please follow me... This is so embarrassing..."

With that, David and Midnight followed Twilight out of the throne room and down the massive hallway, along with two royal guards standing outside the doorway. Only the three royals were left in the throneroom.

As the door closed, Celestia, Cadence, and Luna began discussing the events of the past few minutes.

"So, what did you think of him?" Celestia asked

"I think he's an adorable stallion that would do very well with the mares. Did you see his tiny nose? Ohymygosh it's so cute! Plus he's so exotic. Did you see his hands? They're like a minotaur's but softer! Just imagine those digits brushing through your coat, scratching every itch hooves just can't reach. Not to mention the other places he could reach with those. If he integrates well enough, he'll have all of Equestria lining up to date him," Cadence replied, wiggling her eyebrows.

"What about you, Luna?"

"It's tough to say. While yes, he is very easy on the eyes, he seemed to be... hiding something. Like he didn't want us to know more about the circumstances of his crash. I'm not saying he's hostile, but I don't trust him fully yet. I'll need to see his dreams before I can really say," Luna spoke with an almost solemn tone.

"But you saw the look in his eyes when it was brought up. He's in pain. A lot of pain. He lost his friends. In his line of work, probably the only friends he had. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they were the only humans he even knew anymore. Are you sure you aren't confusing his pain for deception?" Cadence countered.

"I don't know. We still know so little about his kind. Maybe he's very good at hiding his emotions? Like I said, I will enter his dreams as often as I can over the next few weeks and try to decide from there."

Celestia spoke, silencing any rebuttal Cadence had prepared.

"David is a guest in our world. Whether we want him here or not doesn't matter. He's here. From that little talk we had, I don't believe he holds any malice or ill-intent toward our subjects. However, I must agree with Luna. We still know almost nothing about his species; their social structure, the way they deal with grief, or their history. We only know the small amount David told us. I believe that in time, Twilight will coax more information out of him. If anything misaligns, we'll confront him for the truth."

"Ok. That sounds fair, but we can't just keep him locked up in the castle either. If he feels like a prisoner, he won't tell us anything, and he certainly won't take kindly to that kind of treatment; if his response to the royal guard yesterday was anything to go off of," Cadence responded.

"Agreed. David must be free to live on his own. That said, ponies are going to panic if we just let him loose on Equestria. We'll keep him in the castle for a couple weeks while we spread the word that a friendly alien has come to our world and have the guard monitor him daily. We'll break the news gently and in a controlled manner for the public. Then, he'll need a place to live to build that trust and those relationships, and I think I know just the pony to house him."

Author's Notes:

Hey guys, glad you made it. Things are getting pretty tense right about now am I right? Anyways, I just wanted to put this note in here to explain a thing or 2. In this chapter, and in previous chapters, the ponies find David very attractive. They fawn over him like a schoolgirl meeting her crush. Ok, not that bad, but they notice his good looks. David is not an amazingly attractive person. He's an average looking guy. The thing is, in my headcannon, ponies find humans as adorable as we find them. They think our smaller noses and eyes are adorable and love our soft skin. I cite my sources as follows. Elephants think humans are cute. I don't know how this was proven, but I remember reading it. Same concept, only the ponies are sentient. Therefore, romance can blossom between two different species that find each other to be completely adorable. Hope that clears any misconceptions up.

Chapter 5: A New Lease On Life

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The next morning.

Luna returned from the Dreamscape, a tired expression on her face as she trudged to meet her sister for the sunrise and metaphorical "passing of the torch" from night unto day. As she entered their shared dining room, Luna's eyes fell onto her sisters brilliant form, along with two plates of pancakes waiting in her magical grasp. Luna arrived at the table and sat down, dreading the coming onslaught of questions.

"..."

"...Well?" Celestia asked expectantly.

"Well what?" Luna replied, trying to avoid the question.

"What did you see in David’s dreams last night?" Celestia asked with a bit more enthusiasm.

Luna visibly cringed. She knew this was coming, but she wasn't sure how to deal with it. Lying to her sister would yield far worse results than telling her she just didn't want to talk about it... but she had to know.

Luna's cringing did not go unnoticed by her ever watchful sisters gaze.

"That bad?"

Luna sighed.

"I saw a lot in his dreams. Memories of the crash mostly. Memories of seeing his friends suffocate in the vacuum of space while he pounded on the glass to try and save them. The worst part though, was the sheer pain and guilt he bears. You know that when I enter a dream, I can sense how the dreamer feels right?"

"Yes, I remember you telling me."

"He bears an unimaginable guilt. An immeasurable pain. He blames himself for the death of his friends, that much was clear. His mind repressed a lot of the actual events, but I could feel his raw emotions. If a creature like that can take down six of your guards while he was near death, AND endure that much emotional distress the whole time..." Luna sighed again. "With how advanced their technology is compared to ours... Well, let's just say I don't want to know what his kind could unleash on us if more of them showed up and David doesn't put in a good word for us."

The room fell silent. Luna took several moments to calm herself before looking at her sister again. Celestia's muzzle was scrunched in thought. Seconds turned to minutes as the pair of royal equines stood, unmoved. Their thoughts drowning out each other's company. Then, finally, Celestia spoke.

"Well, then we give him good reason to be our friend."

3 weeks later...

"-and then he said some of the most famous words of all time "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." David finished

"So your species actually landed on the moon without any magic whatsoever? That's amazing. This 'Neil Armstrong' sounds like an amazing person!" Twilight replied

"No magic whatsoever. Real magic doesn't exist back on Earth, remember? But yeah, he's an inspiration and my personal hero, actually. He was the first human being in history to leave Earth and land on a different planet... Well, moon, but still. The first man to leave Earth, land somewhere else, and make it back in one piece." David proudly said.

David and Twilight had met every couple days for the past three weeks. Throughout their meetings, they had shared just about everything they could think of, from their respective species' achievements, to their own personal achievements, to their goals and dreams. As such, today was their third meeting this week, and David very much enjoyed his little time with Twilight. A chance to explain his history and his species' accomplishments with an extremely excited student was surprisingly rewarding. Of course, he had left some details out, or slightly twisted the story to sound better. Having to explain not one, but two world wars and nuclear weapons almost destroying the planet several times over would definitely paint humanity in a bad light.

"That's amazing David. Luna's the only pony that's been to the moon here, but that wasn't exactly, uh... by choice, hehe..."

Of course, David didn't believe much of what Twilight said, and barely held back a snicker when she told him she was the princess of friendship. He had outright refused to believe that Celestia raised the sun, or that Luna had been banished to the moon for a thousand years, causing Twilight to nearly lose her mind in her frustration.

"Yeah, tooooooooooootally." David said, as sarcastically as he could.

Twilight muzzle scrunched up immediately.

"She gets flustered so easily, hehe..." David thought to himself with a smirk.

"We are not going there again. I don't know how to prove it to you!"

"Just have Celestia and Luna stop moving them for a day. If the sun sets anyways, then there's the proof right there. I would ask them, but the thing is, I already have. Tia just laughs and says 'maybe one day' or something to that extent." David said, not bothering to sit up from the bed he was laying on.

"You know that they can't do that. Especially for something as petty as proving a point to you." Twilight retorted.

"Well I guess I'll just have to remain a heretic then."

Twilight sighed

"Fine. Just don't believe. One day, we'll prove you wrong."

"I don't know Twilight. In the last three weeks, I've seen plenty of firsts. I've seen unicorns, pegasi, actual magic, griffons, and everything here with a pulse can talk, but none of that is as ludicrous to me as a pony on this planet moving a star. The amount of energy she'd need to do that would rip the planet apart just because she was standing on it. Now, if you said that she rotates the planet because it's locked in some weird gravitational pull with the sun, then I'd have more traction with it. Not a star though, that's just crazy."

"But th-"

Twilight was cut off by a knock at the door. A muffled voice came through.

"Princess Twilight, it's four o'clock. Your train will be leaving soon. We should get going if you're going to make it."

She checked the clock on the wall to confirm the news.

"It's already four?! The last six hours went by so fast..."

"Looks like time flies when you're having fun." David replied.

"Well, I'm sorry to leave just like this, even if you are still being stubborn. I will get you to come around eventually." Twilight teased.

"We'll see Twilight, we'll see. I'll see you next week. Same time?"

"Same time. See you then David. Goodbye." With that, Twilight hopped off her chair and opened the door. David heard her hoofsteps along with the guard as they walked down the hall and out of sight.

David sighed and slouched even lower into the mattress. Talking with Twilight was the highlight of his week, and every time after she left, he felt a little lonely. Even though the guards and castle staff had warmed up to him, David still felt like an outsider everywhere he went. He felt lost, and alone. He had nothing back on Earth. Everyone he loved died decades ago. The only thing he had were his friends on the ship but they were all dead, and he had no way off this planet even if there was something else out there for him.

David had nothing but time to think for the past few weeks. He wasn't being held against his will, and while there were two guards posted outside his room, they never stopped him when he went anywhere. They merely tagged along and stayed behind him. Even when he went to the kitchen to eat, they simply followed behind and sat near him as he ate. Even though they very poorly hid their distaste when asked the griffon chef for meat, they dutifully followed him. David had been unable to get their names, and they rarely ever spoke to him. However, most ponies in the castle were very friendly towards him.

David was roused from his musings by another knock at the door, though, this time, it was a soft, almost feminine knock.

"It's open."

The door opened and a pearl white mare with a brilliant flowing mane walked into the room. Lifting his head off the bed, David saw Celestia enter and quietly close the door behind her. She turned and faced him.

"Mind if I join you for an hour or so? It's been a long day." Her voice, though tired and quiet, somehow maintained its soothing nature and warmth.

"Of course." David said, perking up instantly.

David sat up and scooched to the side as Celestia removed her regalia with her magic and laid on the bed, resting her head on Davids thigh. He instinctively moved his left hand to scratch her barrel and his right to scratch behind her ear, earning a content sigh from the sun goddess. She closed her eyes as she relaxed under David's touch as he happy scratched away.

David’s relationship with Celestia had become something of a stigma around the castle the last few weeks. Celestia would disappear into Davids room for hours at a time and when she came out, her coat was a bit matted and she always wore a dopey smile. Many ponies in the castle assumed the worst. Of course, her true intentions were far less scandalous. That and he was a non biased party for her to vent to.

As David continued to scratch, eliciting small coos and nuzzles from the princess, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"What?" Celestia asked, opening one eye.

"Nothing, it's just, you're the 'princess of the sun'." David said with air quotes. "The leader of an entire nation and revered as a goddess to these ponies, but I'm betting I could get you to kick your leg like a dog if I scratched the right spot."

"Well that depends... Do you know my spot? It's a little... lower..." Her voice turned dangerously sensual as she trailed off.

"Uh... I uh... well..." David stammered, his cheeks now turning a shade of crimson.

"Hehe, gotcha."

"Why do you ponies always have your heads in the gutter?

"Oh whatever do you mean, David? I simply said it was a little lower. You were the one making assumptions as to what I meant. If anypony has their head in the gutter here, it's you." Celestia chastised with a smug look on her face.

"Alright, fine, you got me there."

"Oh! I just remembered why I came here-"

"You mean it wasn't for scratches and petting?"

Celestia tilted her head, the light from the window catching her eyes. For a brief moment, David saw a genuine sparkle in those magenta eyes.

"How do her eyes manage to do that?" David wondered to himself.

"Ok, the other reason I came here. I wanted to ask you if there was any job you decided on?"

"Well, I've put some thought into it, but I just can't figure out what I'd really be good at other than security. I was infantry in the army, and a security guard after that. None of my skills transfer over to anything else really."

"Well, I have offered you a position in the royal guard. Twice."

David frowned.

"I know, and I appreciate it. But I just don't feel right being a guard. I don't think I'd really fit in, you know? Besides, I'm not sure I want to work with the guys that tried to impale me and run me off a cliff. "

Celestia regarded David's reaction with pursed lips.

"I see. Well, while I understand your decision, I just want you to know that the offer stands indefinitely."

"Thanks Tia." David replied.

"Have you been sleeping well? I made sure that you were brought one of the best beds we have in the castle." Celestia asked inquisitively.

David cringed slightly at the question.

"Uh... Yeah. Well, kinda. I've slept better, but I'm fine."

"That didn't sound very convincing... Are you sure you're alright David? We have ponies you can talk to if you have any issues. Luna would be happy to talk to you about your dreams if they are troubling you. I know the crash was traumatic. I don't believe any creature could come away from that and be completely fine."

"I'm fine, Tia. Just getting used to a new place is all." David replied, somewhat agitated.

"Are you sure? Because it's no trouble at a-" Celestia began.

"Tia. I'm fine. Don't worry about me and my sleep." David said with clear annoyance.

It was Celestia's turn to frown.

"I'm sorry David, I didn't mean to pry. I'm just trying to give you options."

David sighed.

"It's alright, you're just trying to help and I appreciate that. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

David looked out the window into Canterlot. There were ponies all around, going about their final tasks for the day. Shops were closing, and David saw the last of the ponies leaving for their families.

"I wonder what a family here is like. Do they have the same kinds of problems as we had back on Earth? Their wives and husbands are probably waiting for them at home. Probably got the kids back from school and dinner ready. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to fit in here?"

No one knew. No one could help him answer that. The question now wasn't "would he ever return home and continue his life?", it was "would the ponies ever accept him for being so different?".

As if reading the questions on David’s mind, Celestia sat up and gently cupped Davids cheek with her hoof, and pulled until he looked at her her.

"I know you don't feel like you belong, but sitting up here, hiding away from the world isn't going to get you anywhere either. If you want to see about making something of yourself here, you need to go out and start mingling. All of Equestria has known about you for the last week but you still haven't even left the castle... I know you might get some mixed responses at first, but if I know ponies, and I would think that I do, I know that all you need to do is give them some time, and they'll warm up to you. I promise."

"There's that warm, motherly tone again." David thought to himself.

Her voice was so soft, like velvet against his ears. If it had been just a little later in the evening, David could have fallen asleep listening to just those words alone.

"If you want a chance to make anything of yourself in this world, you're going to need to start being a part of it." Celestia said with a friendly smile.

"You're right. I know you are, I just don't know where to go. Who wants to house an alien they know nothing about? Who would want to hire me?"

"I think I have the answer to at least one of those questions."

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door followed by a muffled "David?".

Celestia answered for him.

"Come in."

The door creaked open, and Midnight entered the room, stopping dead in her tracks as she spotted Celestia with David. She immediately bowed.

"Princess? I wasn't expecting you to be here." Midnight said, the surprise in her voice evident.

"Please, rise. There's no need for formalities here. If you would be so kind as to close the door behind you, I'll explain."

Midnight rose and closed the door behind her. Turning back around, she saw David and gave him a small smile, then returned her attention to Celestia.

"Now, the reason I've asked you here, Midnight, is to help David. As you already know, he's been cooped up in the castle for the last three weeks. I think it would be a most wonderful idea if he moved out and lived with you."

Midnight's eyes went wide with surprise.

"Did I hear that right? Celestia wants me to take care of David?"

"Princess, y-you want me to house David? I-I would be honored, but I don't know if I can afford somepony else living with me right now. I mean, my salary is well and good for one pony, but with the two of us, I don't think I'll be able to afford my bills..."

"That won't be a problem. I will grant David a small pension to live off of. If he finds a job, then you two will be even more financially stable." Celestia smirked.

"Well, uh-I.. I mean... Only if David wants too... D-Do you? David?" Midnight became quiet as both her and Celestia's eyes fell on David.

"Well... Sure, I guess... I-uh, I mean, you did kinda save my life. It'd be nice to get to know my hero a little bit. Besides, um... the least I can do is help out around the house a bit as a thank you."

David wasn't sure, but he swore he could see the faintest blush on Midnight's face when he said that. She smiled brightly and the blush was gone. Maybe it was just his imagination. He was interrupted from his thoughts when Celestia spoke again.

"Well then it's settled. David, you'll move in with Midnight as soon as possible."

Without giving either of them a moment to respond, Celestia wrapped them both in her magic aura and carried them out the door and down the hall.

"Uh, Tia... can you put me down? I can walk you know?" David protested.

"I have to agree, princess. We're both capable of walking and I don't live that far away anyways." Midnight said, pointing at her hooves and Davids legs for emphasis.

"Oh, silly me... I got a little carried away." With that, Celestia released the pair.

"Midnight, please show David to your house. I'll have his clothes and other things sent to you immediately."

"Of course princess." Midnight bowed and began walking down the stairs. "Come on David, this way."
With that, the trio split up, David and Midnight heading down the stairs, while Celestia headed to the throne room.

Midnight led David out of Canterlot and into the countryside. They walked for almost half an hour in a very awkward silence. Eventually, the duo reached the end of the country road and turned around the corner to trek up the path to Midnight's house. As they closed the last few steps, and walked up the stairs onto the porch, Midnight stopped and turned to David.

"Well uh... I know the last time you were here wasn't exactly on good terms, but this time, I'd like to give you the whole tour. So that uh... you know where everything is... and stuff." Midnight trailed off.

"Ok, but, uh... before we go in, I just want to say... thanks, for doing this. I haven't seen much of you these last few weeks... and uh... now I'm gonna be living with you. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me. I already owe you a lot, and this just adds to it." David gave a warm-hearted smile.

"Oh stop it you... Thanks... It's nothing really. I'm sure you would do the same for me if our roles were reversed. Speaking of which, I wanted to let you know that the reason I haven't been able to visit you was because of my job. I've been so busy lately and the princesses wanted to make sure they had time to look after you before letting you out into the world. I did try to visit, but Princess Celestia kept telling me 'soon, soon you'll get to see him'. Next thing I know, she tells me to come to your room today and, well... here we are." Midnight finished her story with a shrug.

"It's alright, Midnight. Thanks for thinking of me these last few weeks... I knew Tia was up to something today... Regardless, we'll have all the time in the world to see each other now."

"Hopefully all of each other..."

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Nothing! I said uh... let's go inside... hehehe... it's getting dark out. Come on." Midnight quickly answered.

David raised an eyebrow at her obvious lie but decided not to push the issue. He was her guest after all.

With that, Midnight used her magic to open the door, ushering David in first as he ducked through the low doorway, then closing the door behind them as she walked in.

The hardwood floor of the entrance hall greeted the pair as they entered Midnight's house. Stained a dark brown, it gave off a feeling of comfort and coziness , much like a cabin in the woods after a long day in the harsh winter. To the immediate right was a staircase that led to what David presumed was the master bedroom. To the immediate left, a decently sized kitchen with a small booth on the far side. There was a still a small dent in the kitchen wall. Straight ahead, David saw the living room. A medium sized couch with a coffee table and two wooden chairs filled the room. A beautiful stone fireplace sat against the wall, small decorative vases lining its edges.

Midnight walked over to a small closet at the end of the entryway and motioned for David to follow her.

"Alright, now before I show you the place, I do have one rule. This closet here, has a lot of personal stuff and valuables to me. I would really appreciate it if you just left this closet alone and didn't mess with it." Midnight explained.

"Got it." David replied.

"Thank you. Alright, let me show you around." Midnight said with an air of relief in her voice.

As Midnight began the tour, David couldn't help but remember the morning he woke up in this house three weeks ago. The fear, the panic, and the pain slowly came back to him as the tour progressed. Each step seemed to get harder and harder as he slowly followed through the house. As much as he hated to admit it, the memories of waking up in a strange place with a sword being thrust at his heart made him fearful of this place.

Time seemed to slow down as Midnight led David to the guest room. Gone were the bloodied bandages and tattered clothes he arrived in, and in their place was a very clean room. Almost too clean. Midnight had clearly scrubbed at the carpet for hours to get the blood out. David stood in the room, unmoved while Midnight went about her tour. He didn't follow her when she moved to the next room.

"-And here's the guest bathroom, fully stocked, so take everything and anything you need." As Midnight turned around to find David not behind her, she walked back towards the guest room and found him standing in the doorway still.

"Hey, uh... David are you alright?" She asked quietly.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry about that. It's just... I can't believe it's only been three weeks. Feels like it's been years... What were you saying?"

"I was just going to show you the guest bathroom... Listen, if you don't want to stay here because of what happened, I get it. It'd be weird for me to start living in a house I almost died in... twice. If you'd rather sleep in my room, I can sleep down here if that would make it a little easier for you."

"No, Midnight, I'm fine. Thank you, but I wouldn't ask you to do that. I'm just... I guess I'm still just a little shook up about everything that happened."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Midnight walked into the guest room and hopped onto the bed before patting the spot next to her.

"I-I guess. Couldn't hurt." David said, taking Midnight's offer and sitting next to her.

"I guess I just... It's still a little surreal for me. You know, coming that close to dying. Twice... Even when I was in the Military, the concept of death just never occurred to me. We weren't at war or anything, so my life was never really in danger in the Military. I guess because of that, I thought I was invincible. Then, when I crashed here, I almost died. I came this close to death... and I even made my peace. I accepted that I was going to die. After everything, to just die like that... I guess it kinda put things into perspective for me... "

There were a few moments of silence before Midnight rubbed David's shoulder with her hoof and spoke.

"But you're here now aren't you?" Midnight smiled.

"Yeah, heh, thanks to you." David returned a weak yet sincere smile.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"Hopefully you'll never have to. So long as the royal guard minds their business from now on."

"Something tells me, after the flank kicking you gave those guys, they won't give you any more trouble." Midnight finished with a wink.

David chuckled for a bit, then the room fell into silence. Both parties not quite sure how to fill the quiet in the room. Midnight began kicking her legs out from the bed as she thought of something to say. After some time, David looked at the clock on the dresser and saw the time read 9:02 PM.

"It's been a long day. I think Twilight took up all my energy from that six hour talk she gave me this morning. You wanna head to bed? I'm pretty tired."

Midnight nodded before hopping off the bed.

"Sounds good to me. I'll talk to you tomorrow, big guy." With that, she turned away and walked out the door.

David raised an eyebrow at his new nickname but said nothing.

"Huh... That's kinda cute." He thought to himself.

David laid down on the mattress and stared at the ceiling.

"It's been a long and... interesting day... Is that a migraine I feel coming on? Great... What am I gonna do now?"

Sleep would not come easily for him that night... Nor was it entirely desired...

Chapter 6: The Nightmares

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David walked through a thick fog. He couldn't see more than ten feet in front of his face. The only sound that filled the air was the faint whistling of the breeze as the fog rolled over him and carried on into oblivion.

"Hello?" David's voice echoed through the air, slowly fading into nothing.

"Is there anyone here?" He called out. Again, there was no answer.

David continued to blindly walk forward in the haze, his pace slow and cautious. He hoped that further ahead there would be answers in the thick mist. He walked for hours, calling out the whole time. There was never an answer. Just the fog and the whistling breeze. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark blue mist, but as soon as he turned to look, it was gone. Only the same gray haze that surrounded him gently floated about in its place. Reluctantly, he decided to press on.

As he pushed onward, David could not help the sinking feeling that he was being watched. He searched everywhere but there was nothing but fog. It seemed to stretch on forever. No matter where he looked it was all he could see. It was all that was present. The damned fog was the only thing that seemed to exist anymore.

Until he heard voices.

"Hello?!" David called.

The voices became louder.

"Is anyone there!? I can hear you! Show yourselves!"

Silence.

"Who are you!?"

"You know exactly who we are, David." A sickly voice spoke through the fog.

David froze. Distorted as it was, he recognized that voice.

"I-Isaac?

"Why didn't you save us, David?" A new voice called.

"I-I..." David stammered.

"You killed us, David." A third voice spoke. It was so low and menacing it made David shake.

"No! I-I tried! I couldn't get the door to open!" David screamed, tears now filling his vision.

"YOU KILLED US, DAVID! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" All three voices screamed in unison.

"No... I-I didn't mean to... Oh god... I-I'm so s-sorry..." David's tears flowed freely as he fell to his knees and whimpered.
The fog suddenly vanished, leaving a sobbing David kneeling in an open field. Sensing that something was suddenly different, David managed to stop his sobbing and look up, tear streaks still evident on his face.

Standing there, not ten feet in front of him, were his friends, only, they weren't. Where there had been flesh, there was now only bone. Where there had been hair, there was now a ghostly mist. They had ghastly appearance; their clothes torn and burned, and their faces, or rather their skulls gave no sign of emotion. They looked as dead as they truly were, the only sign of life being the fact that they were standing not ten feet in front of David.

David could only stare at the ghostly remains of his friends. A knot formed in his throat and his stomach twisted upon seeing their forms.

"Isaac.... Roman... Rich... I-I'm so sorry..."

"Sorry won't bring us back, David..." With that, the figures of the fallen crew vanished in the wind, not even a trace was left behind as they disappeared.

"No, wait! Please! I'M SORRY!"

David woke in a cold sweat, panting heavily. He looked around the room and saw that it was the same white and blue room he woke up in three weeks before.

"Oh... Oh yeah..."

As he calmed himself and slowed his breathing, David recalled the events of the previous day. He was living with Midnight now. As for the nightmare, well it wasn't the first time he experienced it. David had the same nightmare almost every night. He dreaded going to sleep because of it.

Rolling over to the side, he noticed the moonlight filtering through the window. His eyes then fell to the clock on the dresser.

5:27 AM

"Damn... Fuck going back to sleep. I need some fresh air." David groggily said to himself.

David rolled out of bed and grabbed his clothes off of the floor. He slipped them on quickly and made for the door. He still didn't have shoes, but a trip to the seamstress the week before had promised a pair of shoes that would actually fit within the next few days.

As David walked through the dark house, only an hour or so before sunrise, he found it oddly peaceful. His footsteps made little noise on the hardwood floor and the dark nature of the cozy little house proved very calming after his nightmare. David found himself at the front door and opened it, the early morning breeze bringing him a slight chill as he stepped outside. Looking to his right, he saw two rocking chairs sitting beside a small table.

"Maybe watching the sunrise will be nice..." David said softly.

David sat in the chair and lost himself in thought.

"Everything that's happened, everything the ponies have done for me, I don't deserve it. It's all my fault. If they knew, what would they think of me? I should have died in that ship, not them..."

David was startled from his thoughts when he heard the front door open. He swiveled his head to see Midnight walking over to him with a blanket wrapped around her barrel.

"Did you uh... have a hard time sleeping?" She asked.

"Yeah... I-uh, I guess you could say that."

"Have any interesting dreams?" Midnight asked inquisitively.

"No, not really." David said quickly.

"Okay... guess that's a bit of a sore subject then..." Midnight mentally chastised.

"Well, uh... I hope you sleep better tomorrow." Midnight said with fake enthusiasm.

"Yeah. How about you? Did you have a hard time sleeping too?" David asked, a little too eagerly.

"Yeah, I guess it was a little hard to sleep last night. Just a little unused to having guests" Midnight chuckled awkwardly before tapering off and falling silent for a few seconds. "...Especially guests from another world."

Midnight grinned, but David just frowned, causing the grin to drop right off Midnight's face.

"What's wrong? I-I didn't mean to offend you if that's it. I'm sorry."

"N-No, no, you're fine. It's just... I am an alien... I guess that's just... still sinking in. Not sure if I'll ever really belong here."

"Hey now, don't say that. You might look a little different, sure, but don't forget, we're still very much the same." Midnight said as she hopped onto the chair opposite of David. "Just because you're different doesn't mean you don't fit in. In fact, if anything, that makes you more likable."

David slowly turned his head to look at her, a sad smile forcing its way onto his face before speaking.

"Thanks."

The duo fell into a comfortable silence before David's shivering caught Midnight's eye.

"Are you cold? You can have my blanket if you want."

"Thanks Midnight, but I'm okay. Besides, if you gave me your blanket, then you'd just be cold."

"I have fur, I'll be alright." She said, already levitating the blanket off her body.

"Really, I'm, fine Midnight, you don't have to-" David started, only to be cut off by the blanket forcing itself onto his body. Midnight's body heat, still filling the blanket as it reached David, felt absolutely divine. It was a complete contrast to the cold world surrounding them.

"Damn, are ponies just little furnaces?"

David wrapped himself in the blanket before turning to Midnight.

"Uh, thank you. Really, you didn't have to." He said, trying desperately to hide just how much he appreciated the gesture.

"No problem." Midnight said with a smile.

David felt every fiber of his being bathing in the warmth of Midnight's blanket as the two sat together. The only light in the early morning night sky was the beautiful star display and the moon. Midnight and David sat there in relative comfort for a few minutes before David decided to break the silence.

"You know, my favorite part about making the trip to Horizon V was just after we left Earth. Just being able to look out the cockpit window and see the stars without any obstructions before we went into cryo... I think that was the most amazing moment of my life. "

"How does it compare to this?" Midnight replied, turning to see David's eyes still glued to the sky.

"You know, I gotta say this is pretty close." David said, turning to smile at Midnight. "I've always loved the night sky, especially here. There's so little light pollution that you can see everything. We don't get that many places on Earth anymore. Er, at least, we didn't. I don't know about now."

"Yeah. The night sky has always been one of my favorite things about Equestria. I always wanted to be an astronomer. Spending my time looking up at the sky, wondering what was out there. Most ponies are too busy to just stop and enjoy the stars for a moment."

"Sounds just like Earth then... Funny, you wanted to be an astronomer, maybe make first contact one day, but it looks like the alien came to you instead." David said with a slightly forced chuckle.

"Hehe, y-yeah. I guess s-so..." Midnight stuttered.

David looked over at her to find that she was shivering.

"Midnight, you're shivering. Here, take the blanket back."

"N-no no, I'm fi-iine... Prom-ise." Midnight faked a smile through chattering teeth.

"I'm not gonna sit here and be warm while you shiver over there. Either take the blanket back, or I'm going inside to get another one."

"I-it's... fi-ine. D-d-don't wo-orry ab-b-bout it..."

"I get that you're trying to be nice, but you're cold. Alright, you know what, you are definitely taking this back."

"But I wanna snuggle with you under the blanket..." Midnight thought with a pout.

David moved to get up but was stopped by Midnight's magic.

"Wait, I-I have an i-idea..."

"And what might that be?" David asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Im just gonna go for it. Please don't get upset, please don't get upset." Midnight thought to herself.

Midnight hopped off the chair and shakily walked over towards David. Using her magic, she pulled the blanket off his body and hopped up onto his lap, earning a surprised yelp from him. She then wrapped the blanket around both of their bodies as she nuzzled her head against his shoulder.

David was startled but not too surprised.

"Well... Uh... Pretty much every mare I've met has been cuddly with me at some point so far, why should Midnight be any different? I think..."

The concept of personal space seemed completely alien to the little equines. Taking a moment to let her stop squirming in his lap, David wrapped his arms around her barrel and pulled her body against his.

"Oh my god she is a little furnace! How was she even cold?"

"Ah... That's much better. So warm and cozy." Midnight gave a happy sigh.

"Mission Accomplished." Midnight happily proclaimed in her head.

"Well, I'm glad we found a compromise." David chuckled.

With his hands awkwardly holding onto Midnight's body and her warm fur all too tempting, David followed his instincts and started rubbing her back with his left hand as he brought his right hand up to scratch her ears.

"What are youuuuuu-oh... ah... that's nice...." Midnight gave a happy sigh as David's fingers found their marks and scratched her soft ears.

"You ponies. I swear the ears are like the easiest way to your hearts." David said, shaking his head.

"Not our fault it feels so nice. Just keep scratching."

"Yes ma'am."

David and Midnight sat there, enjoying each others warmth and company until the sun rose. The only sounds filling the air were their steady breathing, the sound of David's fingers as they burrowed into Midnight's fur, and her occasional coos and happy sighs. After a while of sitting there, bathed in the suns warmth, as well as their own, Midnight slowly rose off of Davids chest.

"Do you want some breakfast? I'm kinda hungry."

"Breakfast sounds really good right about now." David said as his stomach grumbled in agreement.

Midnight hopped off of Davids lap and trotted to the door and held it open for him. David walked into the house, reveling in the ambient warmth the building had before Midnight walked past him into the kitchen. He followed her in to find her preparing the stove.

"So what do you want for breakfast?" Midnight asked.

"Uh, pancakes sound nice, but you don't have to make them. I'd be more than happy to."

"I like cooking. Besides, you're my guest, I'm happy to cook for you."

"Well, thank you. Tell me, do you treat all your alien guests this nicely?"

"Only the cute ones..."

David fiercely blushed as he stammered for a response.

"W-well... I-uh... uh... C-Can I at least set the table?" David finally managed to say.

"Sure." Midnight said with a wink.

"Hehe, he's so cute when he's flustered."

With that, Midnight pulled the ingredients out and proceeded to make the pancakes. A delicious smell soon filled the air and the bellies of both creatures in the room grumbled in desire. Midnight glanced over her shoulder every now and again to watch David as he set the table although, she was quick to avert her gaze when he turned towards her direction. Time seemed to pass quickly and before long, the pancakes were ready.

Midnight turned the stove off and levitated a stack of steaming hot pancakes over to the booth and set them down on the table while David brought over the syrup and set it down as well. Midnight and David took a step back to admire their handiwork before Midnight realized something was missing. She quickly went to the fridge and pulled out a carton of orange juice and set it on the table. Midnight filled each glass with the citrusy liquid while David divvied up the pancakes. They sat down opposite of each other and dug into the delicious fluffy pastries. While David put a moderate amount of syrup on his pancakes, Midnight completely drenched her plate in the viscous liquid.

"Geez... Someone likes her syrup." David said in awe.

"Whaph? Is gud." Midnight said through a full mouth.

David simply chuckled and continued to eat his breakfast. As the duo finished their meal, conversation finally found its way onto the table.

"So... What are your plans for the day?" David asked.

"Well, I'm gonna have to go into work tonight, so I don't really have any plans other than to just sleep for the time being."

"But we just got up?" David asked, confusion evident in his tone.

"Yeah, but my job requires me to work nights... hehe, maybe that's why I couldn't sleep last night." Midnight said with a sheepish smile.

"Oh... that makes sense... I remember you said that you're the Director of the Night Guard or something. What exactly does that mean?"

"I'm the director of special affairs for the Night Guard. Basically what that means is that when the Night Guard needs some special equipment or technology, I'm the one that tries to get it for them. It's my job to ask the princesses for more funds and other necessities for the Night Guard."

"Wow, so you're actually really important to the princesses then aren't you?" David asked, intrigue written all over his face.

"Well, I wouldn't say that. I'm just a small part in a very large machine. Honestly, sometimes I wish I could go back to being a medic. I loved saving lives and helping injured ponies. You know, do some actual good. Now I don't really get to do that anymore."

"What are you talking about? You saved my life not three weeks ago."

"That's true, but that wasn't me doing my job, that was me helping out a creature who desperately needed it. It's a good thing too. I don't think anypony else would have been able to save you. I had to use a lot of the equipment I uh... 'acquired' through my time as a medic."

"Ah, I see. 'tactically acquired' supplies." David said with air quotes. "I was in the military too. I get it. Still, thanks for that. I owe you my life."

"Oh stop it, you'd do the same for me if I was the alien on your world." Midnight said with a blush.

David thought for a moment before he found the next topic he wanted to cover with the graphite pony.

"So working in the Night Guard, you pretty much have to be nocturnal, don't you?"

"Yes, sometimes I have to work into the day as well."

"So why did you join the Night Guard? You're not a uh... oh what did Twilight call them?"

"A thestral?"

"Yeah, that. You're not nocturnal by nature, so what made you decide on the Night Guard."

Midnight was about to answer when a knock on the door tore her attention from the conversation.

"Hold that thought."

Midnight walked over to the front door and opened it. She was greeted by two Royal Guards.

"Oh no... not again..." Midnight pleaded in her mind.

The guard on the left was the first to address her.

"Ma'am, Princess Luna has requested your immediate presence at the castle. We're here to escort you."

Midnight's heart sank. If Princess Luna wanted to see her, then it must be for something bad.

"Uh-I.... A-alright..." She turned and called back to David. "David, I have to go see Princess Luna, will you be alright here for the day?"

David walked to the kitchen doorway before responding.

"Yeah, I'll be ok. What's with the guards?"

"We're here to escort Miss Shadow to the Princess's quarters." The unicorn guard on the right replied.

"I'll hopefully be back later today. I'll see you then David." Midnight forced a smile. She had to look brave in front of David, even if she felt the opposite at the moment.

"O-okay. I'll see you then." David said, concern evident in his voice.

The Royal Guardsponies led Midnight away from the house and back down the country road towards Canterlot. Midnight could not shake the feeling of dread in her stomach. Surely something bad was going to happen. Something bad always happened in times like these.

"Why does Luna want to see me? Did I do something wrong? Oh I hope she doesn't fire me..."

Midnight arrived at Canterlot Castle with her escort after a short walk back into the city. The walk had only taken roughly twenty minutes, but for Midnight, it felt like hours. Her mind was tormented by the thoughts of what Luna could possibly want with her.

As she was escorted through the castle to the princess's private quarters, Midnight searched for something, anything to help put her racing mind at ease. Nothing worked.

"Oh please don't banish me to the moon." Midnight thought to herself as the trio reached the doors to Luna's room.

The guard to her right knocked on the door three times, and a muffled "Come in" came through the heavy oak doors. The guards opened the door and ushered Midnight into the room, closing the doors behind her.

The room that greeted her was nothing short of gorgeous. The carpet adorned a black and crimson swirling pattern while the walls contrasted well with dark blue as a base and teal waves rolling low on the trim. There were several lamps that mimicked small black trees throughout the room, and at the center of it all was Luna's crescent moon bed. It appeared to by riding a small wave as well. Midnight's eyes traced every detail of the immaculate room before falling upon its lone occupant, standing on the balcony. Midnight trudged into the room, fear evident on her face as she approached the Night Princess.

As she neared Luna, Midnight found her legs trembling. Celestia was easy to deal with; she had always been kind and compassionate. Luna on the other hoof, had a checkered past. Her short reign as Nightmare Moon left many ponies fearful of the dark pony princess. True, she had done much to fix her damaged reputation, but that fear was still there, albeit fleeting.

Once she was within a few feet of Luna, Midnight bowed low, as low as her body could go, before speaking.

"You wanted to speak with me, you highness?"

Luna turned and smiled. It was a friendly smile that managed to alleviate some of the stress in Midnight's mind.

"Please, rise. This is not a formal meeting Midnight Shadow. I simply wish to speak to you as a friend."

"A friend? We're friends? When did that happen?"

Midnight rose and put on a brave smile before speaking again.

"Of course princess. What did you want to discuss?"

"I wanted to speak with you about David."

Midnight felt a pit form in her stomach upon hearing those words. If Luna wanted to talk about David, then something was going on. Something bad.

"Did he do something wrong princess?! I've been with him the past day and I didn't notice anything!"

Luna only chuckled at Midnight's panicked response.

"Relax Midnight. Nopony is in trouble here. I simply have some concerns I wish to address."

Midnight relaxed slightly as Luna continued.

"As you know, it is my duty to enter the dream realm as ponies sleep to help them with their nightmares and help preserve their mental health."

"Yes, I've seen you in my dreams once or twice." Midnight nodded.

"Well, I'm very concerned for David's mental health. I have been since he got here. I've entered his dreams many times these past few weeks and every single time he's been having terrible nightmares. It's always the same thing; his dead comrades confront him and blame him for their deaths. I fear it will have dire effects on his psyche. As you've already seen, he's stronger than most ponies, and he is also an omnivore. I'm sure you can put two and two together and figure what I'm afraid of happening." Luna explained.

Midnight's eyes fell to the floor. She thought over Luna's words for several seconds before coming to a conclusion.

"You're afraid that David has PTSD or something similar after the crash. You're afraid that he'll lose his mind from the guilt, snap, and start hurting ponies as he loses his mind." Midnight frowned.

"Not just ponies, I'm afraid for David as well. Believe it or not, I do care for him. I've had the chance to speak with him several times and he seems a lovely stallion. I don't want any harm to come to him or the ponies of Equestria, but yes... I am seriously concerned about possible PTSD in David... much like what you went through."

"I remember... and I think I understand, but..." Midnight hesitated for a second. "If I may, if you're so concerned about David's well being, then why haven't you intervened in his dreams? Surely that would be the way to fix him. I don't exactly see where I fit into all this."

"I have tried, Midnight Shadow. For whatever reason, I can't seem to reach him. It's as if he can't hear or see me. I'm not sure if it has something to do with his biology or if his mind is that far gone already, but when I enter his dreams, I'm simply an observer. I can't help him."

Midnight sighed as her eyes fell to the floor. She finally got over her fears of David, only to have new fears arise.

"I see... What should I do? I don't know how to help somepony get rid of their nightmares."

"On the contraire, I believe you are the only pony that can help David right now. He trusts you. I think you're the only pony he would open up to about this issue. You did save his life after all. If anypony can help him, it's you."

"I-I understand... I think."

"Midnight, I can't understate this. We can't risk something bad happening because of these nightmares. As such, helping David is your job now. Until his nightmares subside, and we can determine that his mental health is no longer at risk, I'm placing you on paid administrative leave. I'm not firing you, just to be clear, but you can't really help David if you're asleep when he's awake. You're going to need to work the same hours as he does."

Midnight stood there in shock. Her jaw dropped and her heart nearly stopped.

"B-b-but... I don't... w-who will handle m-my job?" Midnight stammered.

"I will have your position filled by the most qualified pony in the Night Guard. Again, Midnight please don't worry. You're not being fired. You're not being replaced. You're not losing your paycheck, and you are not being punished. I'm asking you as a friend, to make a friend. Help David out of this hole his mind has fallen into. If you do this, you'll be saving a life. Isn't that what you loved doing while you were a medic?"

Midnight sighed. She knew Luna was right. She was probably the only pony that could help David. The other princesses were far too busy to spend all their time helping him with his nightmares and Luna had all of Equestria to tend to, not just David. At the end of the day, she was the only one that could really help him.

"Alright. I'll do whatever I can. Where do I start?"

"I'm afraid I cannot say. I don't know what you'll have to do to help him, but a good place to start might be to just talk to him. Get to know him better. Learn about his past and then work from there."

"Okay. I'll try. Thank you princess."

"No, thank you, Midnight Shadow. You are not only doing a great service for a friend in need, but you are also helping Equestria. Remember, the easiest way to help him will be to get him to help himself. It might not be a good idea to reveal your knowledge of his nightmares to him. It might be best to get him to tell you. Afflictions of the mind can be difficult to cure, but I have the utmost confidence in you. Go now, I will monitor his dreams and inform you if I find any change in his subconscious. "

With that, Midnight gave one more quick bow and left the room. With only one thought on her mind, she trotted out of the castle and headed straight for home.

"How in the hay am I going to do this?"

Chapter 7: Getting to Know Each Other

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Midnight arrived at her house an hour or so after leaving. As she knocked on the door, she took a minute to think about everything Princess Luna had told her. If David's mental health was at risk, then it was her duty not only as his friend but as a good pony to ensure that he healed, no matter what. Although, admittedly, she still had no idea where to start or how to go about it.

"Just remember what Luna said. Just learn more about him."

As Midnight pondered what her next move was, she heard some rustling in the house. Turning her attention to the door, she pressed her ear against it to listen more carefully. There was a thud, followed my a muffled curse. Midnight pulled her head away from the door and knocked again.

"Now just what exactly is he doing in there? Wish I hadn't left my keys. Feels like I'm locked out of my own house."

There was some more shuffling before and audible click could be heard and the door unlocked. Standing in the doorway was David, wearing a sheepish smile.

"Uh... I'm back... What are you doing?" Midnight asked as she tilted her head.

"Um... yeah.. hehe... I wanted to clean up the place a little while you were gone but you uh... came back a little sooner than I thought you would..." David said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Midnight giggled.

"Well, at least he's still adorable as ever."

She flashed him a toothy grin before speaking again.

"Well let's see your work then big guy."

With that, she pushed past him into the house.

"No wai-" David started

Midnight froze with one hoof still out the door. The floor was swept and cleaned, the walls had been washed with a sponge to get every small scuff and piece of dirt she neglected over the years. The carpet appeared to be a whole shade lighter and the fireplace was spotless. Not a smudge of soot in sight. In fact, the only thing that was amiss was the small pile of soil on the ground next to the table.

"I uh, I only finished the living room and entrance way, so the rest of the house is the same, but I'm really sorry about the dirt. I was cleaning the pot when you knocked and I accidentally dropped it and the dirt spilled out. I'll clean it up, promise."

Midnight simply stared at the room, wide eyed. She slowly turned her head to face David and spoke. Her words came slow, but with more sincerity than ever before.

"David... this... it's beautiful. I haven't seen my house like this in years. I've always been too busy. I can't believe you did all this in such a short time... Thank you. Thank you so much." Midnight smiled as brightly as she could, showing her genuine happiness.

David breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, if the military taught me one thing, it's how to clean. I'm glad I was able to get at least this much done. It took me a while to find all the cleaning supplies. You kinda hid this stuff in the supply closet down the hall. I'm just sorry about the dirt. I'll clean it u-"

"Oh don't worry about that, I got it." Midnight interrupted, her horn already radiating a blue light as the dirt levitated back into the pot.

"Oh... awesome! That was fast."

Midnight blushed as she turned away and made her way back through the house. Like David said, the kitchen was much the same as she left it, only the dishes were done.

"So what did they want you for? You weren't gone too long, so it must not have been some huge deal.. was it?" David asked.

Midnight's paused for a moment. Her brow quickly furrowed in thought.

"How do I tell him that I'm supposed to help him with his nightmares? Would telling him even help? Luna said not to tell him that I know...

"Uh.. just work stuff..." Midnight quickly replied.

"What kind of work stuff? You alright? You seem a little nervous all of a sudden." David asked with concern.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine. The princess just wanted to tell me that.... uh... Well, basically, I'm not going to be working for a little while."

"Oh shit. Midnight, I'm so sorry, what happened? Did she fire you?" David said as he crouched down and placed a hand on Midnight's wither.

"No, no, I'm just on paid administrative leave for a bit. Basically... she wanted me to help you adjust... and thought that my hours would interfere with that. I'm not upset, it's free bits at this point, hehe... I just gotta take care of you, big guy." She ended with a smile.

"That's not lying, right? I mean, it's basically the truth... right?" Midnight thought to herself.

David returned the smile.

"Well that's fantastic news. So do you, uh... wanna do something or..." David trailed off, anticipating Midnight's reply.

"Well... Do you wanna go around town? I can show you a bunch of Canterlot and you can become more acquainted with the ponies there."

"Sounds good to me. But only if you don't wanna just go to sleep. Don't stay up all day on my account." David said with a smile.

"It's fine David, I want to. Just let me take a shower real quick. I uh... I still haven't done that today, what with the Guard taking me to Princess Luna." Midnight said as she made her way for the stairs.

"Take you time. Oh and just so you know, I didn't go upstairs at all. I didn't want to invade your privacy or anything like that."

"Thanks, I really appreciate that David."

With that, she made her way up the stairs as David went to put away all the cleaning supplies he'd brought out. The sound of running water soon filled the upstairs bathroom. Since David had nothing else to do, he sat down on the couch and lost himself in his thoughts.

Midnight made her way downstairs to find a tired David yawning on the couch and lightly massaging his temples. Smirking, she made her way over to him before speaking.

"Hey big guy, you ready to go?"

David turned his head slowly before removing his hands and raising his eyebrows.

"It's been over an hour. How do you take such long showers?"

"What? I can't enjoy the hot water? Besides, it takes a while to get my mane to look this good you know." Midnight said with a fluff of her hair.

David rolled his eyes.

"I swear, you mares are the same as human girls."

"I'll just take that as a compliment, now, ready?" Midnight said with a grin.

"Yeah yeah, let's go. Maybe we can get lunch now since now I'm starving. Hopefully some food will make this headache go away."

"You feeling okay? We don't have to go if you're not feeling well." Midnight said, her voice quickly filling with concern.

"It's fine, Midnight. Just a little headache, I've been getting them every now and again lately. I'm good to go whenever you are." David replied.

"Alright, if you're sure. Let's go."

With that, Midnight levitated her saddle-bags to her back, and trotted out the door with David close behind her.

As the duo made their way through Canterlot, they were met by many different reactions. Ponies of all races were drawn to the alien creature now walking through their city. Several ponies saw David and simply stared in awe. They watched him as he passed by, oblivious to everything else. David chanced a few friendly waves and got a few awkward waves in return.

"Well, I guess it could be worse." David said with a shrug.

"David, why did you have to say that?" Midnight replied, slapping a hoof against her forehead.

Two ponies exited a small shop along David and Midnight's path and stopped dead in their tracks as the duo approached them. David and Midnight stopped a few feet away from the ponies and shared a nervous glance.

"Uh-" David started.

"GAH! RUN!" They both shouted in unison before bolting away from David and Midnight.

"Okay... I'll give you that one. That could have gone better. Still, it could be wo-"

"No! Don't finish that sentence. You know what's going to happen if you do." Midnight said, cutting David off.

"What? Nothing bad is gonna happen." David said with a shrug.

"Oh! What in Tartarus is that?!" A voice rang out from further up the street.

Midnight and David both turned to see the source of the voice to find a pearl white Canterlot noblepony shaking with fear.

"Uh... is he talking about me?" David asked, turning to Midnight.

"He better not be." Midnight said, frowning in irritation.

"Somepony get the guard! Throw this thing out of the city!" The noble shouted, pointing right at David.

"Hey, I'm not a thing." David said, turning back to the pony.

"Guards!, there you are, get rid of this creature!" The stallion shouted at a pair of royal guards further down the street.

Both of the royal guards turned to face them and trotted over toward David and Midnight. Upon arrival, they were met by the noblepony as he demanded David be thrown out of the city.

"Sir, please calm down. What is the issue?" One of the guards managed to say.

"The issue is that there is a vermin in our city and you lot aren't doing anything about it." The stallion shouted, pointing accusingly at David.

David just watched with pursed lips while Midnight glowered furiously at the loud-mouthed pony.

"Sir, that's not a vermin, that's David Lawson. Princess Celestia has announced his presence and the circumstances of his arrival several times over the last three weeks. Please calm down and leave the human alone." The guard replied, with almost no show of emotion.

"And allow this filth to stain our good city?! I think not!" The stallion rebuked.

"How's about you just shut up and leave David alone. Don't you have a fake party to go pretend to have fun at or something?" Midnight's angry voice filled the air, drawing the pony's attention.

"Why I never-" He started

"Never what? Huh? Had somepony talk back to you? Guess what, I don't care who you are, you high-born prick. You talk to my friend like that again, I'm gonna make you regret it." Midnight said, her words laced with venom.

"Sir, you need to leave before this situation escalates. And as for you two, please limit your activities in this area for the remainder of the day." One of the royal guards spoke as he put himself between the pearl white pony and Midnight.

"Fine... You'll regret those words. I'll destroy your job, your career, and your family name." The noblepony threatened as he walked away.

"I seriously doubt that." Midnight retorted.

"Alright, we're not going to have to worry about you two for the remainder of the day, are we?" One of the royal guards asked.

"No, that was entirely him being an ass." Midnight said, pointing to the fading silhouette of the white pony.

"Very well then. We'll be keeping an eye out regardless."

With that, the royal guards each gave a curt nod, and returned to their posts, leaving Midnight and David alone for a moment.

"Well that happened..." David thought out loud.

"I know. I'm sorry, David. I wish I could say ponies here were better than that, but clearly some aren't." Midnight replied, sadly.

"It's alright. That's my fault. I should have listened to you earlier." David replied with a smirk.

"Hehe, I did warn you." Midnight said through a thin smile.

"Well, anyways, thanks for standing up for me. I really appreciate that." David said with a genuine smile.

"Of course, David. I wouldn't let some jerk like that talk about my friend that way." Midnight happily replied.

"Hehe, thanks, Mid. Just be careful next time, though. I don't want you to get into any trouble because of me."

"I guess you're ri- wait, what did you just call me?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Uh... Mid? I just thought it was easier to say than your full name. Why? I mean, does it bother you? I won't call you that if it's an issue."

"No! No, I mean, it's kinda nice. Nopony's called me 'Mid' in forever. I miss that a little bit." She smiled warmly at him.

"Well alright then, Mid. I don't think I'm gonna find any fish or meat here, and even if we could, I don't think today would be a good day to eat any of that, so we'll need something vegetarian... Hmm... Pizza is vegetarian right? What about pizza? I haven't had pizza in forever. There has to be a place in Canterlot that has a decent pizza."

"Actually, that sounds great. I know a place."

Midnight took off with David trailing close behind. They made their way through Canterlot proper before Midnight found a small street and trotted through, weaving in between stands and vendors selling all kinds of exotic goods.

"Mid, where exactly are we going? This looks more like a market than anything else. Are you planning on making the pizza?" David asked with a puzzled look on his face as he dodged, ducked, dipped, dived, and dodged his way through the crowded street.

"It's a 'hole in the wall' kind of place. You just need to know where to look. Now... where was it... There!" Midnight shouted over the commotion in the street. She pointed at a small building with one large window and a sign that read 'open'.

Looking through the front window, David could only see a few small booths, and a small counter with an older looking pony wearing an apron covered in grease. Nopony else was inside.

"Are you sure about this place Mid? It looks kinda... deserted." David cautiously asked.

"Trust me. This place is awesome."

Midnight pushed the door open and walked inside. A small bell rang upon her entry, getting the stallion at the front counter's attention. David followed close behind, causing the stallion to sink back in his chair slightly. To his credit, he didn't run away or freak out, though his voice was a little shaky when he spoke.

"G-Good afternoon miss, and uh... sir. How can I help you two?"

"Just getting some lunch. What kind of pizza do you have? It's been so long since I've been here." Midnight said with a happy smile.

"Well, we've got all kinds. Cheese, hay-fry, I make a mean cucumber crust-" The stallion began listing pizza-types, quickly forgetting his previous nervousness.

As the stallion droned on about all the pizza types he could make, Midnight leaned towards David and quietly spoke.

"So what kind do you want?"

"Uh... Just a cheese pizza is fine by me. I don't think this place is gonna have pepperoni. " David said, mimicking Midnight's actions.

"Fair enough. I'll see if we can get some from a griffon shop on the way back."

"We'll just take a large cheese pizza." Midnight spoke, cutting off the pony behind the desk before he could list anymore options.

"Oh, uh, alright. One large cheese pizza coming right up. That'll be 5 bits, and then you two can have a seat at the booth over there." He said, pointing at the booth by the window.

Midnight retrieved the requested bits from her saddlebags and levitated them onto the counter. She turned and walked to the booth to find David already sitting down, waiting for her. As she hopped onto the seat, she gave David a bright smile.

"I haven't been here in years. The last time was when my dad took me for my tenth birthday. Hehe, it's still exactly the same as I remember it."

"It certainly has a rustic look to it, doesn't it?" David said, his eyes scanning the small dining area.

"Oh, that reminds me! You asked earlier why I joined the Night Guard right? Before I had to go see Princess Luna?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Why did you?"

"Well, I was an orphan. Both my parents died in an accident when I was just a foal. Once I went to the orphanage, I was adopted by two thestrals. They knew that I wasn't nocturnal, and tried their best to change their lives to suit me better, but I still had to live a lot of my life at night. Originally I enlisted as as medic in the royal guard, but... after the changeling attack..." For a split second, David saw the slightest bit of a sad twinkle in Midnight's sapphire eyes. It only lasted until she blinked, and it was gone. "I decided to take a vacant spot in the Night Guard. I was used to staying up all night, after all." Midnight finished.

"Wow. I'm so sorry about your parents, but it seems like you had very good adoptive parents though, so that's good. Are they still around?"

"Thank you, and yes. They're both still around, although, they moved to Ponyville a couple years ago. Got tired of Canterlot and wanted to move somewhere quieter."

"What happened with the changeling attack though? Twilight told me a little about it, but nothing from a soldiers perspective." David asked.

Midnight's ears splayed back immediately.

"The changeling attack was... painful. Uh, honestly I don't really like to talk about it." Midnight said.

"Fair enough. Sorry to bring it up." David apologized.

"Its fine, David. Don't worry about it."

The conversation died for a bit before a realization dawned on her.

"What are you doing Mid? You're supposed to be getting him to open up too, not just give him your life story. Ugh why does he have to be so cute! I keep forgetting I'm supposed to help him! I just keep wanting him to hold me like this morning... like when he used to hold me..."

Midnight shook her head free of those impure thoughts and reignited the conversation.

"So what about you? What were your folks like?"

"Oh, that's a long story... Well, mom died while I was in the Military. Cancer. She had it back when I was in high school, but she beat it. It didn't want to let her go though. Came back with a vengeance a few years later and she was gone within a couple of months. That hit us all pretty hard. She was the kindest person you'd ever meet. She did so much for me - more than I ever really realized at the time. She used to pick me up from school every day, she made me breakfast in bed when I was sick, and she would cheer me on when I was on the football team. All while she was going through chemo." David paused in thought for a moment.

"I actually remember, one time when I was playing- I was the halfback, so I had to get the ball and run it into the end-zone to win the game. We were down forty two to thirty nine, so this last touchdown was what we needed to win. I must've been stronger back then because I broke four tackles when I charged through the line. I think there were three guys all trying to pull me down but I kept pushing. I wanted to make her proud, you know? Somehow I made it and scored the game winning touchdown. All my buddies rushed around me, picked me up, and carried me around while cheering my name. I remember being so excited, and as I looked into the stands, I saw her. Jumping up and down, cheering for me, screaming my name. She had lost her hair at this point and had an oxygen mask but she didn't care. She just wanted me to be happy... She was the strongest woman I ever knew... Thing is, it's kind of hard to be strong when you can't even move. Those last weeks were the hardest. She couldn't leave her bed, and she slowly withered away. She was so strong, but to see her like that... I miss her."

David paused, a sad frown adorned his face while he recollected the past. Midnight sat in silence. A sad smile covered her face as she rubbed his arm with a hoof, urging him to continue.

"My dad was great... when he was around. I know it wasn't his fault, he worked three jobs to support us after mom got sick. He wouldn't say it, and he tried damn hard not to show it, but he took mom's passing hard. Probably harder than all of us. He always had a thing for big speeches, hehe. He always used to tell me that I would make it big. That I'd find a cure to cancer or I'd end world hunger. I think he thought that if he inspired me enough that I'd be successful... He lost that spark after mom died. He didn't care much for anything after that. When I told him I was joining Nebula and I probably wouldn't see him again, he just said 'Be safe'... I don't blame him. It was probably all he could do to not scream at me for just leaving like that. Huh, it's kinda weird to think about. That conversation was over a hundred years ago but for me, it was just a few months ago."

Midnight sat in silence. She wanted David to open up and hopefully reveal the source of his nightmares, but the amount of guilt in his voice made it seem like it could have been coming from just about everything in his past.

"David hates himself for leaving his family behind, that much is clear." She thought to herself.

"Why did you join Nebula if you knew it would hurt your father so much though?" Midnight asked as delicately as she could.

David chuckled.

"Would you believe me if I said I thought it'd make him proud?"

Midnight turned her head, a confused expression creeping onto her face.

"I thought, at the time, that joining Nebula and going to Andromeda would put me in the history books. That I would be doing something great. Like dad always said I would. I guess that's just the mind of a dumb twenty three year old."

"I don't know, it sounds like you were trying to make your father proud. Even if it wasn't in the way he might have wanted, the sentiment was still there." Midnight said, hopeful that some encouragement would make David feel a little better.

Before David could respond, the stallion brought their pizza to the table along with two plates. He expertly slid the dish off his back onto the table and placed the plates on the table.

"Bon Appétit" He said as he bowed and walked away.

Deciding to hold off on continuing the conversation, David grabbed a pre-cut piece of pizza and handed it to Midnight who took it in her magic, before grabbing another and biting into the delicious, cheesy goodness. The taste was indescribable. Easily the best pizza he'd ever had. Maybe good enough to drown out those painful memories... for a short while.

Midnight and David left the small restaurant with full bellies and lazy smiles. The Canterlot Pizzeria was hidden away from the world, but it sure did make good pizza.

As Midnight and David traveled back through the busy streets of Canterlot, one thing was apparent on Midnight's mind. David had been through a lot. Despite everything he told her, Midnight was still far from finding out what exactly was causing him to have the nightmares.

"Maybe if I just ask him directly? No, Luna said that was a bad idea. For all I know it might just make things worse for him-"

"Midnight?" David asked, a concerned look on his face.

"Wha- oh, yes?"

"You alright? You were kinda just staring off into space for a minute there."

"Oh... sorry. I kinda got lost in thought." Midnight apologized.

"You're good. I was just gonna ask where you wanted to go next." David said, a warm smile on his face.

"Well uh... I don't really know... Any place in particular that you want to go?"

"Um, not really. To be honest, I'm getting a little tired of the staring."

"Staring?" Midnight asked, turning around to find dozens of ponies staring at the two of them, mouths agape, and a wide variety of emotions circulating through the crowd.

"When did we draw a crowd again? Jeez I really was lost in thought."

"What are you all staring at?" Midnight addressed the crowd.

"Lady, do you not see that thing next to you?" One of the bystanders called back.

"First off, he's not a 'thing', he's a human, and secondly, why don't you-" Midnight started, only to be cut off by Davids hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright Mid, I can deal with this." David said. He then turned to the crowd who stared at him in silence.

"Okay, public speaking... fuck..." He thought to himself.

"Listen! I know you're all curious as to what or who I am. My name is David. I didn't decide to crash land here. I was just trying to go home... Something went wrong, and now I'm here. If you're worried about me hurting you or your families, then you shouldn't. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Why did you have to come here, to Canterlot?" A voice rang out from the crowd.

"I didn't have a choice. This is just where I crashed, and Princess Celestia was kind enough to allow me to stay." David answered.

"Well you're not living with her now, so why are you still here?" Another voice called out.

"I don't have anywhere else to go. Look, I'm not your enemy. I'm just trying to make the best of a bad situation." David countered.

"The last weird creature to invade our lands, took our magic and nearly destroyed Equestria. Why should we trust you or anything you say?" A burly unicorn called out from the crowd.

"Uh, because I don't have any magical powers? I can't take magic or fly or anything like that. I'm pretty much the same as an Earth pony." David said, slightly annoyed.

"How do we know there isn't an army waiting to invade as soon as we let our guard down." Another pony said.

"Because I don't even know what planet I'm on. What part of 'crashed here unintentionally' don't you get? I didn't mean to land here." David reasoned, with much more annoyance.

"Fucking hell, maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut. This is going downhill fast. Why are the ponies in Canterlot such dicks?" David thought to himself

"How can we trust your word? For all we know, everything you say could be a lie! You've given us no reason to trust you!" A mare in the back of the crowd, called out.

"I don't know how you want me to prove it to you. I've spent the last three weeks living with Princess Celestia and Luna. They trusted me enough to talk to me and let me stay. If you're all so much smarter and wiser than the Princess of the goddam sun, then by all means, I'll leave and go live in a cave somewhere." David finished with a wave of his arms.

A stunned silence filled the air as David's words sunk in. Several ponies' eyes fell to the floor, and some uncomfortably shuffled under his gaze. David waited expectantly for an answer, but received nothing. After several tense seconds, David shook his head and turned around to Midnight. His face was a mix of annoyance and disappointment as he walked over to her.

The crowd began to quickly disperse, and as ponies started to leave, David caught the words of one last heckler.

"At least the rest of it's group died in the crash so we only have to worry about the one."

That struck a nerve in David's heart and mind. His feet came to a screeching halt on the cold pavement, and before Midnight could say a single word of caution, David was rounding on his feet toward the fading crowd. A red hot rage filled his mind, blocking his senses out to anything other than the words of that one last heckler. David's anger boiled over any kind of rational thought residing inside of his mind, and before he even knew it, he angrily addressed the remnants of the crowd.

"What did you just say?" He called out.

Several heads turned towards David as he angrily approached the crowd. His eyes quickly scanned the area the offending words came from. After only a moment, he saw a golden yellow pegasus standing in front of a small group of ponies. At David's glare, the small group backed away from the lone pegasus between them and David. The pony in question looked to his group to find them glancing back between him and David. He nervously pointed to himself with a 'me?' expression as his gaze returned to the clearly furious human.

"Yeah, you. What did you say?" David repeated, his voice laced with anger.

"Uh... I don-" He started.

"Don't bullshit me." David interrupted as he walked closer to the pony in question.

The heckler backed away in fear at the sudden display of aggression. David closed in fast, and before he knew it, he was towering over the pegasus with an expression of pure hate on his face.

"I-I j-just... I..." He trailed off.

"You what? Huh!? Let me make one thing clear asshole, you can dislike me all you want, but you do not talk about my friends like that! They were good people! You got a problem with me, you take it up with me, but don't you DARE talk about them!" David shouted.

"David!" Midnight's voice rang out, drawing his attention from the pegasus cowering under him.

"What!?"

"That's enough! Let's go, now!" Midnight commanded, using her magic to physically pull David away from the other ponies.

Midnight dragged David several feet before he found his footing and began walking on his own. The surrounding ponies stared in a mix of fear and awe as the duo passed through the quickly dispersing crowd, and before long, they were out of sight.

Midnight led David into a small alleyway where she turned around and addressed him.

"David, what was that about?" She asked as delicately as she could.

"What? You did pretty much the same thing with that pony from earlier." David replied, sourly.

"I know, but that was one pony and me being irrational, not a crowd of fifty. Not to mention, I'm a pony, so me acting like that isn't really a big deal. You, on the other hoof, aren't... After that little speech you gave, to let them get to you like that and make you lash out... They aren't going to forget that easily, David. You shouldn't have done that. You really, really shouldn't have done that. We should have just left." Midnight said while pacing back and forth.

"Fuck them. Especially that asshole. He has no idea who he's talking about. Those guys were my friends and they deserved better than that!" David said, anger clawing its way into his voice once more.

"I know that! I agree with you! But if you want to make a life here, you need to let some things go, David! It's not fair, none of it's fair, but that's just how life is sometimes. I know that it was horrible, and your friends deserve better than that, but do you really think that was the best way to honor them?"

David was silent for a few minutes before he sighed deeply.

"You're right... I shouldn't have done that. It's just... They were my friends... I can deal with being disliked, but when he said that shit... all I saw was red." David admitted, sadly.

"It's okay. I understand. Just, please don't do that again. If you feel like you're going to snap like that, just walk away from now on, deal?" Midnight said with a small smile.

"Deal... So, think I fucked up my chances of fitting in here?" David asked.

"Well, they're not attacking you, so I guess that's a start. Probably the best reaction we're gonna get at the moment. I'm just sorry they're so stupid. you deserve better, David." Midnight said, offering a hopeful smile.

David mutely nodded and turned to leave with Midnight sadly following behind.

Chapter 8: The Time Just Flies By

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One Month Later

David walked into Canterlot Castle for what must have been the dozenth time. By now he knew almost all of the royal staff by name, and even the guards were kind enough to greet him when he arrived. His relationship with Celestia was well known throughout the castle by now, so most guards dropped their previously cold attitudes and adopted a more friendly personality when he dropped by.

The circumstances of his public outburst a month ago were well known throughout the city, and many ponies began to sympathize with him upon learning the reason behind his anger. That and a verbal reprimand from Princess Celestia were all it took to get several apology letters sent his way. Her vocalized disappointment in the way David was treated worked wonders in getting ponies to regard him with much more kindness.

As he walked through the massive front doors, he greeted the pegasus guards with a tired smile.

"Hey Stormy. Hey Sunshine." David greeted.

"Morning Davy." Storm Shield replied with a smile.

"Morning." Silver Shine replied blandly.

Silver Shine wasn't too fond of the nickname David took to calling him. He was a soldier of the Royal Guard, not some random pony for David to be all buddy-buddy with. Despite his obvious distaste for the nickname, he was even more annoyed by the fact that Storm Shield absolutely loved hers. All the same, he tolerated Davids lighthearted eccentricities for the sake of maintaining pleasantries with the human.

"Ohmygosh David your face! It's all fuzzy!" Storm said, abandoning her post to close the distance and see Davids facial hair up close.

"Uh hehe, yeah. I figured I'd grow out the beard, you know? Try something new." David said, a little taken aback by the excitement.

"It looks so good on you! I'm glad you're growing it. But uh, all that aside, are you here to see the princess again?" Storm asked.

"Yeah." David yawned. "I've got a meeting with Tia and Twi in about... twenty minutes?" He said, looking at his new watch.

"You alright Davy? You seem kinda tired. You sleeping alright?" Storm asked with a look of concern.

"Uh, no. Not really. Been having trouble sleeping since I got here and I keep getting these killer headaches every so often, so I've been lying in bed awake most of the night." David said with a frown.

"Oh no, that's not good. I'm sorry to hear that, David. Have you tried talking with Princess Luna about it yet? She might be able to help with your sleep problems. If not, I'm sure she could point you in the right direction."

"I've thought about it, but this is more of a personal problem. Something I have to deal with myself. Besides, I don't think her magic works on me. I've never seen her in my dreams. At least, I don't think I have."

"Well, I hope you get better. I wouldn't want my favorite human to be a drowsy downer all the time." Storm said, sticking her tongue out in the most adorable way possible.

David chuckled at her antics.

"Will do, Stormy. Oh by the way, you've got something right...... there." He said as he booped her muzzle, causing her eyes to cross and her face to scrunch up.

They both shared a hearty laugh while Silver Shine just sighed. Their antics were far too cutesy for him.

"Ahem. David. You have a meeting to attend, do you not?" He said with a slight frown.

"Oh damn, you're right. Uh... I'll talk to you later Stormy. Later Sunshine!" With that, he ran off into the castle as Storm waved goodbye.

"Bye Davy!" Storm called out, before turning to her partner. "Now why'd you have to go and make him leave? I was having a good time on this shift for once." She said with a pout.

Silver snorted.

"It's not our job to entertain him. We are here to guard the front door. Not make friends. You're lucky no higher ups saw you abandon your post like that either."

"I was like, ten paces away!" Storm countered.

"Ten paces too many..." Silver replied dryly.

"There you go again mister rule book. You're no fun."

David reached Celestia's dining room without incident. The castle was very familiar to him by now, and he practically knew it like the back of his hand. He knocked three times and the doors were pulled open by a golden magic. David walked through the doorway to find Celestia and Twilight sitting together, smiling warmly as he approached.

"David, I'm so glad to see you again. It has been quite some time now hasn't it?" Celestia asked.

"It has been a while. A little over a month if I remember right. It's good to see you too Tia. I missed you." David said as he closed the distance to give Celestia a hug.

Twilight just smiled as her former mentor hugged David. It wasn't often she got to see Celestia remove her royal mask and act like a normal mare. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time Celestia was able to relax. Luckily, David's presence seemed to rip that mask right off.

Once David released Celestia, he turned to Twilight and leaned down for another hug, which Twilight happily reciprocated.

"My my, somepony sure is affectionate today. I'll take that as a sign of some good news?" Twilight asked through the hug.

"Nah, I'm just tired and your fluff feels like a pillow." David teased, earning a pout from Twilight as she released him.

"Hehe, I'm just messing with you, Twi. Things have been great lately." David said with a chuckle.

"Well that's fantastic! Here, take a seat and tell us all about it. We haven't been able to have our weekly meetings the past couple of weeks and I want to catch up." Twilight said, motioning to the chair across from hers and Celestia's.

"Yeah, it's been a while. Can't blame you though. Being a princess must be really busy most of the time.

"Thank you for understanding, David. It's been a crazy month. So, anyways, tell us about the last few weeks! I'm so excited to hear about it!" Twilight said, levitating some paper and an ink quill out of seemingly nowhere.

"Yes, please tell us everything." Celestia chimed in between sips of her tea.

"Well, the last few weeks have been great. Especially with Midnight. After my little... uh... let's call it a 'public disturbance', uh Midnight made a point to take me into town pretty much daily. After that little speech you gave, well, I think they felt so bad that they felt like it was their responsibility to be nice to me. At least, they don't seem as afraid of me as they used to be, for the most part. But anyways, Midnight's been amazing with helping me fit in, and I think at this point she's kinda become my new best friend." David finished with a smile.

"That's fantastic news David. I'm so happy to hear that!" Twilight said as she scribbled notes down on her paper.

"Indeed. I'll admit, when I heard about your incident last month, I was furious. When I recieved Midnight's letter detailing what was said, I could not sit back and let that kind of hostility continue. Still, I'm very glad to see that Midnight is helping you integrate so quickly. I'm extremely happy for you." Celestia said sincerely.

"Thanks. If you don't mind me asking, what exactly did you say? Mid and I weren't in town for that speech." David asked, quizzically.

"I simply told them how disappointed I was. After everything we've been through, as a species, to abandon our morals and let hate and fear dictate our actions... It wasn't right, and I couldn't help but feel personally responsible for the way you were treated." Celestia admitted with downcast eyes.

"Tia, that had nothing to do with you. Thank you for doing that, but don't blame yourself." David said with a comforting hand on Celestia's wither.

"I am the one who pushed you to go out and mingle. It seems you were ready to do so, but my ponies clearly were not, and you suffered because of that." Celestia replied.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine. You did nothing wrong, besides, they are genuinely starting to come around." David said with a smile.

"Well, at least there's some good to come out of the whole mess. Maybe they're finally starting to see how ridiculous they were being." Celestia replied with a roll of her eyes.

"It's weird, the mares are pretty friendly now while the stallions are still a little standoffish. They're not hostile anymore, but not super friendly like the mares." David recollected.

"Maybe they're just jealous of your good looks and think you're going to steal all the mares from them" Celestia said with a wry grin.

"Hehe, maybe it's just the new beard that's winning them over." David said, stroking his stubble.

"I noticed that. I'm happy you're growing it out. It looks very appealing on you. It makes you look a little furry, almost like a pony. I'm sure the mares have been eyeing you a bit more... closely..." Celestia said with a wink.

"Ahaha, funny you mention that. A nice mare on Trot street even asked me out for drinks if you can believe it." David replied.

The two princesses stared at David with bated breath for several seconds. After a while, it became clear that David was not going to proceed.

"Sooooooooooo..." Twilight began.

"So... what?" David asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What did you say?" Celestia pressed.

"Well, I would have gone, but I had dinner plans with Midnight that night. I couldn't cancel on her." David said, nonchalantly.

"Oh... Sounds to me like somepony already had a date then." Twilight chimed in.

"No... I mean... it was just dinner, that's it..." David said, nervously shuffling in his seat.

"It almost sounds like you wanted it to be more..." Celestia cooed, her words bringing a hot blush to David's cheeks.

"Uh... You guys really need to stop reading into things too much." David quickly replied.

"Whatever you say David. Although, that does raise the question - do you want to have something more than just friendship with a pony?" Celestia asked, genuinely curious.

"What do you mean?" David replied, cautiously.

"Well... This is more of Cadence's department, but I'm very curious. Have you put any thought into... a relationship?" She asked with a slight blush.

"You mean a uh... romantic relationship?" At Celestia's nod, he continued. "Well... I mean... I don't know. I know I'm gonna be stuck here for the rest of my life, and ponies are so much like people, but I don't know if I even could love a pony. And even though you guys are completely adorable... I don't know. It's hard to find ponies attractive in that way when your whole life you only found your own species as attractive. Not to mention, I don't want to deal with the potential backlash. Ponies reacted poorly enough when I first went out on the town, and I don't want some poor mare to get hounded because of me." David finished with a sigh.

"I think you've already passed that hurdle. Like you already said, ponies have started to warm up to you. Or at least to the idea of you being here. Besides, there are plenty of inter-species relationships here. One of the maids in the castle is married to a griffon, and I believe one of the elements of harmony bearers is in a relationship with a yak. Our kind has plenty of love to give, and you'll be no exception." Celestia said with a wink.

"I guess I never really thought about it like that. I mean, I'll definitely think about it more, but I can't say I'd be too opposed... It'd be nice to have someone to spend my life with." David said, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Something tells me that you've already been thinking about it." Celestia smirked.

David shuffled nervously while Celestia lightly giggled.

"Anyways..." David said, trying to change the subject. "I was told there would be food here, right? Let's eat. Please?"

"Very well." Celestia replied through her giggles.

With that, Celestia wrapped her magic around a small bell and rang it, causing the doors to open and multiple servants to push the carts of food into the room.

David walked back through the country road leading to Midnight's house. Lunch with Celestia and Twilight was fun as expected, and they discussed many current events. Things like the elements of harmony and what they were up to, as well as everyone's plans for Hearth's Warming Eve were the major topics of discussion. However, he could not get Celestia's words out of his head.

Have you put any thought into... a relationship?

"Of course I've thought about it! Hell, I've thought about it every day for the last two weeks... I mean, fuck, how could I not? It's either 'find a mare to date or die alone'. It's not like that's much of a choice. But after that little fuck up a month ago, who knows how the rest of them could react."

David walked the along the worn country road as he closed the distance to Midnight's house. As he closed the last few feet to the door, a final thought popped into his head.

"What if I asked Midnight out?"

It was enough to make him freeze right before his hand reached the handle.

"No! She saved your life, and she's your best friend. You don't want to ruin that. Besides, she hasn't shown any signs of affection for you. At least... I don't think she has... She's cuddled with you a bunch, but all ponies do that. Personal space isn't a thing here. She's a very good friend but asking her out would just ruin it. Besides, can you imagine if you did and she said no? How awkward that would be? There's no way you could still live with her after that... Fuck, this is just like dating back in high school... She is really cute though. I just love the way her eyes seem to just shine... The way her soft fur feels on my skin... Those lips-"

David was torn from his thoughts by a knock on the window next to him. He turned to see Midnight in the window giving him an amused, yet confused look. He quickly shook those thoughts away and pushed them into the far reaches of his mind as he opened the door.

"Hey, Mid." David said with a forced smile and a quickly forming blush.

"Hey, uh... what was that about? You were standing there for a few minutes just staring at the doorknob. I was starting to think you were trying to win a stare-down or something, hehe. I hate to break it to you, but I think the doorknob was gonna win." Midnight said, not even trying to hide her giggles from David.

"Uh, it was nothing. Just got lost in thought was all." He said, shaking the thoughts from his mind for the time being.

"Suuuuuuuuure. Anyways, how was the meeting with the princesses? You seemed kinda tired when you left."

"It was great. Got to catch up with Twi and Tia so that was good."

"Anything exciting going on?" Midnight asked with cautious tone.

"Nah, just normal stuff I guess."

"Great! Then that means you have no plans for the night!"

"Uh, I guess not... Why? Did you have something planned?"

"Yeah, we're going to the Broken Barn Bar in the lower Canterlot district. It just opened a few days ago and I've heard a lot of good things about it. They've got stuff for everypony. Plus, since it's in the lower district, there won't be any snobs or prissy nobles to throw a fit."

"Well, that... that actually sounds like a great idea. The lower district was always a bit more friendly. Besides, I haven't had a few drinks in a long time. Might be nice to just drink my troubles away."

"Pffft what troubles? Your lazy bum sits around all day, eating all my food." Midnight teased.

"Hey, I have to eat to maintain these beautiful guns." David said, flexing his extremely average muscles.

Midnight immediately burst into laughter while David continued to flex. After a few seconds, David couldn't keep it together and joined in with Midnight's infectious laughter.

"That's... that's n-not even how building muscle works! You need to exercise!" Midnight said between giggles.

"I'll have you know that my exercise includes raising the food to my mouth with my arm. I'm basically doing curls right there!" David said as he chuckled again.

"Hahaha. Alright, alright. You and your guns need the energy. Anyways... So what time do you wanna head over there?"

"Whenever you want. I have literally nothing planned tonight. Like... at all. Usually ever."

"Well, let's go at seven. It shouldn't be too crowded with it being a workday and all."

"Seven it is. I can't wait."

"Me either, big guy."

Seven-ish

David and Midnight walked through the typically busy streets of Canterlot to find them nearly empty. Most ponies either went home already or just started the night shift. Of course, there were still ponies out and about on the streets, but they paid David and Midnight little mind. Even if they didn't see them before, everyone knew about the bipedal alien living with the charcoal unicorn.

As they rounded yet another bend in the seemingly never ending streets of the Canterlot lower district, David found he was almost out of patience.

"Mid, are we lost? This is the fourth dead end street you've taken us to."

"I know where it is David. It's just a little further." Midnight said with a roll of her eyes.

They continued onward, eventually finding the elusive bar. There were drunk ponies already stumbling out of the establishment. Some ponies were already passed out on the side of the street in all manner of awkward positions.

"See, told you we'd find it." Midnight said with obvious pride in her voice.

"Yeah, only took five detours and and extra half hour." David teased.

"Hey, better late than never! Come on, let's get in there."

Midnight led the way as David followed into the bar. The intentionally crooked sign covered in neon lights read "Broken Barn Bar" in a fancy font. As they entered the establishment, they found themselves surrounded by drunk and semi drunk creatures of all species. On their immediate right, there was an elevated stage, surrounded by large speakers and bathed in warm light. A number of ponies were playing some generic country songs as ponies, griffons, and even a minotaur drunkenly danced on the floor in the center of the room. Further into the room on the far right side, there were several booths. Some were filled with ponies kissing and drinking together. To the left was the bar itself, in all it's rustic, wooden glory. There were several stools at the bar, most with ponies barely managing to stay upright as they tried in vain to convince the bartender to give them "just one more shot".

"So uh... Wanna get a booth while I get drinks?" Midnight asked, struggling to be heard above the music and chatter.

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you over there." David replied as he started making his way past the dance floor.

Eventually, David managed to weave his way through the minefield of drunk ponies and reach his destination. He found an empty booth far enough away from the music and dance floor where he could hear better, and sat down, twiddling his thumbs while he waited for Midnight to arrive with the drinks.

David took the time while he waited to observe the ponies throughout the room. A couple in the booth next to him were kissing and groping each other very conspicuously, leaving nothing about their plans for the evening to the imagination. The dance floor wasn't completely packed, but there were several ponies enjoying themselves as they clumsily fumbled about in their drunken stupor. It wasn't long before David's thoughts were pulled from his casual observing when Midnight arrived with their drinks in her magical grasp.

"Hey, so I wasn't sure how drunk you were planning on getting tonight, so I started us out with some Apple Family Hard Cider. If you want to get completely trashed, well, they've got just about everything you could think of over there." Midnight said before taking a swig of her cider.

"This is fine. I was just planning on getting buzzed anyways. Kinda want to actually make it home you know?" David replied as he grabbed his mug and took a gulp.

"So... I saw you checking out the couple over there... You want in on that?"

David choked on his cider and spilled some on the table as he coughed and wheezed oxygen back into his lungs, much to Midnight's amusement.

"Ahahahahahaha! You do, don't you!" She teased, pointing her hoof at David.

"N-no... I-I don't know what you're talking about! I w-was just looking... It's kinda hard not to. They have no shame!" David replied, finally catching his breath.

"You're cute when you're all flustered, big guy." Midnight replied with a wink, making David's growing blush deepen.

"U-uh... Thanks... I think. Uh... Anyways..." David trailed off.

"Anyways?" Midnight replied, motioning for him to continue.

"Anyways... how's.. how's the... weather?"

Midnight gave him a deadpanned look.

"Weather's great. You're conversation skills on the other hoof..."

"Well we already talk about everything at the house, so I'm kinda out of things to talk about..." David said, looking down into his drink.

"Well then, how's about instead of talking, we do something?" Midnight replied, excitement once again finding its way into her voice.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there is a dance floor right over there..."

"Yeah that's gonna be a hard no from me."

"Oh come on, David! Lighten up a little."

"Firstly, I can't dance to save my life. Secondly, as the only one of my kind here, I really stand out. That makes doing things like making a fool out of myself in front of a bunch of ponies a big deal. Everypony will know about the dumb hairless ape doing some dumb shit at that new bar everyone wants to go to." David said as he took another swig of his cider.

"Alright, firstly, there's no such thing as a bad dancer. Just somepony who hasn't quite figured out their rhythm yet. Secondly, everypony in here is at some level of drunk. Either they aren't going to remember you being here at all, or they will like you more for acting like one of them instead of the strange alien cooped up in my house all the time."

David raised a finger to respond, but found no holes in her logic. He stumbled with his words for a few more seconds before eventually giving up.

"Well?" Midnight asked with an expectant look in her eyes.

David sighed deeply.

"Fine. But I'm going to need a lot of these before I even consider going out there and making a fool out of myself." David said before chugging the rest of his cider.

"They're on me, big guy. You've got yourself a deal." Midnight said as she hopped out of the booth to get more cider for David.

"Nah-no, n-no no... Y-you mean to tell me... you me- you mean to tell me... that you went to school with purple-smart before she *hic* before she got wings?" David barely managed to say.

"Yeah. We... we went to school together. I didn't really talk to her all that much... Nopony did, but we all knew her. Once she moved out to ponyville, we kinda just all lost touch with her." Midnight replied.

"T-that's crazy... You're crazy... You silly *hic* s-silly little pone..."

As David slammed down the last of his cider, he belched loudly, earning a cheer from some of the equally drunk patrons in the bar.

"Alright big guy, I think that's enough cider for one night. I'm cutting you off before something bad happens."

"Aww." David groaned, earning a chuckle from Midnight.

"Aha! Got you to laugh. Y-you're cute when you... laugh. O-or always." David said as his head spun.

Midnight could barely hide the blush that immediately forced its way onto her face. Luckily, David was far too drunk to notice and continued to talk.

"W-well *hic* a deals a uh.... wha was it? A deal's a deal? Yeah that's the one! Let's go dance until I puke." David said, rising from the booth before Midnight could respond.

"D-David are you sure? You might be a little too drunk." Midnight asked, suddenly concerned.

"Don't vorry about me smol horsey. I can handle mine liquor." David said in a bad Russian accent.

"Did... Did you just change your accent? And cider isn't liquor. What?"

David grabbed her by the hoof and pulled Midnight into the crowd of ponies. The world became a blurred mess of multicolored forms shaking and swaying wildly to the beat of the music. David was still easy to spot in the crowd though. He towered over the ponies by several feet, and his drunken dancing was drawing a lot of attention. Ponies cheered and danced alongside him, twisting and turning, matching his moves as best as they could with double the legs, and half the height.

David however, had no idea what he was doing. He simply flailed his arms wildly, moved his legs enough to keep shuffling side to side, and swayed his hips to the beat of the music. In the drunken haze, he lost track of Midnight for a while, losing himself in the music and the positive feedback the ponies were finally giving him before he found her again. She danced her way over to him, weaving through the crowd until she was in front of David, then began to dance alongside him.

"I told you this would be fun!" Midnight yelled over the now deafeningly loud music.

"Haha! You were right about that!" David shouted back.

They danced the night away. Lost in the moment, the whole bar seemed oblivious to the outside world and passing time, and before anyone could protest otherwise, the band was on their last song and the bar was closing for the night. It was still a work night after all.

David and Midnight found themselves some of the only beings still on the dance floor as the band began their last song. It was a slow, relaxing melody, designed to help everypony calm down for the night before they headed home and back to work. For Midnight and David, it was a slow dance.

Neither knew how they ended up back together. Maybe it was just luck, or maybe it was fate that all the other ponies still on the dance floor had partners, except for David and Midnight. Standing on her hind legs, Midnight reached up and around David's back. He brought his arms down around her shoulder and head as he held her close. They stepped side to side, simply content to hold each other and dance the last dance of the night.

Midnight looked up at David, her sapphire eyes glistening in the warm light emanating from the ceiling lights. A stirring rose in David's chest - a feeling he did not quite understand how to confront, but it was there all the same. Before he could even process the feeling, Midnight spoke, forcing the feeling to flutter away.

"Pretty good night, huh big guy?

"Best night I've had in awhile." David replied.

As the song came to a close, David and Midnight separated and made their way out of the bar, making sure to thank the musicians on the way out.

David stumbled out into the freezing street, waiting for Midnight before attempting to walk back. He didn't make it far before Midnight had to press her shoulder against his leg to help keep him upright. Eventually, they found a rhythm and walked back in a happy silence, both parties having nothing left to say after the best night either had had in years.

Midnight unlocked the front door and pushed it open with her magic while she helped David inside. Closing the door behind them, she helped David through the hallway and towards the guest room. Once inside, David flopped onto the bed. In just a few minutes, he was asleep.

Midnight chuckled lightly at David's snoring.

"David might look different, but he's the same as a pony in just about every other way. Hehe... He's so damn cute."

Midnight turned away and walked back up to her room to find her bed right where she left it. She hopped in and went to sleep... At least, she tried. She tossed and turned for a while. Sleep eluded her, and no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to find it. The minutes slowly turned to hours as she rolled about, unable to find the sacred dreamscape.

"Luna dammit! Why can't I just go to sleep?! It's probably three in the morning for crying out loud!"

After another half hour of tossing and turning, Midnight gave up and rose from her bed. She walked downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Maybe some water will help."

She brought out a glass and filled it with water. After a few gulps, she placed the glass in the sink and headed back for the stairs.

She reached the bottom of the staircase before a sound caught her attention. A strange, almost grunting sound.

"What the hay is that?"

Midnight followed her ears and walked down the hall towards the guest room. Once at the door, she found the source of the noise.

David was thrashing about in his sleep, tossing and turning every few seconds and grunting with effort, as if he was trying to run away from something.

"Oh no... He's having another nightmare... What do I do?" Midnight thought to herself.

As David continued to thrash about, Midnight tried to recall some way to help him. Waking him up would only solve the current problem, not deal with the long-term issue. There weren't any typical remedies that could deal with nightmares, and her magic wasn't able to work with dreams. Only Luna could do that.

As her mind searched for the right answer, a thought finally emerged in her head. A memory of what her adoptive mother once said to her after she had a nightmare.

"Mommy!" A young Midnight called out.

She rushed into her parent's room to find moonlight gently streaming in through the open window. A larger pony form hung from the ceiling by her tail. Her leathery wings were wrapped around her midsection and her amber eyes slowly opened.

"Mmm yes dear?" A soothing voice replied from above.

"Mommy, I- I saw the headless pony! He was gonna eat me!"

"Oh dear, it sounds like you just had a nightmare. Here, I know the remedy." She said as she dropped from the ceiling. She landed on the soft mattress below and patted the spot next to her, promoting Midnight to hop onto the bed with her.

"Now... the secret to beating nightmares is... snuggling up with somepony you love." Her serene voice calmed Midnight's nerves slightly.

"R-really?"

"Really really. Come now little one. I promise you won't have to worry about the headless pony anymore."

Midnight closed the distance and hugged her adoptive mother. She was embraced by soft, leathery wings and furry hooves. Warmth overtook her, and sleep came quickly. This time, without the nightmares.

While it might not have been the most scientific technique, it was the only option Midnight could think of. Doing her best to push her doubt into the back of her mind, she walked towards David.

"What if he wakes up? What if he gets angry? What if this is crossing the line with him and he'll want to move out after this? No. No, Luna entrusted me to help him deal with his nightmares, no matter what. If there's even a chance that this could work, I have to try... Besides, I'll wake up before him and leave before he notices I was even here. Easy peasy... I hope..."

Midnight hopped onto the bed, landing mere inches away from David. She hesitantly closed the last of the distance between them, careful not to wake him. She laid down on top of his arm and leaned onto his chest. Resting her head against his neck, she found the most comfortable position with a quick escape route, and relaxed her tense muscles.

Midnight listened intently for any changes in David’s breathing and for any sign of him waking up. Extraordinarily, he seemed to calm right down. All the fear and panic seemed to dissipate just by her proximity.

"Huh? Maybe this was a good idea... Oh shi-"

Midnight's thoughts were cut off when David suddenly rolled over towards Midnight and wrapped his other arm around her chest. He pulled her in close and rested his chin on the top of her head and breathed out a contented sigh.

The only sound that filled the room was David's happy breathing. Midnight was too scared to move, let alone breath.

"What have I gotten myself into!? There's no way he's not going to notice now! Me and my bright ideas..."

After a while of laying there, it became evident that David wasn't going to release her any time soon, and Midnight was far too afraid of waking him to attempt to move his arm off her body. Eventually, David's body warmth, steady breathing, and beating heart soothed Midnight's tired mind.

"Maybe... I'll... just..."

Midnight quickly drifted off, the sweet lullaby of David's heartbeat lulling her into the calm embrace of sleep.

Chapter 9: The Unexpected Solution

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Midnight awoke in a meadow filled with beautiful yellow flowers that filled the landscape as far as the eye could see. The occasional green of the grass pushed through the flowerbed to break the sea of yellow that so completely encircled her. Sitting happily in the center of the beautiful field was a small tree, it's branches and leaves seemingly pulled to one side to provide shade especially for her as she slept.

She swiveled her head from side to side, taking in her surroundings as she sat upright. It was a truly beautiful sight. Calming and relaxing. The sun's heat penetrated through the tree's leaves just enough to fill the ground she was now sitting on with a wonderful warmth. There was a slight breeze that made the air cool and welcoming.

"What the... Wasn't I just with David? Where am I?" Midnight asked to nobody in particular.

"You're in a dream. Your dream to be specific." A voice came from above.

"Gah!" Midnight shouted as the foreign voice startled her out from under the tree.

A blue fog began seeping out of the branches and leaves, forming into a cloud before lowering itself to the ground and shaping itself into a pony. Then, in a brilliant flash of white light, the cloud dissipated, and in its place stood Princess Luna.

"Princess!?" Midnight exclaimed before bowing.

"There's no need for that here, Midnight. We're in your dream after all. Let's talk like friends. Rise, I wish to speak with you about David." Luna said calmly.

"What about him? Did his nightmare come back?" Midnight asked as she rose to her hooves.

"No, actually, quite the opposite. I entered his dream as soon as I saw it. It was the same nightmare as always, but then something peculiar happened. David was in a fog as I've come to expect in his dreams, only this time, he was running from something terrible. It seemed as if he was in fear for his life... But then the fog simply vanished. Almost instantly, a pleasant warmth overtook the dreamscape. An ocean appeared before him, and a beautiful, sandy beach rose beneath his feet. He went from frantic, to peaceful. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen him so calm. It was like all his fears and regrets simply faded away."

"That's fantastic news! I'm so glad to hear that!" Midnight shouted with a little more enthusiasm than she meant to.

"Indeed it is. My question is how? Obviously you had something to do with it, so I came here as soon as I was certain my eyes weren't deceiving me, to ask; How did you do it? How did you stop his nightmare?" Luna asked with genuine curiosity.

"Uh hehe... well... We went to the bar last night, and when we got back, I couldn't sleep. I went downstairs and I heard David. When I went into his room, I saw him thrashing around, obviously having another nightmare like you said. I wanted to help, but I didn't know what to do. That's when I remembered something my mom did when I used to have nightmares and I tried it on him... and it worked!" Midnight said, barely hiding her embarrassment.

"Okay... So what exactly did you do?" Luna asked, motioning for Midnight to continue.

"Well, I... kinda... cuddled with him..."

"You did what?"

"I... you know... cuddled with him..."

"Oh for the love of- Will you just spit it out!?" Luna asked, growing increasingly frustrated with Midnight's sudden shyness.

"I cuddled with him!" Midnight forced the words out, then hid her flushed face and beat red cheeks from Luna's gaze.

"You... cuddled with him?" Luna asked with a dumbfounded expression.

"...Yes..."

Luna snickered, then began to giggle, then completely burst into laughter, causing Midnight's already red face to turn an even brighter shade of red. The alicorn princess completely lost her composure and her giggling fit showed no signs of ending any time soon. Midnight went through embarrassment before, as did any pony, but having the Princess of the Night laughing at her was a whole new experience.

Eventually, Luna managed to control her giggling and compose herself, finding Midnight's sad, frowning face and scrunched up muzzle to be an indication to stop.

"Oh Midnight, relax. I'm not laughing at what you did, I'm laughing at how embarrassed you were by it. I mean, all that trouble to get you to spill it over that. Ponies cuddle with each other all the time. It's not a big deal. You know that."

"I... I know... but it's... it's just different when it's with somepony you... kinda... like... you know?" Midnight said, shifting on her hooves.

"Wait. What do you mean? You like David? As in... Like like?" Luna asked, suddenly puzzled.

There was a long silence in the air as Midnight thought over Luna's question.

"Well, I mean... He is super cute, and I love spending time with him... He gets my jokes, he's silly, and funny. Maybe... maybe I do..."

"...Yes..." Midnight spoke, finally.

"Oh... Midnight I'm so sorry for laughing at you. I didn't realize you felt that way about David already." Luna apologized.

Midnight tilted her head at Luna's last words.

"Wait, what do you mean already? You knew I was going to feel this way about him?" Midnight asked, confusion evident in her voice.

"Well, no. I didn't know you and David would fall for each other, but Cadence assured us it would happen. When you spend so much time with somepony that you like, that tends to happen. I simply thought that if David did end up loving a pony, he'd be very lucky to love a pony like you." Luna replied with a smile.

Midnight sighed.

"Thank you, Princess, but that's just it though... I don't know if he feels the same way. He doesn't even know we're cuddling right now, and he's never really shown a real romantic interest in anypony... let alone me... I mean, I know I tease him a lot and get him flustered, and it's always just in good fun, but I don't want to ruin our relationship by crossing a line I shouldn't. I mean, what if asking him out pushes him away? What if he doesn't even want to be in a relationship at all? What if he's only interested in dating his own kind and the idea of dating a pony is gross and wrong to him?"

Midnight's words hung in the air for several seconds before the night princess spoke again.

"Midnight, you know as well as I do that those things simply aren't true. David has shown and stated over and over again that he loves ponies, not just because of the kindness he's been shown by you and several others, but because he sees so much of his own kind in us. He wouldn't be disgusted by the notion of dating a pony, besides, you know David better than anyone. I'm sure that if he could love any pony in Equestria, it'd be you. You saved his life, you took him into your home, and you gave him your friendship freely. In all honesty, he probably feels the same way about you. He's probably just as scared as you are to admit it." Luna said, with a sly grin.

"You.... You really think so?"

"I do. I think you and David would make a lovely couple, but don't take my word for it. Ask Cadence. If anypony would know for sure, it'd be her. In fact, she's in Canterlot right now. She wanted Flurry Heart to meet her grandparents before Hearth's Warming Eve. If I was you, I would ask her soon. She'll be far too busy with family matters in a few days."

Midnight sighed.

"I want to... I'm just so scared. I've never been good at relationships and I don't want to ruin what we have. If telling David how I feel, ruined our relationship, I'd never forgive myself..." Midnight said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Midnight Shadow, I... I cannot claim to know for sure whether a relationship between you and David will work out or not, but I do know one thing. I know that if you don't try, you will never know for sure. What would you rather do? Ask, and have a chance at love and happiness with somepony you genuinely know and care for? Or, keep your feelings to yourself, and he ends up finding another mare. A stallion like David won't have any trouble finding love here, Midnight."

Midnight's shoulders slumped in defeat. This conversation wasn't making things any easier for her. She sat there for a long while, deep in thought, before she finally found the words to speak.

"I... I'll talk to Princess Cadence... See what she says... Then I'll go from there."

"A fine idea, Midnight Shadow. I truly hope you make the right decision from there. Unfortunately, I cannot help you any further with this matter. I can only leave you with the advice that I have already given. Good Luck." Luna said, turning away to leave Midnight's dream.

"Wait!" Midnight called out.

"Hmm?"

"Uh... could you... wake me up real quick? I want to get up before David does..."

Luna chuckled.

"Of course. I'll wake you up, but be aware, the sun has already risen. David may awake when you try to move."

"Hehe... I hope not... He did drink a lot last night so hopefully that'll keep him under while I make my escape."

"Very well. Goodbye, Midnight Shadow. I hope that the next time we meet, you'll have good news to share with me."

With that, Luna's horn glowed a bright white light, and she was gone.

"... Wait! Does this mean I can have my job ba-"

Midnight was cut off when a bright light filled her vision and her dream faded away.

Midnight's eyes shot open and the world around her quickly came into focus. She was still in David's room, laying on his bed with both of his arms still wrapped around her. She turned her head to look outside and saw that the sun was bathing the outside world in its warmth. It was already getting late in the morning. Midnight had little time to move before David would wake up, but the way his arms were wrapped around her made it impossible for her to move without waking him.

Midnight willed her horn to life, trying her best to keep it from glowing too brightly. A bright blue light mere inches away from his face would definitely wake David up. She slowly wrapped her magic around his right arm, and began to gently pry it off her chest. Luckily, his hand wasn't pinned under her weight, so it came off freely. She carefully lowered his arm at his side, and set about her next task: removing his left hand from her chest fur. Unlike his right hand, his left was gripping her fur, preventing any kind of getaway. Focusing on one finger at a time, Midnight slowly and methodically pried each of David's five digits from her chest.

Midnight removed each finger at an agonizingly slow pace. Her heart pounded in her chest as she pried each digit away. She checked the clock numerous times as she worked, fearful of just how much time she was taking to escape.

"Ok, there's two down... Now just to- Shit!" Midnight thought to herself as David stirred.

Midnight immediately released her magic hold on David's finger. He moved slightly before settling back down and returning to his peaceful sleep. Midnight took several minutes to breathe and insure David was fully asleep before getting back to work.

"Okay, okay, okay. You got this, Mid. Just a couple... digits... to go... and... Yes! There we go."

Midnight successfully removed David's last finger from her chest and checked once again to insure that he was still asleep. His slow and steady breathing told her what she needed to know. Chancing a glance at the clock, Midnight sighed quietly.

"Ok... That took twenty minutes, but you're at the home stretch, Mid. Here we go..."

Forcing more magic into her horn, Midnight wrapped herself in her magic aura and began to gently levitate herself off of the bed. Slowly but surely, her weight was lifted from the mattress, and she hovered several inches above David's sleeping form. The bed lightly creaked as the last of her weight was freed from the confines of gravity.

"Alright... Just gotta get down now..."

Midnight gently lowered herself to the carpet with a quiet *thud*. She turned her head around to make sure David was still asleep, and to her relief, he remained still and undisturbed. She quickly walked out of the room and made her way back to the kitchen. She opened a small drawer and fished out a piece of paper and a pencil. With a quick flicker of magic, Midnight wrote down a note for David and snuck back into his room to put it on his desk. Once she was sure he would see it when he woke up, she quietly made her way for the front door and set off towards Canterlot.

David awoke with a yawn and a long stretch. Despite how much he drank last night, he didn't seem to have any kind of hangover whatsoever.

"Must be magic in the booze or something..."

Opening his eyes to the room around him, David saw the white ceiling and light blue walls he was now so familiar with. He rolled over to the left in an attempt to go back to sleep, but noticed something odd. The spot he rolled onto felt slightly prickly and was... warm... much warmer than where he was laying.

"What the? Why is this spot so warm? Wait... is that... hair? Was someone shedding on the bed? It's black... Oh no..."

The realization hit David like a truck.

"Oh... oh god... this is Mid's hair... did I sleep with her?"

David hastily scrambled out of bed, searching for any signs of the graphite pony. He didn't see any indication of her presence aside from the quickly fading warmth on the bed and whatever loose hair clung to the sheets. David frantically searched through his memories of the previous night to find an answer.

"Ok, ok, come on David. Think! We uh... We went to the bar, yeah... We drank a lot... Then we danced. Then what? Shit I can't remember. I just remember stumbling back into the house..."

David's eyes fell on the desk as his thoughts raced. He saw the note, clearly displayed with his name written on it in Midnight's writing. Her elegant cursive displayed his name clearly and professionally. He gulped and walked towards the paper, each step slow and fearful of what the note might say.

"What if we did sleep together last night? What if she was so disgusted that she wants me to leave? What if I hurt her somehow and she doesn't want to see me anymore?"

After several tense seconds, David finally arrived at the paper. He slowly reached out and grabbed the note, careful not to wrinkle it. He unfolded it and began reading.

David, I'm going into town for a little while today. I need to talk with Princess Luna about my work, so I won't be back until noonish at the earliest. Hopefully when I get back, I'll have some good news for you. In the meantime, you should probably take it easy. You had a lot to drink last night, big guy. I'll see you in a bit.

-Mid (who else?)

David visibly relaxed. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Ok, I don't think I slept with my best friend while we were both drunk... That's good." David said, sighing with relief.

David turned around and walked up to the bed. He gently brushed his hand against where Midnight had slept and felt what was left of her fur and hair tickle his hand.

"Then why is her fur on the bed though? It's still so warm too. She must have just left a couple minutes ago... Did she... tuck me in or something? Maybe she slept on the sheets with me but nothing happened. Ponies do that, right?" David thought out loud as he sat on the bed and scratched the back of his head.

"Ok, I'm gonna have to ask her when she gets back. Hmm, she wont be back until noon... I guess I could take care of a few things while she's gone."

David pushed himself off the bed and walked to the shower. Ducking his head into the slightly-too-small shower, he turned the knob to a decently hot medium and waited for the water to warm up as it began flowing. Once he got the temperature he wanted, he stripped his clothes and stepped inside.

Within a few minutes, David was out of the shower and getting dressed. He ran through his mental checklist.

"Ok, first, I need to go see about getting those shoes at the castle. Second, I need to clean up in here. Mid usually keeps things decently tidy, but this place has been a mess lately. Lastly, I need to talk to her once she gets back... about last night. There's no way she didn't sleep here with me. I'm fairly certain nothing happened, but if something did... Well... I just hope our first time wasn't some drunken stupor that neither of us remember."

David stopped his thinking as he realized something.

"Our first time... Jeez, listen to me. I sound like we're going to end up together... Are we? I mean, I feel like I shouldn't be okay with it, but then again... I'm not disgusted at all by the idea of sleeping with her... Honestly I'm more worried it was when we were both drunk and didn't really know what we were doing... Maybe I should tell her how I feel? No! Come on, David! There's no way she feels the same. She probably came down here last night to make sure you weren't dead, like any good friend would. That's it. She doesn't like you like that. Telling her would just ruin our relationship."

David sat in a solemn silence.

"No point in arguing with myself. She's a pony, and that means she would want to be with a pony. Besides, it's not like I could just become a pony... could I?"

The thought brought back the tidal wave of emotions David tried so desperately to suppress.

"What am I talking about? I live in a land of magical talking ponies. Of course I could! If I was a pony, then there would be nothing keeping us apart! I could tell her how I feel, and it wouldn't be so weird! Ponies wouldn't give her a second look when she and I went on a date. Twilight could probably work some magic and I could switch between being a pony and human at will! That'd be awesome! Best of both worlds right there!"

Without another thought, David made his way out the door and headed for Canterlot Castle.

Midnight arrived at Canterlot Castle as the sun's warmth finally began to heat up the street. There were only a few days left before Canterlot was due to receive its Hearth's Warming snow, and ponies were already preparing for the coming frost fall. Many were wearing winter boots and scarfs as well as full winter coats.

Midnight waved at the guards stationed at the front door and walked inside. Easily navigating the familiar network of hallways throughout the castle, she found herself at the door of the throne room. She knocked three times, and to her surprise, the doors opened.

A light blue aura quickly dissipated from the door handle as it opened enough for Midnight to enter. As she walked in, she was greeted by none other then Princess Cadence. Midnight quickly bowed.

"Rise, Midnight, I've been expecting you." Cadence said cheerfully.

"Your highness, I... wait, you were?" Midnight asked as she rose to her hooves.

"Indeed. Let's just say a mutual friend told me all about your predicament a little while ago."

"No... Luna wouldn't tell her my story without letting me tell her myse-"

"Anyways, come over here Midnight, sit with me. Let's talk. I know the story, but I want to hear it from you."

"Ugh, Luna..." Midnight thought with a smirk.

Midnight walked closer to Cadence, cautiously approaching the princess before sitting in front of her. She let out a long sigh.

"Alright, I guess I should start from the beginning."

David arrived at Canterlot Castle with a grin. His favorite guard was on duty again, and she was already waving at him from her post, completely abandoning her professional attitude.

"Hi Davey!" Storm Shield called from the gate.

"Hey Stormy!" David called back enthusiastically.

The two closed the distance and embraced each other in a tight hug.

"There you are! I've been hoping to see you all day!" She cheered.

"Well you sure are happy to see me. It's not like I was gone for a long time, I was here yesterday you silly pony." He said as he booped her nose, causing her muzzle to scrunch up adorably.

"I know, I know. I just miss seeing you around the castle everyday, so I get super excited whenever I get to see you anymore."

"You know I live with Midnight, right? You can always come and visit. I'd love to see my favorite guard without her armor on. Since that stuff makes you all look white, I still don't even know what your coat color is!"

"Absolutely! I'd love to come by sometime. But I thought I told you last week that it's blue, Davey. Anyways, what're you here for today? Besides seeing my beautiful muzzle, of course."

"You did? Oh man, my memory has been getting worse, hasn't it? Anyways I'm actually here to pick up some shoes, and maybe talk with Tia about a couple of things. If she's around, that is."

"Well, she's definitely here. I'm not sure how likely it is that you'll be able to see her though, what with her appointments and such, but I'm sure she'll make time for you." Storm finished with a wink.

"Hehe, thanks Stormy. I've gotta go now, but I'll come by some other time, or you can always come and visit me later." David replied.

Storm squeezed David in another tight hug before letting him go and returning to her post. She waved as David walked into the castle.

"Later Davey!"

David walked through the many corridors of the castle once again. Following his mental gps, he found himself in front of Celestia's private chambers once again. Chancing his luck, he knocked several times. There was some muffled noise behind the door, and the tell-tale sounds of hooves clopping on marble floor reverberated through the heavy doors before they opened.

Celestia's golden aura pushed the doors open and her gaze fell onto David. A smile instantly formed on her lips and she quickly rushed to the door to greet him. He spread his arms wide as Celestia came close and hugged him. Her wings draped over his shoulders and she brought her hooves around his back and pulled him close.

"Oh, David, it's good to see you again. What brings you back so soon?" She asked, finally breaking the hug.

"It's good to see you too, Tia. I uh... I have a few reasons for being here today. Firstly, I need to pick up my shoes from the seamstress. Secondly, I wanted to talk with you about... well... about Midnight." David said, the nervousness in his voice betraying the calm facade he was trying to keep up.

"Oh, perfect! I can get the seamstress in here right now."

With that, her horn lit up, bringing an ink quill and paper between them. She wrote down some quick instructions and with a small poof, the letter was gone. A small trail of golden magic snaked through the air and out the door, presumably toward the seamstress's office.

"Now, onto the second reason you wanted to see me... Let me just start by saying you came here at the perfect time as I don't have any appointments for another hour or so. You have my full attention." Celestia said, motioning to the spot in front of her as she laid down on her giant mattress.

David walked up to the bed and laid down. He rested his head on Celestia's barrel as she turned her head towards him and magically closed the door.

"Well... This is hard to say-" David began.

"Take your time. If there's a problem between you and Midnight, I want to resolve it as quickly as possible."

"There's nothing wrong. Things are better than they've ever been between us. I'm just... conflicted is all."

"How so?"

"Well, you know how the other day, you said that I should consider a relationship with a pony?" David nervously asked.

A look of realization dawned on Celestia's face immediately.

"Oooooooooooooh..." She said, a sly grin quickly forming on her face. "So you like Midnight then?"

David was silent for a long time before he finally found the courage to speak again.

"...Yes..."

He felt a wing drape over his shoulder, and Celestia nuzzled him against his cheek.

"I'm so happy to hear that. I had a feeling you two would end up taking a liking to each other. I'm glad to see that you're considering a relationship with her."

Being showered with affection like this made David melt into Celestia's embrace. He sighed and sank further into her warmth. She seemed to radiate such a welcome heat. Not enough to be uncomfortable, but just right.

"I don't know how to tell her. I don't know if she even feels the same way. Worst of all, I'm afraid that if I do tell her, she'll be disgusted and want me to leave. We have such a good relationship right now. She's funny, she's smart, and somehow, someway, I've come to genuinely find her very attractive. I don't know how... She's not human, but I still think she's beautiful. Not like a 'beautiful sunset' kind of beautiful, but like, 'someone you want to spend the rest of your life with' kind of beautiful. She's that amazing! And I don't know if I can ask her out... I'm too afraid of losing my best friend." David said, sadly.

He shuffled uncomfortably in Celestia's embrace. He took several long moments to collect his thoughts before speaking again.

"The thing is, I don't know if she'd want to be with me since I'm a human, and she's a pony... which is why I wanted to talk to you." David said, turning to look Celestia in the eyes.

"I don't think I follow." Celestia said, concern and confusion written on her face.

David sighed deeply.

"Is... is there a way... not permanently, but some way that... well..." David trailed off.

"Some way that... what? You don't have to be nervous around me David. I'm hear to help in whatever way I can." Celestia said, nudging David for an answer.

"Is there a spell that could... turn me into a pony? Like, a spell that could let me switch between species... So that Midnight and I could be together."

David cringed at his own question. Asking a princess if she could change his species wasn't something he thought he'd ever end up doing, but here he was, asking something most people would call him crazy for.

It was a while before Celestia spoke. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and deep thought. Finally, she found the words to speak again.

"Hmm... There... Might be a spell that can do that. However, it may not be the safest option. We still know so little about your biology when it comes to magic. That said, why do you want to change to be a pony? I might not be an expert on love, but I do know that when two ponies love each other, it doesn't matter what either of them look like. You love somepony for who they are, not their physical appearance. If Midnight likes you - and I'm fairly sure she does - then she won't care about you being human. She'll like you for who you are. A kind, gentle, and loving creature that changed her life for the better."

"Thanks, Tia. It's just that I don't want to be the cause of any grief for her. There are a lot of ponies that still don't like me. Hell, just the other day there was a librarian who wouldn't even talk to me when I tried to buy a book from his store. A nice griffon bought it for me - which I really appreciated - but If Mid faces the same kind of hostility for being with me like a month ago... Well, I don't even know what I'd do. It wouldn't be fair to her, and if she does like me as much as I like her, then I can't ask her to date me just off of that principle. I don't want her to get hurt. I couldn't live with myself if something bad happened to her because of me. Could you just do me the favor of looking into it? I'd like to at least have it as a last resort in the future."

"I will speak with Twilight about the spell. We'll work on it together and see if it's feasible. Again, I really think you should tell Midnight how you feel before you decide on this path. While I'm sure there is a spell that can turn you into a pony, it very well might not be reversible." Celestia said with a more somber tone.

"I intend to, Tia. Believe me. I just wanted to know if it was possible. I had no intention of asking you to do it now. I was honestly just curious if it could even be done." David explained.

"Very well then. I'll send a letter to Twilight and we'll start looking into it."

David smiled.

"Thanks, Tia. Believe me, I don't want to change species or anything. I very much like being human, but if I could go back and forth, then Mid and I wouldn't have to worry about other ponies. We'd blend in just like everyone else."

"I understand. You're very welcome David. Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"Just... Could you do me a favor and keep this between us and Twilight? I really don't want anyone else to know about this, especially Midnight. At least, not until I'm sure about it." David said.

"My lips are sealed. Anything else?"

"Uh, I don't really think so. You've been extremely helpful, Tia."

The princess of the sun smiled at the praise and nuzzled David affectionately.

"Anything for my friends."

"-and then I managed to levitate myself to the floor and get out. I wrote him a note saying that I was going to talk with Princess Luna and I made my way over here as fast as I could." Midnight finished.

"I see. So it's safe to say that you have feelings for David then, hmm?" Cadence asked.

"Y-yeah... I guess I do..." Midnight replied, while her cheeks flushed.

"Hmm. Well, I know a certain pony that owes me twenty bits..."

"What was that, Princess?"

"Oh nothing. Anyways... So you like David more than just a friend, and you're hoping that he feels the same way. Correct?"

"I... I guess... Yeah... I know it's only been a couple months since he got here, but I already can't even imagine my life without him. I just don't know if he feels the same way though... I was hoping that you could tell me what to do."

"Hmm... Okay, I have an idea. Let's try an exercise."

Midnight tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Like... running?"

"No, silly. Mental exercise. I want you to take a moment, and think. Think about the last two months, and tell me how you felt during that time. How did David make you feel these last two months specifically?"

Midnight looked at the floor. Her mind searched for the events of the last two months. Every game, every drink, and every joke she and David partook in resurfaced and Midnight felt every emotion hit her like a truck.

Turning her head up, Midnight saw Cadence's magic flicker out and the blue aura surrounding her horn quickly dissipated.

"Uh... Princess? What were you just doing? Why do I feel so different?"

"That was a spell to help you remember. It helped amplify the emotions you felt as you're memories played out. This way, they're fresh in your mind. Now, tell me how David made you feel these last two months."

Midnight took a long moment to think. Every feeling, every memory, and every reason why she liked David came pouring into her mind, blocking out everything else. Her entire body released the tension she didn't even know she was carrying. Her mind eased and the entire world melted away around her.

"Well... He makes me happy. When I'm with him, I feel like I can laugh again. I feel strong again when he's there. I love seeing him smile, and hearing his laugh. When I'm with him, I forget about the past. I forget about..." Midnight trailed off.

Cadence allowed Midnight a few moments to compose herself before she spoke.

"Midnight, it sounds to me like you already have your answer. If he makes you feel that way, then you owe it to both yourself and David to give your relationship a chance."

Midnight slumped her shoulders and sighed.

"I'm just so scared. He's the first stallion I've cared for since... well..."

"You don't have to talk about it if it still pains you, Midnight, I understand, really, I do. The thing is, you have two options. either take the plunge, and possibly find love again, or don't. You can hope that David will make the first move, but you know even better than I do that he probably won't want to make the first move, especially when we're so different from him. I'm not saying you should go home and confess your feelings for him right now- in fact, I think you should give it a little more time before you tell him- but you can't hide your feelings forever. Eventually, he's going to find out. Whether you want him to or not."

Midnight sat on the chair for a long time. Her thoughts were racing. Every instinct in her body screamed at her to go for it. That they were perfect for each other, and that she was just being paranoid. At the same time, every nerve in her head told her that David didn't feel the same way. He couldn't. They were just too different.

She thought for a long time while Cadence patiently waited for her answer. Eventually, after several tense minutes of thought, Midnight finally came to a decision.

"O...Okay... I think... I think I'll tell him."

"I think that would be the best course of action Midnight. Just remember one thing, okay? Don't force it. Let it come naturally. You'll know when to tell him, trust me." Cadence finished with a wink.

"These new shoes fit perfectly. Thank you so much. I can't believe I've gone barefoot for two months!" David cheered while walking around in his new shoes.

The royal seamstress simply nodded to both David and Celestia before quickly leaving the room without a word.

"Oh man, Mid's gonna love these! I can't wait to show her. Oh! I'll race her! She may win on the grass, but when I can actually run on pavement, it'll all be over for her..." David said, rubbing his hands together in an devilish fashion.

"I don't think Midnight will want to race, David." Celestia said with a small chuckle.

"Why not? She's always up for my shenanigans. Like this one time I got her to climb the roof with me when I got bored that one day. Haha, we almost fell off the roof climbing down!"

"I imagine she wasn't too fond of the idea." Celestia said through a giggle.

"No, she was completely down. Glad she has magic though. She caught my dumb ass a few times. Those roof tiles are slippery." David said with a thoughtful stroke of his chin.

"I'm surprised. Last I checked, Midnight was afraid of heights. Then again, I hadn't seen her very much for almost a year before you arrived." Celestia mused.

"Wait, what? Midnight was afraid of heights? Really? She sure hasn't ever shown it." David responded, curiously.

"Well, ever since what happened to her all those years ago, she hasn't really been keen on high places." Celestia replied as delicately as she could.

"Wait, what happened? What are you talking about?" David asked, suddenly much more invested in the conversation.

"You mean she didn't tell you? Oh..." Celestia said with a slight waver in her voice.

"Tell me what?"

"Well... it's not really for me to say, but... several years ago, she endured something traumatic..."

"Wait, what do you mean? How many years ago? What happened to her?" David asked, his happy mood shifting.

"I thought you knew about what happened to her... I thought she told you..." Celestia said, becoming increasingly more uncomfortable with each word.

"What happened to her? You mean her parents?"

"No... This was... more recent. I shouldn't say anymore. This is Midnight's business. If you wish to know more about it, you need to ask her."

"Tia, you can't just tell me that and not tell me the rest. What happened to her?" David's word grew angrier. "If it was something big like you're making out to be, she would have told me."

"David, please, calm down. It's Midnight's personal history. She requested that we respect her privacy after it happened. If you want the truth, please, ask her. If she does not wish to tell you, then please respect her decision."

David sighed.

"Alright. I'm sorry. I'll talk with her as soon as I can."

With that, David gave Celestia a quick hug and was out the door on his way back home. He walked with determination, and before he was even out of the castle doors, he was running. He was so focused he didn't even notice Storm Shield trying to get his attention as he blew past her. All he knew was that something bad happened to the mare he cared about. He just had to find out what.

David arrived at Midnight's house in record time. He reached the front door, panting. He pulled his spare key from pocket and unlocked the door. His mind raced as he pushed his way inside.

"What if something really bad happened to her? What if it's some permanent disability that I never knew about? What if someone hurt her?"

David stopped dead in his tracks.

"No... I swear to god, if someone hurt her I'll kill them myself."

David paced through the living room. The mere thought of Midnight being in distress filled his heart with pain and anger. He wanted to know. He wanted to hold her close and tell her it would be alright.

"God dammit! Mid, why didn't you tell me!? And why do you have to be gone for another hour?! There's got to be something here that can tell me what happened."

David began searching the house. He started in the kitchen, carefully inspecting every drawer, every cabinet, and every spot she could have hidden the information he needed. When he found nothing, he checked the living room. Nothing. Over and over, each room proved to have nothing. David was about to head upstairs when a certain closet caught his eye.

"You know, I don't think I've ever opened this door before..."

David grabbed the handle and opened the door. He was greeted by a large crate in the center of the small room. He decided that it was worth opening and pried the lid open on the heavy wooden container. A well maintained, shiny gold uniform greeted him as he looked inside.

"Huh, this must've been her uniform when she was a medic in the Royal Guard."

David gently set the uniform down to the side and continued digging. He found multiple books on the subject of surgery and several other medical practices.

"Geez Mid, you could make Twilight jealous with all this."

As David reached the bottom of the crate, his attention was caught by something. A medium sized bag, with what seemed to be several small glass jars inside jingled as he accidentally nudged them with a book as he rummaged through the crate. David tilted his head in confusion.

"What is that?"

He reached inside the bag and pulled out one of the jars. The label read 'MORPHINE' in bright red lettering.

"Jesus Mid, this jar alone could take care of a patient for a week. They can't all be..."

David pulled more and more jars out of the bag. A pit formed in his stomach as each jar seemed to be exactly the same.

"Christ, Mid, what happened to you?"

There were seventeen jars of morphine in total. Enough to run a small hospital for days. David felt sick to his stomach at the thought.

"Mid... why didn't you tell me..."

Midnight walked through the worn country road outside of Centerlot with a worried smile. She was finally going to do it. She was finally going to confess her feelings, and hopefully, David would feel the same way. She was conflicted, and many thoughts raced through her mind at the notion of dating her only friend.

"He must feel the same way, right? I swear he looks at me differently than he does at the other mares... But... but what if he just sees me as his best friend and nothing more? No, I made my decision and I can't back out now. I have to go through with this."

As she walked along the road, Midnight felt butterflies rise and fall in her stomach with each passing thought. Any number of things could happen with David. He was still an alien after all, and he was so secretive about his past relationships.

"He'll give me a chance. He has to. I've earned that much... right?"

Midnight pushed her thoughts to the back of her head as she reached her house. She let out a happy sigh at seeing the lights still on in the windows.

"David must be home. Alright Mid, here we go. You can do this!"

She walked up to the front door and entered the house. She saw no immediate sign of David until her eyes fell onto the living room.

"David? I'm back. I need to talk with you... It's kinda important." She called, trying her best to keep the trepidation out of her voice.

David rose from the couch and walked toward her. There was a bag in his hands. He closed the distance slowly, causing a pit in Midnight's stomach as her fear and anxiety rose. He was not acting like himself.

"Uh... David? A-are you ok?" She asked cautiously.

"I'm fine Mid, but... I need to talk to you first."

Chapter 10: Confrontation

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Midnight's stomach twisted and her heart sank. All the things she wanted to tell David were forced to the back of her head as he approached with a very familiar looking bag in his hands. With each step he took, Midnight's heart beat faster and faster.

"Oh no... he went in the... closet... please, no..." Midnight thought to herself as the bag swayed slightly in David's hand.

Her anxiety skyrocketed and fear clawed at her soul.

A painful silence filled the room once David stopped in front of Midnight. As he set the bag down, there was an audible *clink* as the jars hit each other and the floor. Midnight nearly jumped at the sound. She knew exactly what was in the bag.

"Uh... hehe.. w-what about... big guy? Midnight said, nearly choking on her words.

"Mid... I know that you said you got the morphine to save my life by taking a small amount while you were a medic... And I know that you don't have to tell me a damn thing about your past, but... Mid... this is beyond a small amount. There's enough morphine here to run a hospital for a week. I know enough about pony biology now to know that you can get addicted to stuff like this just as much as I can. And I know no one gets addicted to morphine for no reason... So..." David sighed deeply. "I want to know what happened. Why you have this much morphine." David said, pointing to the bag. "If you don't want to tell me, that's your choice and I'll respect that. But please, for my sake, don't leave me in the dark here. Tia wouldn't tell me anything other than you had an accident a few years ago. You're my best friend, and I want to make sure you're alright."

Midnight couldn't speak. Her words caught in her throat and her voice failed her. Her anxiety peaked, while a bead of sweat quickly began to form on her brow.

"How did he find it?! Did I not lock the closet?! Damn it!" Midnight screamed in her head.

There was a long silence between them as they stood in the hallway, simply staring at each other. Midnight felt each second drag on for what seemed like an eternity. Her mind desperately sought answers.

"How could he?! That's none of his business! David you... you... Damn it!"

Finally, after quite some time, Midnight's fear and anxiety turned to anger, and she spoke.

"Where... did you get that?"

Her piercing glare told David all he needed to know about how she felt about the invasion of her privacy.

"I found it in the closet over there." He said, motioning to the slightly open closet door.

"And why were you going through my stuff?" Midnight asked, barely containing her rage.

"Because when Tia told me about your accident I wanted to know what happened. When I saw the crate in the closet, I thought I would find answers in there. I get that you're mad... But I didn't just go through to be nosy, I was worried about you, and this just makes me even more concerned!" David explained, motioning to the bag of morphine.

"While I appreciate your concern, I'm not on the stuff anymore, and this was none of your business to go through in the first place. I'm an adult, David and I can make my own decisions. If I had wanted to tell you about what happened, I would have." She said through gritted teeth.

Midnight ripped the bag away from David with her magic and angrily pushed past him, walking towards the closet. She opened the door and threw the bag into the crate and closed it. She slammed the closet door shut, causing David to visibly cringe at her previously unseen hostility.

Midnight took several deep breaths before she turned and spoke to David again.

"Look... I don't want to talk about this. I'm going upstairs."

With that she walked up the stairs, pushing past David's leg. David nearly stumbled over to one side from the surprising amount of force behind Midnight shoulder.

"Wait Mid-" David started, only to stop when he saw the angry glare in Midnight's eyes.

He sighed.

"I'll... leave you alone then. I'm sorry."

The sound of Midnight's bedroom door slamming shut filled the house and David was left by himself in the hallway.

"What did I just do?"

Midnight angrily paced back and forth in her room while she sulked over David's actions.

"Ugh, why did he do that!? I mean, did I forget to lock it? Either way, that doesn't give him free reign to just start snooping around! Especially with something so serious! Damn it!"

She sighed harshly.

"Okay, maybe we just need to establish personal boundaries? Like don't go snooping through my stuff when I told you not to, for starters." Midnight thought to herself before letting out a frustrated groan

Midnight shook those thoughts from her head almost as quickly as they appeared.

"No! Damn it, Mid! He was just trying to help! Even if he doesn't understand, it's not like he was trying to make you look like the bad guy here... That doesn't excuse it though! I didn't say 'just go through my stuff when I'm not home, that's fine!'... but you did say he wasn't invading your personal space way back.... Maybe he took that to mean he could go through the closet? No! He's been here long enough to know that that would be a total violation of our trust!"

Midnight threw herself on her bed as the tears started forming.

"Damn it, Mid... stop crying..."

"I was gonna tell him too..."

David sighed for the tenth time. His mind searched for answers while he sat on the front porch with his head hung low. He pawed at a small rock in his hands as his thoughts raced over his fight with Midnight.

"Mother fucker... Why did I do that!? Why couldn't I just wait for her to come back and then ask her about it?! Looking through her stuff like that... How did I not expect her to be angry!?" He shouted in his head as he threw the rock at the country road leading away from the house.

David hung his head low. His heart ached and the pit in his stomach refused to go away.

"So stupid... Why did I think confronting her about it would be a good idea? I should've just asked her like a normal person. What was I thinking? She probably thinks I was calling her an addict and trying to make her sound like a junkie. God damn it... She deserves better than me..."

David sat on the porch for a long time before he noticed the sky turning multiple shade of orange and the sun lowering in the sky.

"Must be at least four-ish by now... Maybe I sho- no... She needs some space. I'll see about talking with her tomorrow..."

David rose from the porch and started walking down the road. He blindly followed the path and proceeded towards Canterlot as the sun set over the horizon.

David walked with his mind lost in thought as the gravel under his shoes dispersed and compacted under his weight. With each step, he feet seemed to get heavier and heavier. He trudged along the beaten path in a haze. The events of several hours ago replayed in his head so many times he was sick of it.

"God damn it... This is our first fight ever and I'm letting it get to me like this... Maybe I'm blowing things out of proportion. Maybe she isn't that mad and by tomorrow morning we'll just laugh this off and things will be alright between us. God I hope so..."

As David proceeded down the path, he found his way back into Canterlot. He walked through the busy streets as the final hours of the workday came to a close and ponies began making their way home. David trudged through the crowds with his head hung low. No matter what he tried to think of instead, he could not shake his thoughts from the fight.

"And to think, I was gonna tell her how I felt... I bet she would never even consider it no-"

"Davey!" A feminine voice called out.

David looked up at the ponies walking around him. He swiveled his head until he found the direction of the voice. After squinting his eyes slightly, he saw a navy blue pegasus mare with a silver mane and tail. Her cutie mark was a wooden shield being struck by a lightning bolt, and her emerald eyes seemed to beam when she made eye contact with David. She waved a hoof at him, to which he waved back and the two of them closed the distance between them.

The mare jumped into the air and tackled David into a tight hug, knocking him to the ground in the process.

"Davey! I was just on my way to come see you! I was really worried after you just ran out of the castle earlier today. I tried to get your attention, but you just ran right past me. What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Uh... Storm Shield?" David hesitantly asked.

"Well duh? Of course it's me, silly. Oh wait, that's right. You've never seen me without my armor on. Well, uh... here I am!" She said as she hopped off of David's chest and sheepishly smiled.

David rose to a sitting position and reached out to Storm's ear. He scratched just behind her ear, earning a content sigh from the pegasus.

"Hehe, you're as adorable as I thought you'd be, Stormy." David said with a smile.

"Well, I aim to please. But you still haven't told me what you're doing over here. Don't make me put on my armor and force the truth out of you." She said playfully.

David put his hand up in a mock surrender.

"I yield, I yield. I'll tell you why. Just... can we go somewhere not so crowded?" David asked, suddenly aware of the many eyes on the two of them.

"Oh, yeah, hehehe... We can go to my place. It's only a little ways away."

"Sounds good to me."

Storm helped David to his feet and led the way through the crowded streets towards her house. Despite the many ponies out and about, Storm easily navigated her way through the busy streets with David tagging just behind. Some ponies made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with the human, as they pushed themselves further into the crowds to avoid him. Some ponies recognized him and gave their greetings, which David kindly returned.

Eventually, Storm led David out of the crowded streets and down the more residential neighborhoods. She took him down to a short cul-de-sac with several identical looking buildings lining the pavement. They were all wooden and painted white. The front door was flanked on both sides by small windows, and the second floor of each house each had two windows as well. Aside from small yards in front of each house, there was nothing noteworthy of their appearances.

Storm lead David to the fifth house on the street before turning into the walkway and heading to the front door.

"Here we are. Now I know it's a little messy, but I was expecting to go over to your house, not the other way around so I hope you can forgive that." She said with a sheepish smile.

"It's fine, Stormy. I'm sure it's not that bad anyways." David reassured.

"Alright, welcome to el casa del Storm." She said as she pushed the door open.

David followed Storm into the house, and his jaw dropped. There was a small entrance for anypony to remove their jackets and other apparel, followed by a neat living room with a small sofa and a fireplace at the end of the room to the right. To the left was a small kitchen filled with all the necessities for cooking. Straight ahead there was two doors and a stairwell leading upstairs. It seemed like an ordinary house, except the entirety of the first floor was completely spotless. There wasn't a spec of dirt anywhere on the floor or anywhere else on the first floor. Even the fireplace was completely spotless and somehow even managed to have a small sheen to it.

"Uh... What did you say about it being a little messy?" David asked, a stark amount of confusion evident in his tone.

"Well, there's a bit of dirt over on the stairs, hehe..." Storm replied as she sheepishly smiled back at him.

"Stormy, this place is completely spotless... What are you talking about?"

"Over here." She replied, walking over to the stairs.

Storm pointed at a hoof print made of an extremely small layer of dirt on the first step.

"Right there." She said.

"Seriously?" David deadpanned.

"What? I'm in the guard! They drill cleanliness into us from day one. I'd be doing wing ups and laps all week for this dirt if I lived in the barracks and my Sergeant saw it." Storm said defensively.

David shook his head.

"I guess. They sure are strict on that kind of thing. We would get punished for stuff like that in basic, but not so much once we got to our actual units. Speaking of which, why don't you live in the barracks?"

"Because married ponies get free housing so that we can live with our spouses." Storm replied matter-of-factly

"Wait, you're married? Since when?"

Storm unfurled her wing, revealing a small golden ring on her pinfeather. It fit snugly around the base of the feather, and was almost completely covered by the surrounding feathers holding it neatly in place.

"I've been married for six months now. My husband's just out of town right now on business. I swear I told you that before."

"No... I don't remember that. Uh, well congratulations. It might be several months late, but I am very happy for you. What's his name?"

"Wind Rider. He's off in Cloudsdale at the moment. He'll be back in a few days if you want to meet him." She said with a happy smile.

"I'd love to. If he's got your stamp of approval, then he must be a good guy. I am in need of more 'guy' friends. I haven't had a night out with the boys since I got out of the Military." David said, reminiscing about the past.

"Well I'll let him know when he gets back. Now, back to the reason you came over." Storm said as she walked over to the living room and hopped onto the sofa.

"Right..." David said morosely.

"Well, judging by your tone, it's not a good thing. So, sit down, and tell me what's up. I'm a good listener." She said as David sat down.

"Alright, but this stays between us."

"I swear that nothing you say to me leaves this room." Storm replied, her tone turning serious.

"Alright. Mid and I... we, uh... we had a bit of a fight. I was an idiot and I really pissed her off."

"What did you do?"

"Ugh... I really don't think I should say. It's her own personal issue and I've pissed her off enough already just by bringing it up in the first place."

"David I'm not gonna tell anypony. I already swore I wouldn't." Storm said defensively.

"I know, I know. It's just... I already hurt her enough as is. Let's just say that she has some demons she's had to fight in the past, and like a complete idiot, I brought them up and tried to confront her about them. She was understandably pissed off at me and stormed off to her room. I... kinda just started walking after that. Honestly I don't know if she even wants to see me anymore after all that." David said as he hung his head.

"Well, regardless of how wrong you are on that last part, that does sound like you hurt her pretty bad. Why did you confront her if you knew she didn't want to talk about it?" Storm asked as she rubbed David's shoulder with her hoof.

"I wasn't thinking. I thought someone had hurt her, and I wanted to get to the bottom of it. I was so blinded by the thought of someone hurting my best friend that I lost it. I went through some of her stuff I really shouldn't have, and when I confronted her, well... let's just say that if we weren't best friends, I'd probably be in a hospital right now."

"Hmm... That does sound kinda bad. Especially the part where you went through her stuff... But you were only trying to help her though, right? Like, you were only doing what you thought was in her best interest."

"I guess. I don't know. When I heard about it from Tia, I just started seeing red. She's not just my best friend... She's more than that..." David trailed off.

"Wait, you don't mean..." Storm began.

"If you're going to ask what I think you are, the answer is 'no'. At least, I haven't told her how I feel yet. And after this, I doubt she'd even consider a relationship with me. I totally overstepped my bounds. So stupid."

"Aww, uh... I feel conflicted, actually. On one hoof, I'm super, super happy for you and hope you go for it. On the other hoof, I'm concerned about what happened with you and I really, really hope it gets resolved quickly. I'm excited and scared for you. Scarecited."

"Thanks Storm. I just... I think I should give her some space. I'm probably the last thing she wants to see right now. I think I'm just gonna stay away from her for the night."

"Well, if you're sure then you're always welcome to stay here. Just know that I have to be up at five and I tend to make a lot of noise in the morning so I might wake you up."

"Thanks Stormy, but I think I might just go walk around for a bit. I'm not gonna get any sleep like this anyways." David said as he rose from the couch and headed for the door.

"Wait, you can't just stay out there all night! You'll freeze. David, we're due for snow any day now. As your friend, I can't let you stay out there." Storm said, quickly moving to block the door.

"Storm, I appreciate it. I really do, but I just want to walk around tonight." David said, trying to get past the navy blue mare.

"Nope. I'm sorry but it's supposed to drop to thirty degrees tonight, and you don't have fur. Without a winter coat or something like that, you'll be hypothermic by morning. If you think I'm going to just stand by and let my friend freeze over a dumb fight with his 'soon-to-be-girlfriend' then you don't know me at all." Storm said, stomping her hoof on the ground to silence any rebuttal David had prepared.

David let out a long sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Jesus... Alright Stormy. Fine. I'll stay the night."

Storm cheered with excitement.

"Yay! It'll be like a sleepover!"

David rolled his eyes at her antics.

"You are a child trapped in an adults body, you know that?"

"Adults are just grown up kids, Davey." She sing-songed as she headed for the kitchen. "So what would you like for dinner?"

Midnight opened her bedroom door slowly. She walked out and down the stairs with a noticeable drag in her hooves. She hung her head as she walked to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She quickly downed her drink and made her way over to David's room before pausing for several seconds at the door.

"Alright Mid, just explain to him that what he did was not okay, and then I'm sure he'll apologize. From there, it's as easy as saying 'I forgive you, let's move on' and boom, we're friends again."

Midnight slowly raised her hoof and knocked on the door. There was nothing but silence.

"David?" Midnight asked,

She knocked again but there was still no answer. Midnight pushed the door open and looked inside. An empty room greeted her, just the way it had every day before David moved in. Midnight scanned the entire room, hoping that she had missed something. The room was completely empty, leaving Midnight all alone.

"Oh no..."

"David!" Midnight called out.

There was no answer. She hurried to the front door and made her way outside.

"David!" She called again.

There was no response. The only sound that filled the air was the sound of the trees rustling in the cold mountain breeze as the sun set on the horizon. Midnight felt the cold wind bite through her coat, particularly at the now damp fur under her eyes. She trudged back inside and slammed the door behind her.

Midnight walked up the stairs and into her bedroom. She threw herself onto the bed and cried into her pillow.

"What have I done?"

Eventually, Midnight's tears dried and she slowly fell into the calm embrace of sleep.

Midnight woke up to the sound of running water. She slowly craned her neck off of the ground and turned to see a gorgeous river flowing in front of her. She looked down to see the sun's golden rays shining a sandy beach laid out under her body. She rose to her hooves and turned around completely to find a starry night sky and the moon. Confused, she turned her head skyward, and saw the navy blue of the night sky, and the blood orange of the setting sun mixing together in the twilight, creating a gorgeous magenta and a million other shades of purple.

"Guess I cried myself to sleep... great..." Midnight muttered to herself.

"Well I suppose that confirms my fears." A voice echoed through the sky.

"Gah!" Midnight shouted, turning to see where the voice came from. "Princess Luna?"

A bright light flashed in the sky, and a ray of bright white light beamed down to the sand a few feet away from Midnight. After a few seconds, the light dissipated, and in its place stood Princess Luna.

"Princess... I... I failed you. I'm sorry." Midnight said, hanging her head low.

"Now now, Midnight. You haven't failed me yet. That said, I would like to speak with you about David. He's having a nightmare again. You're not with him, obviously. Otherwise you'd be with him right now stopping it. Since you cried yourself to sleep, I'm just going to assume that you two had a fight. Is that a fair assumption?" Luna said, her tone calm and collected.

"I... yes... We had a fight and he left. When I went to his room, he was gone and when I ran outside looking for him, I couldn't find him anywhere. I'm just glad he's alright at least." Midnight said, trying to keep some of the sadness out of her tone.

"What did you two fight about?"

Midnight sighed deeply.

"It was about... my past. David found some stuff he shouldn't have when he was looking where he shouldn't have, and I responded poorly. I get that he was trying to help and be a good friend, but when he just went through my stuff without asking it violated my trust. It's my fault though. I got so used to him and I trusted him so much that I didn't even bother locking the closet. I just thought I had no reason to. I asked him not to go into that closet before and for some reason he just did anyways..." Midnight trailed off.

"I see. What exactly did you say to him?" Luna asked, rubbing her chin in thought.

"I told him that he shouldn't have gone through my stuff. That he violated my trust and privacy. He tried to talk after that but I was just so mad... I just stormed off and went to my room... Like I said... I handled it poorly." Midnight said, hanging her head again. "I was gonna tell him that I want a relationship too... Guess that'll never happen now."

Luna cocked her head to the side.

"What are you talking about? You had one fight with your best friend. I think you're overreacting a bit. David doesn't hate you now, and he certainly still likes you. You two just need to make up and move on."

Midnight sat down in the sand and sighed.

"I don't know if it's that easy. I mean, if I managed to literally make him leave, then I doubt he'll just come around."

Luna sat down next to Midnight and draped a wing over her shoulder.

"Let me put it this way. If David was shallow and spiteful enough- and I know he isn't- to never want to see you again after a fairly small fight like that, then he was never worth your time in the first place." Luna finished with a friendly smile.

"You think so?" Midnight asked as she slowly turned her head to look at Luna.

"I know so. You're an amazing mare, Midnight. Don't let your past deter you from believing that. You've served in the Night Guard ever since you recovered and your performance has been nothing short of exemplary. David would be the luckiest stallion in the world to be with you. The only question, is are you willing to fight for him?"

Luna retracted her wing and rose to her hooves. She walked towards the waterline before turning back around and looking at Midnight again.

"But how? I don't even know where he is..." Midnight asked.

"I have a feeling that he'll come back to you. At least, that's what Celestia told me." Luna said with a wink before walking into the water.

"...Wait! What!?" Midnight shouted as the last of Luna's form disappeared into the water.

There was a bright flash under the water's surface and all was calm. Midnight rushed into the water to find nothing. She kicked at the water with her hoof.

"UGH! You can't just say that and leave! Does that mean what I think it means?!" Midnight shouted to the sky.

A bright light caught her eye and pulled Midnight's attention to the horizon. The sun was getting brighter and brighter, going from a warm red to a blinding white. It spread over the horizon and quickly enveloped the world around her. Her vision filled with nothing but white, forcing her to shut her eyes.

Midnight shot her eyes open as she awoke in her room. She rolled over and looked at the clock on her dresser.

8:34 AM

"I need to find David."

Chapter 11: Resolution

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David awoke to a a loud knock on his door. He groaned as he tried to roll away from the sound and pull the covers up over his head. He only managed to delay the inevitable by a few seconds as another knock roused him from sleep. He let out an overly dramatic groan as he forced himself out of bed, his eyes still barely open and his vision blurry. He managed to find the door handle and open it, revealing Storm Shield, in full armor. Her coat now shone an alabaster white, and her mane and tail were a dark cobalt.

"Hey Davey! I made breakfast. Come on, I'm gonna have to leave in about fifteen minutes." Storm's chipper greeting raked at Davids ears.

"Ugh... What time is it?" David asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Five thirty! I had to get up a little early today so that we could have breakfast, but like I said, I have to go to the castle in about fifteen minutes. So come on lazy-butt! I made waffles!"

Storm smiled as she trotted back to the kitchen, leaving David looking like a sad child in the doorway.

"Five thirty?! You weren't kidding when you said you'd be up early. Thanks for reminding me why I got out of the Military."

David trudged to the kitchen, dragging his feet the whole way. As he reached the table, he pulled out a chair and took a seat opposite of Storm. He slowly grabbed a couple waffles and put them on his plate before raising a tired eyebrow at Storm's syrup usage.

"Whapfh?" Storm asked through a full mouth.

David lightly chuckled at her antics.

"Nothing... You just eat waffles the same way Mid eats her pancakes. Drowning in syrup."

"Thas 'cause is so gud!" Storm said before going right back to devouring her waffles.

They ate the rest of breakfast in silence. Once they were both finished, David took the plates the the kitchen and placed them in the sink before Storm entered behind him.

"Thanks for the help, Davey. I wish I could stick around with you for the day, but I have to get back to work and I really don't wanna be late. Last time that happened I was doing push ups for a week. My legs are still sore from that... and that was three years ago..." Storm exclaimed, rubbing her shoulder as she shivered from the memories.

"Hehe, I understand. Despite your exaggeration, I know what you mean. Here, I'll get out of your place." David replied with a tired smile.

"I'm not saying you have to leave! I'm just not gonna be here all day and... yeah..."

"It's fine Storm. I need to get back to Midnight anyways. Hopefully we can sort this out today now that she's had some time to cool off. At least, I hope she's cooled off a bit by now."

"Alright, but seriously, if things are still heated between you two, don't hesitate to come back over. We're not using that room for anything and I love your company." Storm said with a smile.

"Thanks. Here, I'll walk with you to the castle." David said as walked to the front door.

The pair left Storm's house and walked toward the castle. The air was very cold and windy, telegraphing the coming Heart's Warming snow. The dark morning sky was clear, allowing the last hour or so of moonlight to illuminate the streets for Storm and David.

"Damn, wish I had brought a thicker jacket. It's getting really cold now." David said as he rubbed his hands together for warmth.

"Yeah, it's supposed to snow either tonight or tomorrow morning. You must be cold without any fur to keep you warm. I would have offered you one of my coats, but um... you're a little too big for them." Storm said with a sheepish smile.

"That's alright. I've got a few back at Mid's house. I just hope she lets me in."

"She will. We ponies aren't the type to hold a grudge. She'll take you back, I promise. Besides, she didn't really kick you out, you just left to give her space. She probably misses you more than she's angry at you." Storm said dismissively.

David sighed.

"I hope you're right, Stormy. I don't know what I'll do if I lose her. I think about her all the time. Like, she never leaves my thoughts. It's kind of ironic, actually. I'm obsessing over her like some kind of stalker, which can't be good for my mental health, yet she's the one thing that's kept me sane since the crash."

"Sounds to me like somepony's in love..." Storm said, batting her eyelashes at David.

David's cheeks flushed a hot crimson, starkly contrasting with the cold world around him. He looked away from Storm before sighing.

"I..."

"What was that Davey?" Storm asked, leaning closer.

"Nothing, Stormy. Look, here's the castle." David said, pointing ahead.

Sure enough, Canterlot Castle towered in front of them like a skyscraper. Its high walls and tall towers blocked out the fading moonlight, causing the ground to be even colder under its immense shadow. Storm and David closed in on the front gate and met the two thestrals stationed there.

"Morning guys, anything exciting happen last night?" Storm asked.

"It was quiet. As usual." Replied the first thestral.

"Just a little chilly." Said the second thestral as he grabbed his saddlebags.

"Alright, well, I'll see you guys tonight then." Storm said as the thestrals walked away.

David and Storm stood there alone for a few minutes in an awkward silence before he spoke.

"So... where's your partner? You're not just gonna be here alone, are you?"

"Well we are a little early, so he's probably on his way. He'll be here in a few minutes."

"Alright, I'll wait with you until he gets here."

"Are you waiting with me for my sake? Or because you're trying to put off going to see Midnight?" Storm asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No..." David said, unconvincingly.

"Davey."

David shuffled side to side as he rubbed his hands together for warmth. He turned away from Storm's voice and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"Mmhmm?"

"Go see her. No more stalling mister lazy-butt." Storm said, pressing her head against David's leg and pushing him away.

"Okay, okay. Geez. I'll go see her." David said, nearly falling over from Storm's pushing.

"You'd better. Now remember, mares loves roses!" Storm called out as David walked away.

"Uh... Thanks... I think. I'll keep that in mind."

David waved his final goodbye to Storm and continued on towards Midnight's house. As he walked away from the castle, a thought crept into his mind.

"Maybe I should buy her roses... Fuck it, might as well go all out with this apology."

David quickened his pace and made his way to the Canterlot central district as fast as he could. Most ponies were still asleep save for the thestrals closing up shop for the day.

"Where is that shop? I know they're still open..."

After running up and down the street for a few minutes, David finally found his target. 'El Florero Del Desierto'.

"I will never understand how ponies speak English and Spanish, but whatever."

David entered the flower shop. The front door swung open easily and a small bell above the door made a loud ringing sound that filled the room. Rows upon rows of beautiful flowers lined the front entrance all the way to the rear of the store. A couple small rooms with strange glowing flowers were hidden in the back of the store by the surrounding greenery. A tired-looking thestral sitting behind the front counter seemed to perk right back up and put on a happy smile as he watched David walk towards his counter.

"Ah, good morning señor. It is rare that I meet an alien in my humble shop. Please, tell me how I can be of service to you today." He spoke with a smooth Spanish accent, the words seeming to effortlessly roll off his tongue.

"Uh, hi... Well, I messed up really bad and I need to apologize. Think you have any roses that will help me do that?" David asked.

"Would this be for a mare friend? Or perhaps a stallion?" The thestral asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Uh... It's definitely for a mare." David said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Would this mare be, perhaps, a potential love? Or, perhaps just a good friend?"

"Um... Why do you want to know that?" David asked cautiously.

"To better serve you sir. I can't very well help you pick out the perfect flower if I don't know anything about this lucky mare."

"Well... I don't know about love... I haven't known her long enough to say that I love her yet... But I care for her more than anyone else, and I want to give a relationship with her a chance." David said, thoughtfully.

"Ah, romance. Such a beautiful thing. It truly warms my heart to see young stallions such as yourself striving to woo a mare. Such dedication is a rare thing to find these days. Tell me, what kind of pony is she? What does she look like?"

"Uh... Well, she's a unicorn... and her coat is a dark grey, almost granite color. Her mane and tail are black... The way the light catches on her mane, it shines like it's made of ebony... She has the most beautiful blue eyes - God I love her eyes - they're like little sapphires." David said, almost losing himself in his reminiscing.

"You truly care for this mare. I can see it in the way you speak. This, I can work with. I have just the flower for her." The thestral said, turning tail and leading David further into the shop.

As David followed him through the many rows of flowers laid out through the shop, his eyes were drawn to beautiful lilies and roses ranging from every color in the spectrum. An entire row was dedicated to every shade of red the equine eye could perceive, and every flower David could name was in said row. As he followed the thestral further into the store, he saw more and more flowers, ranging from every color imaginable. Every species of every flower was present, there was even a section for carnivorous plants as well. They walked through row after row of beautiful flowers that David couldn't name even if he tried, before the thestral stopped at a small doorway and unlocked it, motioning for David to follow him inside.

Inside the secret room, David saw a dim glow emanating from the darkness. There were no lights in the room, making it intentionally dim, save for the plants inside. As he entered, more and more flowers slowly began to glow. Every color of the rainbow began to fill the room, and David was taken aback by the sheer beauty of the dozens of bioluminescent plants.

"Ah, here we are." The thestral said, pointing out a flower and drawing David's attention from the other flowers in the room.

David walked up to the flower in question and inspected it. At first glance, it seemed fake. It looked like the petals were made of glass and expertly crafted into the shape of a rose. They had a deep blue tinge to them and seemed to lightly pulse with light every few seconds.

"This, is a crystal rose. If her eyes are as beautiful as you described, then the ocean blue aura of this flower will compliment her nicely. This rose has been used by many mares and stallions to confess their love. It is said that if your heart is pure, and your love true, then the crystal rose will glow even brighter when it feels your presence." The thestral spoke, gently grabbing the flower with his hooves and turning to David. "Here, please take the flower."

David slowly reached out and gently grabbed the flower. He held it gingerly, as if it would break at any moment. After a few seconds, the petals seemed to glow brighter, and brighter. David stared in awe at the mysterious flower as the thestral smiled brightly at him.

"The flower has spoken. I wish you the best of luck with your mare."

"How much for this flower?" David asked, his eyes still glued to the majestic rose in his hand.

"For you? Free of charge." The thestral responded.

David swiveled his head to look at the pony.

"Free? No, I can't just take this. You might have just saved my chance with Mid. Let me give you something for it." David said, already digging into his pocket with his free hand.

"It is a rare thing to see true love blossom these days. One day, when I was younger, I watched the spark of romance create a bond - an understanding between two ponies - an understanding of trust and affection. An understanding, that no matter what happens, the only thing they will ever truly need is each other. It was an understanding so bold, so passionate, and so beautiful... just like this flower. When I saw that phenomenon, that connection, that love, I knew my destiny was to provide that spark of romance. A spark that you need, my friend. Please, take the flower. Tell her you love her, and find your happiness." The thestral said, handing David a small black box just large enough to house the rose.

David opened the box and felt the fuzzy interior.

"Almost as soft as Midnight's fur..."

David gently placed the crystal rose in the box and closed it. He noticed a small glass window just on top of the petals. The cool blue light shown through the glass brightly, washing over David's face as he stared at the flower.

"Heh, it's like holding a star in my hand. If this doesn't win her back, nothing will..."

After a few seconds, David looked up to see the thestral already at the doorway.

David followed behind, dumbstruck. Words failed him as the pony opened the door for him. He walked out into the cold to find a rising sun. He turned around to find the thestral still in the doorway, flashing him a toothy grin.

"Thank you... Thank you so much. You have no idea what this means to me."

"Like I said, love is beautiful. If I can help in even a small way, I will. Good luck." The thestral said, closing the door.

"Wait! I didn't get your name!" David cried out as the door clicked shut.

The 'open' sign in the window quickly flipped to a 'closed' sign and the pony was gone.

"El Florero Del Desierto... I gotta come back here some time. I like that guy."

Midnight galloped into Canterlot as fast as her legs would carry her. She frantically searched throughout the city for any trace of David. As she went from place to place, she asked every pony she ran into if they had seen her missing friend.

"Excuse me, have you seen David?"

"No."

"Have you seen David?"

"Who?"

"Have you seen David?"

"The alien? No."

Midnight galloped towards the castle.

"Maybe he's with one of the princesses." She thought to herself as she approached the front gate.

Midnight moved with such haste, she almost didn't hear the front guard calling her name.

"Midnight!"

She turned her head to see a pegasus guard quickly trotting up to her.

"Can I help you? I'm kind of looking for my friend right now, so I don't have much time to talk." Midnight said, trying to get away from the guard.

"You're looking for David, right?" The guard said.

"Yes! Ohmygosh you've seen him!? Where is he!?" Midnight said, her excitement peeking.

"Woah, calm down there. I'm Storm Shield. One of David's friends. He stayed at my house last night. He left a couple of hours ago. He was going to your house to apologize." Storm said, trying to calm the increasingly excited unicorn in front of her.

"Ohmygoshthankyousomuch!" Midnight said, wrapping Storm in a hug before galloping off towards her house.

Storm stood there in bewilderment for a few seconds as she watched Midnight gallop away.

"Hehe, she's a keeper, Davey. Treat her right." Storm said as she returned to her post.

David walked up the steps to Midnight's front porch and approached the door. He knocked several times before stepping away and waiting patiently for an answer. Several minutes passed with no answer before David decided to knock again, louder. Still, nothing.

"Hmm... Is she asleep still? No, she would've heard me knocking. Maybe she's not here? Should I wait for her to get back? I mean, I have my key, but I don't feel right going in there now since she's not there... What to do, David? What to do?" David thought to himself as he scanned the area surrounding Midnight's house. "Hmm... I guess I could go for a walk while I wait. The peaks up here are beautiful when ponies aren't chasing you off the edge. Yeah, I'll do that and come back in like... an hour? Yeah, sounds good. I just hope she gets back by then."

David turned and walked down the steps away from Midnight's house and towards the cliff side. He held the black box gently in his hand as he made his way across the open field. A soft breeze lightly caressed his face as it blew over the mountainside and the sound of rushing water quickly filled David's ears as he approached. The rock face seemed all the more wonderful to enjoy and calm his nerves as he waited for Midnight.

David quickly found himself at the cliff where he almost lost his life merely two months ago. As the updraft blew his hair back and slightly skyward, he closed his eyes. He couldn't help but think of the mare that saved his life two months ago. He saw her soft fur, her silky mane and tail, and her ocean blue eyes. A beautiful warmth filled his chest and a renewed vigor filled his mind.

"I'm gonna fix this, Mid. All I need is a chance."

David stepped away from the edge and turned to walk along the side of the cliff. He moved slowly, his mind far too busy calculating the right thing to say to the graphite mare to worry about speed.

Midnight barged into her front door and swiveled her head in a frantic search for David. She trotted through the front hallway and into the living room before making her way to every other room in her house.

"David!?" She called out.

No answer.

"David!?"

Again, no answer. Midnight burst into David's room and looked at every corner for even a trace of the missing human. A pit quickly formed in her stomach as her fears began to claw at her mind. She chanced one last room and bolted out of David's room to the stairs and up to her room. It was as empty and unkempt as when she left it that morning. Midnight's heavy breathing slowed as her heart sank. Her head hung low and she choked back the tears before they could start.

"No... Where is he? He couldn't have just left... could he?" Midnight thought to herself as she slowly turned on her hooves. "I need to get out of here..."

Midnight trudged out of her room and down the stairs. She walked out of the open door and slowly walked towards the cliff side. The walk was slow and painful; her heart ached and her head hung just barely above the ground. She wasn't in any kind of hurry, her mind barely registered the passing of time until she arrived at the edge of the cliff.

"Maybe that mare just lied to me to cover for David or something? Maybe he told her to lie because he doesn't want to see me anymore... I really messed this up... Ugh... What am I gonna do... Why would he just leave me like this?"

Midnight sat on the edge with her head hung low. The pit in her stomach physically hurt and despite her best efforts, the tears slowly started to force their way out. Midnight shut her eyes as the they clawed their way out and began to flow freely, leading her into sobbing.

"Damn it... Stop crying... please stop crying..."

She sat there for a while, until the sun was high in the sky. Her sobs were the only noise to accompany the sound of the mountain breeze as they echoed off the cliff side. Her tears dripped down into the dirt beneath her hooves as the stabbing pain in her heart persisted. Her will crumbled, and she allowed herself to cry freely.

Midnight wondered if the tears were ever going to stop. She knew they had to, eventually. Though, at the moment she couldn't even fathom a world without this crippling pain. So lost was she in her own suffering, that she didn't hear the footsteps closing in behind her.

"Mid?" David asked, his voice laced with concern.

Midnight froze and her eyes shot open. She slowly and shakily turned her head toward the sound of David's voice. Her eyes fell on his form, standing a few paces behind her with both hands behind his back. His face was painted with worry. A tense second passed before Midnight spoke.

"David?"

Before he could answer, Midnight was already on her hooves and closing the distance between them. David had less than a second to brace himself before Midnight jumped into the air and tackled him. She wrapped her hooves around his back as they fell to the ground and her sobbing started back up in full force. She buried her face in David's shirt and cried while she hugged him as tightly as she could.

"P-p-please... d-don't leave... I'm s-s-sorry." She managed to get out between sniffles.

David was in shock. He turned his head to see the crystal rose still intact in its box. He quickly decided that that moment wasn't the best time and gently set it down next to his leg. He brought both arms around Midnight's barrel and held her as close as he could.

"Jesus I didn't think she'd be this upset... Fuck, why can't I get anything right?"

The sight of his best friend bawling in his arms stung like a hot knife through his heart, and a pit instantly formed in David's stomach. He buried his face in her mane and gently rubbed her back with his hand.

"Mid... you have nothing to be sorry about." David said, tears forming in his eyes. "This was all my fault. I'm s-so sorry I put you through this... I was in the wrong, and I'm sorry." David said, his voice slightly muffled by Midnight's hair.

Midnight's sobs slowed and her sniffles became less harsh. She slowly turned her head up to look at David. He pulled his face away from her head to find two bloodshot eyes and very distinct damp spots of fur under those eyes. David felt a tear pull free from his eye and trickle down his face. He pulled Midnight in close for another hug and she gladly reciprocated, hugging him tightly.

They laid there for a while, simply holding each other as the tears slowly stopped flowing. The blowing breeze of the mountainside was the only sign of an outside world at all as they squeezed each other closer. Finally, Midnight released her hold on David and sat up on his stomach.

"I... I t-thought you left... I thought I ruined our friendship... I thought you hated m-" Midnight started.

"Mid, I could never hate you. You're my best friend. I'm the one that should be sorry. I never wanted to hurt you." David interrupted before rubbing Midnight's hoof with his hand.

"But... you left. Why did you leave?" Midnight asked in a whisper.

"I... I did hurt you... So I-I tried to give you some space... I spent the night at Storm's house and I came back a little over an hour ago." David explained, his hand still lightly caressing Midnight's hoof.

"I'm so s-sorry. I-I overreacted and pushed you away. I should have told you about what happened a long time ago." Midnight said, closing her eyes to hold back even more tears.

"No, you didn't. Not at all. I shouldn't have gone through your stuff like that... I just heard that something happened to you and I felt like I had to do something. Like I had to get answers... I betrayed your trust and went where I shouldn't have... and I'm sorry for that. Think you can forgive me?" David asked, a small smile on his face.

Midnight sniffled, then giggled, before leaning down and nuzzling David's cheek with her own.

"Only if you can forgive me too." Midnight whispered.

"There's nothing to forgive." David whispered back into her ear.

Midnight nuzzled David for a long time before finally leaning back up and sliding off of his stomach as she turned toward the cliff side. David sat up after her and followed her gaze to the cliff.

"Would... Would you like to know what happened?" She asked him with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Only if you're willing to tell me. I won't press it anymore if you don't want me to." David replied.

"I want to tell you. Here, sit with me." Midnight said, walking a few paces away and sitting by the edge of the cliff.

David rose to his feet and quickly grabbed the black box, hiding it behind his body, before walking over to Midnight and sitting down beside her. He set the box next to his leg, away from Midnight's field of view. They both stared out over the horizon before Midnight spoke again.

"It was about five years ago... I had just been assigned my position as a medic in the royal guard and everything was great. I loved my job, I saved lives, and I was serving my princesses. It was the happiest time of my life. I even had love..." Midnight trailed off.

David cocked his head to the side.

"I didn't know you had someone before. Who was he?" He asked softly.

"His name was Cobalt Spring. He was the first pony I ever loved. We met at the academy, and, as cliché as it sounds, it was love at first sight. We were assigned together once we graduated and got to our platoon in the royal guard. We did everything together. We went on missions, we went out after work, we even moved in together. I was the happiest I think I've ever been..." Midnight stopped as fresh tears forced their way down her cheeks.

A gentle caress against her damp cheek got Midnight's attention and her eyes darted down to see David's hand gently wiping the tears away from her face. She turned to him to see a small smile on his face as he brought his hand back. She returned a sad smile before beginning again.

"I was going to propose... He knew of course... he found the ring one night and pretended to be clueless. I knew that he knew... and that just made it even more exciting... Then... the changelings took him from me. It was the Canterlot Wedding. They attacked when Princess Cadence and Prince Armor married. They broke through the dome, and we had to fight for every square inch of the city while the royals and element bearers tried to save us all. I lost a lot of good friends that day. I lost the pony I loved that day... I even lost the ability to walk on that day..." Midnight trailed off again.

"What happened?" David asked, gently rubbing Midnight's shoulder.

Midnight sniffled.

"When the changelings broke through the barrier, they dive-bombed the city... One of them hit about a foot away from me, sending me flying through the air. I ended up falling off a ledge and crashing about a hundred feet below. I only survived because I landed on my legs. Completely shattered all four of them and damaged my spinal cord. Even with Princess Celestia herself, healing me with advanced magic techniques, it was over a year before I could stand on my own, and another two years before I could walk without a limp. The worst part of it all was that... Cobalt died in that same blast. He was right next to me, like always... I-I never wanted to see his body... T-To see him all mangled and d-dead like that..." Midnight broke down into tears again, preventing any further explanation.

David quickly wrapped his arms around Midnight and pulled her close. He hugged her tightly as her tears came freely, while desperately holding back his own tears from falling.

"I am so sorry that happened to you. You had every right to be angry with me for trying to force that out of you earlier... You've been through more than I ever realized... I'm so sorry." David whispered.

Midnight managed to stifle her sobs enough to speak again.

"T-that's where the morphine came from... I was in so m-much pain for so long that I started taking it every chance I got. I s-started stealing it... S-started lying to the princesses to get more... It was the only way I felt better... When they found out, they sent me to rehab for six months. Everything you found was what I had left..." Midnight said in between sniffles.

"I understand, Midnight... You are the strongest mare I've ever met. I don't know what to say. Just... thank you. Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me that." David said, squeezing Midnight even tighter to his chest.

"Just promise me you wont leave me too..." Midnight whispered.

David released his grip on Midnight and gently nudged her chin upwards with his finger.

"I promise." David said, smiling warmly.

Midnight smiled as her eyes watered again. She buried her face in David's chest while she wrapped her hooves around his torso and held him as close as she could. David returned the hug warmly, a content sigh escaping his mouth as Midnight's soft fur warmed him in the cold air.

They sat there for a long time, simply holding each other. Neither spoke a word, content to just hold each other. The soft breeze from the cliff side was the only reminder that there even was an outside world around them.

Finally, David lifted his head from Midnight's and looked out to the horizon. The sun was just hovering beautifully at the tip of Canterlot Mountain. Fluffy clouds now covered the land below them, encapsulating the perfect picture of heaven. David stared at the beauty of the moment and as the suns rays beautifully reflected off of the clouds, he felt a serene warmth fill his chest. He turned his head to the side and eyed the black box lying next to him.

"I have to tell her. This is the perfect moment." He thought to himself.

"Mid, you gotta see this." David whispered, gently rubbing Midnight's back.

"What is i... woah..." Midnight said, slowly turning her head to the world behind her.

Midnight climbed out of David's embrace and sat down next to him. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and sighed contently.

"That really is something, isn't it?" Midnight said, clearly in awe of the sight.

"It sure is..." David replied, hesitant to say more.

"Thanks by the way... For listening. It really helped to get that all off my chest." Midnight said as the yellow filter of sunlight reflected off her eyes.

"Thanks for sharing it. I know that was hard, but it means a lot to me... I really care about you Mid." David said, slightly turning his head.

"I... I really care about you too." Midnight gulped.

"Oh my gosh, is this it? Should I tell h-" Midnight was interrupted from her thoughts when David suddenly moved.

"I, uh- I felt so bad about what happened between us, that I wanted to get you a peace offering... but uh..." David swallowed nervously. "I, um... I wanted to tell you that I... I-I uh..." David trailed off, trying desperately to find the words.

"I like you." Midnight said, her sapphire eyes trained on David's chocolate ones.

David froze. He focused his eyes on the dark unicorn sitting next to him.

"Y-you do? As in..." David asked in disbelief.

"More than a friend..." Midnight finished for him.

"Woah- I just... yeah... Well... as cheesy as this line might be, I wanted to get you something that's hopefully as beautiful to you as you are to me." David said, holding out the black box.

Midnight's heart beat faster, butterflies soared in her stomach, and her eyes widened. She looked down at the black box and saw a pale glow emanating from the window. She opened the box with her magic and pulled out the crystal rose. Her breath caught in her throat and she covered her mouth with both her forelegs. A barely audible gasp left her lips as she stared at the beautiful flower. After several seconds of admiring every petal on that flower, she slowly turned to face David.

"Thank you."

The crystal rose began to shine brighter and brighter, until it was a brilliantly bright sapphire light. Both parties stared in awe for a few seconds before Midnight turned to fully face David and placed her hooves on his shoulders. David hesitantly placed one hand on her cheek, and the other on her wither as he leaned in closer. Midnight leaned closer in kind, parting her lips slightly as the pair inched their way closer together. Both of their hearts beat faster, and the butterflies already fluttering about in their stomachs grew even more erratic as the last few inches were crossed. Midnight's eyelids drooped and she slightly tilted her head as she closed in. David reciprocated in kind, and gently pulled her ever closer. They paused at the last inch, their hot breaths mingling in the cold air as they took one last second to take in each others faces before they closed their eyes completely.

Then, they kissed. It was a modest, chaste kiss, but full of passion. A wave of pleasure rippled through both of their bodies as their lips met. Midnight's heart soared and her entire body tingled with joy as a happy hum forced it's way up to the back of her throat. David's senses were clouded by the feeling of pure bliss coursing through his veins as the graphite mare's lips connected with his. They held the kiss for several seconds before they both realized they needed to breath and pulled apart. Midnight leaned back from David, panting slightly while her eyes stayed trained onto his. David breathlessly stared back into Midnight's sapphire orbs for several seconds before gently leaning his head down and touching his forehead against hers. She returned the gesture in kind, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"I've wanted to do that for so long..." She whispered.

"I'm sorry I made you wait... Think I can make up the lost time?" David said, pulling back slightly.

"I think so..." Midnight said, turning her head to look up at David.

They stared into each other's eyes for another second before their lips locked again. Midnight's entire body shuddered under the warmth of David's breath as he pulled her closer. He was no longer willing to let his past awkwardness prevent him from showing his mare just how much he cared about her. Midnight used her natural advantage and pressed her tongue against David's teeth in a silent bid to force them apart. David happily welcomed her as he pushed his tongue forward to meet her. Both met in a slow dance of passion, delicately tasting each other and feeling each other more intimately than ever before.

Despite the differences between their anatomy, somehow, someway, kissing Midnight was not awkward for David. Her muzzle was slightly longer than a human's mouth, but not by much, and her lips gently caressed his with the care of a long lost lover, reminding him that, despite their obvious differences, he was welcome here. Her tongue was broader than his, and just ever so slightly rougher, but not enough to be uncomfortable. She explored each of his teeth, one by one, taking extra time to feel the foreign feeling of his incisors. She shivered with delight as her ministrations drew a small moan from David.

"Holy shit... Did she eat honey today or does she always taste this sweet?" David drunkenly thought to himself.

"I can't believe this is finally happening!" Midnight happily cheered in her head.

Slowly, but surely, they became more bold, diving their tongues further in and wrestling with each other more and more intensely. As their tongues battled for dominance in the increasingly passionate display, Midnight slowly rose to her hooves and pushed forward, forcing David to lean back as he gladly accepted her advances. David leaned further and further back until he couldn't maintain his balance any more and fell onto his back, with Midnight falling on top of his chest, forcing them to break their kiss. Both Midnight and David held each other close as they laid together, gasping for breath. A particularly cold breeze forced its way up the mountainside and over the pair as they basked in each other's warmth. A shiver ran down David's spine as his arms and legs felt the full effect of the cold wind.

"Geez, it's getting kinda cold..." David said, suddenly aware of the sub-freezing temperature.

"Yeah, we should probably head inside." Midnight replied with a small shiver.

David wrapped his arms around Midnight and sat up. With a grunt, he rose to his feet and turned back to the house. Midnight wrapped her forelegs around his neck and her hind legs around his waist. She happily kissed him again as David made for home.

After a few moments, Midnight broke the kiss and her half lidded gaze fell onto David's eyes. She allowed a small smile to grace her face as she was carried.

"D-do you want to..." David hesitantly began, his eyes darting away from Midnight.

"Yes." Midnight firmly replied. "I want to."

David's eyes widened at that before he hurried his pace back to Midnight's house. He quickly planted another kiss on her lips as he moved.

Author's Notes:

Woohoo! Things are finally looking up for our protagonists, and spicy! This chapter took a lot of time to get out and do right, mostly because I wasn't sure how to go about getting to this point. I knew I wanted their relationship to start at sunset, but I wasn't sure exactly how to get there. Especially with the whole day dragging on before that. I think this was one of the best ways I could do this. Also, when you're reading the flower shop thestral's lines, think of Zoro. That's how I envisioned him speaking. Anyways, the next chapter is going to be completely nsfw. However, it will not be necessary for the progression of the plot. If you just want some pony x human erotica, then read ahead. If you're just here for the plot, then you can skip the next chapter and all will be good.

Chapter 12: The First Time (Clop)

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Author's Notes:

Hey guys. So this is it... the cliche clop that every HIE story needs, along with the typical 'ridiculous human endurance compared to a stallion'. While this chapter is not mandatory to finish the story, I believe that it is a vital part of David and Midnight's relationship. Whether you agree with me or not, I'll leave up to you. I want to make one thing clear though before anyone reads. In this story, Midnight's teats are referred to as nipples. I did this because I felt that teats just didn't sound as appealing when you're reading fap material. In all honestly, in my headcannon, ponies just have nipples like humans, but not big breasts. Crotch boobs are not a fetish of mine, so I didn't put them in here. There are slight mounds under the nipples, but nothing bigger than an A cup. Anyways, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I think it turned out pretty good considering I've never written porn before. That said, there are some things in here that I feel like not everyone will like. This chapter is pretty tame, the only real thing that's mildly out there being the oral/cunnilingus. Otherwise, it's pretty vanilla. If you were hoping for something more hardcore, or if that's just not your cup of tea, then I'm sorry that this chapter won't be everything you hoped for. Anyways, I really wanted to convey how nervous they both were while also making it as cute as possible. I hope I did well in all of your eyes. Let me know. I love comments. Also, just as a treat for you guys who have read this far and like my story enough to keep reading, I'll just leave you with this link. Hopefully I don't get banned for this. https://derpibooru.org/profiles/CrimsonWolf360 Apparently you have to be logged in to see the pic since it's NSFW, just a heads up. I only have one image on that account, so if you are so inclined, you can find a pretty saucy pic of Midnight there ;)

David kicked the front door in and carried Midnight into the house. Their passionate kiss blocked their senses to everything else as David stumbled to the stairs with Midnight in his arms. They broke their kiss for a moment as David managed to set the crystal rose down on the table next to the stairs. As soon as they were both sure it was safe and sound, they brought their lips back together again before beginning the long climb up the stairs. Each step seemed harder than the last, and before he could even make it up the third step, Midnight broke the kiss again and gently nipped at David's ear, distracting him enough to miss a step. He slipped and fell onto his back, with Midnight landing on his chest.

David was momentarily stunned by the sudden drop before he was assaulted by Midnight's tongue against his, and his senses blurred. She forced her way into his mouth and wrestled his smaller tongue in a seemingly never-ending display of affection. Eventually, David managed to free himself from Midnight's intoxicating taste as he pushed her far enough off his body to break the seal of their lips. A thin string of saliva connected them for a moment longer before it broke and the sound of heavy breathing filled the air.

"What's wrong?" Midnight asked, worry filling her voice.

"Nothing, nothing. I just think we should at least make it to the bed, heh." David said with a grin.

"Oh... Yeah we can do that..." Midnight said with a blush.

David grabbed Midnight and lifted her in the air as he rose to his feet. He held her in his arms while she wrapped her hind legs around his waist and her forelegs around his neck. David planted several kisses all over her face before climbing the rest of the steps.

"Hehe, David, I thought you said we were gonna take this to the bed." Midnight said through giggles.

"We are. That doesn't mean we had to completely stop." David replied as he kissed Midnight's muzzle again.

He reached Midnight's room and pushed the door open with his back while he continued to pepper Midnight's face with light kisses.

Finally, they reached the bed and David sat down with Midnight on his lap. She quickly pressed forward for another kiss, but David held her back with his hands. He tried to speak, but Midnight was hardly deterred, and continued to lean forward against his resistance, silencing him with a quick kiss before being forced away. Only when she noticed the contemplative look on his face, did she stop her advances. After a moment, David slowly found the words to speak.

"So uh... I know I've been super confident about this so far, but... uh... I'm not entirely sure where to go from here... Like... I don't know what mares like when it comes to...uh... foreplay..." David meekly admitted.

"Have I told you how cute you are when you're all flustered? We'll just figure it out as we go along, big guy. Besides, I'm not hard to please. You'll figure it out real quick... This is gonna be a little awkward, sure, but we both want this, right?" At David's nod, Midnight continued. "Well then, first, we start by getting you out of these clothes."

Midnight's horn lit up and David's shirt was gently tugged off of his body. She hopped off his lap and tried to pull his pants down, but they were stopped from being completely removed by his shoes.

"C'mon, what is th- oh! You got shoes! I didn't even notice." Midnight said as she leaned in closer to inspect his new shoes.

"Uh... yeah, I was going to show them off but, we had that fight and I kinda forgot to." David said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

David removed his shoes and socks, only to be forced back onto the bed by Midnight's magic as she ripped his pants off. He only managed a small yelp before Midnight hopped onto the bed and climbed on top of him, hungrily kissing him again. She pressed her body against his, trying to close as much of the distance between them as possible. Her belly bottomed out against his, and she felt his member pressing against her nipples, the only thing separating them being the thin fabric of David's boxers.

Midnight lips curled up into a smile as she kissed David deeper. Slowly and methodically, she began to grind against his length until he moaned into her mouth from the pleasure. Eventually, their kiss broke, and she rose to her hooves over him. She slunk back and down, into an almost predatory posture as she brought her muzzle lower on David's body. She passed his chest, then his abs...

"Wait." David said in a panic.

Midnight froze in place. Her eyes swiveled up to meet David's before she spoke.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" She asked, clearly concerned.

"W-well, no... It's just that... uh... God this is embarrassing but... I don't... I don't know if... If I..." David trailed off, his gaze falling away from Midnight's.

"I don't understand. David, is something wrong?" Midnight asked as she rose back to her hooves and laid down next to David.

"Well... I just don't know if... Ok, I didn't really get biology lessons from Twi, so if ponies here, are anything like the ponies we had back home, then... I don't think I'll really... you know... compare..." David admitted sadly.

Midnight took a few seconds to think before replying.

"You... You know I've seen your dick before, right?"

David thought for a second, then slowly brought his hand to his forehead and deeply sighed.

"I... completely forgot about that..." David said, exasperation filling his tone. "And?"

Midnight thought for a second before lighting her horn and pulling David's underwear down to expose his manhood. He reflexively moved his hands to cover himself, finding Midnight's hoof already reaching out to push his hands away. After a second of consideration, and a comforting nod from the graphite mare, David slowly retracted his hands from his length and allowed her to see him willingly in full nudity for the first time. There was a brief silence before she spoke again.

"Well, well, well. Look at what you've been hiding from me, big guy. You're not quite as big as a stallion, true, but then again, I've never liked feeling like I'm being impaled either. You want my honest opinion? I think you have just the right length for a mare like me, David." Midnight said, her sultry tone bringing his confidence back, one word at a time.

"You'd make me the happiest mare on the planet if you'd share it with me." She seductively whispered into David's ear.

David felt a shiver force its way down his spine at Midnight's tone. His pupils dilated and he slowly turned to face her before leaning into another quick kiss.

"You sure know how to get a guys confidence back, Mid." He said, before experimentally nibbling the tip of Midnight's ear.

A pleasureful moan slipped out of Midnight's lips and her legs quivered in anticipation. David's light nip at her ear sent endorphins flooding through her mind and her entire body tingled with need. She quickly planted kisses all along his neck and chest, slowly making her way down to his abdomen. She moved painfully slow, taking in every curve, ridge, and valley of the human's unique body. Each kiss was slow and passionate as she explored each muscle on his torso. David's breathing accelerated in kind, and his heart beat faster with each almost unbearably slow kiss. As she sunk lower and lower, her chest fur repeatedly brushed against his member, caressing him in the most pleasurable way and almost causing him to buck his hips against her movements. He gripped the bed sheets tightly in one hand and placed the other on Midnight's mane. He tightly wrapped his fingers in her hair and lightly pushed her head down, ever so gently encouraging her to venture further.

After what felt like an eternity, Midnight finally found David's member, pressing firmly against her chest fur and neck. She slowly rose to allow the alien shaft to spring to attention before sliding back down his form until her mouth was just a few agonizing inches away from his member. She took an experimental sniff of his musk and a massive grin formed on her face.

"I love the way you smell down here, big guy." Midnight said with a wink.

She slowly lowered her muzzle down to meet David's length. The short distance separating the two seemed to stretch on forever as she descended. Her eyes were transfixed on his as her lips finally made contact with David's tip. A drop of pre was already leaking out, only to be stolen by a quick lick from Midnight's tongue. The sensation sent ripples of pleasure throughout David's body and he visibly shuddered from the contact. Midnight pulled back slightly, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Hmm... Not bad at all. In fact, it's kinda sweet." Midnight whispered thoughtfully.

David's eyes widened at Midnight's words, and his breathing hitched as her hot breath washed over his length again.

She lowered her muzzle back down to David's tip and parted her lips. She gently suckled at his head and lapped at him with her broad, velvety tongue. The contact caused David to lightly buck his hips up towards her, but she moved with him, keeping his cock exactly where she wanted it. Her lips curled into a wicked grin as she observed his reaction, and she slowly slid her tongue out and drew a long lick at the underside of his shaft. A pleasured grunt was the response she received, and she doubled her efforts. She licked the full length of his shaft tantalizingly slowly, eliciting as many grunts and moans out of him as she could.

Each lick started from the base of his cock, and slowly drew up the shaft until she reached his head, and she lightly flicked her tongue off the tip, only to lower back down and do it all again. David shut his eyes as the pure ecstasy of Midnight's ministrations clouded his mind and tested his stamina. Eventually, he tired of her teasing and used his hand to gently push her head down while bucking his hips upwards. Midnight only smiled wider while resisting his urges. She wrapped her magic around his hand and pulled it away before continuing her leisurely licking.

"C-C'mon, Mid. S-Stop teasing me." David said through shuddered breaths.

"Oh alright... But only because you're so cute, big guy." Mid purred.

Midnight lowered her muzzle to David's head and parted her lips again. She leisurely opened wider and took his length one inch at a time. As she lowered her mouth over his length, she lightly suckled at him, eliciting more moans of pleasure from her human. She moved gradually, taking care to give every inch of his length the proper care and attention it deserved. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, David reached Midnight's throat. She inhaled deeply through her nose, and swallowed, taking more of David's length in the process.

David very visibly shuttered from the action, and his hips instinctively bucked up towards the source of pleasure. Midnight managed a coy wink at him and pressed her muzzle further down, forcing the rest of his rod into her throat. She held him there for a few seconds with her muzzle buried against his crotch, before slowly retreating back until her lips were just wrapped around his tip. The soft ridges of her throat and the velvety sensation of her tongue and mouth drove him mad with pleasure. Her lips puckered around his length, threatening to break free of their seal on his tip, only for her to dive back down and do it all over again. Over and over, she took his entire length in stride, eliciting more moans and grunts from him.

She took his member all the way to the base and suckled at him over and over again, sending shivers up and down his entire body. She bobbed her head up and down as she continued to suckle, and David leaned back in ecstasy. He could feel himself being pushed closer to the edge by the second. He grabbed Midnight's mane and lightly tugged upwards as he tried to free his length from her ministrations.

"M-Mid... I'm... I'm close." David said through pleasureful grunts.

Midnight simply batted David's hand away with her hoof and sped up her pace. She took his length all the way to the base and swallowed, the muscles of her throat massaging his member in just the right way to push him to the edge. Simultaneously, her horn lit up and a sapphire aura wrapped around David's length, stroking it while she worked.

The combined stimulation was too much and before David could protest further, he felt himself tripping over the edge. He desperately tried to hold himself back, only to lose his resolve upon looking down at Midnight. Her ocean blue eyes glistened in the mid-day sunlight, and they seemed to speak for her.

"Go ahead... It's okay."

David couldn't hold himself back any longer. The look in her eyes was the last straw, and before he could stop himself, he grabbed Midnight's head with both hands and bucked his hips up one last time. He shoved himself in as deep as Midnight's throat would allow him and finally came. Rope after rope of his hot seed shot deep into her esophagus and she eagerly swallowed every drop she could. David's seed painted her insides with a fiery white that quickly filled her throat faster than she could swallow it. She gagged as the cum filled her throat and mouth before slightly leaking out of her muzzle.

With a final grunt, David's last rope shot out and Midnight struggled to swallow the admittedly impressive load. She caught David's last spurt of cum in her mouth before she finally slid his length out and turned to look up at him. She opened her mouth wide to show David the sticky white mess he made. He stared, aptly wondering what she would do next. She closed her mouth and swallowed, then licked her lips to catch the excess, before swallowing again. She opened her mouth, showing that not a drop had been wasted, before smiling widely and rising to her hooves.

David stared in amazement as Midnight climbed off of him and walked over to his side. He hesitated for only a second longer before he grabbed the graphite mare and pulled her into a passionate kiss. They held the kiss for a few seconds before he reluctantly pulled away to see Midnight wearing a dopey smile on her face.

"Wow... Just... Wow, Mid... That was amazing." David said with a warm smile.

"Hehe, it sure was. You took so long that I was beginning to worry that I wasn't doing it right for a minute there. Still got it though. Your taste got really salty at the end too. Not in a bad way, I actually really liked it, but it tasted so different from a stallion." Midnight said, scratching her chin.

"Well, I'm just glad it wasn't bad for you. Not many girls back home would just take me like that. Now, why don't you lay down and I'll get to work on you." David said, grabbing her by her withers and lightly pushing her onto her back.

Midnight's tail instinctively wrapped over her belly, hiding her marehood from David's view.

"Wha- uh, hehe... You don't- I mean, you want to? S-stallions usually don't like doing that for us mares... They say they don't like the taste. Really, you don't have t-" Midnight said, only to be cut off by David's mouth pressing against hers.

David pulled away from the kiss and spoke.

"I think I'll be the judge of that. Now come on, what kind of gentleman would I be if I let you take care of me like that and didn't do the same for you?"

"Uh... I... I-um... okay..." Midnight said, reluctantly lowering her tail and exposing her marehood as she looked away in embarrassment.

David planted another passionate kiss on Midnight's lips before slowly trailing down. He placed a several small kisses on her neck, earning a pleased sigh from the graphite mare, before heading further south. He kissed her belly several times as he approached her nipples and stopped. Midnight gazed intently on him as he eyed the dark spots of sensitive skin, her mind wondering what exactly he planned to do. In a moment, she got her answer. David planted an experimental kiss on one of her nipples, eliciting a soft moan from the unicorn. A devilish smile grew on his lips as he planted kiss after kiss on her sensitive nipples, earning louder moans and sighs from Midnight. He chanced his luck and lightly nibbled on one, causing Midnight to audibly gasp in pleasure from the sensation. David took the entire nipple into his mouth and suckled at it while lightly pinching the other one with his hand.

Midnight moaned and bucked her hips up at David as her legs began to quiver in anticipation. Her wet clit winked harshly and dripped with a glistening, crystalline lubrication, which soaked her dock and the base of her tail. David felt the sticky, vicious lubrication against his chest while he worked.

"I can be a tease too, you know?" David thought to himself.

After several minutes of suckling and light nibbling, David released the nipple he had dutifully stimulated and moved to the other one, causing Midnight to whimper in desire. Her hips started to roll on their own, desperately trying to get David to move further down on her body, but it was to no avail. After finishing on the other nipple, David moved back to the first one, earning a desperate moan from Midnight.

"D-David... p-p-please..." Midnight whimpered.

In an act of mercy, David finally relented. He grinned wickedly and slunk further down on Midnight's body. The first thing he noticed, was the smell. Midnight's nethers assaulted his nose with the most intoxicating, delicious smell of arousal. The smell carried a faint hint of lavender and it smelled sweet. Before he even knew what he was doing, he inhaled deeply, taking in as much of her scent as his lungs would allow. A dopey smile forced its way onto his lips and he planted several more kisses along Midnight's crotch. Finally, his gaze fell on Midnight's winking clit as it pushed her pink lips open and peeled back the soft petals of her twisting, throbbing tunnel. It pulsed with blood and life under her extreme arousal and her natural lubrication steadily leaked out onto her dock, soaking into her tail. The sight alone was more than enough to make David as hard as a rock. Her velvety insides and soaked marehood demanded attention and he didn't hesitate for a second longer. David took an experimental lick to taste Midnight and paused in thought. Midnight noticed the hesitation and a pit quickly formed in her stomach.

"Is... is there something wrong?" She asked, fear filling her voice.

"You taste amazing... Like, I can't even describe it... You taste sweet like honey and... is that a hint of blueberry?" David asked, astonished.

Midnight's fears faded away and turned to giggles, which turned into a long, pleasureful moan as David dove back in and place a decisive kiss on her clit. He gently licked the sensitive nub of flesh with his tongue for a few minutes, carefully observing her reactions. If her moans and rapidly heaving chest were anything to go by, he was doing very well. He locked his lips and lightly suckled on the sensitive love-button, quickly pushing Midnight toward the edge.

"Aahagh!" She gasped.

David smiled and released her clit. He planted his lips on Midnight's vulva and snaked his tongue inside. He pressed her labia apart and sank his tongue deep into her depths. Midnight's legs shook violently and her breathing hitched. David glanced upwards to see her chest rising and falling as her breaths quickly became more ragged and heavy. He smiled at his success and continued to happily lap at Midnight's canal. Her body began to shake and her breathing quickly turned to panting. She began to involuntarily kick one of her legs and she bucked her hips into David's face, desperately trying to reach release.

"Da-David... I'm... I-I'm close... I'm..." Midnight managed to say between heavy panting.

David heeded Midnight's words and pried himself from her labia. He planted his lips on her clit and suckled on it while he brought his fingers to her vulva. He spread her open and slunk two fingers inside. He slid his fingers in and out as fast as he could, rubbing at the nerve-dense flesh of the sensitive inside of Midnight's pussy. The loving movement of his fingers, combined with his gentle suckling on Midnight's clit, quickly pushed her to the edge and beyond.

"D-David, I-aahagh!" Midnight shouted.

David pulled his fingers out and brought his lips to Midnight's labia. He dove his tongue deep inside her slit. Then, she came, hard. Her legs closed on David's head, holding him in place while her labia clenched around David's tongue. Her clit winked uncontrollably and her entire body shook violently as she arched her back. Waves of electrical pleasure racked her body over and over again, causing her to shake uncontrollably. Her juices shot out directly into David's mouth, coating his face and beard in her marecum. David felt the sticky juices sink into his hair and dribble down his chin as he tried to drink every last drop of the delicious nectar.

Finally, Midnight came down from her high and slowly released her vice-grip on David's head. Her mane was now a frazzled mess and her tail was damp with marecum and natural lubrication. As her mind finally cleared from the endorphins and dopamine, her eyes fell on David as he planted one more passionate kiss on her clit before pulling away. A glistening string of marecum connected his lips to her nethers for another second before it finally broke. He took a moment to try to get the excess out of his beard and lick his lips before crawling over her. Midnight wore a dopey smile as David found his spot on top of her once more. Their lips met in a passionate kiss and her velvety tongue darted into his mouth. Their eyes closed and they kissed for what felt like hours, neither one caring for anything other than that moment. The only thought that crossed their minds was how amazing they made each other feel, but before they knew it, they had to pull away from each other, both breathing heavily.

David panted for only a moment, before being quickly pushed over onto his back by Midnight while she assaulted his mouth with her own. She quickly climbed on top and kissed him deeply, not caring about the mixing tastes on their tongues. She plastered him with kisses as if at any moment some evil force was going to take him away from her.

Finally, she pulled away long enough to speak.

"Nopony has ever done that for me before. Thank you! Thank you so much, David!" Midnight exclaimed, punctuating each sentence with a kiss. "I never knew that would feel so amazing! And that bit you did with your fingers! Oh my gosh... Would you... maybe... consider doing that again for me sometime? Please?" She asked, her tone quickly turning meek and quiet.

David was stunned at the dark unicorn's affections. He lightly chuckled at her sudden shyness before responding.

"Absolutely, Mid. I would love to." He said with a sincere smile.

Midnight squee'd in happiness and continued to plant kisses all over David's face. She finally planted on long kiss on David's lips before laying down on top of him. She laid her head on his chest and sighed happily.

"You wanna go all the way later?" She asked, her voice full of hope.

"Later? Why not right now?" David asked with a raised eyebrow.

Midnight immediately sat up at this question and faced David.

"Wait, you mean you can go again already?" She asked in disbelief.

"Uh... yeah... I've got a few rounds left in me if you're up for it." David said in confusion.

Midnight's jaw dropped.

"What?" David asked, concern weeding its way into his voice.

"A few rounds? I just... Wow... I must've hit the jackpot with you, big guy..." Midnight said as her lips curled up into a devilish grin.

"What, do stallions only go once?" David asked, genuinely curious.

"Stallions usually only go once, then they need to rest for a bit. It's rare to find a stud that can show a mare a good time more than once in one night. I guess this also explains why it took you so long to finish earlier too..." Midnight said, rubbing her chin.

"Damn. Wait, how long do stallions usually last?"

"Well, I can't speak for all stallions, but the majority only last about a minute or two. That's why I got worried when it took a few minutes to get you to cum earlier." Midnight said dismissively.

"Damn... Only a minute or two... I mean, how could I appreciate all of you in only that much time?" David said, planting another kiss on Midnight's muzzle.

Midnight giggled.

"So... about those few rounds you mentioned..." Midnight trailed off as she lifted herself off of David's chest and stepped away from him.

"Whenever you're ready." David replied, his shaft already back at full mast.

Midnight turned around until her hindquarters were facing David. She slowly flagged her tail to reveal her winking clit and soaking pussy. The aroma or her tantalizing sex filled David's nose, and he could barely hold back from spearing himself into her soft, warm folds. Midnight watched him with growing excitement as his desire became more and more evident. She smiled and gave her hips a little shake before she spoke.

"Take me..." Her voice came softly, with a hint of vulnerability.

David needed no second invitation, and rose to his knees. He shuffled over to Midnight's rump and grabbed her ass with both hands. The outer flesh of her cheeks jiggled lightly as the toned muscles of her hind legs held rigid and firm. He took a moment to appreciate the beauty of her ass before he grabbed her dock and gave her tail a firm yank upwards, earning a delighted gasp from Midnight. He lowered his head down and planted one last kiss on her vulva before shuffling into position.

He slowly guided his member to Midnight's slit while taking in every detail of her backside. It was a view he always tried to avoid out of respect, but now he drank it all in. He appreciated every curve, every crevice, every ridge and valley leading into her most private and sensual parts like she was a masterful painting.

Finally, David's head reached her soft, slightly swollen lips. The first touch sent a wave of ecstasy through both of their bodies and Midnight's legs grew shaky from the contact. Both of their breaths hitched and David paused for just a second. The heat emanating from her tight pussy was amazing, and he took a deep breath before pressing further in. His length slowly, so agonizingly slowly, spread her labia and entered her sex. The volcanic heat from Midnight's insides was almost overwhelming to him, but he pressed on. The first inch was tight, gripping at his head and slowing his entry even further. As he continued to force his way in, the tightness only grew as Midnight's torso contracted over and over from the waves of pleasure assaulting her mind and melting her senses. She gasped as David reached three inches, and again as he reached four. With each inch further, David earned louder and louder gasps from the graphite mare.

David pushed forward, gritting his teeth at the uncanny tightness of Midnight's pussy. Her winking clit rubbed the bottom of his length over and over again, driving him mad with pleasure. With a final, nearly feral grunt, he bottomed out against her hips. The heat was unbelievable. David's mind was numb from the pleasure and even if he could think, there was no way to describe the amazing heat that surrounded his member so tightly and lovingly. His tip just barely caressed Midnight's cervix and she moaned louder upon the contact. Her legs were shaking heavily now, and she was almost struggling to stay upright.

Then David pulled back. Midnight's lips gripped his member and tried desperately to pull him back in as he slowly pulled out. He retracted until his tip was the only part of his shaft still inside, then slowly pushed back. Midnight's slit welcomed him back warmly, taking him all the way to her cervix again, slightly easier this time, and she gasped loudly.

"Ah! Da-aaavid!" She moaned.

Hearing his mare calling his name out like that only fueled David's resolve, and he doubled his efforts. He pistoned in and out of Midnight's soaked pussy while her clit winked madly from the assault. He thrust in and out, drawing sensual moans and gasps from the graphite mare with every movement. With how tightly her walls wrapped around his shaft, Midnight could feel even the smallest of movements from David's strong hips.

David thrust faster and faster, determined to give her all the pleasure he could. He placed his free hand on her ass while holding onto her dock with his other hand. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to try something, and harshly yanked upwards on her dock. The response was an immediate moan, louder than any that had escaped Midnight's lips thus far, and her forelegs gave out. She dropped onto her face, and the constant undulating motion of David thrusting in and out of her drenched pussy rocked her back and forth against the bed. A trail of drool leaked out of her mouth and wet the sheets under her face as David continued to piston into her pussy.

Midnight's hind legs were completely locked out and despite the constant shaking and weakness she felt, they held firm against David's thrusting. He continued to drill into her, angling himself over her so that he was thrusting slightly down towards the bed. He thrust hard and fast, destroying Midnight's resolve and driving her mad with pleasure. His shaft rubbed against her sensitive button with each stoke, sending a electric wave of pleasure coursing through her body each time. Before long, she had no control of her body, and she was shaking madly under David's constant pounding. Midnight felt the coming orgasm, but couldn't find the air to speak, and only managed to gasp and moan as the pleasure coursed through her body like lightning. Again, Midnight came, and her entire body shook violently from the pleasure. Her mind went numb, and the oxygen in her lungs seemed like it couldn't quite give her enough air to speak. Despite Midnight's orgasm, David pressed on. With marecum now slowly trickling down his thighs, David continued to thrust into the helpless mare, driving her from one high to the next.

Orgasm after orgasm hit Midnight, and her eyes glazed over as David showed absolutely no signs of stopping. A slick puddle of juices soaked into the sheets under her hind legs as her marecum dripped wildly down both her and David's legs. Her fur was completely soaked and sticky, drenched from the onslaught of pleasure, lubrication, and sweat.

Finally, David's breaths grew haggard and the pressure built in his groin. He could feel the coming orgasm pressing on his mind, but he had other plans. He suddenly stopped his thrusting and slowly pulled completely out of Midnight's warm sex. She slowly regained her ability to think and rolled her head to look up at David, her tongue still lolling out of her mouth.

"Wahs... A... are you... done?" She asked through heavy breaths.

"I wanted... to know... if you'd let me.. try a new position." David explained through equally heavy breaths. "Something that would mean a lot to me. It's a position a lot of humans do when they do this with someone they really care about."

Midnight's felt her heart flutter in her chest, and through her pleasure-hazed mind, she understood the significance of David's words completely.

"Of course... Big guy." Midnight said with a warm smile.

"Okay... Thank you, Mid. I need you to lay on your back for me."

Midnight complied and rolled onto her back as instructed. Her weak forelegs dangled limply off her torso, and her hind legs laid flat against the bed. David smiled down at her form as he slunk down on top of her. He brought his tip to her soaked entrance and he planted another deep, passionate kiss on her lips. They laid there like that, for a few minutes, happy to simply taste each other again and hold each other close. Upon breaking the kiss, Midnight meekly spoke.

"So uh... was that it? 'Cause we kinda already kissed a bunch, big guy."

"Hehe, no. I'm still pretty close, and, well... I guess I just wanted to look into your eyes while we finish this. It's sappy, I know, but I just-" David sheepishly began, only to be cut off by Midnight's quick lips stealing another kiss.

"It's not sappy, David... That's... actually the sweetest thing I think anyone's ever wanted to do with me... Please, go ahead." Midnight said, her heart melting all the while.

David smiled and lined himself up. He glanced up at Midnight once more, and at her nod, he slid inside. Midnight gasped at the warm, filling feeling she had come to cherish just recently, and her sapphire eyes fell onto David's chocolate orbs. David gazed back and thrust further into her until he was completely hilted inside again. Midnight shut her eyes as his length connected with her cervix for the thousandth time and her entire body shivered in anticipation.

"Y-you know... I've n-never... done it like this... before..." Midnight said through shaky breaths. "F-feels so... different..."

"A good d-different, or a b-bad different?" David asked through equally shaky breaths.

"Good... Very good." Midnight whispered before planting a kiss on David's nose.

David began to pull out until only the tip remained in Midnight's sex, before shoving his length as far inside of her as he could. He started slow, stretching her lips and plunging himself into her as he planted small kisses on her muzzle. Midnight smiled under the affection and attention her nethers were receiving and a hot blush formed on her cheeks as the true intimacy of the moment became even more apparent to her.

Midnight gently placed both hooves on the David's cheeks. He looked at her curiously before she silenced any question he was preparing to ask with a deep, sensual kiss. David stopped his thrusting and simply kissed his mare back. After a moment, Midnight finally pulled away. She kept her muzzle just a tantalizing inch away from David's lips and whispered.

"I want it... inside..."

David's cheeks flushed and he nodded in understanding. He picked up where he left off, speeding up to give his mare exactly what she wanted. He pulled his length back to the edge of her depths, eliciting another excited gasp, and thrust back into her without restraint. His shaft pistoned deep inside her slit, pounding away at her cervix and rubbing against her clit as he pushed the both of them to the edge. David's pace was fast now, and the entire bed rocked under his constant in and out thrusting into her nethers. He was already close, and she was even closer.

David finally felt the end coming for him. He felt the hot pressure in his loins as they begged for sweet release. But he would not finish yet. He wanted to make sure Midnight finished one last time. Steeling his resolve, David made one last push and thrust himself into her as fast as his hips would go. Midnight felt the sudden shift in pace and the throbbing of David's length as it kissed her cervix each time he speared himself inside of her. She knew he was almost at the end. He just needed a little push. She used the last of her strength to will some magic into her horn. A pale blue aura wrapped itself around David's shaft and began to vibrate. He was surprised at the new sensation, but upon seeing Midnight's knowing smile and glowing horn, decided to press on without question. Under the combined stimulation of Midnight's tight pussy and her magic vibrations, David didn't stand a chance. He tried desperately to hold out for as long as his body would let him, but the growing tightness in his crotch and flaring tip of his head declared that his time was up.

With a final, primal grunt, and through gritted teeth, David speared his length into Midnight's depths one last time. He felt a pair of legs wrap themselves around his torso and pull him in closer, and before he could think, Midnight's forelegs wrapped around his back to pull him in and close the last of the distance between them. She lovingly planted her lips on his in a passionate kiss, stealing his breath away and taking the last of his resolve. Finally, he came. David's seed shot deep into Midnight's womb like a fire hose, and the burning hot seed painted her velvety walls white. David's mind clouded and his knees gave out. His body was so closely intertwined with hers that he could feel her heart pounding against his chest. Pure ecstasy coursed through his mind as he unloaded himself into the only mare he truly cared for.

Spurt after spurt of human seed filled Midnight to the brim. After several heavy shots, David was still cumming, and the constant sensation of liquid fire and love pushed Midnight over the edge, sending her spiraling down into one last orgasm. Her tired legs clenched tightly around David's waist and her entire body tingled as she rode the lightning with him. David managed to focus his eyes on hers, and though their lips were sealed, they saw in each other's eyes nothing but happiness. Midnight was the first to lose focus, and after several seconds, her eyes shut and she barely managed a whimper of delight through her preoccupied mouth. Finally, the flood of fiery love slowed to a dribble, and the lewd puddle of bodily fluids accumulating on the sheets and in her tail stilled. Throughout it all, David and Midnight held the kiss. They tasted each other deeply, only wanting that one moment to last for the rest of time.

Midnight happily played with David's smaller tongue in a passionate display of love and affection while a single tear of joy threatened to claw its way free of her closed eyes. Back and forth they danced, David managing to wrestle on top of Midnight's, only to be beaten back by her much broader tongue. No matter what move David tried, she was always there to play with his muscle in a seemingly endless dance of passion. Through the pleasure-endued haze of post-orgasmic bliss, they lost themselves in each other's embrace, squeezing ever closer in a vain attempt to close the gaps of every last molecule between them.

Finally, they broke their kiss, albeit reluctantly. David slowly lifted his head away from Midnight and opened his eyes. He saw a single tear run down her cheek and dampen her already sweaty fur. He brought a hand up to her cheek and wiped away the lone tear.

"What's wrong?" He whispered.

"Nothing... I'm just so happy." Midnight said as her hushed tone turned to light giggles.

"You are easily the cutest creature in the whole universe, you know that?" David asked.

Midnight's cheeks managed to turn just a shade darker, and she smiled warmly at David before giggling lovingly.

They shared another quick kiss before David pulled himself out of Midnight and sat upright. A torrent of David's seed and Midnight's marecum leaked out of the now vacant slit, and both parties ventured a glance at the impressive amount of fluid now drenching her tail.

"Woah... You came a lot..." Midnight said in shock.

"Uh, yeah... It has been a minute, but jeez... maybe it's magic or something? We should probably clean this mess up, huh?" David asked, equally in shock.

"Yeah, we should probably get that." Midnight said with a raised eyebrow as she looked over the sticky carnage.

"A gentleman knows when his woman needs a towel, Midnight. At the very least I can clean you up a bit." David said in a fake posh accent as he moved to get off the bed.

"You don't need to do that, David. Here, I have just the spell for this." Midnight explained, before her horn lit up in a sapphire hue, blinding David for a moment.

When the light was gone, David opened his eyes to find the sheets now completely clean, and not a trace of their mixed bodily fluids anywhere on Midnight's body.

"Clean up spell I learned in the guard. You have no idea how helpful that was during room inspections." Midnight said with a cocky grin.

"Well, that's a hell of a spell." David said, clearly impressed.

"Now, back to the subject of you cuddling with me until we pass out..." Midnight trailed off.

"So now we're sleeping together? Scandalous." David teased.

"Hehe, come on, big guy. You owe me for the beating you just gave my rump. I'm gonna be walking funny for a week after that!" Midnight said, rolling over to the other side of the bed.

"I think that's a fair price to pay." David replied.

Midnight rolled onto her side and watched as David crawled over next to her. He laid down on his back and lifted an arm for her to crawl under. Midnight however, had other plans. She shakily rose to her hooves and shuffled to David's side, then crawled onto his stomach, resting her head on his chest and wrapping her hooves around his torso. He wrapped his arms around Midnight's body and held her close. She willed some life into her horn and pulled some pillows over to David's head and tucked them in under him. He smiled and leaned his head forward before planting a loving kiss on her forehead and leaning back down. A quick flash of blue light later, and a blanket was draped over their bodies, covering them up to Midnight's neck.

Midnight slowly turned her head to face David's and smiled.

"David?" She asked in a hushed tone.

"Yeah?" David replied in an equally hushed tone.

"I'm really glad I met you... Not just because of what we just did... but for everything. You've been the best part of my life these last couple of months..." Midnight whispered.

David planted another kiss on Midnight's cheek.

"I'm glad I met you too. I owe you everything, Mid. Thank you." David replied.

"Goodnight, David."

"Goodnight, Mid."

They closed their eyes and a pleasant silence filled the room, save for their steady breathing. They held each other lovingly, and before long, the sound and feel of their beating hearts lulled them to sleep.

Chapter 13: The Next Morning

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The piercing light of the lazy morning sun beamed through the small gap of the curtains and into Midnight's dark room. The light was subtle - almost faint, but compared to the dark void that was Midnight's bedroom, the sun might as well have been just outside, peeking in through the windows. Unfortunately, one tired soul was caught in the crossfire of light and dark. A sleeping form, tangled in a mashup of fur and skin, stirred ever so slightly. One eye begrudgingly opened to see the source of its torment, and a lazy groan filled the air.

"Millions of miles away... and perfect aim... Dammit, Tia..." David complained.

A furry body, wrapped tightly around David's torso, stirred as well.

"Mmm? Is too early... Go back to bed..." Midnight's tired voice filled the air.

"I want to, but this ray of light is just burning into my retinas... and it's ruining my plans to cuddle with you for the next twelve hours." David said, his voice turning mischievous.

Midnight raised her head off of David's chest. The blanket slowly slipped off her ears as she looked up at him.

"Well then... We have no choice... The sun must die." She said, her tone taking a serious edge.

She held David's gaze for only a few moments more before a wide smile broke her serious demeanor. David's grin quickly grew to match Midnight's as he gently grabbed her shoulders and pulled her closer. He planted a small kiss on her muzzle, earning a happy sigh from the graphite mare. Midnight leaned forward, resting her head on David's throat while he happily wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"I... I can't believe we did that last night... It almost feels too good to be true." Midnight said in disbelief.

"Yeah... It's still kinda sinking in... Mid, a-are we..." David started.

"If you're going to ask if we're in a relationship now, then the answer is a definite yes." Midnight answered.

"Hehe, yeah... I guess that does kinda answer the question. So... what do you want to do today?"

"Well... If I'm being honest, I don't know. Right now, all I want to do is stay right here." Midnight said, nuzzling David's neck.

David smiled and stroked his fingers through Midnight's mane, earning another happy sigh from her.

"Well, how about that? I want the same exact thing."

There was a long pause before either of them spoke again. They were both content to simply lay in each other's embrace, without a care for the rest of the world around them.

"Hey David?" Midnight asked.

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad I found you."

"Me too... I must be the luckiest guy in the galaxy." David said, smiling warmly.

A bashful smile forced its way onto Midnight's lips and she hugged David tightly.

"And I must be the luckiest mare in the galaxy too." She said, planting a kiss on his neck.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love your eyes?" David asked, nonchalantly.

"I don't think so, but by all means, tell me. I love the attention." Midnight replied, lifting her head off of David's neck to look him in the eyes.

"Well, I'm no poet, but I think you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. Even more gorgeous than Celestia's." David said, punctuating his compliment with a kiss.

"Aww... You're so sweet, big guy. But come on, I'm not that pretty. I'm actually pretty dull to most stallions. What with my dark coat and mane and all." Midnight said dismissively.

"You wanna know what I think? I think your coat is the softest, fuzziest, most gorgeous coat I've ever seen or felt. Your mane and tail are so beautiful. I've seen them all done up and brushed, and even without doing that, they shine like they're made of obsidian, or ebony. Who else can say that? Plus, I've always had a thing for girls with black hair, hehe... Midnight, you are beautiful. I'm not even a pony and I can see that." David said firmly.

Midnight fought the growing blush on her cheeks at David's compliments.

"Y-you silly filly. You keep that up and Princess Celestia is gonna get jealous." She said, hiding her ever reddening face from David.

"Well it's the honest truth, and I think even Tia would agree with me there. She's even told me that she thinks you have a beautiful and rare coat."

"Really?" Midnight asked, incredulously.

"Really really." David happily answered.

Midnight smiled warmly and nuzzled her head against David's chest.

"So... Since we're both up, what do you want to do now?" Midnight asked.

"Well, like I said, I was gonna stay here with you today, unless you want to do something else." David replied.

"Well... I would like to talk about our relationship a bit."

"What about it?"

"Well, since we're in a relationship now, I guess I just wanted to know how it's going to work... Like, are there any human customs that I should be aware of when it comes to dating? I mean, you know most of how pony relationships work by now." Midnight explained.

"Well, except for the herd thing, I think I have a pretty good grasp of pony relationships. Hmm, let me think. Well, where I come from, on a typical date, the man will buy his girl flowers or chocolate, or something else. He'll take her to dinner, and so on and so forth leading into what we did last night. We pretty much skipped like seven steps." David responded with a chuckle.

"Oh... Is that bad?" Midnight asked curiously.

"No. Not since we were best friends before we did that. We pretty much did steps one through at least four. A few times."

"Oh, whew. Okay. Well, anyways, that's strange. Your dating customs are pretty much the exact same as ours, only the genders are reversed. Here, it's usually the mare that will ask the stallion out and do things to impress him and get his attention." Midnight replied.

"You know, I never understood that. Why do you guys do it that way? I thought that since the stallions are so much bigger that they'd be the ones to initiate."

"Well, it's just a numbers thing. When the female population outnumbers the male population six to one, we mares need any stallion we can get. That's also why herds are so common. If every single stallion was taken, that would still leave more than three quarters of our population without a mate." Midnight explained.

"Okay, that actually makes a lot more sense now. You don't want a herd, do you?" David asked cautiously.

"And share you with some other mare? I think not." Midnight answered, turning her nose up.

David laughed.

"Well, good. Because I don't think I could deal with that. I don't think I could be with more than one person at a time."

"I'm glad to hear it. That means I get you all. To. My. Self." Midnight proclaimed, punctuating each sentence with a kiss.

David and Midnight shared a tender smile before Midnight nuzzled her head back against his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and lightly squeezed her closer.

Eventually, the morning light faded away, and dark clouds filled the air. David noticed the apparent darkening of the room and turned his head to look through the small slit between the curtains. He gently nudged Midnight with his hand, earning an inquisitive 'hmm?' from the unicorn.

"Is it just me, or did it get dark all of a sudden?" David asked.

Midnight lifted her head away from David's neck and looked to the window. She tilted her head to the side and rose off of David's body. She gently hopped off of the bed and walked to the curtains. With an effortless swipe, the curtains slid open, and the white world outside assaulted both Midnight and David's eyes.

The ground outside was already covered in a thin layer of snow, and more fell as the two pairs of eyes stared out in awe.

"Woah..." David breathlessly whispered.

"Looks like we finally got that snow everypony keeps talking about." Midnight happily observed.

"I've never seen snow before... How about that?" David thought out loud.

Midnight nearly fell over from the force of how hard she turned her head to face him.

"What!? You've never seen snow?!"

"No. Where I grew up, it didn't snow, and I never saw it in person. It's really cool though. I thought I told you that." David answered.

"W-I... Y-you, b-but... No, you never said that! Okay, we are going to get cleaned up, and then, we're gonna have some fun in the snow. For you to go your whole life without even seeing snow in all its glory, that's criminal." Midnight said, resolutely.

Midnight headed to the bathroom before David could utter a word of protest. Within thirty seconds the sound of running water filled the air and steam could be seen filling the bathroom.

"Guess I'll go shower downstairs then!" David called out to Midnight as he made he way to the stairs.

"Oh no you don't!" Midnight called back as her horn lit up.

"Wh-" David began, only to be stopped by the force of Midnight's magic pulling him back towards the shower.

"Uh... Okay..." David said as he was literally dragged into the bathroom.

"You're gonna hop in here with me and help me clean my fur and tail, big guy." Midnight said with a wink.

David raised a finger to protest, but quickly put it down.

"You know what, that's fair." He admitted.

Midnight hopped into the warm water and let out a happy sigh as it soaked into her coat and slicked her mane back. David awkwardly shuffled in behind her and caught the stray water droplets as they ricocheted off of Midnight's coat.

"Uh... These showers are not meant for a pony and a human..." David said to no one in particular.

Midnight turned her head to face David.

"Hmm. Okay, I have an idea." She said as she turned completely around.

"Here, sit down right there." Midnight said as she pointed to the spot in the shower directly between them.

David did as ordered and sat down cross legged in front of Midnight. She quickly hopped into his lap and planted a kiss on his unsuspecting lips. David happily returned the kiss after he recovered from the surprise. Their lips separated after a short time and Midnight used her magic to aim the shower head at their bodies.

Warm water quickly collided with David's skin and he sagged his shoulders slightly as the heat worked its way into his body.

"There we go... Much better." He happily said.

"Yep... Maybe I'll get a bigger shower in the future. That does not look comfortable for your legs." Midnight said.

"It's alright, just a little tight in here is all." David admitted.

"We'll make this quick then. We'll have to plan out future shower cuddles." Midnight said with a giggle.

"How about a bath? As long as we're not dirty when we get in, it'd be super relaxing."

"That sounds like a fantastic idea." Midnight replied. "Now, get to scrubbing! Hot water helps, but my fur isn't going to clean itself." She teased.

David broke a wide smile.

"Yes ma'am."

David walked down the stairs from Midnight's room to find the front door still open from the previous night. An ice cold breeze crept in through the open doorway and a small amount of snow had found its way onto the hardwood floor.

"Shit... Guess we didn't close the door last night..." David thought aloud.

David quickly made his way down the stairs and closed the door with a shiver. He made way for his room and found his dresser full of winter clothes Midnight had helped him pick out over the last two months.

David quickly dressed himself in his winter apparel. He threw on a pair of thick pants and wool socks before slipping on a thick orange jacket. He tied his shoes and threw on a black beanie before taking a minute to look at his appearance in the mirror.

"Mid, why did you have to get me the orange one? We're just going out to play in the snow, not going on an arctic expedition." David thought to himself.

David took one last moment to ensure he had everything and stepped out of the room to meet Midnight. She trotted down the stairs as David closed his door.

"Hey, David?" Midnight called out.

"Yeah?"

"Did we close the door last night? There's snow on the floor."

"Really? Hmm... Maybe it came in under the door?" David called back.

"That's weird... I guess I'll have to get that seal checked. Anyways, you ready to go?" Midnight asked as David rounded the corner into the entryway.

David's eyes fell on the graphite mare in her winter apparel. She wore four black booties that fit snugly around her hooves as well as a black scarf that was tightly wrapped around her neck. Lastly, she wore a dark blue beanie with extensions to cover her ears and two fuzzy pull-cords dangling on either side of her neck. A small chuckle forced its way out of David as he took in her appearance.

"What?" Midnight asked.

"You are literally the cutest thing in the universe." David said through a wide smile.

Midnight blushed and turned away from David.

"You're sweet, big guy." She replied with an equally wide smile. "Now come on! You're going to love the snow."

With that, Midnight opened the door and trotted outside with David close behind. The frigid blast of cold air hit both of them like a truck, but their spirits only rose as it blew over them. Midnight trotted out a little ways from the house before turning around and watching David as he took his first steps into the white powder. David slowly stepped into the snow and watched as it compacted under his feet.

He took a moment to remove his glove and grab a handful of snow. The ice cold sensation brought a genuine smile to his face as the snow slowly started to melt in his grasp. After a moment, he looked up at the sky to see the seemingly infinite snowflakes as they gently drifted down to the ground.

"Wow..." David breathlessly whispered.

Midnight watched David with growing excitement. Her smile nearly doubled in size as David's face adorned a look of wonder.

"Oh my gosh, he's adorable..." Midnight quietly declared.

After a few moments of simply taking in the outside world, David's attention was pulled to Midnight as she waved him over. He happily covered the distance between them, and hugged Midnight tightly upon reaching her.

"So, what do you think?" Midnight asked, almost more excited than David was.

"It's beautiful... I can't believe I've never seen it before." David said incredulously.

"You have no idea how happy I am that I get to share this with you." Midnight said through a wide smile.

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me." David whispered as he held Midnight even closer.

Midnight felt a tug on her heartstrings, and her lips trembled at David's words. She leaned forward and kissed him. David returned the gesture in kind, and for a moment, the outside world was gone, and the only things that seemed to exist were a pony and her human. Time stood still, and in that moment, they both felt complete.

Sadly, all good things must end, and their kiss broke, albeit regrettably. Midnight slowly retracted from David, and sat on her haunches. David kneeled down beside her and happily smiled. Midnight returned a warm smile before speaking again.

"I think it's safe to say that you're the best part of my life too."

"Well then I must be doing something right." David responded.

David and Midnight sat together for a minute and enjoyed the beauty of the white world around them.

"So... wanna make a snowpony?" Midnight asked.

"Hell yeah." David answered.

"Well... I think it kinda looks like a pony..." David said as he turned his head to the side to better see the snowpony.

"David... No it doesn't..." Midnight replied, tilting her head even further to the side.

The snowpony in question sat about three feet tall. It's legs were at least four times as thick as a normal pony's legs, and its back was flat like a plateau. The head was a crudely shaped ball and the eyes were two differently sized rocks that weren't even level with each other.

David and Midnight stared at their abomination for a long time before either of them found the words.

"I blame you." Midnight said, her eyes still locked on the abomination they made.

"Hey, I'm not a pony. If this were a snowMAN, it would have been easy." David said matter-of-factly.

"I'm not the one who can't tell the difference between a large rock and a small rock." Midnight said defensively.

"There were no other rocks!" David countered.

"I found ten more over there." Midnight replied, pointing towards the woods.

"Well if you wanted the rocks to be perfect, then maybe you should have went and got them." David said.

"You volunteered!" Midnight accused.

"Because you said you had the body and he-" David started before a snowball collided with his face.

David took a second to recover from the icy snow now covering his face before quickly wiping it off. His gaze fell onto Midnight as she was already levitating more snowballs. She wore a wicked grin on her face as she stared back into David's eyes.

"I'll warn you, Midnight... The last person to throw a snowball at me... is still buried to this day..." David said, scooping snow into his hands.

Midnight tilted her head to the side and dropped the snowball she had formed in her magic.

"Wait, I thought you said you ne-" Midnight started before David landed a hit right on her muzzle.

"Rule number one of a proper snowball fight, never let your guard down." David said with an evil grin.

"...Uh oh..." Midnight whispered as David charged at her.

Midnight bolted away from David as he launched snowball after snowball at her. His aim was poor, and Midnight effortlessly dodged his attacks as she pelted him over and over with magically fired snow. David would not be deterred, however, and pushed through the icy bullets as he charged after the devious unicorn. The soft crunch of the snow under their feet and hooves could barely be heard over Midnight's giggles.

David chased Midnight completely around the house several times over while more and more snow clung to his jacket. At the rate that he was being hit, it might as well have been a big orange target. Still, he pursued, growing ever closer to his goal. Both of them were breathing heavily as the rounded the corner into the front yard again, and David finally got his opportunity.

A small patch of ice formed on the road was all it took for Midnight to slip and lose her balance. After taking a second to right herself, she began to gallop again, but it was already too late. Two glove-wrapped hands found their marks on Midnight's barrel, and all she could do was let out a barely audible yelp as David tackled her into the snow.

They rolled about in the snow for a second until David finally stabilized on top of Midnight. Her breathless laughs filled the air, and her hot breath warmed David's otherwise cold face. David allowed himself a moment to catch his breath after the chase, before staring down his prey. Midnight's mouth curled up into a sheepish smile as her breathing returned to normal, and a moment passed before David leaned down and kissed her.

They held the kiss for what felt like forever. Midnight wrapped her forelegs around David's neck and pulled him closer. She tilted her head slightly to the side to give him better access and David happily took the opportunity. Their tongues met in a slow dance, both willing to let the other explore and taste their partner. The electrifying feeling of passion coursed through both of their bodies, and before long, David was weak in the knees and lazily laying on top of Midnight.

Finally, the cold air forced them to break the kiss, and sadly, they parted lips. A thin strand of saliva dangled between them for a moment longer, before being lost to the wind.

"Hehe... It sure is cold out here... Big guy..." Midnight said with a shiver

"Wanna go inside and warm up?" David replied as he lifted himself off of Midnight.

"Sounds like a fantastic idea. I can make hot chocolate if you want."

"As if I hadn't fallen for you enough, you go and offer hot chocolate? That sounds amazing." David said with a smile.

"Only the best for you, big guy." Midnight said with a small blush.

Midnight rose to her hooves with a helping hand from David. He quickly brushed some snow off of her coat before she used her magic to brush the excess snow off his jacket. They both turned and walked back into the house, making sure to close the door this time. David and Midnight quickly removed their excess clothes and boots and made for the kitchen.

"Hey, we have firewood, right? Hot cocoa by the fire sounds freakin' awesome." David commented.

"There should be a few logs in the cabinet next to the fireplace. If you wanna make that, I'll get started in here." Midnight responded from the kitchen.

"On it."

David set about with starting the fire while Midnight started making the hot chocolate, and soon the smell of freshly brewed drinks filled the room. Midnight added a few marshmallows to each, making sure to add extra to her own, before levitating them beside her and heading into the living room.

She entered the room to find David setting the logs ablaze. The crackling of the fire and the smell of burning wood quickly filled the room, with the radiant warmth of the fire not far behind. She gently tapped his leg and levitated his hot chocolate into his waiting hand. David took a gentle sip and sighed happily as the sweet taste filled his senses. He smiled warmly at Midnight before sitting down on the couch and patting the seat to his side.

Midnight happily hopped onto the couch and laid down on top of David. She rested herself on his lap, and took a lazy sip from her hot chocolate. A happy smile plastered itself on her face as she laid further into David's lap and the warmth emanating from his body.

David brought his free hand down to Midnight's ears and lightly scratched at the fuzzy extremities. They twitched slightly at the touch, but stayed firm once Midnight let out a happy coo of encouragement.

"Right... There... That's the spot..." Midnight said, her mind drowning in ecstasy. "You need to scratch my ears more often..."

"I would love nothing more than to scratch your ears for as long as you want." David said through a wide smile.

"Don't tempt me... I'll hold you to that."

"And I would be okay with it."

After a couple of hours, the final snowflakes had fallen and a few inches of snow now covered the outside world in a brilliant white hue. Finally, the world had come to rest, and the only thing that dared move in that perfect scene was the tips of the trees as the gentle winter wind blew over them. Even Midnight's house, and all its inhabitants were quiet and peaceful.

David was laid on his back on the couch with Midnight happily laying on his chest. She managed to wrap all four of her hooves around David's form in some way or another, and every few minutes, she would ensure he was still awake to scratch her ears by planting a small kiss on his nose or lips. Each time she did so, a small smile found its way onto David's face, and he scratched Midnight's ears in thanks. The outside world was meaningless to them now. The only thing that mattered was that they had each other.

"If I had known that you would be this affectionate, I would have told you that I liked you a lot sooner." David said in response to another kiss from Midnight.

"If I had known that you felt the same way, I would have told you a long time ago too." Midnight said.

"You can thank Tia for that. She gave me the confidence to finally tell you. The funny thing, is that you were the first mare I even considered. I guess... deep down... I kinda always knew I'd end up falling for you."

"Aww, thanks, big guy. Well, believe it or not, you're the first human I've ever fallen for." Midnight teased.

David responded by placing another loving kiss on Midnight's lips. She smiled from the affection and leaned forward to keep David from breaking the kiss. Before long, yet another slow dance of their tongues was brought about, and time seemed to slow to a crawl. Reluctantly, they broke the kiss, both wearing dopey smiles.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I thought you'd be grossed out with me for liking you?" David asked.

"I think I felt the same way. I've never been so happy to be so wrong before." Midnight responded. "I'll be honest, it's been hard to keep my feelings to myself these last couple of months."

"Well, now you don't have to worry about that anymore."

David scratched the inside of Midnight's ear, earning a happy sigh and nuzzle from the unicorn. From David's angle, the turquoise corners of Midnight's cutie mark briefly appeared in his vision as she nuzzled her head further against his throat.

"Hey, Mid?" David asked.

"Hmm?"

"Why did you join the royal guard in the first place? I mean, your cutie mark is a shooting star, not anything medical related. I figured you would have gone into astronomy or something like that." David remarked.

"Well... Not everypony can make a living off their talent. I did try to follow my goals and be an astronomer, heh, I even had dreams of being the first pony to leave the planet on her own free will..." Midnight sighed. "But the job market for that field and others like it is so small and already saturated as it is, that I couldn't find work."

David gently rubbed Midnight's back with his hand, encouraging her to continue.

"I graduated school and went on my way, trying to find work, but after a year of constantly getting rejected, I ran out of options. I felt like a bum, living off my parents while I constantly got rejected over and over..."

"Hey, you're not a bum. I told you before that you're the strongest pony I know, and I know Celestia. That should tell you something." David said, the honesty in his tone warming Midnight's heart.

"Hehe, thanks, David. Well, I guess after a year of that, and no money to go back to school to study something else, I decided the guard was the only thing I could really do. I made the decision one day, and the next week I was off to boot camp. That's where I became a medic and, well... you know the rest." Midnight finished, a slight sadness present in her voice.

"Why didn't you ever talk about it?" David asked, gently.

"Well, I never even got my hoof in the door. There just wasn't anything to talk about, besides, it was almost six years ago."

David pulled her slightly closer and kissed her warmly.

"I'm sorry you didn't get the opportunity you deserved. You would have made a great astronomer." David comforted.

"Thank you... But it's not all bad. If I hadn't ended up a medic, I wouldn't have ever met you. I probably would have ended up in Manehatten or Las Pegasus. All things considered... I'm glad things went the way they did. I wouldn't have you otherwise." Midnight said through a warm smile.

"Well, if that's how you feel, then I feel the exact same way. I mean, if you ended up in Manehatten, I would have died on that mountain." David said with a grin.

"And Equestria would be all the lesser for it."

"Thank you..." David said before planting another kiss on Midnight's muzzle.

David and Midnight shared a quiet moment. The warmth of their slow breaths mingled in the air between them and heated their faces their bodies warmed each other. The crackling fire was nearing its end, and the sun now soared high in the sky. The small fire's radiant heat was nearly gone, and the fire itself was down to its last legs. With their fuel gone, the last flickering flames died out, and just the red hot embers remained.

The house was quiet and calm. Midnight and David laid together in each others arms and the outside world seemed to just fade away. The only reminder of the cold outside world was the occasional breeze that blew against the windows and carried some free snow along with it. That is, until a bright white light appeared above David and Midnight, and a loud pop startled them from their love-induced daydreaming.

Both David and Midnight looked up at the source of light and noise to find only a small scroll falling through the air. It landed on Midnight's back with a quiet *plop*, and with a quick burst of magic, Midnight levitated it into the air in front of them. Celestia's crest was clearly displayed on the scroll, with David's name elegantly written underneath in cursive.

"It's from the Princess, for you." Midnight said as she levitated the scroll to David's hands and rolled onto her back to read the letter with him.

"I wonder what she wants." David thought aloud as he opened the scroll.

David, I have some news that I think you'll be very interested to hear, concerning our last conversation. Please, come to the castle at your earliest convenience. I look forward to seeing you again. I'm sure you'll find this development, quite exciting.

-Your friend, Princess Celestia

"Well, it sounds like she has some good news for you. We should go see her. Oh! We could tell her about us too!" Midnight said, excitement filling her voice.

"Sounds good to me. If I know her, she'll be off the walls when she hears about us." David replied with a smile.

"What did you guys talk about last time? That seems to be what this is about." Midnight questioned.

"Well... She kinda... gave me some advice. Honestly I don't think I would have had the courage to tell you how I felt if it wasn't for her." David explained.

"Hmm... Alright. But we have to tell Princess Luna and Cadence too if we see them." Midnight said, thoughtfully.

"Sure, but any particular reason?"

"Cause' they pretty much did for me what Princess Celestia did for you. Without them I probably would've been too scared to tell you how I felt." Midnight said with a light chuckle.

"Wait, were they all playing matchmaker with us? Tia you snake in the grass..." David said with a smile.

"Well, either way, I'm really, really glad they did."

"Me too... Let's go tell them the good news." David replied.

"Sure, but then we're coming right back here, and continuing last night." Midnight said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"You know me so well. I was just gonna say that." David said with a grin.

They shared one more kiss before Midnight hopped off the couch with David close behind. They got their winter apparel and headed to the door. After braving the initial chill once again, they made way for Canterlot.

The city bustled with ponies as they prepared for the incoming Hearth's Warming Eve celebrations. Ponies decorated their houses and businesses while the fillies and colts played in the snow. Ponies were so busy, that they barely noticed Midnight and David as they made their way through the city. A few ponies gave a friendly wave, and some still shied away from him, but most of the ponies regarded David with an air of familiarity. A quiet nod or a friendly "Hi there!" were thrown David's way from many ponies, and it only made his spirits soar even higher.

"Nothing like a couple months ago, huh, Mid?" David asked with a grin.

"Not even close. I'm glad to see them finally warming up to you. Honestly it was stupid it even took them this long." Midnight said.

David and Midnight shared a quiet laugh while they made their way through the city. Before long they arrived at the main gate of the castle. Hearth's Warming reefs and decorations littered the structure, and the faint sound of carols filled the air. As David and Midnight approached the door, the guards regarded them with a curt nod, and allowed them through.

"Huh, I guess Storm isn't working today." David remarked.

"Why didn't you tell me about her before? I didn't meet her until I ran into her yesterday." Midnight questioned.

"Well, I don't know... I guess I forgot to. She's married though, so don't even worry about that if that's where you're going with this." David hastily pointed out.

"Hehe, good. Like I said. You're all mine, big guy." Midnight said with a seductive hint in her voice and a flick of her tail against David's leg.

"As long as you're mine too." David said warmly.

"Deal."

David and Midnight strolled through the heavily decorated castle and saw the many hundreds of ponies scurrying about, trying to get the last of the decorations set up for the annual Hearth's Warming party. As they made their way through the busy hallways, many ponies happily greeted them. David and Midnight returned their greetings for a while before arriving in the hallway leading to the throne room. It was surprisingly empty, though well decorated.

"They really like you here in the castle." Midnight noted as she walked past the many murals adorning the walls.

"What can I say? I'm kind of a big deal around here. They probably miss my shenanigans." David said with a shrug.

"What shenanigans?" Midnight asked with a raised eyebrow. "You barely left your room for the first week you were here."

"I have tons of shenanigans! Like, the time when I dropped that potted plant on that one guy, blueballs, or... blueboy? Something like that." David pointed out.

"BlueBlood. And David, you practically ran to Princess Celestia to tell her that it was an accident. A lot of the staff saw it happen too." Midnight said flatly.

"Well yeah, but that was part of my master plan. That guy was being a dick, so I made a little show of the 'accident'. Common misdirection. Tia never suspected a thing." David said proudly.

"Oh? And what did I never suspect exactly?" Celestia's motherly tone filled the air.

David nearly fell over from the speed at which he spun around to face the alabaster white alicorn. Midnight calmly bowed with a smirk while Celestia looked over David with an amused expression on her face.

"Uh... Nothing..." David said, unconvincingly.

"Hmm... Midnight, I don't suppose you would happen to know what it is that David is talking about, would you? Something about blue-balls?" Celestia asked with a knowing grin.

"I'm afraid not, Princess. I don't know the full story behind David and his 'blueballs'." Midnight snickered. "Although, David and I are here to speak with you regarding your letter." Midnight calmly explained before breaking into laughter. She was quickly joined by the Sun Princess.

David fought the ever growing blush on his face as Midnight and Celestia shared a laugh at his expense.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. In all seriousness though, we did come here to tell you some news too." David said, trying to change the subject.

"Hehe, ahem. Of course. I'm afraid Cadence and Twilight are both with the Sparkle family at the moment, but Luna is in the throne room. Please, follow me." Celestia said as she walked to the throne room doors.

Celestia wrapped her golden magic around the heavy door and pushed it open. As the door found its way to the other side of the wall, Celestia walked in, followed immediately by David and Midnight. Luna sat on her throne with a bored look on her face that immediately perked up once she saw Midnight and David.

"Ah, Midnight, David. It's good to see you two again. I hope you've been doing well since our last talk." Luna said, flashing Midnight a knowing look.

"We've been doing very well, Princess." Midnight said with a bow.

"Please, rise. It's just us here." Celestia said.

Midnight quickly rose to her hooves and found her place at David's side as Celestia made her way to her throne. After she was sitting next to her sister, she spoke again.

"So please, tell us - what is this good news you have?" Celestia asked.

"Well..." Midnight started. "I'm sure you both have a pretty good idea already. Considering how you two have been playing matchmaker with us for the last week." Midnight light heartily accused.

"Why, whatever do you mean, Midnight Shadow?" Luna asked, feigning insult. "We've only ever tried to direct you in the right path, for both your sakes."

"Indeed. We've helped you two along the way, but anything that happened between you while we were not their to directly intervene, well, that was your choice." Celestia added, an extremely smug smile on her face.

"Hmm... Now, I'm no expert, but it sounds to me like you two already know exactly what you caused." David said, sarcastically.

"It is as Midnight said. We do have a fair idea as to the news you wish to share with us." Luna said with a knowing smile.

"And we could not be happier for you both." Celestia finished.

David smiled.

"Then uh... We're together. Mid and I-" David started.

"We're dating now." Midnight finished for him.

They looked at each other and a soft smile graced their lips. After a tender moment, they turned their attention back to the princesses. Both Celestia and Luna flashed brilliant smiles and they quickly rose from their thrones and walked down to David and Midnight to congratulate them.

"I am so happy for you both. Truly, this is a fantastic day. Not just for you, but for Equestria as a whole. This proves love can come from anywhere. Cadence will be ecstatic." Celestia said while giving David and Midnight warm hugs.

"I could not be happier for you. Midnight Shadow, David, I wish you both the absolute best in your future together. If you two would allow it, I would happily add two stars to the night sky, just for you." Luna said warmly.

"Thank you both so much. I don't think we could have gotten here without you. As if I didn't have enough of a reason to look at the night sky, you've given me one more. Luna, that really means a lot." David replied.

"Yes... Thank you so much. Both of you. I could not be more honored, your highness's." Midnight said with a bow.

"Midnight, please, rise. I would be honored to give the two of you something to enjoy every night. It is why I love being the Princess of the Night." Luna said, honesty clear in her voice.

Midnight quickly rose and, albeit with much hesitation, hugged Luna. Luna was startled for a moment, but quickly returned the hug in earnest. David and Celestia both smiled as they watched the two dark mares, before Celestia nudged David with her wing and pulled him closer. She draped her wing over his shoulder, using it as a makeshift curtain and whispered into his ear.

"So, about my letter. I don't know if you've told Midnight yet, or want to tell her at all yet, but Twilight and I have found a spell that will turn you into a pony. It would require a considerable amount of transcribing, but there is a good chance that it will work, should you decide on it."

"Thank you. I'll have to think about it more, but I think that for right now, I'm happy just the way things are." David whispered back.

Celestia withdrew her wing from David and smiled.

"Very well then. I wish you and Midnight the very best, David. You both deserve it." Celestia said in a more normal voice.

"Thank you. You're the best, Tia." David said while giving Celestia another quick hug.

Midnight finally separated from Luna and walked over beside David.

"Thank you both. For everything. A pony couldn't ask for better princesses." Midnight said, warmly.

"Anything for our friends." Celestia said with a friendly smile.

"Well, we'd better get out of your hair. It looks like you guys have been pretty busy with all the holiday preparation." David said.

"Indeed, we have been rather busy lately, but you are always welcome to drop by whenever you want. We would love to see you on Hearth's Warming Eve, if you don't have plans already." Luna replied.

"I think we could drop by." Midnight said.

"Then we'll see you on Hearth's Warming Eve. I think you two are going to have a long and wonderful relationship. I can't wait to see you again." Celestia said with a warm smile.

"Thank you. We'll see you in a few days." David said as he and Midnight turned to leave.

Both Luna and Celestia waved their goodbyes to the new couple until they were out the door and out of sight.

"Shoot!" Celestia exclaimed.

"What?" Luna questioned.

"I owe Cadence twenty bits... I thought it was going to take at least another month."

Chapter 14: Hearth's Warming Eve

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The ice cold breeze of Hearth's Warming Eve blew through Canterlot, and the ponies of Equestria celebrated yet another year of family, friendship, and happiness. Canterlot Castle was no exception, and hundreds of ponies crammed into its stone walls, all happy to enjoy the annual Hearth's Warming Eve play. Among these many ponies, sat a very happy Midnight Shadow, and and equally happy David Lawson.

The mood was tense as the actors prepared for the coming show. in mere minutes, they would perform in front of a thousand Canterlot nobles, all four princesses of Equestria, and the first ever alien to land on Equestrian soil.

David sat next to none other than Princess Celestia and Luna as the curtains opened and the play began. They sat on the Princess's private balcony overlooking the stage. Twilight sat two seats to David's right. Her mother, Twilight Velvet and her father, Night Light sat next to her, along with her brother, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. Cadence carried her foal, Flurry Heart in her hooves as the first actors took the stage.

Although there was an empty seat on David's right, Midnight wouldn't be swayed, and took her place sitting on his lap, nuzzling her head against his neck the entire show. She barely even payed attention to the play as they began the tale of the Founding of Equestria, as she was far too busy showering David with affection.

David was slightly hesitant to return her affections at first, but after a comforting nod of reassurance from Celestia, he happily nuzzled her back. He rubbed her back with his free hand while his other twirled her mane around between his fingers. After the first few minutes, the two lovebirds made no effort to hide their affections, catching the attention of all four princesses and their families from the show.

Princess Celestia watched over them with a genuine smile, and gave a friendly wink to David when he eventually tore his eyes from Midnight's for a moment. Princess Luna glanced over at Celestia and shared a knowing smile with her sister and they both lightly giggled at their hoofwork.

The play continued without a hitch, and before long, the intermission finally arrived. Everypony took the time to get out of their seats and stretch their legs and wings. Everypony except for David. After Midnight hopped off his lap and went to the restroom, David took a minute to rub his temples. A painful migraine forced its way into his skull some time after the play started, but for Midnight's sake, he managed to hide the pain for the duration of the first half of the play.

David moved his hands to his brow and massaged the pain away as best as he could. He managed to subdue the pain for a moment before Midnight returned. He quickly sat up and welcomed her back with open arms and a bright smile.

Midnight hopped into David's lap an kissed him happily. After holding the kiss for a moment, she pulled away and smiled back at him.

"Miss me?" Midnight asked, playfully.

"More than you can imagine." David replied, his voice full of mirth.

Midnight nuzzled David's cheek, and he hugged her tightly in return. Before long, the royal sisters and the Sparkle family returned and took their seats. The second half of the play began a moment later, and with it, David's migraine.

Eventually, the play came to an end and the many actors filled the stage to take one last bow before they were met with a massive round of applause. David and Midnight managed to pry themselves apart from each other for a few moments to join in the applause before everypony began to leave.

As the group made their way out of the performance hall, and into the princess's private chambers, Twilight made her way over to David as he walked beside Midnight.

"Hey, David. What did you think of the play? I think they really got the Windigos down this time. They were so realistic!"

"Wha- oh, yeah. They were super realistic... with their... uh... wind... and stuff." David absentmindedly replied.

"What? David did you even watch the play?" Twilight asked, confusion clear in her voice.

"Uh... yes?" David lied.

Twilight sighed.

"You didn't even pay attention, did you?" Twilight deadpanned.

"Well, I tried... There was just a certain pony who kept distracting me." David said, nudging Midnight with his leg.

"Hey, don't blame me. I can't help it. You're just too cute, big guy." Midnight replied, bumping her hips against David's leg.

"Look who's talking." David replied, rustling Midnight's mane.

"Hehe, stop it, big guy. You goofball." Midnight said through a giggle.

"Haha, anyways, sorry Twi. I guess I was a little distracted." David said.

"Well maybe if you weren't so busy smooching with your special somepony, you'd have understood the play." Twilight said with a pout.

"I promise that you can explain it to me in extreme detail later tonight, Twilight." David said with a slight roll of his eyes.

"So, just out of curious, how did you and Midnight even end up together?" Shining Armor chimed in from behind Twilight.

"Well, that's a loooooooong story..." David began while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Suffice to say that we both felt the same way but weren't sure how to tell each other. At least, until the princesses decided to play matchmaker with us." Midnight added.

"As we said before, Midnight, we only gave you a nudge in the right direction. Everything else that happened between you was your own doing." Celestia said with a smug smile.

"Well, regardless of who did what, we're all incredibly happy for the both of you." Cadence said with a genuine smile.

"Thank you, princess." Midnight replied with an equally genuine smile.

"So you've been here for just over two months now, right David?" Shining Armor inquired.

"Yeah. The crash was back in fall. Huh, kinda funny when I think about it. Isaac always talked about how much he loved to watch the leaves turn from green to orange and red. I wish he could have seen this place. I wish they all could have." David said, his tone slowly turning mournful as he spoke.

"I'm sure they would have all loved Equestria just as much as you do, and they would have been more than welcome to stay." Cadence said warmly.

"Thanks, Cadence..." David trailed off.

As the party reached the royal dining room, David slightly strayed away from the group, much to Midnight's surprise. While everypony else headed into the dining room for dinner, David stopped in the doorway and brought his hand to his head. He felt immense pressure in his head, like a bowling ball was competing with his brain for space in his skull. His brow furrowed in discomfort, and there was a slight grimace on his face.

"David? What's wrong?" Midnight asked as the other ponies sat down for dinner.

"Uh... I just got this killer headache out of nowhere. I don't know why, but my head is pounding." David answered while rubbing his temple.

"Do you want me to see if the princesses have some aspirin? Or I think Twilight might have a spell that could help with that." Midnight offered.

"Thanks, Mid, but I think I'll be okay." David said, though clearly in pain.

Midnight's brow furrowed in concern, and she stepped over to David's side to provide whatever support she could. Several of the other ponies present, noticed the lack of a human in the room and started walking over to David to see what was wrong. Celestia was the first to approach and voice her concern of the group.

"David? Are you feeling alright?" She asked.

"Yeah... just... uh, got a headache... out of nowhere. Jesus this hurts." David said with tightly shut eyes and gritted teeth.

"Do you need to sit down?" Celestia asked. "Sister, could you get David a glass of water? Maybe that will help."

"Of course." Luna answered as she levitated a full glass of water over to David.

David quickly grabbed the glass out of the air and downed the drink as fast as he could before pressing his forearm against the wall and leaning his head into it. He shut his eyes as tight as he could but nothing seemed to stop the throbbing pain in his head. Twilight and her family all shared concerned glances before she came forward and spoke.

"Um, David, if you want, I can try a spell to help you with the pain. I have several spells that can deal with a migraine." Twilight offered.

"Y-yeah, do it." David managed to say.

A bright magenta light poured from Twilight's horn, and an equally bright light wrapped itself around David's head. Several seconds passed as the ponies in the room anticipated quick *pop*, and David to shake off the migraine like it never happened. Instead, David screamed out in pain.

"Aahhh!!" David shouted.

Twilight immediately dropped the spell and watched in horror as David fell to his knees. His face was contorted in pain and tears began to leak out of his tightly closed eyes.

Midnight's jaw dropped in horror and she rushed to David's aid. She quickly wrapped her hooves around him and held him close.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Midnight screamed.

"I-I... I was just cast the spell to help his migraine. I-I didn't do anything else, I swear!" Twilight managed to say through her shock.

All eyes in the room fell to David as he writhed about in Midnight's arms. He was in clearly in agony, and from the looks of things, it was only getting worse.

"I'll get a doctor." Shining Armor said as he galloped out of the room.

"Here, let's clear some space on the couch for him." Night Light ordered.

Twilight Velvet and Night Light set about clearing the couch while the princesses and Twilight stayed with David and Midnight.

"We need to do something about the pain." Celestia stated. "Luna, can you do anything with your magic? I don't want to risk using mine in case something worse happens like with Twilight's."

Twilight visibly tensed at the mention of her name, but it went unnoticed as everypony's attention was directed to Luna.

"The best I can do is put him to sleep for the night." Luna said quickly.

"We've got the couch cleared! Bring him over!" Twilight Velvet called out from the other side of the room.

"Right, put him under and then we'll move him to the couch." Celestia commanded.

"Are you sure that's safe? What if it makes things worse!?" Midnight pleaded.

"Midnight, there isn't a better option at the moment. David's clearly in pain. I know you want to protect him, but trust me, we would never harm him. You have my word." Celestia said, her tone firm.

Midnight stared at the princess for a second before her eyes fell down onto David's body as he writhed about in agony. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Okay." Midnight said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Midnight released David and allowed the dark princess room to work. Luna quickly filled the gap and her horn turn a brilliant azure blue. She stepped over David and touched her horn to his head. Almost immediately, he went limp. David's grunting and heavy breathing stilled, and the pained grimace that adorned his face just moments before, was finally gone.

Midnight wasted no time and quickly grabbed his wrist with her hoof. After a moment of searching, she found his pulse. She then pressed her ear against his mouth, waiting for the sensitive fur in her ear to be disturbed by David's breath. One second passed, and with it, every emotion Midnight could possibly comprehend all flooded her mind one by one. Her thoughts spiraled out of control as she waited. Fear, panic, anxiety, and a melting pot of other emotions battled each other for dominance in her frantic mind within the course of only a second. Finally, Midnight felt the tell-tale signs of breathing, and her ear twitched as David finally exhaled. A moment later, he inhaled, and Midnight felt a thousand times lighter.

Midnight breathed a sigh of relief, and sat back on her haunches. The royal sisters sat down on either side of her, and two large wings, one light, and one dark, wrapped themselves around her.

"How did this happen to him?" Celestia asked.

"I-I don't know... One second he was fine, just talking with us like nothing was wrong, then the next..." Midnight trailed off.

"Let's get him to the bed. Shining Armor should be back soon with the castle doctor. We'll have him take a look." Luna announced.

Celestia wrapped her golden magic around David's body and lifted him into the air. She paused for a moment to insure he was still asleep and that her magic was having no adverse effects on him, before moving him over to the couch. Midnight trailed along beside her, her face painted with worry, as the unconscious human was finally lowered onto the couch.

The room fell silent, and all eyes fell onto David as he slept. After a few minutes, Twilight walked over to Midnight's side.

"Midnight... I-I have no idea what went wrong... I swear to you, I would never hurt David. You know I wouldn't... I'm so sorry..." Twilight finished, weakly.

"What could have happened? Why would a migraine-relief spell cause him so much pain?" Midnight thought out loud, her eyes still trained on David's sleeping form.

"I-I'm not sure... I've never seen a creature react like that before. I'd have to do dozens of tests before I know for sure."

"When he wakes up, we'll ask him if he's okay with that, because I'm sure as Tartarus not." Midnight said, her voice was cold and low.

"Midnight... I-" Twilight started, only to be cut off by Midnight.

"Princess, I understand what you were trying to do. I'm not mad at you... I'm upset that he's hurt and I can't do anything to help him..." Midnight said through clenched teeth.

"I'm so sorry." Twilight said, dejectedly.

Twilight walked away from Midnight and David just as Shining Armor arrived with the castle doctor.

The doctor in question was an older looking stallion. His coat was a dark brown, and his mane and tail were a silvery blonde due to his age. He wore a white medical coat around his barrel, and had a pair of spectacles adorning his amber eyes.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Doctor Whinny." Celestia addressed the stallion.

"Of course, your highness. It's my job, after all. Now, where is the human?" He asked, his voice clean and professional.

"David's on the couch over here." Midnight answered, motioning to the doctor to follow her.

She quickly led him to David and Doctor Whinny immediately set to checking David's vitals.

"So what happened exactly?" Doctor Whinny asked while he checked David's blood pressure and pulse.

"We're... not sure. One minute, we were talking about the play, the next, David had a headache, and when I tried to use some magic to help with the pain, it made things a hundred times worse. Princess Luna had to put him to sleep to stop the pain..." Twilight answered, her tone taking a remorseful edge.

"Would it be safe to say that magic caused this then, perhaps?" He mused.

"Normally, I would immediately agree, but... he's been living with Midnight for the last two months and he's never had something like this happen. Has he, Midnight?" Twilight answered.

"No. He's never reacted poorly to magic before. Then again, I never really used any spells on him other than a sleep spell back when he first got here and the occasional levitation spell." Midnight replied.

"Has he had serious headaches in the past? Maybe not something this serious, but something worth noting, perhaps?"

"He's had headaches and migraines before, but nothing this extreme." Midnight said, her brow furrowed in thought.

"I see... Hmm, I still know so little about his species, so it's hard for me to come up with any kind of solid diagnosis..." Doctor Whinny thought aloud.

"What if it was something he ate? Maybe his species can have some kind of allergic reaction to some of the food in Equestria." Shining Armor chimed in.

"He didn't eat anything out of the ordinary today, and he's never had a reaction like this to any food before, so that can't be it." Midnight answered.

Doctor Whinny stepped away from David and turned to face the rest of the ponies in the room.

"Well, the good news is that he seems to be in perfect health, at least physically. His pulse is normal, his blood pressure seems normal, and nothing else seems out of the ordinary for his species. According to those charts Princess Twilight gave us a few weeks ago, everything seems to be in order. Could you perhaps be more specific as to what exactly led up to the casting of the migraine spell? What exactly happened?" Doctor Whinny asked.

"Well, we watched the play, nothing out of the ordinary happened there. Then while we were walking back in the hall, we were talking about something... Uh, it was something about the leaves during fall... Shining, didn't you mention his friends?" Cadence answered, her muzzle scrunched up in thought.

"Um... Yeah.. Yeah, he mentioned one of his friends and how he would have loved to see the leaves changing during fall." Shining recollected.

"Right, thank you Shiny. If I recall right, we talked about his friends and then he complained about the pain to Midnight while the rest of us came into the room." Cadence finished.

"And has he spoken about his friends before?" The doctor mused.

"Very little. He doesn't like to talk about them very much. Every time I brought them up, he just shot me down the first chance he got." Midnight answered.

Luna followed up quickly, "He blames himself for their deaths. He has struggled, for the last few months, to put that behind him... His dreams are haunted by their memory most nights."

"Does he seem rather distant when they come up in conversation? Almost as if he's reminiscing or lost in though?" Doctor Whinny asked.

"Now that you mention it, yeah... At least, recently he has." Midnight answered.

"Hmm... Perhaps he suffers from survivor's guilt. While it isn't very common, having a mental breakdown somewhat akin to what you've described is a possible symptom. I've had several patients with similar reactions to far less perilous situations." Doctor Whinny explained.

"Are you saying that her magic somehow triggered a mental breakdown?" Midnight asked.

"It could be possible. Tell me, Princess, did you even finish the spell? Or did David react before you finished." Doctor Whinny asked.

"Uh... actually, no. I didn't even get halfway through the spell." Twilight said. Perking up slightly.

"Well, if that's the case, then it's also possible that what happened could have been caused by a chemical imbalance in his brain due to the stress of being the only survivor." Doctor Whinny explained.

"How, and why now? Why wouldn't it have happened last week, or last month, or any other time since he got here? Why would it happen right now when he was so happy?" Midnight pressed.

"I don't know. Maybe Princess Twilight's magic was the metaphorical spark to light the fire? Like I said, my knowledge on his species is very limited. As it stands, there are two probable causes we can hypothesize. First, that magic was the cause, although, since Princess Twilight confirmed she didn't even complete the spell, and he's lived with you for the last two months and shown no signs of damage, I'm not entirely convinced that was the cause. Second, that he suffers from acute survivor's guilt and the stress of living with that for the last two months has finally caught up with him." Doctor Whinny reasoned.

Midnight sank to her haunches. The pit in her stomach only worsened as the doctor's words swam about in her mind.

"So... whether it was magic or just some kind of mental breakdown... how do we help him?" She asked, after several moments of deliberation.

"I'm not a psychologist by any means, but I think the best move for now would be to confirm which of the two it was. This will be difficult. If magic is indeed the cause, then scanning for magical damage with a scanner spell could make things worse." Doctor Whinny suggested.

"And if the cause is survivor's guilt?" Midnight asked.

"Usually the way to handle these types of problems is to confront one's guilt and ackowledge that there was nothing they could do. They have to be reminded that it's not their fault."

"How do we do that?" Midnight pressed.

"Well, like I said, I'm not a psychologist, I'm not completely sure." Doctor Whinny admitted.

"Well where's the nearest psychologist then?" Midnight asked, impatiently.

"It's Hearth's Warming Eve, Midnight. The local psychologist is with his family in Las Pegasus. Finding one in Canterlot will be difficult until at least two days from now. Regrettably, the castle isnt staffed with a psychologist at the moment." Celestia admitted.

"Well we have to do something! We can't just sit here and wait for a psychologist to just show up." Midnight demanded.

"I understand your frustrations, and I'll be the first to admit that my theory is just that, a theory. However, if I'm right, then then only way that I can think of helping him would be to talk to him about it. If you can help him realize that it wasn't his fault, then maybe that will prevent this from happening again in the future." Doctor Whinny said in an effort to comfort Midnight.

"But what if it's magic then? We just hope that he gets better somehow?" Midnight asked, her brow furrowed in irritation.

Celestia spoke next, her voice calm and collected, "Midnight, please, calm down. Regardless of which one is the cause, I don't believe we can provide a diagnosis until David awakes anyways."

"Um, Princess, I think I might have an idea." Twilight's meek voice chimed in.

"Of course, Twilight." Celestia responded.

"Well, it has to do with the spell you asked me to research a few days ago... The transfiguration spell. Just, as a hypothetical, it might be a viable option if magic is the cause." Twilight said, painfully aware of Midnight's questioning gaze.

"Hmm... I don't think I follow, Twilight." Celestia said after much consideration.

"Wait, what transfiguration spell?" Midnight asked.

"It's a spell that could turn any other species into a pony. Star Swirl the Bearded came up with the spell over a millennia ago to defeat large monsters without having to use conventional magic or risk damaging th-" Twilight began to explain.

Midnight did a double take at Twilight's words.

"I'm sorry, what? You want to turn him into a pony? With magic? When we don't even know if that's what hurt him yet? Are you trying to kill him?" Midnight chastised, anger clawing its way into her voice again.

"No! Or course not, Midnight! The only reason I bring it up is to give us more options. If magic damages his human biology, then turning him into a pony could prevent that from happening. I can't know for sure - not yet at least - but if I'm right, and Equestrian magic is causing his pain, then there's no way he could continue to live here without being a pony. If I'm right, it would be cruel for him to stay here as a human. I know that it has risks, but if our magic is the cause, then it might be the only thing that we can do for him." Twilight countered.

"There's no way he would agree to that! He can't just give up what he is on the assumption that you might be right!" Midnight retorted.

"If he has a breakdown this intense again, he might not be the one to make that choice." Celestia said, drawing the attention of everypony in the room.

"What do you mean? You're not seriously considering this, are you?" Midnight asked, exasperated.

"Don't worry, Midnight. We won't be changing David's species tonight. That's a permanent solution to a potentially temporary problem and will only be used as an absolute last resort. Not to mention, we still don't even have a proper diagnosis. We will try to diagnose the problem accurately first, and if the problem is in fact that his biology can not handle equestrian magic, then, and only then will we consult him on making that change... That said, if something like this were to happen again in the unforeseen future, it might become impossible to ask for his consent with regards to using the spell. I'm afraid that that decision, will have to fall on you, Midnight." Celestia said, drawing everyone's eyes to Midnight.

"What?! M-Me? I can't make that decision for him! That's not my choice to make!" Midnight reasoned, her tone growing more frantic.

"Midnight, please calm down. I understand that it's a massive responsibility, but you are the one David trusts the most. If anypony could make that decision for him, it'd be you." Celestia said, trying to calm the nearly hyperventilating mare in front of her.

Before Midnight could formulate a response, a navy blue wing was draped over her, and she turned her head to see Luna giving her a comforting smile. After a few moments, she sighed heavily and hung her head low.

"I understand your fears, Midnight. Please try to remember that this is all very hypothetical at the moment. If our magic is the cause of what happened here tonight, and Twilight's spell can help him, then the decision will only fall on you if David absolutely cannot make that choice himself. We're going to try everything we can to help him before it comes to that." Luna said, warmth emanating from her voice.

"But... I can't make that choice for him... It's not fair to David." Midnight pleaded.

"Midnight, you are the most important pony in David's life. Do you think he'd trust anyone else with that responsibility?"

"I... I'll think about it..." Midnight said, her voice barely a whisper.

"Let's just pray that it doesn't come to that. If it is just his psyche causing this, then neither of you will have to make that choice." Doctor Whinny chimed in.

"Regardless, we're not going to make any decisions tonight. We'll have to tackle this once David is awake again." Celestia declared.

"We might not be able to make any decisions tonight, but I do believe I might be able to at least rule out one of those potential causes, sister." Luna spoke up and all eyes fell on her. "Ever since David arrived, I've struggled to see his dreams. Now that we've discussed his mental state and memories, I've realized something. Without getting too into the details, I might be able to access David's mind through his dreams and discern the true cause of his pain from there."

"How?" Celestia asked, clearly intrigued.

"Like I said, I do not wish to get too into the details since it's very complicated, but the idea is that if I can enter his subconscious, I should be able to visually see if there is any equestrian magic from there. If there is, and it is the source of David's pain, then there should be severe damage surrounding it." Luna explained.

"What do you mean? What kind of 'damage'?" Midnight asked.

"Well, it's difficult to explain, but essentially, the dreamer's subconscious creates a metaphorical world around them when they dream. I enter this metaphorical world, and usually, it mimics the real world. The only difference is what certain things represent. A simple road in one pony's dream could actually be a key neurological pathway in his or her mind, but they subconsciously correlate the two without knowing it. The damage would be exactly like the real world. A burnt down house, a broken wheel, or even a bent pole. I should be able to find magical residue that exists near the damaged parts of his subconscious mind. That's how I'll be able to discern actual damage from normal parts of the dream. If I find nothing, then we'll know that magic does not harm him." Luna answered.

"I'm not sure... Doesn't that sound a little... Invasive, sister?" Celestia asked.

"I'm afraid it is. I would never do this to somepony without their consent, but unfortunately, David cannot consent at the moment. Therefore, it falls to you, Midnight. Would you be alright with me doing this?" Luna asked, her eyes intensely trained on Midnight's.

"Princess, if there's anything you could do, please, do it. I can't see him in pain like that again... Not again..." Midnight sadly trailed off.

"Very well. I will begin at once. This might take several hours, and it is already late. You all might want to rest soon. Don't stay awake on my account." Luna addressed everypony in the room.

"I'm not going anywhere." Midnight said, her mind having been made up long ago.

"I will stay as well." Princess Celestia said, firmly.

"I'd like to stay, if it'd be alright with you, Midnight." Twilight came forward as well.

Midnight took a moment to respond.

"Of course, Princess. You're David's friend too. I know you didn't mean to hurt him." Midnight said with a weak smile.

"Thank you. I'll do anything I can to help." Twilight responded, perking back up slightly.

Twilight Velvet and Night Light shared a quick glance before looking back at David's sleeping form.

"I think we should stay too." They both said in unison.

"David is a fine stallion, and I think we'd like to make sure that he's alright." Twilight Velvet finished for them.

"I'll stay too. Sunburst is taking care of Flurry Heart, just a few rooms over, so we shouldn't have anything to worry about." Cadence said.

"Same here." Shining Armor followed.

Midnight took a moment to look at each of the ponies filling the room. Her eyes fell on each pony slowly, and before she even made it half way around the room, tears were blurring her vision.

"You... all want to stay?" Midnight managed to say. "Even though it's Hearth's Warming Eve?"

"Our whole family's here anyways. Besides it's David's first Hearth's Warming. Let's make it special." Night Light responded.

Midnight held the tears back as best as she could, but despite her efforts, a several tears streamed down her face and dampened the fur on her cheeks. She looked down and away from the group and wiped the tears away with her foreleg.

"T-thank you... Thank you all so much..." She spoke, her voice barely a whisper.

Celestia's brilliant white wing found it's way around Midnight's whither and pulled her close. Midnight looked up to see Celestia's magenta orbs smiling down on her.

"I promise you that David will be alright, Midnight. You have my word." Celestia spoke, her voice full of kindness and compassion.

Midnight slowly nodded her head, and after another comforting squeeze from Celestia's wing, Midnight was released from her grasp.

Princess Celestia requested several mattresses to be brought to the room for the excess guests that would be staying over through the night. Within half an hour, the castle servants provided four queen sized mattresses for the Princesses and several twin sized mattresses for the rest of the Sparkle family and Midnight.

Regardless of the many comfortable mattresses in the room, everypony tried their hardest to stay awake while Luna worked. The Sparkle family found some board games and a deck of playing cards to pass the time. After several hours, Night Light proved his skill by beating even Celestia in a game of 'Go-Fish'.

Shining Armor and Cadence cuddled on their respective mattress and watched as Twilight Velvet proceeded to destroy her husband's perfect win streak. They shared a laugh at his expense before Cadence had to stifle a yawn. The hours passed quickly for some, but so, so painfully slowly for one pony in the room.

Despite all of the general atmosphere of the room being somewhat jovial, one pony sat in silence. Her eyes glued to the only human being in the room. Midnight sat on her haunches only a foot away from David. Every time he moved in his sleep, or his eyelids twitched just enough, she rose to her hooves to make sure he was okay.

Eventually, everypony's energy fizzled out and died, and they prepared for bed, fully intending to see a healthy human in the morning. Celestia ensured everypony had any blankets or other necessities before her ever watchful gaze fell on Midnight as she checked David for what must have been the hundredth time. As she watched her, the Sparkle family said their goodnights to each other and went to bed. Cadence and Shining Armor had long since fallen asleep, holding each other in their forelegs. A sad sigh forced itself out of her lips, and Celestia walked over to the dark unicorn.

"Midnight... I know you want to make sure he's alright... But there's nothing you can do right now. It's already one in the morning. Please get some rest. Luna will ensure David is alright for the rest of the night." Celestia tiredly said.

"You go ahead, Princess. I want to be awake when he wakes up." Midnight replied, absentmindedly.

"Midnight-" Celestia began.

"Princess, please... I can't help him, I know that... I just... I just have to do something... If I lose a night's worth of sleep at the cost of making sure he's okay, then I'd say it was a night well spent." Midnight interrupted.

A small smile forced its way onto Celestia's lips.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?" She asked.

"I... yes..." Midnight said, her eyes staying trained on David.

"He's lucky to have you. I will be just across the room if you need anything. Good night, Midnight." Celestia warmly said.

"Good night, Princess... and thank you." Midnight replied.

The soft and steady breathing of the many bodies in the room filled the air as the last of the ponies fell asleep. Even Midnight, despite her efforts, drifted off eventually, and fell asleep on the floor, her hoof just barely making contact with David's hand as it hung off the couch. The only source of light the filled the room was the brilliant light from Luna's horn as she worked in the dreamscape. A dreamscape that was far less peaceful than that quiet room.

Author's Notes:

Hopefully I didnt overdo it with the public display of affection in the beginning. Anyways, here we are. Hopefully ya'll saw this coming. I know it might be confusing and hopefully there aren't any major plot holes I missed. I pretty much had to completely rewrite this chapter over the last week because I realized that I left so many plotholes and issues that it would have been a horrible chapter to upload. I think I will completely rewrite this chapter once the story is finished, just because I'm still not very happy with how it turned out. I hope you enjoy regardless. The next chapter will be better, I promise. I know this chapter is going to leave a lot of questions, and I promise that if you read until the end of the story, they will be answered. I know that waiting for a few more weeks sucks, but we're almost there guys. Stay with me here. Everything will be answered in the end.

Chapter 15: Downhill

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Luna felt herself falling. Her wings refused to cooperate, and her magic only fizzled out every time she tried to cast a spell. She couldn't see anything other than black, and her ears rang incessantly. Her limbs felt cold and numb, yet somehow she maintained a general idea of where they were as they limply flailed about around her body.

She fell for what felt like hours. No matter how many times she tried to right herself, she could not find her equilibrium to slow her descent, and an impending sense of doom overtook her mind. A cold shiver forced its way down her spine, and she couldn't help but feel the ground quickly approaching. No matter how hard she tried to right herself, she only spun around and around in a dizzying dance of fear and peril.

Finally, there was light. Her world illuminated around her and she saw the ground as her body rushed to meet it at terminal velocity. There was no time to react, and before Luna could even think of moving her wings, her body made contact with the cold, hard ground. Strangely, the impact didn't hurt at all. There was no sound, no pain, no rush of movement or anything. She simply stopped. Then, without warning, her senses returned. She could hear and feel again. She was in control once more.

"Alright... That was far more perilous than I imagined..." Luna thought to herself.

Luna looked back and forth to get her bearings, and found herself in a strange white room. There were strange beds lined up in the middle of the room, and several medical machines lining the walls. The floor was checkered with white and blue panels and four rows of bright blue lights leading to the strange beds. Luna noticed a window on the far side of the room and made her way over to examine it. At first glance, it appeared to be completely blacked out, however, once she looked more carefully, she saw small speckles of light in the distance.

"Now that's a view I wished to never seen again." Luna thought to herself, the painful memory of her banishment stinging like a hot needle.

Luna turned away from the window and looked over the room again. She approached the strange bed furthest to her right to find that the top was covered by a glass panel, and there were several tubes connecting it to the medical machines in the room, as well as some other tubes running down into the floor, presumably running to more machines in another room. Luna reared back and propped herself up on the bed with her forelegs to look down through the glass. The inside looked comfortable enough, with the cushions and padding laid out in a body-conforming shape. After a moment, Luna noticed a nameplate on the pod she was looking into.

Roman Doss

Luna tilted her head as the words sank in. She quickly dropped from the bed and moved to the one to her immediate left.

Isaac Clarke

Luna moved to the next pod over and read the name plate.

Richie Vilovoy

Luna trotted to the last pod at the end of the room and read the last name plate.

David Lawson

Luna stared at the last nameplate for a while. Her mind raced to process just where exactly she was. As her thoughts raced, a sound caught her ear. The sound of voices... and footsteps.

Luna turned to see four humans as they entered the room. David was among the group, wearing black working boots and navy blue pants. He wore a black belt and a jet black shirt, with a logo the read "Nebula" in bright blue, fancy lettering.

"David!" Luna called out, her voice full of relief and excitement.

David completely ignored her call, and continued to talk with the other humans.

"David?" Luna called out again, slightly confused.

Again, no answer. He continued to walk forward and ignore her voice.

After a moment of deliberation, it clicked.

Luna silently gasped.

"That's what he wore when he landed in Equestria... This must be a memory then... his last memory before the crash..." Luna thought to herself.

The rest of the crew were wearing matching uniforms with David, and they all wore name tapes with bright gold lettering.

Roman was a tall, dark man with short, fuzzy hair, almost reminding Luna of a sheep's wool. Isaac was as light as David, and looked to be younger than the rest of the crew. His features were soft, and friendly, and his hair was buzzed down until it just hugged his scalp. Richie was slightly tanner than David, but not as much as Roman. He was easily the tallest of the group, standing at almost six and a half feet tall. Even David, who stood slightly above Celestia in stature, had to look up to speak to the massive human. He looked older than everyone, and had a small stubble on his chin. He had a certain stride about him that seemed to convey an air of utter confidence. As if he knew everything would be okay, no matter what.

As David and his friends made their way towards the strange beds, they conversed as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"So, Roman, when we get back to Earth, are you gonna stay? Or are you gonna re-up for another trip?" Isaac asked.

"Hell no. I've already got enough money saved to last me the rest of my life. Besides, I want to live on a developed planet, thank you." Roman replied, his deep voice reverberating off the walls.

"Well yeah, but it's gonna be another two hundred years at the very least before we come back to Horizon V. You think they won't have the rest of the planet colonized by then?" Isaac pressed.

"Isaac, if they have the whole planet colonized in two hundred years, then there would be no point in moving there. It'd just be another Earth. Crowded and ugly. We just witnessed the last open air and ocean we're ever gonna see." Richie chastised.

"That doesn't even make sense, man. Even if they had an astronomically high birth rate, it would take way more than two hundred years for them to turn Horizon into another Earth." Isaac defended.

"Did you fail history or something? Earth's population jumped over 4 billion people in less than a hundred years. It's not only possible, it's almost certain." Richie retorted.

"What do you think, David? Horizon becomes a second Earth or it stays pure and clean until we come back?" Isaac asked, directing everyone's attention to David.

"Eh, I don't care. It could go either way for all I know. Especially since we have the technology to terraform worlds now. It doesn't really matter to me. By the time I settle down, we'll probably be landing on a whole new planet." David said with a scratch of his chin.

"Oh, right, I forgot. You're gonna be the 'oldest man in the universe'" Richie replied with air quotes.

"Hate to burst your bubble there, David, but your body does age while you're in cryo. It might only be a couple years, but still, you do enough trips, and you'll have slept half your life away." Roman chastised.

"I only plan on maybe five or six. Besides, no one else is gonna be crazy enough to do it. I could easily break a world record. Or two." David replied.

"Yep, and none of us would be alive to see it." Richie chimed in.

"Haha, you guys could always join me," David said with a hint of enthusiasm in his voice. "We could be the oldest dudes in the galaxy, as a team."

"Maybe in another life, man." Roman replied.

The group approached their respective beds and pressed a sequence of buttons on the side of the machines. After some mechanical whirring and strange beeps, the glass panels opened to allow access for the humans to lay down.

"These must be the 'cryo-pods' David told me about..." Luna mused.

"Time for the looooong nap, boys." Richie announced.

"Hey, who wants to read a bedtime story?" Isaac called out.

The group shared a hearty laugh at the joke before settling into their pods. Each human pressed a series of buttons on the inside of the pod before the glass closed down and sealed them in. The hiss of air pressurizing inside of the pods filled the room, and then all was silent... for a moment.

Before Luna could even think of moving, an explosion shook the room, and Luna was knocked off her hooves from the force of the blast. The cabin immediately began to depressurize, and Luna barely managed to grab the nearest pod to prevent herself from being cast out into space. The deafening sound of air rushing out of the ship into the vacuum of space blocked out all of her senses and she tightly closed her eyes in fear. Then, it stopped. Luna swiveled her head back and forth to see what ended such noise. All was quiet... and then the alarm sounded.

David's pod was the first to open, and he groggily rose from the bedding to see the room in total disarray. He noticed the scorch marks on the entrance door and the alarm lights filling the room with a red hue after a few moments of waking up.

David's eyes slowly adjusted to the new lighting, and his senses quickly came back to him. After a moment, he realized the situation, and quickly hopped off the bed. He looked to his comrades for a moment to see their pods opening and their heads beginning to rise from the bedding. David rushed out of the room to see the extent of the damage as the rest of the group woke up.

Luna immediately galloped after David as he rushed to the command deck of the ship. Two strips of bright flashing red lights illuminated the dark hallway as she tried to follow David. He led her through a maze of corridors and blacked out hallways until arriving at a large steel door. Luna's hooves came to a screeching halt, and she eyed the large door with curiosity for a moment. The sound of frantic tapping caught her attention, and she turned to see David desperately typing into the keypad next to the door. Luna tilted her head as she observed, before the sound of metal grinding on more metal raked at her ears, and she turned to see the large metal door slowly swinging open. Only a moment later did she hear the sound of more footsteps approaching from behind.

David quickly rushed into the room and sat down in the captains chair. He quickly pressed yet another sequence of buttons and the room magically illuminated. If it weren't for the current situation, Luna would have marveled at the technology. Her attention, however, was drawn to the screen David was frantically tapping and swiping on. After a few seconds of swiping, David came to what appeared to be a blueprint of the ship, and he quickly mashed more buttons, changing the angle of the ship several times over.

The rest of David's group rounded the corner and entered the room, drawing Luna's attention away from the screen.

"David, what the hell happened?" Richie demanded.

"I'm finding out right now." David quickly replied.

After another moment of swiping, David came to the screen he wanted, and made a large swiping motion, making the image appear on the larger monitor to the side of the room. The top of the screen read "Damage Report".

David and the crew scanned the image for several seconds before Roman finally found something.

"Right there! In the fuel room." He said, pointing to the starboard section of the ship.

"Looks like an asteroid. It punched right through our shields and ruptured one of the fuel canisters. That must have been the explosion that woke us all up." Isaac noted.

"It depressurized the entire starboard section of the ship. The bulkheads on levels three, four, five, and seven are completely spaced. The reactor is working overtime to keep the engines running. If we don't do something fast, we could have a mini nuke going off in our basement." Richie explained.

"How the hell did an asteroid even hit us? We specifically chose our flight plan to avoid that." David wondered out loud.

"It doesn't matter. What matters now, is how we deal with it. David, you stay here and monitor the condition of the ship. Let us know if anything changes. Roman, you're on reactor duty. See if you can cool it down. Use the liquid nitrogen if you have to. Isaac, you're on fuselage repair. Get a suit on and get out there to fix it with the plasma torches. I'll be with the fuel tanks, making sure none of that shit goes off on us." Richie ordered, with a calculated determination.

"Roger."

"Got it."

"On it, boss."

The rest of the humans ran out of the room, leaving Luna alone with David. He quickly swiveled in his chair to look at another screen, leaving Luna to stare at the damage report alone. She inspected the schematics closely before a flashing red light appeared on a different level of the ship.

"Now that doesn't look good... I hope David notices this." She said, turning to look at David.

After a few seconds of digging, David procured a headset from a compartment under the screen, and began talking to his comrades.

"Rich, this is David, you copy?" David asked.

"Roger." Richie's static voice responded just loud enough for Luna to hear from her position next to David.

"Roman?"

"I'm here."

"Isaac?"

"Yeah, still getting my suit on."

"Alright, we're all on the net. If you guys see anything, call it up. I've got almost no power up here, but I'll divert what I can from noncritical systems to wherever you need it." David said, his steely gaze focused on the screen in front of him.

"I've never seen this side of him... He's so focused... He's usually a big, goofball of a stallion." Luna thought as she watched David work.

David directed his friends on what area's needed repairs most desperately, and diverted power to open doors whenever someone needed one open.

"David, I need you to divert some power to Level Seven, Section B, door Five A." Richie called over the net.

"Hang on... just a sec... no, it's no good. That door's circuits are fried. Can you reroute?" David replied as he tapped at the screen.

"Uh... what about One C?" Richie asked.

"Let me see... Okay, I can get it. It should be opening now." David replied.

"Roger, thanks."

"David, can you give me some power at the reactor? I can't move the liquid nitrogen without the crane." Roman called.

"How much power do you need?" David asked.

"How much can you give me?"

"Bro, I'm operating with less power than Apollo Thirteen here. After the explosion." David replied.

"Shit. Well give me what you can. Maybe I can get at least one of these damn tanks to the reactor." Roman answered.

"On it. Just... a... second... and... done. Rich, you'd better move fast. That door is gonna close on you in one minute and I don't know if I can get it back open once it's shut." David announced.

"On it."

Luna was completely transfixed on the marvelous display of communication and brotherhood she was witnessing. She couldn't help but admire the teamwork and efficiency of the human crew. Most ponies would be too terrified at the prospect of death to move so quickly and without question. Sadly, it only made her pity David more.

More than once, Isaac or Roman cracked a joke, making even David laugh despite the harrowing circumstances they all faced and for a while, everything seemed to be working out well. Isaac managed to seal the breach in the ship's fuselage, Rich was able to secure the fuel and keep it from exploding, and Roman was even able to bring the reactor's core temperature down several hundred degrees. Everything seemed to be going well... until the second explosion.

The ship rocked and Luna heard a chain of explosions from down the hallway. The force of the first explosion threw her off her hooves and knocked David out of his chair. The sound of rushing air quickly followed, and before Luna could even process what had happened, more alarms blared and the room was once again bathed in a red hue. Luna scrambled to her hooves to find David already back at his post, yelling into his headset.

"Guys! Are you okay?! Respond!" David barked into the mic.

"What the hell was that!?" Came a static voice, nearly completely droned out by the alarms.

David looked back at the damage report to find the oxygen cycle room was completely bathed in red lights and warning signs. He cursed under his breath as he looked back at his monitor.

"There was a fire in the oxygen cycle room! I didn't catch it! We just lost life support! The whole bow of the ship is getting spaced! The bulkhead doors aren't responding! I've got no power here either!" David responded, his voice slightly panicky.

"Roman, how's the reactor? We can deal with everything else as long as that thing doesn't go nuclear."

"Reactor's... fucked! That explosion... a hole... fucking coolant! We... get out of here now!" Roman called, his voice coming in especially poorly.

"FUCK! Everyone get to the escape pod, NOW!" Richie's voice rang out through the static.

David didn't wait for another second. He practically jumped off the chair and sprinted out of the room with Luna trailing close behind.

David ran through the many corridors of the dying ship as fast as his legs could carry him with Luna galloping alongside him. The constant shaking and rocking of the ship threw them both off balance multiple times, knocking David off his feet more than once.

Hallway after hallway passed in a seemingly never-ending maze, and before long, Luna was winded and lost. She barely managed to keep pace with David as he jumped over debris and ducked under fallen support beams. The whole while, the sound of explosions in the distance filled her ears, pushing her to keep moving, no matter how much her lungs burned.

"This is what I get for eating all of that late night pudding..." Luna thought to herself as she ran.

Finally, David turned into a corridor and ran to a massive doorway. Upon arriving, he frantically pressed a sequence of numbers into the keypad, and after a few moments, the motors in the door spun to life, and the air lock slowly opened. David quickly clambered inside as the door was still half way open, with Luna following in behind.

David immediately began prepping the escape pod for departure. He entered a combination of numbers into the keypad and flipped several switches, causing the screen to illuminate a bright red. David quickly moved from one side of the pod to the next, and began prepping the flight computer for launch. He was so preoccupied with the computer, that he didn't notice the straining of the motors on the air lock door.

Luna turned her head at the strange whirring noise, and saw smoke fuming from the air lock door. She quickly ran to David's side to try to get his attention.

"David! The door!" Luna shouted.

David simply couldn't hear her. He continued on with his prep for another minute before a strikingly loud metallic snap filled the air. He turned to the air lock door to see it slowly sliding back down its rails and closing.

"Shit!" David shouted.

He quickly turned on his heels and sprinted to the door. He grabbed the handle and tried with all his might to push the steel door back up. Luna stared in awe as David struggled valiantly to hold the door open. Another second passed, and voices were heard coming down the hallway.

"David!"

"Hold the door!"

"The ship's gonna blow! Let's get the hell outta here!"

"I... Can't.. hold it!" David shouted back as the door inched further down.

David's friends sprinted faster than Luna had ever seen a human move before, and the sound of their footsteps grew louder as they grew closer. She peered under the door as it crawled downwards to see them closing the last twenty feet... then fifteen... then ten... *SLAM*

Luna fell back onto her haunches as the air lock door slammed shut in front of her. David fell to his knees and panted heavily. Only a second later there was a banging on the door, and Richie could be seen looking in through the glass window on the airlock door.

"David!" Richie called out.

"One of the motors died! I don't think... I can't open it!" David shouted through heavy breaths.

A look of legitimate fear crept onto Richie's face for the first time, and Luna saw the color drain from his face. For the first time, the most head-strong man she had ever seen, looked terrified.

That look, only lasted for a moment, and a new look found its place. A look of determination.

"David, listen to me. There's a mechanical override on the control panel to your right. I need you to open it up, okay." Richie said as calmly as he could.

David quickly nodded and moved to the panel. He quickly unscrewed the metal plate on top and opened it, revealing a motherboard with several wires connecting it to the other electrical components on the door.

"Alright, I need you to cut the blue wire on the fourth connection bridge. Right under the power hard-line conduit." Richie commanded.

David quickly found the wire in question and pulled out his knife. He cut the wire in an instant.

"Okay, now I need you to cut the yellow wire in the purple block at the top left." Richie said.

David cut the requested wire.

"Okay, got it." He quickly replied.

"Alright, now cross the wires and cycle the power. That should reroute some juice from the pod to the last motor and at least get this door halfway open."

"Okay... got it." David said. "Try opening the door!"

A mechanical whirring filled the air once more, and the door began to slowly rise. Three pairs of hands wrapped around the bottom of the door and pulled with all their might to help the door along. David was quick to join while Luna watched intently. The door slowly rose, one inch, then two, then three, until it was just high enough to crawl under.

"Grr... Isaac! Go!" Richie called out.

Isaac moved to crawl under the door, but right as he got his leg under, the motor sputtered and began to die, quickly allowing the door to fall back down. Before Luna could even gasp at the impending amputation about to happen, Roman released his hold on the door and pulled Isaac out from under. David and Richie released their grips just before the door slammed down and shut.

"Ah fuck! The motor died! There's not enough power! Fuck!" David cried out as he punched the panel.

Richie thought for a moment before he came up with an idea.

"Alright, David. There is a way we can manually open this thing. I need you to-"

A massive explosion ripped the hallway open to the empty vastness of space, and all three humans flew out into the void in the blink of an eye.

David was knocked onto his back by the shock wave, and took a few moments before he rose to his feet. His breaths came quickly and shaky, and as he looked through the glass, he saw the massive hole and the blackness of space. He began to hyperventilate, and he screamed at the glass.

"No! NOO! NO, GOD NO!! RICHIE! ISAAC! ROMAN!" David screamed as he pounded on the glass, tears already streaming down his cheeks.

Luna stared in abject horror. Her eyes widened, and her lips trembled as she witnessed the moment of David's loss. The death of his only friends. Tears streamed down his face, and he fell to his knees, all the while screaming their names.

David fell back into a sitting position against the control panel. He held his head in his hands and sobbed. Luna hesitantly moved to the window to see what was left of the craft. Rearing back on her hind legs, she peered through the glass to see the spacecraft in its dying moments.

After a few moments, an automated voice filled the escape pod.

"ESCAPE POD AUTOMATED LAUNCH SEQUENCE ACTIVATED. ALL LIVING SOULS ON BOARD. LAUNCH IN 3... 2... 1... LAUNCH."

The pod harshly shook as it was jettisoned from the ship and began to fly away. After only a few seconds, the entire vessel turned into a brilliant blue light, and exploded. The shock wave immediately slammed into the pod, flinging it off course and into the void.

Luna's world faded to black, and before she knew it, she was thrust back into the waking world.

Luna awoke with a start, and she panted heavily as she recollected everything she just witnessed. She took a moment to calm herself down before turning around to the clock to see the time.

3:00 AM

Luna looked over to a large bed to her right, finding her sister sleeping soundly. She breathed a sigh of relief and rose to her hooves, almost tripping over Midnight in the process.

"Oops... Sorry about that, Midnight." Luna whispered to the graphite unicorn.

Luna quickly moved to her sister and gently nudged her awake.

"Mmmh?" Celestia murmured.

"Sister, wake up." Luna quietly ordered.

"Isit sun time?" Celestia managed to respond as her eyes slowly opened.

"No. I have returned from the dreamscape. I need to talk to you about David. Now." Luna whispered.

"Oh... Alright." Celestia said, slowly rising from the bed.

Several of Celestia's joints popped as she stretched and slipped off the bed onto her hooves. Luna quickly ushered her out of the room and into the next room over.

"What did you find, sister?" Celestia asked, still groggy from just waking up.

"With regards to the magical damage, I'm afraid those results are inconclusive. I'm not sure how, but I found myself in a particularly important memory of his. I found no sign of magical damage there, although... I admit I was quite preoccupied with what was happening in his memory. Before I could search elsewhere, I was forced out of his mind and back to the waking world." Luna explained.

"What happened?" Celestia pressed.

"Well... I now know why he feels so guilty about his friends." Luna said.

"Go on." Celestia replied, seeming to completely wake up at the news.

"Their ship was hit by an asteroid. David and his friends tried to fix it, but as soon as it looked like they would be alright, there was a massive explosion, forcing them to abandon ship. I followed David the whole time... He was the first one to the escape pod, but something went wrong once he was inside. The door closed on its own, locking his friends out. He tried so hard to hold it open, but it was too heavy, and he failed..." Luna trailed off.

"What happened next? Sister?" Celestia asked, noticing Luna's downcast eyes.

"His friends made it to the door, and tried to tell him how to open it... but it didn't work. As they were talking, there was another explosion, and they were just... gone. Just like that. Their entire lives led to that moment, and in an instant, they were gone. It was horrible, and I don't think I can stand to see David like that again. I saw his memory exactly as he remembers it... Even his nightmares do that moment no justice." Luna replied, somberly.

Celestia was quiet for a few moments while she thought over Luna's words. Her brow furrowed as numerous possible ideas flowed through her thousand-year-old mind.

"So that's what happened to him." A new voice said.

Both Luna and Celestia whipped their heads to the door to find Midnight looking at them both, sadly. She fell to her haunches and her eyes dropped to the floor as the princesses quickly closed the distance between them.

"Midnight? How long have you been awake? How much did you hear?" Luna asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

"Since you stepped on my hoof... I heard everything..." Midnight replied.

"This is a difficult situation. Please, let us keep this between ourselves." Celestia said with a hint of concern.

"Of course, princess." Midnight replied. "What are we going to do?"

"I'm not sure... Sister, you found absolutely no trace of magical damage anywhere?" Celestia asked.

"I did not find anything conclusive. The outside of the ship was nothing but blackness and I only saw the rooms David was in. However, after seeing his memory... I'm beginning to think Doctor Whinny may have been right. Most ponies would be lucky to come away from that as mentally sound as David is.

"Is there any way you could search again at a later date?" Celestia asked.

"I... could... however, delving into one's consciousness takes an extraordinary amount of magic and energy, and I'm afraid that I don't have the strength to do it again for at least another week. Lifting the moon will even be challenging in that time." Luna admitted.

"I didn't realize it was such a strain on you..." Celestia said, remorsefully.

"Midnight, I hate to say this just as much as you hate to hear it... but I'm not sure I can feasibly continue to search in David's mind for magical damage. There is still so much of his consciousness that I haven't seen, and taking time to do this whenever I have the strength will most definitely interfere with my duties as the princess of the night."

"I... I understand... David doesn't come before Equestria... Is... Is there anything else we can do?" Midnight asked, her tone barely concealing her sadness at the news.

"I believe the best option at the moment would be to help him confront his guilt and overcome it like Doctor Whinny suggested... Then again, now that we know exactly why he's kept the circumstances of the crash so secret, I don't think he'll be willing to open up about it very easily..." Celestia admitted, woefully.

"He believes he is directly responsible for their deaths... I honestly can't blame him for not wanting to discuss it." Luna responded.

A sad silence filled the room for several minutes before Midnight finally spoke.

"I think I might be able to get through to him."

"Are you sure? I know you're in a relationship now, but these are deep wounds we're talking about, Midnight." Luna said.

"I understand that, princess, but if I'm being honest, I think I'm the only pony that David will talk to about this." Midnight replied, with determination in her voice.

"Very well. How do you plan to do it?" Celestia asked.

"I just need some alone time with him." Midnight replied.

"Done." They royal sisters replied, together.

Chapter 16: The Truth

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David groggily awoke from his magically induced sleep with a groan. He tried to sit up, only to find a weight pressing down on his chest and stomach. He slowly peeled his eyes open and looked down to find Midnight sleeping on top of him. A tired smile forced its way onto his face and he gently stroked Midnight's mane for a few minutes until she began to stir.

"Mmmhh? David?" Midnight said, opening one of her eyes.

"Yep. I see you made yourself comfortable." He said with a grin.

"Well, your skin is soft... Are you feeling alright?" Midnight asked as she sat up on his waist.

"Well, besides being really tired, I'm feeling great. What happened last night? Where'd everybody go?" David asked as he began to scan the rest of the room.

"Well, they all woke up about an hour ago and went to have breakfast. They should be back in a bit. As for last night... well... you had another migraine. Twilight tried to help you with her magic, but for whatever reason, it made things a hundred times worse. Princess Luna had to use her magic to put you to sleep to stop the pain." Midnight explained with a sad frown.

"Damn... That's so weird though. I don't remember anything after the play. Did she fry my brain or something?" David asked, bringing a hand to his forehead.

"I think you'll be okay... but we need to talk." Midnight said, more solemnly than David was used to hearing her speak.

"About what?"

Midnight looked down sadly, then hugged David tightly. David slightly jumped at the movement, but quickly found himself returning the hug in earnest. He felt Midnight sigh heavily against his neck, and gently rubbed her back with one hand and her neck with the other.

"Mid, what's wrong?" David asked.

"It's just... I'm so sorry you had to go through all that pain..." Midnight's slightly muffled words reached David's ears and stabbed at his heart.

"Mid... It's okay. I'm fine - you're here with me - everything is gonna be alright." David whispered.

A few moments passed, and the only response David received was Midnight's shaky breathing. David felt a heaviness in his heart, and decided to continue.

"You know, If you had told me, a hundred years ago, that I would fall for a talking unicorn on an unknown planet somewhere off in space, I would've thought you were crazy. Yet somehow... This just feels... right. Like, being with you like this feels more right than anything I've ever done in my entire life." David said, finishing with a gentle kiss on Midnight's forehead.

Midnight smiled against David's neck.

"Maybe... Everything that's happened to you... led you here? Maybe you were supposed to be born when you were, do the things you did, and survive the crash like you did... so that I could find you." Midnight cautiously replied.

"Something like fate, huh? Well, if that's what it is, I'm just glad it brought me to you." David warmly responded.

David felt Midnight's already tight grip around him tighten just a tiny bit more, and he planted another small kiss on Midnight's head. She closed her eyes and sighed from the affection.

They laid together for a while without a sound, save for their quiet breaths. David took to scratching Midnight's ear with one hand, and gently rubbing her barrel with the other.

"David... I need to talk to you... about something important." Midnight said.

"Go ahead."

"It's about... your nightmares." Midnight whispered.

"My nightmares?" David asked.

"Yes. Princess Luna told me about your nightmares after she entered your dreams a month or so ago. When she told me about them... she told me to do whatever was necessary to help you..."

"Which was?" David asked.

"Well, do you remember the bar? A few nights ago?"

"Yeah. Wait..." David trailed off in thought.

"Well, that night, you were having a nightmare, and... I kinda... cuddled with you..." Midnight hesitantly responded.

"You cuddled with me? All night?" David asked with peaked curiosity.

"Well, I fell asleep in your arms... When I got on the bed and laid down with you, you... sorta rolled over and wrapped your arms around me. It was so warm and cozy that I just fell asleep, even despite my panic. I was really afraid you were gonna wake up and then I'd have to explain why I sleep-cuddled you like I did last night..." Midnight explained through an ever darkening blush.

"Oh... Well, thanks... I think... You know about the nightmares then... Why didn't you tell me you knew?" David trailed off with a sigh.

"Princess Luna asked me not to tell you that I knew in case it might make things worse for you. I know you had them almost every night, and I had to do something... "

David was silent for a while as he thought over Midnight's words.

"Uh... You okay, big guy?" Midnight asked, her tone slightly concerned.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm alright. So you think that you cuddling with me stops the nightmares?" David finally asked.

"Well, it seemed to work that night, and just about every night that we've slept together since..." Midnight trailed off.

"Damn... That's crazy."

"Well... Physical contact between ponies is very important for our mental health, and... well, since you're so similar to us, then maybe the reason you have them is because you just haven't had enough physical contact up until now. Plus, the trauma from the crash must've been hard on you, both physically and mentally." Midnight explained.

"In other words... You think there's something wrong with me..." David admitted, sadly.

Midnight lifted her head off of David's neck and looked into his eyes.

"I didn't say that, David. Survivor's Guilt or PTSD are possibilities, and if either are the case, then I will do everything in my power to help you, but I don't know. After what you've been through... It could possibly explain the headaches and what happened last night." Midnight said.

"I don't have PTSD, Mid. I don't have any mental health issues. I'm fine." David said, his voice taking a more serious edge.

Midnight sighed sadly.

"David... I know there are some things that bother you every day. I know you feel responsible for your friends, but not talking to anyone, and just keeping it inside isn't healthy. I mean, you've been here for two months now. If this has been a problem every single night, then why not ask for help? Princess Celestia, Luna, Twilight, me, we would all have done everything in our power to help you." Midnight explained as delicately as she could.

"I don't have PTSD, Mid. I don't need help, and I really don't want to talk about this anymore." David said, shifting uncomfortably under Midnight's gaze.

"David, please. I never brought it up before because I figured you'd react like this, but I don't want to have to work late one night and find you at the house having more nightmares or worse. I can't be with you every night, so when I can't, I want to be sure that you won't be miserable. I hate seeing you like that. I care about you too much, and I don't think I can handle seeing something like last night again..." Midnight pleaded.

"Look, Mid, just drop it, okay? I'm fine. I don't need any help, and I certainly don't need you trying to baby me. It'll go away in time. Besides, I don't want to talk to a therapist about it. It'll just cause more problems for me." David said, anger finding its way into his voice.

David slowly lifted himself up into a sitting position as Midnight stepped off his chest. He swung his feet off of the couch and set them down on the floor before resting his elbows on his knees and holding his head with his hands.

"David... please. I can see that you're not okay... I want to help. I really do... but I can't if you don't let me." Midnight gently said while rubbing David's shoulder with her hoof.

David suddenly shrugged Midnight's hoof off of his shoulder and rose off of the couch.

"You don't get it, Mid... There's no way you could understand..." David said, his voice low.

"I can't say that I know what you're going through, David, but I've gone through loss and pain too. I can at least sympathize with you, and I know that If you keep this bottled up inside, the only thing that's going to happen is that you're eventually going to snap." Midnight pleaded.

"Is that what this is then? All of this?" David accused "Everything we've done was just because you were afraid that I would snap!?" He angrily shouted.

"No! David, everything that happened over the last two months was real! I would never lie to you like that!" Midnight countered.

"You said it yourself! Luna asked you to do whatever was necessary! How am I supposed to believe you after you tell me that!?" David retorted.

"David, listen to yourself! You know me! You know I would never do that! The fact that you're this upset over this conversation is proof that you need help! Please, let me help you!"

"You can't help me! No one can! This is my issue and I can deal with it alone! I don't want your help and I don't need it! If anything over the last two months was real to you AT ALL, then you'd drop this!" David shouted.

"The reason I can't drop this is because it was all real! Every feeling, every word, every moment we've shared was real! You can try to push me away all you want, but I'm not going to sit idly by and watch you kill yourself because you couldn't hold the damn door open!" Midnight shouted back.

"... what did you just say?" David asked, his voice nearly a whisper.

"I know what happened, David... Princess Luna saw your memories last night. She told me everything. About the ship, about your friends... You did everything you could to save them... It's not your fault." Midnight replied, her voice shaky, but firm all the same.

"No, no, no, no... You... that's... that's not true.. I- I can't stay here, I need to go." David said, suddenly turning on his feet and heading for the door.

"What?! David, No!" Midnight shouted.

David quickly moved to the door and grabbed the handle. He yanked it open and bolted out the door before Midnight could use her magic to stop him. Midnight jumped off the couch and galloped to the doorway to find David already half way down the hall. She stood there, dumbstruck for only a second, before galloping after him.

David sprinted down the hallway as fast as he could. His tired body fought him every step of the way, but he pushed past the soreness and ran even faster. He ran like his life depended on it, quickly covering the distance between Celestia and Luna's private chambers, to the front gate within a minute.

David bolted past the front guards and into Canterlot, not even noticing the ice cold wind as it cut right through him. He pressed on, determined to escape Midnight and the royal sisters.

"Nononononono! FUCK!" David screamed in his head.

Midnight was hot on his trail, and quickly found herself being blasted by the same frigid wind as David as she pursued. Chills forced their way through her body as she galloped, her fur bristling as the cold permeated through. Midnight pushed the cold to the back of her mind, and pushed after David.

Midnight was faster than David, and began quickly closing the distance between them. David pushed through Canterlot proper, and found his way into the middle of the city with Midnight trailing only fifty feet behind him. All number of species that were out and about, enjoying Hearth's Warming, turned their attention to the sprinting human and galloping pony trailing close behind. A few fillies and colts giggled at the seemingly friendly race until they caught sight of David's panicked expression and Midnight's worried face.

David ran into the marketplace and weaved through the stands as Midnight followed. She couldn't maneuver quite as well as he could and had to slow down to avoid running into one of the stands. Midnight cursed under her breath as she lost vital distance between her and David.

David rounded the corner and sprinted out of the marketplace. Midnight chanced her luck one more time and called his name before losing sight of him. As she rounded the corner, her hooves slid on the fresh snow and ice, and she fell onto her side. A pained yelp escaped her muzzle as she connected with the hard pavement. Within moments, ponies were at her side to see if she was alright.

"Wow, ma'am are you okay? That looked like a nasty tumble." A pegasus said as he offered her his hoof.

"I'm alright. Did you see which way David went?" Midnight asked as she took his hoof and pulled herself off the ground.

"The human? I think he turned right and went up the street."

"Thanks." Midnight said, catching her breath. After a moment, she galloped away.

Midnight scoured the city for over an hour, but she could find no trace of the lone human. She checked every district of the city, high and low, but found nothing. From questioning every pony she ran into, to outright asking the royal guard to help her find him, Midnight could find no trace of David.

Midnight finally found herself in the central district, dripping in sweat from the exertion. She panted heavily as her gallop slowed to a trot, then to a walk. Eventually, she found a bench to sit on and promptly did so. Her mind raced for possible locations David could have run off to, but found nothing she hadn't already considered a hundred times already.

"Could he have gone back to the castle? No, Celestia would have sent somepony to get me if that was the case..."

"Maybe he went back to the house? If he did, he didn't bring a spare key last night. I don't think he would break a window to get in, but then again... Ugh... David... Why are you being like this? You didn't do anything wrong... Just don't do anything dangerous until I find you... please?"

"Ahem, excuse me, señorita?" A voice caught her attention.

Midnight turned her head up to see a dark grey thestral, his coat almost matching hers. His faded blue mane and tail were nicely combed, and his eyes were a brilliant rose color. He gave her a smile, his fangs poking out as if to say hello.

"Oh, um, yes?" Midnight asked, shaking her head of her thoughts.

"Well, you see, it is Hearth's Warming Day, yet, I could not help but notice that you do not seem happy. In fact, you seem upset. Also sweaty. May I ask how you came to be in this state?" The thestral asked with a silky smooth Spanish accent.

"That obvious, huh? Well... my boyfriend is hurt... and I tried to help him, but he ran away. I don't know where he went, and I need to find him before something seriously bad happens to him." Midnight explained with a sigh.

"Ah, I see. Truly, a difficult situation. I assume you have searched most of the day, yes?"

"Yeah... I don't think he's in Canterlot anymore, and that only makes me even more concerned. Equestria can be a very dangerous place, and he doesn't know it very well. He only knows Canterlot and my house." Midnight said, wearily.

"Perhaps, you should consider the things most personal to him." The thestral said, his tone calm and collected.

"What do you mean?" Midnight asked.

"When a stallion endures an affliction of the heart, sometimes, the easiest way to cope, is to go back to the beginning. Back to the things that brought him there in the first place. Whether those things are a pony, a place, or even a thought-" The thestral started, until Midnight cut him off.

"Wait! What did you just say?"

"When a stallion-"

"No, not that part. The end. What things did you list?" Midnight said, her mind already racing.

"I said that those things could be a pony, a place-" He started, quickly being cut off again.

"That! A place... I know where David is!" Midnight excitedly shouted.

Midnight quickly wrapped the stallion in a tight hug before hopping off the bench and galloping away.

"Thank you so much! And sorry for interrupting you a lot, you've been super, super helpful!" Midnight called back as she ran.

The thestral smiled and waved as Midnight faded away into the crowd. He chuckled lightly to himself for a moment before pulling out rose from under his wing. He studied it as though it had a long-lost secret to share and headed off.

"Young love... Such a joy to witness."

Midnight galloped down the road out of Canterlot noticeably slower than before. She was panting heavily and exhausted, but pressed on regardless. She barreled past the royal guards stationed at the mane gate without a second glance and headed into the countryside. She followed the path down towards her house until she caught sight of her target.

"There it is!" Midnight cheered in her head.

She came to a screeching halt as she reached her goal. A wide trench, burrowed into the mountainside, just to the right of the road beckoned for her to follow it. The snow had nearly filled it to the brim, but it wasn't the snow itself that had her attention, it was what was in the snow. Midnight brought her face close to the ground to investigate the tracks in the snow. The prints were far too long and misshapen to be a hoofprint.

"David's tracks..." Midnight deduced.

The human's footprints led further along the trench, down the mountainside. Midnight allowed herself a soft smile before turning and heading down the snowy mountainside. Her hooves slid down the snow easily enough, and before long, she was halfway down the mountainside. She tore her eyes away from her hooves for a moment to look further down the cliff and saw the skeletal remains of the escape pod David arrived in... and a tall, silhouette standing next to it.

The silhouette was far too tall and slender to be a pony, not to mention the distinct coloration of its skin and short hair. There was only one creature in Equestria that it could be.

"David..."

As Midnight got closer, she saw more and more of him. His hair, formerly clean and well kept, was now wild and messy. His clothes were damp with sweat, and there was steam visibly pouring off his body into the cold air. His pants were soaked up to the knees from the deep snow he had traversed, and he almost seemed to be shaking.

Midnight finally reached the bottom of the cliff and dropped off the last edge to her hooves. The snow made a soft *crunch* sound as she landed, alerting David to her presence, although, he did not move. Midnight quickly wrapped her magic around his torso to prevent any escape, and she slowly approached.

David didn't even flinch. He simply stared at the skeletal remains of the pod in front of him until Midnight was only a few paces away.

"How did you find me?" David asked, quietly.

"I realized this was the only place you would go." Midnight replied, trying her best to hide her concern over how cold he must have been.

"You know, they gave this thing a level five safety rating? Rated to survive an impact at one hundred miles an hour and keep all four souls on board alive..." David trailed off.

"David..."

"Too bad there was only one in this thing when it landed..." David said, coldly.

"David, you did everything you could. Please, why can't you believe that?" Midnight asked, pain clear in her voice.

"Because it's not true." David's words came out like venom.

"Yes it is. You did everything you could to save them." Midnight reasoned, growing more frustrated with David.

"It's my fault!" David said, quickly turning on Midnight. "You have no idea what happened up there, so why can't you just let it go!?"

"Because I care about you too much to just let you destroy yourself over this! If I have no idea what I'm talking about, then tell me! Tell me how this is your fault!"

"I can't!" David shouted, before turning away from Midnight and walking toward the pod, her magic aura gently reminding him that he wasn't going anywhere else unless she allowed him to.

A painful silence took over the air as Midnight thought over David's words.

"What do you mean you can't?" Midnight asked softly.

Tears welled in David's eyes as he leaned his head against the pod.

"If you knew the truth... You'd hate me... Everyone would hate me..." David spoke. His tone was barely a whisper.

Midnight slowly walked over to David. She quietly sat down next to him and looked up at him.

"I do know the truth... I know the ship was hit by an asteroid... I know you lost power and had to get to the pod... And I know you tried to hold the door open for them..." Midnight said, softly.

"That's not it... That's not why they died... It was all my fault..." David painfully responded.

"Then tell me how." Midnight pleaded.

Time seemed to drag on while Midnight waited for David to respond. Eventually, her gaze fell to the snow at her hooves and her shoulders slumped. After several minutes of silence, her ears picked up on a very quiet sound. A drop of liquid impacting the snow right next to her. It took her only a moment to realize that it was a tear. She looked up to David's face to see more tears streaming down his cheeks and falling to the snow. It was the first time she had ever really seen David cry.

Midnight's eyes fell down to his hands. They were shaking, violently. Despite the cold, his hands were shaking far more than they should have been, especially since he had most likely arrived only minutes before her. She realized that it wasn't the cold that made him shiver this way, it was fear. Fear for what he was about to admit to her.

"W-when we lost power... It was m-my job to reroute what we had left from the bridge... to wherever the guys needed it..." David took several shaky breaths before he continued.

"I-I messed up... I didn't see the fire... in the o-oxygen cycle room... We w-would have been... fine... but it blew up... Then I... I d-didn't save enough power for the airlock... It only h-had enough p-power for a minute... but I was s-scared... I didn't wait for them... I just ran inside... Then I-I couldn't... I-If I had just waited..." David trailed off, his sniffles and tears turning into sobbing.

David fell to his knees, a pained grimace on his face as the tears clawed their way out of his eyes and spilled into the frozen ground below. Within a second, Midnight was on him, wrapping him in a hug and nuzzling her cheek against his. Her own tears threatened to fall at the sight of David in so much pain, but she held them back for his sake, opting instead to just hold him as close as she could.

"I-It's my fault! I'm a fucking coward and I killed them!" David breathlessly shouted, pain evident in his tone.

"You made a mistake... No one can fault you for that."

"I-if I had waited... They'd s-still b-be alive!" David cried.

"It's not your fault, David... It's not your fault..." Midnight cooed, hugging him even tighter.

"D-don't you lie to me... Not you... Anyone but you... Y-y-you should h-hate me... Everyone should. I-I killed them!"

"It's not your fault... It's not your fault." Midnight said, bringing her head back to look at David.

"H-how c-can you say that? I-I'm a murderer... You should h-hate me..." David managed between sobs.

"I can't hate you, David..." Midnight whispered.

"Why? H-how c-c-could you not? I... I-"

"You were trying to save them..."

"B-but I-" David started.

"I don't care. All that matters to me is who you are now." Midnight said, firmly.

"How?" David whispered.

"Because I love you." Midnight admitted, her voice nearly a whisper.

"W-what?" David asked, turning his head to look into Midnight's beautiful sapphire eyes.

"I love you." She repeated, no trace of fear or waver in her voice.

David didn't move for a moment. Try as he might, he couldn't speak or think. Midnight's words bounced around in his head over and over again until he was sure he understood her. He slowly turned in Midnight's embrace until he was squarely face to face with her. Without another moment of hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her as close as he could. His tears broke free again in full force, and he buried his face into Midnight's fur. Midnight gladly held him as close as she could, her own tears spilling free as she held him.

"I'm s-so sorry..." David barely managed through the tears.

"It's okay. It's all okay now. I love you." Midnight cooed.

"I love you too. I love you so much..." David said, his voice hoarse and weak.

It was a long time before either David or Midnight could pull away from each other, but alas, eventually David had to. The cold had finally registered with him, and he was shaking. Midnight took immediate notice of his shivering and immediately pulled him back into her embrace.

"Come on, big guy. Let's get you home." Midnight whispered into his ear.

David managed a shaky nod and squeezed Midnight closer one more time before they fully separated. Midnight was quick to turn and lead the way back up the mountain with David close behind her. They made their way slowly, the physical and emotional drain of the day weighing heavily on them as they climbed.

Soon enough, they were at the top of the cliff and following the trench back to the road.

"Hey, Mid?" David asked while he rubbed his hands together for warmth.

"Yeah?" Midnight answered, turning her head to acknowledge him.

"I... Just... Thank you... For everything."

Midnight stopped and turned around fully to face David. She made her way over to him before rearing back on her hind legs and placing her forelegs on his shoulders. She leaned forward and kissed him.

"I'd do it all again in a heartbeat." She said after pulling away.

David smiled at her words and hugged Midnight close again. Once she dropped back to her hooves, they resumed the journey back to her house.

David and Midnight made the short trek back in silence. Neither one had the energy to start up a conversation so they merely focused on getting back to the house as quickly as possible to get David out of the cold. After a few minutes, the sight of Midnight's house greeted them both with open arms, and they made their way to the front door.

Midnight unlocked the door and pushed it open with her magic. She ushered David inside and quickly closed the door behind them.

"Alright, how about you go ahead and take a seat on the couch. I'll get us some hot chocolate and start a fire so you can warm up, big guy." Midnight said with a sincere smile.

"I c-can help." David said through a shiver.

"David, please, let me take care of you."

David looked like he was about to speak, but thought better of it. He slowly closed his eyes and nodded his head before going and sitting down on the couch. Within moments, a blanket was levitated onto his back, and wood moved into the fireplace. Midnight cast a quick spell, and pleasant fire began to burn in the fireplace. She quickly moved back to the kitchen and removed two mugs from the cabinet.

Within minutes, she was back with two mugs of hot chocolate in her magical grasp. She added marshmallows to both as usual, with a little extra in one of the mugs. She hopped onto the couch and found her spot laying down on David's lap. After a moment of deliberation, she levitated the mug with extra marshmallows to David and brought the other one to her lips.

"I think you gave me yours." David said as he eyed the extra marshmallows in his mug.

"Nope." Midnight responded before taking another sip.

"But you love marshmallows. You always add extra to yours..." David said, his brow furrowing slightly.

"I do." Midnight replied with a smile.

David sat there for a moment, looking into his mug, then back at hers, before he set his mug down on the table next to the couch. He turned back to Midnight and pulled her close again. His eyes watered as he held her, and his entire body trembled. The stabbing pain in his heart from before was replaced with a new pain. A loving pain, that warmed his heart and soul. It pushed out every other sense and feeling he had. He felt nothing but that beautiful pain in his chest as he held her closer, and nothing else in the world seemed to matter to him. The only thing that truly mattered was that beautiful graphite mare he held in his arms for what could have been forever.

"What did I do to deserve you?" David asked, his voice coming out choked and weak.

"You didn't have to do anything. You're the light to my dark." Midnight answered, feeling her voice waver too.

Midnight nuzzled David's cheek affectionately as the tears began to flow freely again. The day's events replayed in her mind, and she couldn't help but allow her own tears to fall as well. She had never seen David so vulnerable before, and the only thing she wanted to do was hold him close and tell him that everything would be alright. So she did. She held him until they both had no tears left to shed.

Eventually the fatigue of the days events finally caught up with them. David was the first to feel sleep tugging at his being, and slowly laid down on the couch with Midnight coming to a rest on his chest. The warmth of the fire, and the soothing melody of her beating heart soon lulled him to sleep, and David's soft breaths warmed Midnight's heart.

For quite some time, she only held onto him as he slept, desperately hoping to stave off any nightmares that would ruin his rest after such a painful day. Midnight rested her head against his neck, her ear picking up on every breath as it left his body. A smile forced it's way onto her lips as she thought over everything. David was by no means a 'perfect stallion', but he was her stallion.

After an hour or so, Midnight felt sleep calling for her as well, and her eyelids grew heavy. She nestled her head in the crook of David's neck and closed her tired eyes. She felt the calm embrace of sleep caress her mind, and within a few minutes, she was soundly asleep.

Midnight awoke to the sound of knocking on her door. She wearily opened her eyes and looked out the window to find a dark world outside. After a moment of contemplation, she realized it was nighttime.

"Oh... shit." Midnight whispered to herself, careful not to wake David.

She gingerly hopped off the couch and quickly made her way to the door. She easily saw all four of the princesses through the window and hastily opened the door. An entourage of royal guards was dispersed throughout her front yard, and the four princesses regarded her with mixed looks of worry and confusion.

"Midnight, thank goodness you answered." Celestia said, sounding heavily relieved.

"We've been looking for you and David all day. Are you two alright? We heard about how he ran away. You found him, right?" Luna asked, still sounding concerned.

"David's alright, princesses. Thank you for the concern. I'm really sorry I didn't get back to you, but... after the day David had, I just thought it best to bring him back here and rest." Midnight explained, stifling a yawn.

"Is he okay?" Cadence asked.

"He's fine. It was just an emotionally draining day for both of us... If Doctor Whinny was right about his headaches, then I think he shouldn't have anymore." Midnight explained.

"So you got him to open up about it?" Twilight asked with a curious expression.

"Yeah... It was a pretty tough on him." Midnight admitted, sadly.

"I see. Well, we just wanted to be sure that you two were alright. When we went back into the room to find you both missing, I feared something had gone horribly wrong. I'm just so relieved to see that both you and David are well." Celestia said with a sincere smile.

"Thank you, all of you, but... I won't ask you to leave, in fact, you can stay with us if you want, but... it's been a very long day, and if it's at all possible, I'd like to get back to David." Midnight said as politely as she could.

Celestia stifled a chuckle before answering.

"Thank you, Midnight. While we appreciate the offer, I think you two deserve some time alone. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to come to the castle and ask. We'll always be there for our friends. Have a happy Hearth's Warming." Celestia replied with a quick bow of her head.

The other three princesses followed with their own bows and farewells before turning to leave.

"Thank you, everypony. I owe you all everything. Thank you so much." Midnight said with a soft smile.

Celestia turned and gave a quiet nod before turning back and walking away with the rest of her entourage in tow.

Midnight quietly closed the door and made her way over to David to find him still soundly asleep. She gently climbed back into her spot on his chest and laid down with him. After taking a moment to find the most comfortable position, she softly sighed, and nuzzled her head against his cheek. Within minutes, she was soundly asleep, and the soft sound of their steady breaths filled the air, once more.

Author's Notes:

I know this one got pretty heavy. I'm afraid that there will be less cuddles until we get to the final chapters. For now, I hope you enjoy the drama. I will fully admit that a certain scene in this chapter was inspired by Good Will Hunting. I encourage you to watch that movie if you haven't yet. In case you didn't notice, this is the first time that David and Midnight ever say the words "I love you". I made a point to not let them say that until this moment. I feel like until now, their relationship has been more of a casual relationship kind of thing. For me, the words 'I love you' are really, really important, and I feel like they wouldn't be said until they were absolutely sure of each other. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. The next few chapters should be just as interesting as this one hopefully was :D

Chapter 17: Time after time

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David closed the door to the kitchen pantry and made his way over to the couch. He held a small bowl filled with strawberries in his hands and sat down on the couch to began eating just before the front door opened.

"David, I'm home!" Midnight announced.

"Sweet, I'm over here!" David called back.

Midnight made her way over to the couch to find David lounging about with a strawberry in his hand. He smiled brightly upon seeing her.

"Strawberry?" David asked.

"Oh, sure." Midnight replied, lighting her horn.

"Ah ah ah." David said before placing the strawberry between his teeth and wiggling his eyebrows.

Midnight raised an eyebrow before smiling and climbing onto the couch. She brought her chest to his as she crawled over his body and found her place atop of him. David held a wide grin the entire time, careful not to sink his teeth into the strawberry before Midnight could get it.

She brought her muzzle just a tantalizing inch away from his, pausing for a moment as an equally wide smirk found its way onto her face. She waited there for only a moment before tilting her head to the side and swiping her tongue between David's teeth, quickly stealing the strawberry. A soft moan escaped her maw as she bit into the juicy fruit while David tried to process what had just happened.

After the strawberry was well and gone, Midnight brought her eyes back to David to find him pouting.

"You were supposed to get it through a kiss..." David said, disappointment evident in his tone.

"Oh, you're such a baby." Midnight cooed.

"Well excuse me f-" David was cut off by Midnight planting a kiss on his lips.

Midnight's tongue darted inside David's mouth, bringing the sweetness and flavor of the strawberry with it. Within seconds, David forgot all about the strawberry, and the passionate dance of tongues they had both become so acquainted with began again. David's hands quickly found themselves trailing Midnight's barrel and heading south.

"N-not yet, big guy. Tonight, after dinner." Midnight said, breaking the kiss.

"Aw, you're such a tease. Getting me all excited and making me wait. I made sure to get the day off from consulting with those engineers just to see you and I haven't seen hide nor tail of you all day." David said with a fake pout.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry about that. Ever since Luna had me come back to work, I've been really busy. She's been nice enough to change my hours so that I have the evenings with you though, so that's gotta count for something, right?"

"It's all good, Mid. If I even get to see you once a day, that's enough to make it all worthwhile. Besides, at least you're here for tonight." David replied.

"I know! I can't believe it's already been six months since you got here!" Midnight cheered.

"And four since we started dating. Honestly, where did the time go? I barely remember half of it." David replied with an amused chuckle.

"It's gone by so fast. I kinda want time to slow down a bit, you know?" Midnight said with a sheepish smile.

"I know, Mid. Trust me, we'll slow things down tonight, just for you." David replied with a wink.

Midnight giggled and nuzzled David's cheek.

"I'm looking forward to it..."

David chuckled before kissing Midnight again.

"All that aside, where were you thinking of going for our four month anniversary- slash- my six month arrivalversary?" David asked upon pulling away from Midnight.

"Daviiiiiiiid, we planned this out last week. How do you not remember?" Midnight asked with a whine.

"We did? Shit, I'm sorry, I've been really forgetful lately." David replied with an apologetic shrug.

"I'll only forgive you because I love you, I hope you know that." Midnight said, booping his nose with her hoof.

"And I'm the luckiest guy in the world for it." David replied with a smile.

"Alright, but just remember, technically, it's still another week before our four month anniversary. I don't want you to forget that. Anyways, there's this really nice restaurant called 'The Three Tribes' that opened up last year. Princess Luna recommended it." Midnight explained.

"Sounds nice. What kind of food do they have there?" David asked, curiously.

"You really don't remember that conversation at all, do you?" Midnight asked with a frown.

"I really wish I did, but I honestly can't remember ever hearing about this place." David admitted.

"Maybe you should go see a doctor about that. You're too young to have memory loss problems." Midnight chastised.

"I know, I know. I will. I just hate doctors. That's why I didn't want any checkups or anything after my uh... incident." David said with a frown.

"David, you know you can talk to me if you still feel like something's wrong. No one gets over something like that in a day. Memory loss could easily be another symptom of what you've been dealing with. Besides, those therapists had to have been good for something. I know for a fact that you've been sleeping better. No harm in being completely sure, right?" Midnight said with a determined smile.

"You're the best, Mid," David said, pulling her in for another kiss.

"And don't you ever forget it." Midnight said, upon pulling away from the kiss.

"I won't. Anyways, back to the restaurant, what kind of food do they have again?"

"Well, it's got everything. It's kinda set up for all races of pony and it has a few griffon chefs, so if you're feeling like meat, that's an option. I know how much you hate hay-burgers." Midnight said, as she scratched her chin in thought.

"Well, that sounds awesome. What time were you feeling like going?"

"I was thinking something like... seven-ish?" Midnight said.

"Sounds good to me. Are we gonna have to dress up?" David asked.

"Well, it is a bit on the more... fancy side, but we shouldn't have to wear much. Just something casual."

"Okay, I can do casual." David replied.

"Good. I can't wait."

David stepped out of Midnight's shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He walked over to the sink and eyed himself in the mirror, carefully examining his beard and hair. He combed his hair back with his hands and attempted to style it as best as he could. Despite his efforts, he just could not find a look he liked. He tried again and again, but to no avail. He just looked like a hipster or a hobo.

"Come on, David... Mid deserves better than this..." He said to himself.

David glanced down at a pair of scissors laying on the counter. He licked his lips in thought before grabbing the scissors. After a few hesitant moments, David began cutting away at his long hair and scraggly beard. Hair fell away from his face, slowly exposing his features and skin, until his hair was reasonably short. He trimmed his beard until it was less than an inch long at any given point. Taking a moment to look in the mirror, David smiled at his handiwork. He wasn't a barber by any standard, but he looked relatively clean and professional. Not to mention, it was the first time he'd cut his hair before.

David was roused from his self-admiration by a knock at the door. He quickly opened it to reveal Midnight. Her eyes darted to his face, and she couldn't help her slack-jawed expression.

"Uh... yes?" David asked.

Midnight shook her head before finding the words.

"Oh, sorry. I was just surprised is all. I didn't think you'd cut your beard. You look amazing!" Midnight exclaimed.

David breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, good. I was worried you wouldn't like it. I know most ponies like me better with the beard since I look a bit more like a pony, but since this night is all about us, I wanted to look a little more professional than... like a hobo." David explained.

"You look fantastic, David. Even if you did kinda look like a hobo earlier." Midnight said with a snicker.

David kneeled down to Midnight's level and kissed her muzzle.

"I do it for you." He said with a wink.

Midnight quickly leaned her head forward to catch another kiss before David pulled away and headed out of the bathroom.

"Now don't take an hour or two like you usually do. We're gonna miss our time frame." David sarcastically warned.

"Yeah yeah, you just worry about you, big guy. I'll worry about me." Midnight replied, sticking her tongue out at David.

Midnight stepped into the bathroom and the sound of running water soon filled the air. David began dressing himself with the clothes Midnight had previously helped him decide on for the night. He threw on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. He then added a red and blue flannel on top and slipped on his shoes. He took a moment to appreciate his looks before heading back to the living room and reclaiming his spot on the couch while he waited.

Midnight walked down the stairs in a simple black dress. The dress had short sleeves for her forelegs and a hole in the back for her tail to pull through. It was particularly form fitting around her barrel and hips, accentuating her curves and allowing her hips to sway easily as she sauntered down the steps. Her mane and tail were combed neatly and straightened to her liking. She walked over to the couch to find David fake snoring while he laid on his back.

Midnight snickered at the obviously fake snoring before hopping on the couch and crawling over David's body. She planted a kiss on his lips, which he happily reciprocated. After a few moments, they parted and David opened his eyes. His jaw dropped slightly as he looked over the graphite mare.

Midnight giggled, snapping David back to reality for a moment.

"Wow... You look... absolutely beautiful..." David said with a genuine smile.

"Hehe, thanks, big guy. You look great too."

"Are you sure? I feel kinda under dressed now..." David lightheartedly criticized.

"David, you look fine. Trust me. This isn't even a super classy place. It's in the middle district." Midnight replied.

"Alright... If you say so. But I'd better not end up looking like the only one there who didn't get the memo."

Midnight chuckled before kissing David's nose and stepping off of him.

"Have I ever led you astray before, David?" Midnight asked.

"No, no you haven't." David replied with a shake of his head.

"Well, come on then! It's already six thirty. Luna said this was the best time to go."

David rolled off the couch and made for the door. Midnight opened it for him and ushered him out before closing it behind herself and locking it. They both made way for Canterlot, the gravel compacting and displacing nicely under their feet and hooves.

David and Midnight strolled through the city at a leisurely pace. Midnight leaned against David's leg the entire way, happily swishing her tail back and forth as the pair discussed menial things. Several ponies saw them and happily waved. The occasional 'hey David!' and 'It's good to see you guys again' was thrown their way, but most ponies didn't even spare them a second glance.

"I think it's safe to say that they are fully used to you." Midnight said.

"Yeah, only took what, six months? Not bad if I do say so myself." David replied.

They shared a smile before finding themselves in the middle district of Canterlot. Midnight quickly directed David in the right direction, and within a few minutes, The Three Tribes was in sight. Midnight found an additional bounce in her step as the cloudsdale-themed clouds came into view. David smiled brighter upon seeing the excitement in Midnight's eyes and hurried his pace to keep up with her energy.

Finally, they rounded the last corner, and the rest of the restaurant came into view. There were marble columns on the first and second levels of the building, while the third floor was made almost entirely out of clouds. The front sign was the next thing to catch David's eye. The sign read 'The Three Tribes' in elegant cursive along with a pony from each respective race forming a stylized circle around the writing. At the top, above the pony-circle, there were stylized versions of Celestia and Luna standing across from each other with their horns touching. A wave of magic seemed to be sprinkling down onto the three ponies below.

"Hehe, they're touching tips." David remarked.

"Oh my gosh, you are such a child." Midnight replied, barely containing her giggling.

"Well, Luna recommended this place right? That means she has to have seen this. Oh I have to make that joke to her next time I see her." David said, with a wicked grin.

"Come on, big guy. Dinner first, then you can go and make your innuendos to the Princess of the Night... who just so happens to be my boss... on second thought, don't do that."

"Oh, it's too late. My plan is already in motion." David replied, still grinning like a madman.

Midnight just shook her head.

"Alright, David. Dinner first though."

"Well, duh? How can I continue my evil plot on an empty stomach?"

Midnight walked over to the front door and pulled it open with her magic. As David stepped in, the first thing he noticed was how dark it was in the building. All three stories seemed to be dimmed down until only atmospheric lighting remained. There was just enough red and blue lights to make eating possible, while also being relaxing as well. The second, was that the center of the building was hollowed out, allowing a stage for a small orchestra on the first floor, to be the centerpiece for each separate level. There were railings with tables seated alongside them on each floor, allowing guests to eat and enjoy the source of music while they ate.

A soothing melody filled his ears, nearly rooting him in place. David didn't even notice the hostess trying to get his attention.

"Excuse me, sir?" The hostess asked.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just enjoying the music. It's very nice." David replied, slightly startled by the hostess.

"No problem sir. How many?" The mare asked.

"Table for two," Midnight answered for him. She gave David a wink before continuing "If you could put us on the second level, that'd be amazing."

"Of course, ma'am. Please, follow me." She replied.

The hostess had a coat of pure silver, and her mane and tail were bright red, making her easily stand out in the darkened environment. David and Midnight effortlessly followed the mare through a myriad of tables and chairs, most of which were loaded with ponies, griffons, and even a couple of minotaurs. She led them to the end of the room where a wide staircase wrapped around what appeared to be a wooden support beam. They ascended the stairs and reached the second level.

While the first level looked slightly more aesthetic, with marble floors and cool lighting, the second level adorned a slight rustic look. The floor was hardwood, and the lighting was warmer. The continuous glass window lining the entire floor allowed the night lights of Canterlot to creep into the environment, breathing life into the otherwise quiet floor.

The hostess led David and Midnight to an empty table alongside the railing overlooking the orchestra. Midnight used her magic to pull out David's chair and, albeit begrudgingly, he took his seat. Midnight quickly sat down opposite of him.

"I don't think I'm ever gonna get used to you pulling out my chair and opening doors for me." David whined.

"Oh hush. It's just a polite thing for a mare to do for her stallion." Midnight said, taking her seat.

"Well back home, it was the polite thing for a man to do for his woman. Maybe we need to trade off. Like, one day you'll do it, then the next day I will-" David started, before stopping himself upon noticing the giggling hostess next to him.

"You two are absolutely adorable. Here, these are your menus. Your server will be with you in a few moments." She said, managing to stifle her giggles for a moment.

David fought back a blush while Midnight smiled brightly.

"So... Still want to trade off every day? Or do you see how silly you're being now?" She asked with smug grin.

"Ugh... fine, I won't make a big deal about it anymore. It just feels weird, is all." David said with a defeated sigh.

"Alright, alright. How about this. You get to open doors for me and pull my chair out on the weekends."

"And Friday." David corrected.

Midnight giggled.

"And Friday."

"Good." David said, perking right back up.

"You're unbearably cute when you're being petty." Midnight said, sticking her tongue out at David.

"Says the diabeetus-inducing pony wearing a sexy black dress. It's not fair that you can be that cute and sexy at the same time." David said, sticking his tongue back out at Midnight.

"What can I say? I'm just that good. Anyways, let's see what they got here. I've heard that their salad is amazing."

They both opened their menus and scanned the dinner entrées. Midnight's eyes fell on the fettuccine alfredo while David's mouth watered upon seeing the sirloin steak.

"See something you like?" Midnight asked, noticing David's wide eyes.

"Uh... yeah... They have steak..." David replied.

"I take it you like steak." Midnight said with knowing grin.

"You have no idea... I'm surprised they have it... I mean, I thought cows were sapient here." David asked, hesitation beginning to creep into his voice.

"They are, well, mostly. Further south towards the badlands, cows aren't sapient. In fact, it's really only the cows in Equestria that are known to be capable of basic thought at all. That's why the griffons are allowed to cook steak here. They go to the badlands, bring the meat back here, then cook it and sell it. They have to have an EQDA advisor go with them to collect the meat to insure the cow they killed wasn't sapient by any definition. For obvious reasons, it's extremely illegal to kill and eat a sapient creature in Equestria." Midnight explained.

"Well, thanks for explaining that. I was worried for a second that they just abducted some cow from his family and killed him. I gotta tell you Mid, with how everything here seems to be able to talk and think... sometimes I wish I was a herbivore like you just so that I wouldn't have to worry about getting that kind of thing on my conscious." David replied.

"Don't worry, David. Equestria is highly regulated when it comes to that kind of thing. Besides, I'll make sure you never end up in a situation like that."

David did not reply, he simply smiled and went back to reading through the options on the menu. After a moment, a new voice drew David from his reading.

"Hello you two, my name is Golden Ray, I'll be serving you tonight."

The waiter, a golden-brown Earth pony stallion with a silvery mane and tail filled David's vision. His distinct orange eyes shone in the dim lighting, and he stood before them with a notepad strapped to his hoof.

"Can I get you some drinks to start off with tonight?"

"Sure, can I get a strawberry daiquiri and water?" Midnight asked.

"Of course. That's actually one of our most popular drinks this time of year. Excellent choice," Golden Ray said. At Midnight's smile, he turned to David. "And what about you, sir?"

"Uh, I'll go for the lava flow and some water. That looks fun." David said.

"An excellent choice, sir. Do you both know what you want to eat, or do you need more time do decide?"

"I think we both know," Midnight said. "I'll go for the fettuccine alfredo, please."

"Very good... And for you sir?" Golden Ray asked, writing down Midnight's order all the while.

"Uh, c-can I get the eleven-ounce sirloin with the vegetable side." David said with a bit of hesitation.

"Very good choice sir. How would you like that cooked?"

"Uh... medium?"

"Very good, sir. We have head chef Gustav here from the Griffon Kingdom. He's a perfectionist, so I think you'll be very happy with your steak." Golden Ray replied.

He took their menus with a hoof and threw them onto his back before heading off to give their orders to the kitchen.

"Well, at least he's not visibly upset." David said with a shrug.

"I told you, David, nopony cares if you eat meat." Midnight chastised.

"I know, I know. It just feels weird, you know? Eating meat in public? In a land full of vegetarians? I mean, I know you don't care - I eat meat around you all the time - but as for the rest of Equestria, well... I just don't want them to go back being afraid of me again. Call me paranoid." David admitted.

"You're paranoid." Midnight replied with a smug look on her face.

"And you're adorable."

"Good. That means we can be adorable together." Midnight said, supporting herself with her elbows on the table and leaning forward.

David picked up on the hint and leaned forward in kind. He paused just a few short inches away from Midnight's muzzle and a thin smile found its way onto his lips. After a moment, they closed the distance and gently kissed each other.

It was electrifying. Quick, but full of love and passion. Regrettably, David and Midnight pulled away from each other, lest they cause a scene.

"Heh, give it another few months and we'll be able to do that without turning heads." Midnight said.

"Yeah. Here's hoping." David replied.

"So how have things been going with your work? I know you were really excited to get an actual job last month." Midnight inquired.

"Well, things have been a little hectic. Between trying to remember what I know about electrical engineering from college and sharing human tech with the engineers at Canterlot College, I haven't had as much free time as I've gotten used to. Not to mention my damn memory is so bad these days I have to write down half of our conversations to make sure I don't forget what we talked about last week." David explained with a sigh.

"How's about we take you to a neurologist some time next week and get it checked out just to be sure?" At David's somewhat sad nod, she continued, "That said, busy is usually good. That means you're doing good work." she said with a supportive smile.

"I try. Oh, by the way, I had a talk with that snob, Black Rose. He should get off your back about all that new armor the Night Guard has been harassing you for."

"Really? Oh my gosh, thank you! I've been trying to get him to shut up about it ever since I went back to work. How'd you do it?" Midnight asked with wide eyes.

"I told him we had some designs incorporating titanium and magical enchantments to save weight and make stronger armor. He didn't believe me at first, but once I showed him the strength to weight ratio of titanium, he practically begged me to start making armor. Dude wants five thousand units by the end of the year." David replied with a noncommittal shrug.

"You have no idea how long that guy has been hounding me for better armor. I've had to tell him five separate times that it's not my job to design the armor. I just get the bits to buy it. If you finally got him off my tail... just... thanks, David." Midnight replied with a genuine smile.

"Eh, figured it was about time I did something nice for you. I'm done with my good deeds for another six months, right?" David asked with a grin.

Midnight and David shared a laugh before Golden Ray arrived with their drinks.

"Here you go, a strawberry daiquiri for the lovely lady," Golden Ray said, setting Midnight's drink down in front of her, "And a lava flow for the lucky stallion."

Golden ray effortlessly deposited their water on the table and quickly made off to another table.

David looked at his drink with wonder. The red and white liquids in the glass didn't mix, giving it the appearance of a lava lamp. One blob of white slowly rose to the surface, only to sink back down to the bottom a few seconds later.

"Okay, I don't even care if this is a girly drink, that's badass." David said with a prideful smile.

"Who said it was girly?" Midnight asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, it's a Piña Colada. It said so in the menu."

"David... nopony said a Piña Colada was a girly drink." Midnight said with a facehoof.

"Well back home it was. Darn it, Mid, let me have this." David said with a fake pout.

"Oh alright, I'll let you win... for once. Even if you're just being petty again." Midnight said with a grin.

"I am not petty. I am being perfectly reasonable." David said, crossing his arms and turning his nose up at Midnight.

Midnight had to stifle her giggles before they became to obnoxious for the ponies seated nearby.

"Fine, you win. You're being perfectly reasonable." Midnight admitted with a shrug.

"Damn right." David said as he grabbed his drink and took an experimental sip. Rich, creamy coconut flavor exploded in his mouth, followed by a syrupy strawberry flavor. David couldn't help but let out a happy little hum as the liquid brought a slight tingly feeling to his taste buds. He set the drink on the table and smacked his lips.

"I don't know if it's just magic in the booze, or if you ponies are just that good at making drinks, but I can't taste the alchohol in this at all and now my tongue feels kinda tingly and it's amazing." David said with a happy smile.

"I think the drink you got has a little bit of magic in it. At least, that's why it gives that little tingly feeling." Midnight explained after putting her own drink down.

"So... no hangover?" David asked with wide eyes.

"Nope. You should be good." Midnight replied with a wink.

David grabbed his drink and took a much larger gulp of the strawberry/coconut flavored liquid. He set the drink back down on the table and smiled.

"That's one of my favorite things about Equestria. No hangovers."

"It sure is nice. Although, it costs a lot more to enchant the drinks. Try not to buy too many. I can afford an expensive dinner once in a while, but I'd rather not end up washing dishes to pay for drinks." Midnight said with a grin.

"Mid, I'm paying half tonight. It's not fair that I get to live with you for free and not chip in once in a while." David replied, his arms crossed.

Midnight took on a stern yet slightly playful tone while she looked David straight in the eye, “I seem to remember telling you that since you’re my boyfriend, and I love you, that you don’t owe me anything for living with me,”

She turned away for only a moment while her lips curled into the slightest of smiles before she reconnected eye contact and said “I love you and you love me, and that’s all that matters.”

She looked down to her glass and picked up her own drink. “Besides” she said before she took her own sip while she looked back at David “it’s normal for a mare to spoil her stallion once in a while.”

She put her glass down, her eyes never broke from David’s, “Just as long as you pay me back later…” Midnight seductively trailed off.

"Well, when you put it that way..." David shrugged his shoulders and allowed a grin to form on his face, "Seriously though let me pay for part of this. Please? I'll feel really bad if you pay for it all... again." David finished.

"Alright, alright. You can chip in. Only because I love you though."

"Thanks. I love you too."

David reached over the table and placed his hand on Midnight's hoof. They shared a tender moment before quickly reaching over the table and kissing. With great hesitation, they pulled away to see the waiter arriving with their entrées on a tray balanced neatly on his back.

Golden Ray arrived at the table with a wide smile before expertly unloading Midnight and David's orders with practiced ease.

"One fettuccine alfredo for the mare... and one eleven-ounce sirloin with the vegetable side for the stallion." Golden Ray announced with a proud smile.

"Thank you." Midnight said.

"Thanks." David said with a smile.

Golden Ray rebalanced the trey on his back and headed off, leaving Midnight and David to their meals.

Midnight took a fork in her magic and began eating her salad while David took his fork and stabbed at some of his vegetables.

After a few minutes, Midnight looked up at David to see that his vegetables were all gone and he was looking around as if he had done something wrong.

"David, it's alright. You can eat your steak. Nopony is going to get upset." Midnight said, placing a comforting hoof on David's hand.

Her fetlock gently stroked his hand, slowly calming him. The warmth and softness of her hoof soothed his nerves and helped David refocus his attention on her eyes.

"Okay... okay, you're right. Heh, I'm just being paranoid." David admitted, bringing his other hand to Midnight's hoof and gently holding on.

After a few seconds, they broke the contact and David brought his utensils to the steak. He cut himself a piece and slowly brought it to his mouth. After one last moment of hesitation, he took a bite and closed his eyes as the flavor washed over his tongue. David practically moaned as the flavor sunk in and the juicy steak practically melted in his mouth.

Midnight watched the whole while, a genuine smile forming on her face as David's reaction progressed from fear to euphoria, and then to satisfaction as he practically feasted on the piece of steak.

Finally, David opened his eyes to find Midnight smiling brightly back at him. The rest of the restaurant seemed to have completely ignored him.

"See? Nopony is judging you, nopony is afraid of you, and nopony is going to run you out of town. You were getting all worked up over nothing." Midnight said with a comforting smile.

"Thanks, Mid. As always, you were right." David replied with a grateful smile.

They continued to eat in a happy silence. David and Midnight managed to pull themselves away from their meals for a few moments at a time to share a loving glance or two, but for the most part, they were completely enamored with their meals. They were expensive, after all.

David took his napkin and wiped his mouth clean of any meat particles or juices that he might have missed and set the now-dirty napkin down on the table. His eyes fell on a satisfied Midnight, beaming a happy smile back at him.

Golden Ray returned with a knowing smile. Without a word, he removed their used dishes, and left to get their check, leaving David and Midnight alone for a short while.

"So... what'd you think, big guy? Pretty good, right?" Midnight enthusiastically asked.

"Yeah. It was really good." David replied.

"So... what are you getting me for dessert?" Midnight asked with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Oh, just you wait. That's a surprise." David replied with a smug grin.

"Can I guess?"

"Nope. It's a surprise."

"Aw... I mean, is it what you got me for our first, second, and third month anniversaries?" Midnight asked with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Ugh, was it that obvious?" David replied with a fake pout.

Midnight giggled while David lightly chuckled at his attempt to play coy. In that moment, Golden Ray returned with the bill.

"Here you are. Thank you both for coming. It's been a pleasure to have served you tonight." Golden Ray said before trotting off to another table.

"Alright, let's see... Oh, it's not that bad. Only one hundred and twenty-three bits. I thought it was going to be worse." Midnight said, clearly relieved.

"Mid... that's a lot of money. Here, I'll take half." David said, pulling a small pouch out of his pocket.

"David, I got this. Relax. Besides, you can pay me back when we get back to the house." Midnight said dismissively.

"Mid..."

"Please?" Midnight asked, already making puppy dog eyes at David.

"Stop." David said, although he already felt his will crumbling.

Midnight continued her attack on David's willpower.

"Mid... Ugh, fine. You can pay."

Midnight only smiled brightly before pulling out a large pouch of bits and placing them on the table. She easily spotted Golden Ray from afar and waved him over. Within a few moments, he was at the table and counting the bits.

"One twenty one... one twenty two... one twenty three. All here. Thank you so much for coming. Have a wonderful night."

"Here." David said, tossing another small pouch of bits to Golden Ray. "As a tip."

"Thank you so much sir. You both have a wonderful evening." Golden Ray replied before heading off.

David felt Midnight's unhappy glare on him before he even looked at her.

"What? You didn't say anything about me getting the tip." David said with a shrug.

Midnight moved to speak, but then thought better of it. After a moment, she found her words.

"You know what, that's fair. Alright, David, you win this round." Midnight said, admitting defeat.

"Yes. Lemme just chalk that up on my win streak. One for David, aaaaaaaaand zero for Midnight." David said, going through the motion of adding a tally mark in the air with his finger.

"Fine, fine, you win. Come on, big guy. Let's get out of here." Midnight said, hopping off of her chair.

David moved to get off his chair, but stopped before fully rising to his feet. The whole room seemed to be spinning, and he was quickly getting dizzy. He sat back down after a moment before shaking his head slightly and trying to stand up again. He quickly lost his balance and fell back into the chair. Midnight trotted over to his side and tilted her head.

"You alright, big guy? You only had one of those drinks. I know you're not that much of a lightweight." Midnight said with a grin.

"Yeah, I don't know what's up. I just got really dizzy all of a sudden." David said, trying to stand up again.

He didn't get far before losing his balance and falling back down to the chair. Midnight moved quickly to grab him with her hooves and try to slow his fall.

"David, okay, you're scaring me now. Are you alright?" Midnight asked, clearly concerned.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm just... really... really..." David trailed off, his head lolling back and forth.

"David, your nose is bleeding!" Midnight nearly shouted.

David brought a hand to his nose before pulling it away to see his fingers covered in blood.

"Huh?" David managed.

Another moment passed, and David's hearing went with it. He could faintly hear someone calling his name, shouting it even, but it seemed so distant, almost... muted. The room around him spun so fast he couldn't make out the details anymore, and after another moment, he found himself falling to the floor. The impact barely registered with him, all he could make out were two sapphire eyes blinking back tears as his vision faded.

"David!"

"Somepony help!"

The words rang dull in his ears, and with that, his world faded to darkness.

Chapter 18: The Death of David Lawson

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Midnight sat on her seat in the waiting room, tears steadily streaming down her face. The world around her passed by in a blur as she silently rocked back and forth on the chair. She couldn't even think. All she could do was sit there and wait. Her misery was only compounded by the incessant ticking of the clock as it sat on the wall, reminding her of every second she was away from David. Each passing hour seemed to drag on for an eternity as she waited for any kind of news.

"What happened? He was fine... I thought we fixed him... Not again... please not again..."

The evening turned into the late night, and eventually into the early morning. Midnight was wide awake the whole time, refusing to take even a minute of sleep for fear of the worst happening while she slept.

Finally, the sound of someone else speaking to the receptionist broke the monotony of deadly silence Midnight had suffered through. After a moment, the new pony approached her.

"Midnight?" Storm Shield asked.

Midnight lifted her head just enough to see Storm through her disheveled mane. She barely managed a nod before her head drooped back down and her gaze fell to the floor.

Storm quickly approached and placed a comforting hoof on Midnight's shoulder.

"I heard about what happened. Has there been any news since?" Storm asked, her voice laced with concern.

"No..." Was all Midnight could say.

"I'm so sorry. How are you holding up?"

Midnight didn't respond. She only managed to hang her head even lower. A tear dripped down from her eyes and hit the floor, answering Storm's question far better than words ever could.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. David is a tough stallion. He's survived worse than this. He's gonna walk out of that room, good as new, and you two are gonna live the rest of your lives together and be the happiest couple this side of Equestria." Storm said as she climbed onto the seat next to Midnight and draped her wing over her shoulder.

Midnight leaned her head on Storms shoulder and closed her eyes.

"I just want him to be okay..." She whispered.

"I know, I know. He's going to be fine, I promise." Storm said in her most comforting voice.

"Why do bad things keep happening to him? I mean... one minute he was fine, the next, his nose is bleeding and he faints. I couldn't even do anything..." Midnight trailed off.

Storm only hugged Midnight tighter with her wing and supported her as much as she could. More than once she had to stop her own fearful tears from falling. She held them back though, guards never cried, after all.

Storm's warm embrace did wonders for Midnight's tired mind, and within the hour, she drifted off to sleep, still tucked under her wing. Storm allowed herself a sad smile for the graphite mare and contented herself with simply keeping Midnight comfortable while she slept.

"It's the least I can do for David and his mare." Storm thought to herself.

The sound of a door opening drew Storm's attention from Midnight to the new visitor for David. The first thing to catch her eye was the lavender coat and dark purple mane. There was no doubt in her mind that it was Princess Twilight.

"Excuse me, is David here?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, Princess. Midnight is here too." Storm replied.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to the two seated mares. Her spirits seemed to lower slightly as she saw Midnight, fast asleep and wrapped in Storm's wing.

"Is she alright?" Twilight inquired.

"Not really... She's taking this pretty hard. Poor thing pretty much cried herself to sleep. The receptionist told me she was awake all night, worrying about him. I can't blame her." Storm explained.

"If I was in her position, I think I'd be much worse," Twilight admitted with a half smile. "Any news?"

Storm shook her head.

"I asked on the way in, but they only told me that he's in the Emergency Room and that we wouldn't know until he was released."

"So he's been in the ER the whole night?" Twilight asked in disbelief.

"Yeah... Whatever happened... it must have been bad." Storm said, each word seeming to weigh her down.

"I hope he's alright... By the way, I don't think we've met. Are you a friend of David's?" Twilight asked, attempting to brighten the mood slightly.

"Yeah. My name's Storm Shield."

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Storm Shield. I'm Twilight Sparkle, but please just call me Twilight. Any friend of David's is a friend of mine." Twilight said, holding out a hoof.

Storm gently bumped Twilight's hoof, careful not to disturb Midnight as she slept.

"So... How did you meet him?" Twilight asked.

"Well, I met him back when he was just starting to learn about Equestria. He had a thing for petting ponies back then. Pissed off a noble or two and I was called over to deal with it. I escorted him out of the room and, well, we just sort of clicked. I really, really hope he's okay." Storm explained.

"Me too. I've known him since he first got here. We met every week to discuss his history and culture. I haven't seen him for a little while, but I came as soon as I heard about what happened." Twilight replied.

"You live in Ponyville, right, Prin- er, Twilight?" Storm asked.

"Yes. Princess Celestia sent me a letter about an hour ago. She said that her and Luna would be coming by in a little bit." Twilight answered.

"Wow... I'm glad they're coming. It looks like David needs all the support he can get right now."

"He'll pull through. I know he will." Twilight said, hopping onto the seat next to Storm.

"So... know any good stories to pass the time?" Storm asked.

"Well..."

Midnight's eyes fluttered open to the sound of voices nearby. She slowly turned her head to the side to see a navy blue feathered wing draped over her wither. She sat up and turned to see the source of the comforting wing.

Storm noticed the movement under her wing and turned to see Midnight as she sat upright. She retracted her wing and gently rubbed Midnight's wither with her hoof.

"Hey, you feeling better?" Storm asked.

"Barely..." Midnight answered "I didn't miss anything, did I?"

"Other than Twilight's story on how she beat an Ursa minor, nope." Storm answered.

"Princess Twilight is here? How long was I out for?" Midnight asked, seemingly surprised at the news.

"Maybe an hour. Not too long. After the night you had, you should probably sleep some more. We'll wake you up if anything happens." Storm said with a friendly smile.

"Thanks... but I think I'll just stretch my hooves out and walk around for a bit." Midnight said, hopping off the chair.

She walked over to the receptionist to find Twilight heading back towards her.

"Princess." Midnight said with slight bow of her head.

"Midnight, please, call me Twilight. How are you?" Twilight said, concern weeding its way into her voice.

"I'm alright. Thank you, Twilight. Did you just speak to the receptionist?" Midnight asked.

"Yes, I just spoke with her about David." Twilight responded.

"Any news?" Midnight asked, perking up slightly.

"I'm afraid not. She just told me the same thing as last time. All they seem to know right now is that he's still in the ER." Twilight admitted with a shake of her head.

Midnight sighed and hung her head low again.

"Alright. Thanks for checking." She said as she started to head off.

"Midnight, I understand that this is hard, but I know David will be alright." Twilight comforted.

"I just don't know what's wrong with him and it's killing me inside. To know that his life is in danger and that I not only can't help him again, but this time I don't know anything. I have absolutely no clue as to what happened to him. We dealt with his mental problems months ago and several trips to multiple therapists confirmed that he was at least making progress with his guilt and other mental issues. Princess Luna didn't find any kind of magical damage in his mind, so that couldn't be it... He's been perfectly fine for the last four months and now... now I just wish I knew. I'd rather face it than just sit here and wait to find out." Midnight explained, frustration clear in her voice.

"I'm sure that whatever the cause is will be brought to light soon enough. They have the best doctors in Canterlot working on him, Midnight. He's going to be alright. For all we know this could be completely unrelated to what happened back on Hearth's Warming." Twilight replied, trying her best to comfort the graphite mare.

"I hope so... He's already survived so much... I'm just worried that there's a limit to how much he can take. I feel like if he has to endure any more... he might not be able to handle it." Midnight admitted with a sad sigh.

"You know David far better than I do, Midnight, and even I know he's going to be fine. I promise." Twilight offered with a supportive smile.

Before Midnight could answer, the front door swung open and Princess Celestia walked in. Following close behind her was Princess Luna, along with a small entourage of royal guards. They quickly fanned out to the other entrance points in the room, leaving one in the doorway they entered from.

"Midnight, there you are. Are you alright?" Celestia's voice rang out.

"Princess, I... I don't even know anymore... Still waiting on the news from the doctors right now." Midnight said, barely giving a nod to the royal diarchs, let alone a bow.

"We would have come sooner, however, we were predisposed with the Yaks. Leaving was almost impossible with how ridiculous their behavior was." Luna explained, no small trace of annoyance in her voice.

Midnight didn't answer, she only hung her head in silence.

A sad frown forced its way onto Luna's face. She walked over to Midnight and draped a wing over her wither.

"Come, Midnight. Sit with me for a while." Luna gently offered.

Midnight shakily nodded as she tried to keep the tears back yet again. Luna's soft and warm wings helped sooth her pain somewhat, before she was led to the seat.

Luna sat down with Midnight right beside her, never once allowing her wing to detach from her side. After a few moments, Midnight crumbled and leaned her head on Luna's wither. Her tears slowly streaked down her face in into Luna's fur. The princess of the night seemed unfazed, and allowed the graphite unicorn to cry while she simply held her close.

Luna gazed up to find Celestia's worried face staring back at her. After exchanging a nod with her sister, she returned to caring for Midnight. Storm found her way over to Midnight's opposite side, and hopped onto the chair next to her. She draped her wing around her and below Luna's wing, effectively blanketing her in a warm, feathery embrace. No words were spoken. They only sat in silence.

Celestia approached Twilight with a mix of emotions in place of her usual regal poker face. Twilight quickly hugged her before pulling away and sighing.

"I don't know what happened. Nopony here can tell me anything, and Midnight is so distraught that she can barely speak to anypony right now... I wish I had some good news for you, Princess." Twilight said.

"I understand. Thank you, Twilight. Let me talk to the receptionist for a moment. I might be able to at least see how he's doing in the Emergency Room." Celestia replied, warmth returning to her voice, if only for a short time.

"Of course, Princess."

Celestia walked over to the receptionist with determination in every step. The receptionist in question appeared to be in her late thirties. She had a orange-red coat, along with a scarlet mane and tail. Her spectacles were broad-rimmed and bright red.

"Ahem, excuse me?" Celestia asked.

The receptionist dropped everything she was doing upon hearing Celestia's voice. She quickly turned to see the alabaster alicorn and dropped into a bow.

"Y-you're highness! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you come in. I-I've just been so busy this past night. How can I help you?" She asked, her voice more than a little shaky.

"Please, relax. I'm just here for a friend. Is David Lawson out of the Emergency Room yet?" Celestia asked with calculated calmness and regal poise.

"I'll check right now, Princess." She said before galloping off down the hall.

Celestia allowed herself a thin smile at her little victory before turning around and walking back over to Midnight. As she approached, she couldn't help but feel a small bit of relief upon seeing two wings tightly wrapped around the distraught mare.

"I believe we should get a more desirable answer soon enough. I'm sure that we'll at least know the situation, rather than being left in the dark as Midnight has this whole night." Celestia said, her gaze focused on Luna.

"I hope so. The poor girl has been all alone most of the night..." Luna trailed off, "I don't believe I caught your name, miss?" Luna asked, looking at Storm.

"Storm Shield, your highness. I'm a royal guard... David is one of my best friends, so I came as soon as I heard the news." Storm explained.

"Storm Shield... Ah, yes, I remember you. You were the pony who applied for the position and had cupcake frosting on your muzzle during the interview." Celestia reminisced.

Storm's cheeks flushed a hot pink, and she sheepishly nodded.

"Y-yep... That was me... Don't think anypony will let me forget about that one." Storm said with a small pout.

Celestia brought a hoof to her mouth to cover her giggles while Luna did the same. After taking a moment to compose themselves, the royal sisters refocused their attention to Storm.

"So how did you meet him?" Luna asked.

"Well, do you remember when David first got here?" At Luna's nod, Storm continued, "So, you remember that he had a thing for petting ponies, right?" Luna and Celestia chuckled and smiled, giving some indication that they did, "Well, one time he tried to pet Prince BlueBlood, and... well, he kinda demanded that we arrest David for 'degrading' him like that." Storm said with air quotes.

Luna and Celestia shared a knowing yet annoyed look.

"Yes, I remember getting the paperwork on my desk about that incident." Celestia mused.

"Well, I was assigned to the prince at the time and he had me arrest David. Of course, I let him go the second we were out of earshot. David was a little distraught after that, what with the crash, Equestria being completely new to him, and certain nobles treating him like dirt... So I just kinda talked to him. He was really funny and cuddly, which I'm not gonna lie, he's really good at-" Storm explained.

"He is the cuddliest stallion I've ever met." Midnight interjected, a very small smile on her lips as she reminisced.

"He sure is," Storm continued, gently rubbing Midnight's back with her wing, "Anyways, after we talked for a bit, he had to go meet with Princess Twilight, and I went about my day. I think that's when he dropped that potted plant on Prince Blueblood." Storm finished with a stroke of her chin.

"Haha, I recall hearing about that." Luna said with a chuckle.

"If ever there was a prince to deserve that, it would most definitely be Blueblood." Celestia said with a grin.

"So that's why he was late that day." Twilight said, having moved to Celestia's side during the story.

"Excuse me, Princess?" The receptionist called from the desk.

Celestia turned around to see the receptionist standing next to an exhausted looking surgeon. He was a sky blue unicorn with a darker blue mane and tail. His scrubs were splattered with blood in certain area's and the bags under his hazel eyes gave the impression that he hadn't slept for days. His fur was slightly matted and sticky where blood had found it's way past the scrubs. Midnight nearly fainted upon seeing him.

"Yes?" Celestia asked, her voice more than a little strained after seeing the surgeon.

"This is Doctor Stable. He can answer all of your questions." The receptionist stated.

Doctor Stable took a moment to remove his scrubs with his magic and deposit them in a medical waste bin further down the hall. He quickly used his magic to rid himself of the blood still clinging to his coat before turning back and trotting back to Celestia.

"Princess." He said with a quick bow.

"Doctor. Can you tell us what happened?" Celestia asked.

Doctor Stable sighed. He took a moment to think before he addressed Celestia again.

"Perhaps it would be best if I took you to him." He said.

"Where?" Midnight said, jumping out Luna and Storm's feathery embrace.

"I'm afraid only the Princesses or family are allowed to see the patient at the moment, miss." Doctor Stable said.

Before Midnight could even begin to verbally assault the stallion, Celestia spoke up.

"Midnight is David's significant other. The rest of us are his friends. We're all going in to see him." Celestia said, her glare making the doctor audibly gulp.

"Of course, your highness. I didn't know. This way, please." He said before turning tail and leading them down the hall.

As they walked, Midnight trotted up alongside Celestia.

"Thank you, Princess."

"You have every right to see him. Think nothing of it." Celestia responded with a smile.

After a few minutes, they arrived at a long hallway. At the end of the hallway was a rather large door labeled 'Non-Ponies'. The group quickly approached the door.

Before they could enter, Doctor Stable turned around and addressed the group.

"Alright, I think it's important that I let you know the situation before you go in there," He started, focusing his gaze on Midnight, "We had a very hard time getting the bleeding under control. For a while we weren't sure as to where it was coming from. It took more time than I would have liked to find out that he was suffering from a brain hemorrhage. I'm not going to sugarcoat this as I need you to understand how severe this situation really is," His gaze now fell on the whole group, "We almost lost him, a few times. We had to drill a hole in his skull to allow the blood room to go so as not to crush his brain. At the moment, he's stable, although, he's lost over a liter of blood, and... well..." He trailed off.

"What? What else is there?" Luna asked, quickly.

"We'll have the brain scans in a few minutes. It'll be easier to explain if I have those to show you. In the meantime, you should all go see him. He's in a medically induced coma at the moment, so please don't move him." Doctor Stable explained, opening the door with his magic.

Midnight was the first into the room. Twilight and Storm weren't far behind, and coming in last were Celestia and Luna. They all froze as soon as their eyes fell on David's body.

A rythmatic beeping filled the air as the five equines stood in a metaphorical stare down with David's nearly lifeless body. A heart monitor, an ECMO machine, as well as an EKG were all hooked up to David. Dozens of wires connected him to the multiple monitors keeping him alive.

Midnight felt her blood run cold when her gaze fell onto the bloodied bandages wrapped around his head, almost covering his eyes. The stains of spilt blood littered his face and upper torso, and it was all Midnight could do to not begin hyperventilating on the spot. David was wrapped up in several blankets up to his torso. His hands hung limply to the side with several wires dangling off of his fingertips.

For a few seconds, Midnight only stared. She couldn't move. She couldn't think or speak. Her heart felt like it was being ripped in half all over again, only this time, it was thrown into a blender for good measure.

"D-David..?" Midnight stuttered.

There was no response, only the constant beeping of the heart monitor.

Storm was the first to truly snap out of her trance and move her legs. She slowly inched forwards until she was only a few feet away from David. After a few moments she turned and motioned for Midnight to come over.

Despite feeling like her hooves were rooted to the ground, Midnight pressed forward. Slowly, but surely, she found herself right beside Storm, at David's side. Her eyes, already puffy and red after hours of crying, began to tear up again. She managed to hold them back while she gently reached forward with her hoof and touched David's hand. Were it not for the rythmatic beeping of the heart monitor, Midnight would have been sure David was dead. His hand was cold to the touch, and seemed completely devoid of life as her hoof softly caressed it.

Celestia felt her own tears threatening to claw their way free, and only managed to compose herself when she noticed Storm's teary-eyed expression.

Luna turned to her sister to speak, but couldn't find the words. Her mouth moved to speak, but nothing came out. She slowly turned back to David before hanging her head low. A gentle caress against her wither pulled her attention back to her sister. Celestia's wing silently returned to her back, and her smile seemed to remind her that everything would be okay.

Celestia's attention was pulled from her sister when she saw Doctor Stable return to the door with several pieces of paper attached to a clipboard in his magical grasp. He entered the room slowly, so as not to startle anypony.

"Doctor." Celestia said, her voice only a whisper.

"I have the results, your highness. Would you like me to announce them to everypony? Or just you?" Doctor Stable replied.

"Please, tell us all." Celestia replied.

"Alright" Doctor Stable said, making his way to the center of the room, "I'm sorry to interfere, but I have his test results." He said, directing everyone's attention back at him, "I'm not sure how or why, but somehow, equestrian magic is killing him-"

Midnight visibly fell to her haunches. She felt the air leave her lungs, and her stomach violently twisted at the doctors words.

Doctor Stable levitated an x-ray out of the clipboard and attached it to a light tablet, "As you can see in the x-ray, there is a white mass surrounding his brain. We saw it when we drilled into his skull, and the MRI just confirmed it. The magic in his head is killing him."

The room fell deathly silent, save for the constant beeping of the heart monitor. Both of the royal sisters appeared to be stunned, and the three smaller mares in the room shared similar expressions of breathlessness.

"B-but... How? Luna found no magical damage in his subconscious! He's been completely fine for the last four months! Hasn't he, Midnight!?" Twilight asked, finally breaking out of her silence.

Midnight did not answer. She just stared at the floor, like a shell-shocked soldier. Her mane limply hung over her face, hiding her expression.

After realizing Midnight would not be commenting any time soon, Twilight refocused her attention on the doctor.

"Princess Luna, is that true?" The doctor asked, somewhat intrigued.

"W-well, yes... Although, I only searched a small part of his memories. To search the rest of his mind would have taken... Well, I would probably still be doing it right now." Luna explained, her gaze casting downwards in shame.

"I believe I might have an explanation for you then, princess," Doctor Stable said, turning to Twilight, "From what I understand of his physiology, he has no magical ability whatsoever. His species exists on a planet with absolutely no magic to speak of. Due to this, his species did not evolve with magic influencing their bodies. It's a very real possibility that when he arrived here, his body immediately began to negatively react to magic."

"Like the headaches..." Midnight finally spoke, drawing everypony's eyes.

"Considering that the magic coalesced in and around his brain... headaches a very possible symptom. According to the MRI, it primarily formed around the brain, on the meninges. A small amount also found its way into the temporal lobe. This could have effected his memory, speech, behavior, hearing, and vision."

"All those times I though he was just forgetful... Damn it..." Midnight whispered.

"But wait, that still doesn't explain the last four months! He's had no real issues like he did on Hearth's Warming. How could it have stopped hurting him for four months?" Twilight interjected.

"Again, I think I can explain. Most of the magic is formed in his meninges, surrounding the brain. As you might know, the brain itself has no pain receptors, the meninges and spinal cord do. The magic found its way on and around the meninges and has, for the last four months, been blocking any kind of pain signals from being sent to his brain. If they hadn't, he most likely would have been in agony for the last four months."

An uncomfortable silence filled the air as the doctor finished his explanation. Nopony in the room dared make a sound, though, they all found their eyes slowly drifting towards Midnight as she sat on her haunches.

"All this time... this was happening and I did nothing... Why? Why!? Why didn't I take him to the doctor?!" Midnight screamed in her head.

"So... can you remove it?" Celestia asked, her voice slightly strained.

Doctor Stable did not respond for some time. His gaze fell to the floor for a moment, and when he looked back at Celestia, his eyes carried a hint of remorse for the first time since she had started speaking to him.

"Princess... I... I'm afraid that even if we had the time to go into his skull and physically remove all of the magic that he's absorbed... it won't save him-" Doctor Stable began.

That was all Midnight needed to hear. The damn broke, and her tears fell free yet again. Everything around her seemed to blur and fade. All she knew was that she felt sick, beyond sick. She immediately rose to her hooves and galloped out the door.

"Midnight!" Storm called out.

Midnight was already out the door and running down the hallway. Storm wasted no time and ran after her.

"Midnight, Storm!" Twilight shouted, turning to follow them.

"Let them go, Twilight. Storm will take care of Midnight. Besides, she needs some room right now." Celestia said, holding out a wing to block the door.

"I... okay..." Twilight dejectedly agreed.

"I'm very sorry. I know this is not the news you wanted to hear. Nopony ever wants to hear news like this, but there's just no way to prevent the magic from coalescing in his brain again after we remove it. Not to mention-" Doctor Stable tried to continue.

"Wait! What did you just say?" Twilight asked, suddenly perking up.

"That there's no way to prevent the magic from coalescing back in his brain if we even managed to remove it at all." He said, slightly taken aback by Twilight's sudden shift in energy.

"That's it! How did I forget about the spell!?" Twilight shouted.

"What spell, Twilight?" Luna asked, finding herself slightly excited at Twilight's change in demeanor.

"The transfiguration spell!"

Midnight barged into the bathroom and found the first open stall she could. She barely made it to the toilet before she threw up. Storm was only a few seconds behind her, recoiling slightly at the sound. She stayed out of the stall to give Midnight some privacy while she got it out of her system.

After a few moments, she was done, and the sound of her ragged breathing filled the air. Midnight flushed the toilet and stumbled out of the stall. She almost fell over before Storm was there to catch her.

"Woah, easy. Are you alright?" Storm asked in concern.

"I... I can't... I just can't..." Midnight whispered between heavy breaths.

"Hey, hey, listen to me. It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be alright. The princesses will figure something out, I promise." Storm said, wrapping Midnight up in a tight hug.

"I-I just... I can't... I can't lose him too... Not again..." Midnight said, her voice nearly choked by her sobs.

"Shh, just calm down. You won't lose him. You have my word. David is going to make it through this."

Midnight did not respond. She continued to quietly sob in Storm's embrace until there were no more tears left to shed.

Storm walked Midnight back through the hallway to David's room. The graphite mare numbly leaned on her for support, as her own hooves seem barely capable of moving on their own. They unceremoniously arrived to find Luna sitting next to David. The room was otherwise devoid of life.

"Princess Luna?" Storm asked, drawing Luna's attention from David.

"Storm, Midnight. Please, come in." Luna said with her best attempt at a comforting smile.

"Sorry about that..." Midnight said, her eyes still downcast.

"It's perfectly fine, Midnight. Are you feeling any better?" Luna asked, already sure of the answer.

"No... not really... How long?" Midnight dejectedly asked.

"How long... for what?" Luna asked, already uncomfortable with this line of questioning.

"Until... we lose him." Midnight said, putting an especially sour tone on 'lose'.

"Midnight, there's no reas-" Luna started.

"Princess, please... I need to know." Midnight said.

Luna hesitated for a few moments before she heavily sighed.

"Doctor Stable said that in David's current state... it's only a matter of hours. It might take an entire day... or he might be gone by the time the sun sets... Nothing is certain right now..." Luna sadly explained.

Midnight visibly tensed at the news, but managed to keep herself from throwing up again. She managed a shaky nod before hanging her head low again.

Storm looked devastated for a moment before she noticed that there was only one alicorn in the room at the moment.

"Excuse me, Princess... Where did Princess Celestia and Twilight go?"

"Well, I was going to open with that... I don't want to get your hopes up as it is still uncertain, however, Twilight remembered a particular spell she thinks might help David and possibly save his life. She teleported herself and my sister to the castle to recover the scroll. She didn't even wait for the doctor to finish his explanation."

Both Midnight and Storm visibly perked up at the news. Midnight stopped leaning on Storm and rose to her full height again.

"What spell?" Storm asked, excitement clear in her voice.

"I'm not entirely sure. All Twilight said was that it was a transfiguration spell. I assume we'll all find out once they return. Midnight, are you alright? I know that was a lot to take in, especially all at once." Luna explained.

"If Princess Twilight is referring to the spell I remember, then I'm not sure..." Midnight said, feeling her stomach twist again.

"What do you-" Luna started, before abruptly being cut off by a loud *pop* and bright flash.

"-and the base elements of his biological composition..." Twilight said, stopping upon noticing the new environment, "Oh, thank you, Princess. I didn't realize you were going to teleport us already."

"I felt it pertinent that we return in time to explain this to Midnight. Speaking of which, it appears Luna has beaten us to it..." Celestia replied, turning her gaze to Midnight.

"This is the part where you convince me this is the only way that we can save him, isn't it?" Midnight asked, her frown conveying exactly how she was feeling about the current turn of events.

"Indeed it is. Twilight, could you please explain to Midnight what you were just explaining to me?" Celestia asked.

"Of course. Now, Midnight, I know you were against the idea of changing David into a pony back on Hearth's Warming, but please hear me out," At Midnight's eventual nod, Twilight continued, "Alright, so, as we now know, David's body can't handle Equestrian magic. However, if we change him, there's a good chance that he will be able to live a long and happy life as a pony. Anyways, the spell works by rearranging a creature's DNA to that of a pony's, while maintaining their basic characteristics. For example, a hydra would probably have multiple heads as a pony, but wouldn't maintain its ability to regenerate-" Twilight explained.

Midnight stole a glance at David. Her mind raced for potential alternatives to Twilight's plan while she continued to talk.

"-that said, certain things like a species' dietary needs would most likely stay the same. Since David isn't a pony eating monster, I don't think we have to worry about that one-"

"Wait, if you're changing his DNA, how could his diet stay the same? If he became a different species, then why wouldn't that change as well?" Storm asked, fully invested in Twilight's explanation.

"Well, you see, if you look into StarSwirl's third law of magic, it states that-" Twilight began.

"Twilight, please, give us the shorthoof version." Luna admonished.

"Right, right. Sorry. The point is, certain aspects of a creature simply cannot be changed by magic, no matter how much you poor into them. If we use this spell on David, we could turn him into a pony, and save his life. He would never have to suffer from magic again. Him and Midnight could live together, and she wouldn't have to worry about her magic hurting him anymore." Twilight finished with a proud smile.

All eyes once more fell onto Midnight as the rest of the ponies in the room eagerly awaited her response. After several painful moments of silence, Twilight spoke up again.

"Uh... Midnight? I thought you'd be ecstatic to hear this... You seem... not that... at all. What's wrong?"

"It's just... look at him. He can't agree to this..." Midnight muttered, just loud enough for everypony to hear.

"Well, yes. That's why Princess Celestia decided that you should be the one to make the choice for him if he ended up in a circumstance like this. All we need is for you to say 'yes' and we can save him." Twilight said, hoping to bring some life to the dark unicorn.

"I... I know... And I know that I should just say 'do it'... but... I don't know if I can." Midnight said, her tone just above a whisper.

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked incredulously

"I... I never talked about it with him, okay?" Midnight said, her mane once more hiding her face, "After Hearth's Warming, and the therapists... I convinced myself that Doctor Whinny was right... That David just had some issues after the crash and that he was fine now... I didn't want to believe anything could happen to him again. I just pretended like that conversation never happened..." Midnight shamefully admitted.

The room fell silent. Nopony knew what to do or say. After some time, it became unbearable.

"Well... regardless... you have to make a decision now..." Storm said, trying to be as gentle with her words as she could.

"I can't! I can't make that kind of life-altering decision for someone! Especially not for someone I love! What if he actually enjoys being human?! What if he doesn't want to be something else!? How would you like it if you were in a coma and I decided to change you into a snake while you were asleep?!" Midnight angrily shouted.

"Midnight, please. You need to relax." Celestia interjected, trying to calm the situation.

"I can't just make choices that could impact him for the rest of his life!" She cried out.

"MIDNIGHT!" Luna shouted, using her full Royal Canterlot Voice.

Midnight almost fell over from the force of Luna's voice. Her mane was now a frazzled mess, and she found herself literally backing into a corner. She was visually shaking, and wet drops of liquid on the floor reminded her that she had been crying ever since she started talking.

The Princess of the Night slowly approached her. Once she was close enough, Luna gently reached down and grabbed Midnight by her withers. Without giving her time to squirm free, Luna pulled her into a tight hug, adding her wings to the mix to comfort the badly distraught mare.

Within seconds, another navy blue pair of hooves and wings found their way wrapping around Midnight, then a lavender pair. Finally, an alabaster white pair of hooves and wings wrapped themselves around the graphite mare. The air quickly filled with the sound of sobbing, but only for a little while. They held Midnight until she finally relaxed. Their warm, feathery embrace did wonders for her anxiety and fear, and within minutes, she was calm again.

"I-I'm sorry... I just..." Midnight whispered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. It's not an easy decision to make, but please remember, we wouldn't ask you unless we had no other choice." Celestia said, using her most soothing, motherly voice.

Slowly, the three princesses and Storm released their hold on Midnight, and allowed her some room. She was still shaking, slightly, but her breathing had returned to a more normal level and her tears were finally gone.

"Midnight, we want nothing but the best for both you and David... In all honesty, I think the only way you can have that is if we go through with this..." Twilight pleaded.

"What if he doesn't want to be a pony though? I don't want to force him to be something he doesn't want to be." Midnight whispered.

"Midnight... I believe I should tell you the reason as to why Twilight was even researching this spell in the first place." Celestia announced.

Midnight turned her head up to look at the Sun Princess.

"Before Hearth's Warming... before you and David were together... He came to me with an idea. He had decided that he wanted to be with you, however, he was still afraid of other ponies judging you for being with him. He asked me to research a spell that could give him the option to become a pony so that you two could be together." Celestia explained.

Midnight's eyes widened at the news. She slowly turned her gaze to David's sleeping form. After several tense seconds, she turned back towards Celestia, and shakily spoke.

"Why... Why didn't anypony tell me?"

"Only Twilight and I were aware of the spell. I am very sorry... but David specifically asked me not to tell you about it. I gave him my word that I wouldn't say anything... Now I have broken that promise. Please, let us cast the spell." Celestia said, her tone calm and soothing.

"I... but... why didn't he tell me?" Midnight manged to ask.

"I think he didn't want you to feel responsible for him making a decision like that... He did want the option to change back to being a human if the desire emerged... however, the spell simply doesn't work like that." Celestia responded.

"So... he still wanted to have the ability to change back..." Midnight said, piecing things together.

"I believe that he wanted the option, yes. Regrettably, there just isn't a spell that can do that right now... This is all we have, and I fear we do not have much time to make the decision. I know this is a very hard choice, Midnight, and there is still a potential chance that it won't be enough... but please, at least let us try." Celestia pleaded.

Midnight hung her head low. Her eyes glued themselves to the floor as she pondered for the right decision.

"I... I don't know what to do... I... I want to say yes... but he still wants to be human..." Midnight whispered.

"There simply isn't time to find another option, Midnight. I know this isn't fair, but if you do not agree to the spell... David will die... At least if we do something, there's still a chance." Luna said, honesty filling her voice.

Midnight was silent for a while. Her mind raced back and forth as she thought over her options. Despite her reservations, she knew she really only had one choice.

"...Okay..." Her voice was barely a whisper; so quiet that Celestia barely even heard her.

"Thank you. I promise we will do everything we can to save him." Celestia said.

"So we can do the spell then?" Twilight asked, having not heard Midnight.

"Yes. We will begin immediately. Storm, could you please get the doctor." Celestia replied.

"Of course, Princess." Storm said, moving out of the room.

Twilight and Celestia began unfurling the scroll. They set it down in the middle of the floor and began preparing themselves for the spell. Luna moved to inspect the scroll before addressing Celestia.

"Sister, is there anything I can do to help?" Luna asked.

"Yes. We'll need your magic to help power the spell. If I understand this correctly, then it's going to require astronomical amounts of magical energy to cast." Celestia replied.

"Yes, you two are going to have to supply the power for the spell to work, while I add the fine tuning and direct it in the way we need it to work with my magic." Twilight added.

"Good. Sounds easy enough. Just let me know when. I'll read this in the meantime." Luna replied, looking down at the scroll.

Despite the busy state of the room, there was one pony who did not move. She simply sat there in silence. With barely an inkling of an expression on her face, Midnight watched the royal sisters and Twilight work. Even the doctor reentering the room went unnoticed by the graphite mare as she sat there, nearly lifeless.

"Princesses? You called?" Doctor Stable asked.

"Yes. We think we might have a way to save David. However, we're going to need to remove him from the medical equipment to cast the spell." Twilight responded.

"Wait, what!?" Midnight interjected.

"Midnight, we can't use the spell with all these wires connected to him." Celestia explained.

"But those are what's keeping him alive!" Midnight cried out.

"We would only remove them a few seconds before the spell. After that, the spell will keep him alive until it's complete. Then we'll reattach whatever we need to." Twilight said, trying her best to sound calm and rational.

"But-" Midnight started.

"Midnight," Luna said, drawing her gaze, "I know you are scared, but there's simply no time to find a better option. Please understand that."

"B-but... he..." Midnight stuttered.

Midnight looked back and forth between the many ponies in the room. One after the other, they all shared the same look. Their minds were already made up. There was no point in arguing anymore. Feeling utterly defeated, Midnight cast her gaze to the floor, and waited for the inevitable.

"So... you want me to bring in a team to remove the medical equipment from him?" Doctor Stable asked, making sure to be mindful of the depressed mare to his right.

"Yes, please." Celestia answered.

Doctor Stable wasted no time and rushed out of the room to get a team together. As soon as he was out of the room, Luna noticed Midnight's crestfallen appearance and nudged Storm with her wing.

"Could you please make sure she's alright? I don't believe she can handle much more distress today." Luna said.

"Of course, Princess." Storm responded.

Luna watched as Storm quickly made her way over to Midnight and sat down next to her. She draped her wing around the dark unicorn much like earlier in the morning, and simply held her there. After a few moments, the sound of whispers reached Luna's ears. Whispers of comfort and encouragement. They brought a small smile to her face.

"Alright, the spell is ready to go." Twilight announced, drawing everypony's attention.

Right on cue, Doctor Stable returned with a small group of nurses and doctors. They quickly assumed their positions at the Heart Monitor, EKG, and ECMO machine, along with a nurse ready to remove the wires from his hands.

"Alright, can one of you remove the sheets and his clothes? We want as little outside influence as possible." Twilight announced.

A nurse quickly removed David's sheets and undressed him. The hospital gown easily tore free, and barely disturbed his body.

"Thank you.... Okay... On my mark, I want you all to remove every piece of medical equipment from David's body. Nothing can be attached." Twilight explained.

"But... Princess, he'll die within minutes." One nurse said.

Midnight visibly tensed at her words, before Storm calmed her back down with soothing words of encouragement.

"That's not gonna happen. We're going to cast a spell that will turn him into a pony. He will survive." Twilight declared, determination finding its way into her tone.

"Understood, Princess." Doctor Stable answered for the group.

"Okay... Everypony ready?" At the collective nods of the group, Twilight continued, "Alright... Three... Two... One... Now!" She called out.

Each pony instantly freed David's body of the wires and medical equipment keeping him alive. Within seconds, everything was disconnected and David laid there, completely free of everything. The harsh, continuous beep of the heart monitor flat lining filled the air.

"Princesses, now!" Twilight commanded.

Without hesitation, Celestia and Luna brought all their magic forth, and blasted two streams of white light straight into David's body. After a moment, he slowly rose, until he hovered a few feet off of the bed. Twilight jumped into action next, and shot a smaller stream of white light straight into David's chest. Each princess began to sweat with the strain of their magic at work, but they all held firm. The magic sounded like a jet engine activated in the doorway, and everypony struggled to not cover their ears, lest they begin to bleed.

Back behind them, Midnight and Storm stared with awe. Their vision blurred by the brightness of the white light pouring out of the alicorns and into room, and it took everything they had just to keep their eyes open.

The spell lasted for so long that Celestia and Luna's legs began to shake from the strain of keeping them upright. For a moment, it almost appeared as if they wouldn't be able to maintain the spell any longer, and it would falter. Finally, just as they reached their limits, Twilight's voice rang out above the deafening sound of the magic streams.

"That's enough! We got it!" She shouted.

Celestia and Luna immediately dropped their spells and fell to the floor, panting. Everypony in the room attempted to catch their breath as they stared at the white light engulfing David's body. Without warning, the light surrounding him began to glow brighter, and brighter, until it was blindingly bright. Everypony in the room was forced to close their eyes from the exposure to the unbelievably bright light.

"Is that supposed to happen!?" Midnight shouted.

"I think-" Twilight shouted back, only to be cut off by a massive flash of light and a sound akin to an explosion.

David walked through the mist for what must have been the hundredth time since coming to Equestria. Although, this time, it was different. He did not feel an ominous presence following him. He did not hear any voices. He only saw the mist, a slightly whiter color than it was before.

"Hello?" He called out.

No answer. He kept walking until he was tired of it.

"Alright, seriously, I'm not doing this shit again. I'm sick of it." David said to no one in particular.

"Already? You've only been here a couple of hours." A familiar voice spoke up, startling David almost into falling over.

"Ohmygodwhatthehell?!" David shouted as he turned around.

Standing there, not ten feet in front of him, were his lost friends, just the way he remembered them before their deaths.

"Guys..." David said in disbelief.

"It's been a while, David. How've you been?" Richie asked with a cocky grin.

"I... you... is this another dream?" David asked, looking around for any clues to answer his question.

"Nope." Isaac answered.

"Am I... dead?"

"You? Dead? No way man, you're still way too young to die, mister 'oldest man in the galaxy'." Roman answered with a chuckle.

"So then... where am I?" David asked.

"Well, we like to call this place 'The Void'. You might know it better as purgatory." Richie responded.

David was visibly stunned by the news. He took a few steps back before bringing both hands to his head and trying to catch his breath.

"So... If I'm not dead... and I'm in purgatory... then what am I right now?" David managed between deep breaths.

"Well, at the moment, you're a ball of energy about as bright as the surface of the sun." Isaac answered.

"What? What do you mean?" David asked, his panicky tone clear in his voice.

"Well... I think we'll let you figure that one out when you go back." Richie said with a smug smile on his face.

"What do you mean? I'm so confused! I... I killed you guys! Why am I here? I should be in Hell! How are you all not jumping at the bit to kill me right now? I don't even want to know what's going on with that 'energy ball' shit either! What the fuck is going on?" David nearly shouted.

"Woah, woah, calm down, bro. Listen, we're not mad at you. You made a mistake," Roman said, trying to calm David down, "Hey, Rich, c'mon man. Enough screwing with the dude."

"Alright, alright. David, listen to me, okay," At David's panicky gaze, Richie continued, "Alright... What happened on the ship... it wasn't your fault. You missed something, and that forced us to abandon ship. Then, you got to the escape pod first, and the motors on the door failed. We know you think it was your fault, but the fact is, there just wasn't enough power left. I know you feel like you messed up, and didn't save enough juice for the door, but the truth is that it wouldn't have mattered anyways."

David was silent. He took in every word as if each one would be his last, and his still couldn't believe his ears. Every emotion from relief, to fear, to anger, to disbelief, flashed through his mind at lightning speed. It was all he could do to even understand the true significance of Richie's words.

"But... I... That's not... How?" David finally managed to say after quite some time.

"You believe in fate, David?" Richie asked.

"I... I mean, I don't know..."

"Well, let me put it to you this way. It was our time, man. One way or another, we were gonna die on that ship. Trust me, what actually happened, was for the best." Richie explained, adorning a more friendly and comforting tone.

"But... if that's true... then what about-" David started.

"You and your girlfriend?" Richie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Y-yes..." David stuttered, "How did you..."

"We hear things. All I can say, is that today, is not your day to die, David." Richie answered with a friendly smile.

David was silent for a few seconds before finding the right words again.

"I... Thank you. I miss you guys." He said, his voice full of sincerity.

"Hey, don't worry about it. It's for the best. Now you go on back to her, you hear me? Take care of her, she needs you." Richie said in his most fatherly voice.

David took a few steps forward before wrapping his arms around Richie and pulling him into a tight hug. Despite his best efforts, tears began to leak free of David's eyes. Within seconds, David felt another pair of arms , then another. For the first time in six months, David was able to hold his friends once more.

Then, as soon as it started, it was over. They all pulled away from each other and before David could say another word, the misty ground below him opened up, and he fell through.

The brilliantly bright white light finally began to fade, and the many ponies filling the room could open their eyes at last. Midnight was the first to look, and her jaw nearly dropped. Floating above the bed, their was a pony-shaped being made entirely of light. It was just dim enough that she could look at it while squinting, but it's shape was undeniable. From it's head to its hind legs, and it mane to its tail, it was a pony.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the being began to float down to the bed as the effects of the magic began to wear off. Midnight quickly moved to the edge of the bed just as it made contact with a slight *pompf*.

As Midnight reared back onto her hind legs and propped herself up with her forelegs, the light finally began to fade away, and David's new form began to reveal itself.

A crimson red coat covered his body while his mane and tail adorned a light brown, almost golden color. Neatly folded away on both sides of his barrel, sat two beautiful wings. Each one extended past his flanks, indicating a very impressive wingspan. Most impressive of all, however, was his sheer size. As a human, David dwarfed every single pony in Equestria up to Princess Luna. Even as a stallion, he was still slightly bigger than her.

Midnight's eyes moved to David's new face. She couldn't help the audible gasp she gave upon seeing it.

"Oh my gosh... He's just as cute as a stallion..." She thought to herself.

Another moment passed with each pony in the room finding themselves in equal states of awe and surprise before it happened. David took his first breath as a pony. Every pony noticed the seemingly deliberate rise and fall of his chest as he took in air with new lungs for the first time. No pony dared to say a word for fear of missing the moment of David's awakening.

He blearily opened his eyes. The strain of the light hitting them for the first time was absolutely blinding, forcing him to keep them closed. With as much effort as his tired body could manage, David moved his foreleg to block out the light.

"Ugh... why's it so bright in here... wait a minute... why does my hand feel so weird?" David thought to himself.

He managed a weak groan as he attempted to open his eyes again, this time finding much less resistance from the light. Everything appeared blurry. Too blurry to make anything out, and with another small groan, David turned his head to see a dark gray blob to his right.

"Ugh... Mid? Isat you?" David croaked, "Geez, my throat is dry..."

A wave of relief washed over Midnight, and she couldn't help but wrap her hooves around David and hug him as tightly as she could.

"H-hey, big guy. How're you feeling? You had us really scared for a while there." Midnight said, her voice full of relief.

"Ack... Mid.. can't breath." David managed.

"Oh, sorry! Sorry! Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just... can barely see. It looks... Why am I covered in red..?" David asked, having looked down at his body.

"Well... It's a long story... Maybe you should just rest for now, huh?" Midnight said, her voice soothing and warm.

"Y-yeah... Okay..." David replied.

David closed his eyes, and within seconds, he was fast asleep yet again.

David woke up slowly. His eyes still didn't seem to want to cooperate with him and his entire body felt sore, like he had just completed a triathlon. He managed a grunt as he attempted to move himself, but nothing else. There seemed to be a weight pressing down on his chest and stomach, keeping him from sitting upright. David managed a small smile. He knew exactly what, or rather who, that weight was.

Midnight felt David attempt to move, and made sure to lift herself away from his body to give him room. After a moment, he was able to form what could have been considered a sitting position, although, not a comfortable one for a pony.

"David?" Midnight asked.

"Hmm?" Was the response she received.

"Are you feeling better? Try not to move around too much if you aren't. You need your rest, after all." Midnight said, as motherly as she could.

"Hehe... hmm why does my mouth feel funny? Also, what's this stuff on my back... and wasn't I covered in red earlier? Mid, I can't quite open my eyes yet, so could you please tell me what's going on? I can't feel my hands." David asked, a vague amount of concern in his voice.

"Well..." Midnight sighed, "I wish I had better news for you... but you were in a pretty bad situation earlier today..." She began to explain.

"All I remember was getting really dizzy at dinner... Then waking up covered in red. Was that blood?" David asked with a shiver.

"No. Uh... Listen... what happened was... well, it turns out that Doctor Whinny was wrong all those months ago. About the cause of your migraines," Once David tilted his head in confusion, she continued, "It turns out... that magic was hurting you. It formed a kind of tumor in your brain and it's been killing you for the last four months. You didn't feel anything because it was blocking all the pain receptors in your head."

"So... I kinda... had a magical tumor?" David asked in disbelief.

"Well, sorta... Now comes the part where you can get mad and hate us for the rest of your life." Midnight sadly continued.

"What are you talking about?"

"It'd really be better if you opened your eyes and saw for yourself." Midnight replied.

Despite the struggle, David managed to open his eyes. It took a few minutes, but his vision finally cleared up and he could see again. He looked down at his chest, to find red fur where skin and hair would have been. He looked to his hooves, where his hands used to be, and then to his new wings. His jaw dropped upon the revelation.

"You turned me into a pony?" David asked incredulously.

"Yes. Before you say anything, just know that I was against it from the very start. I begged them to find a different way, but there were no other options. You were going to die within a matter of hours and we had to make a decision... I had to make a decision." Midnight quickly explained, "I understand if you're angry. I understand if you hate me for forcing this onto you... but I just... I just couldn't lose you..." Midnight sadly admitted, hanging her head low.

A pair of hooves somewhat clumsily found their way to Midnight's cheeks and gently nudged her upwards until she was looking at David again. Before she could pull away, she found herself staring into his chocolate brown eyes just like she had a thousand times before.

After a moment, David pulled her closer, and their lips met again. The feeling was foreign, yet oh so familiar, but within seconds, it was all over, and they pulled away from each other.

"You saved my life, Mid. For the third time now... Geez, at this rate it's gonna get hard to keep track. I'm not gonna lie, this isn't ideal for me, but I'm with you for good now. That's all that matters... Thank you." David said with the most sincerity and kindness he could muster.

"B-but... you can't change back... What if you miss being human?" She asked, almost pleading.

"It's... gonna take some adjusting, no doubt about it... but as long as you're with me, then I can do anything. Besides, I have wings! Look at that! I can fly!" David said, a little more ecstatic than he realized.

"Hehe, you sure can, big guy... So you're really not upset?"

"At this point... I'm just glad that I'm alive. I've got too much to live for to die now."

Chapter 19: On the Wings of Fate (Clop)

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"Ohmygoshthisissoexcitingi'veneverseenanotherspeciesturnedintoaponybefore!!!" Twilight nearly shouted.

"Yeah yeah, I'm a marvel of modern magic, Twilight, can you please not be so loud? These new ears are really sensitive." David replied, covering both ears with his hooves.

"Sorry, sorry. I know you're still getting used to it, but I just couldn't help but be excited! This kind of transformation hasn't happened in over a thousand years! I'll need to catalogue the results for future reference!" Twilight said at the same volume.

"Twilight, I'm sure David will allow you to do your research into his transformation some other time. Right now, he just needs to adjust." Celestia said, giving a warm smile.

"Indeed, we don't want to overwhelm him with questions when he's only been awake for a few hours." Luna admonished.

"I know, I know, I'm just so excited! I knew StarSwirl wouldn't let me down. Oh, there's so many things we need to research, like his cutie mark! What does it mean!?" Twilight said, clopping her hooves together in happiness and looking intently at David's cutie mark.

"That's a good point, what exactly is it?" Storm asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Well, it looks like a lightning bolt going through a black circle. Now, this could mean a lot of different things, so we'll need to try multiple hypotheses to test which one is your special talent. Oh! I know just the group of girls that can help you!" Twilight chirped in excitement.

"Twilight, I'm sure you can test all your hypotheses once David is completely recovered." Luna added.

"Right, right. Nothing any time soon. Sorry." Twilight replied, blushing slightly.

"Well, I'm just glad Davey is okay. My favorite human can still hang out with me and now I can show him how to fly!" Storm added.

As the many ponies in the room shared their excitement in David's transformation, he and Midnight laid on the bed together. Midnight couldn't help herself, and wrapped her hooves around David's barrel in a tight hug. She happily held onto him while nesting her head in the crook of his neck and affectionately nuzzling him.

David was happy to return the gesture, and nuzzled his cheek against her head while wrapping his forelegs around her barrel and holding her as close as he could. After a few minutes of conversing, Doctor Stable walked into the room.

"Hello everypony, Princesses. Excuse me, but I have David's test results. According to the MRI, and several other tests we conducted, it appears that the magic has been completely dispersed to the rest of his body and is no longer harming him. I don't want to say anything is conclusive yet, but for the moment, it looks like he will make a full recovery." Doctor Stable explained.

Midnight allowed a wide smile to beam on her face at the news. She tilted her head up and kissed David's chin before nuzzling back against his neck.

"That's fantastic news! You hear that, David? You're going to be okay!" Twilight proclaimed.

"I did. I know I said it a few times already, but I really appreciate you guys saving me. Thank you." David said with a sincere smile.

"My only regret is that we did not figure out the truth about your body and Equestrian magic until it was almost too late. I'm thankful that we were able to prevent the unthinkable." Celestia replied in her calm, motherly tone.

"Thanks, Tia... Say, do I have to start calling you 'Princess' and bow every time I see you now? 'Cause I kinda like our relationship the way it is right now..." David said with a slightly worried smile.

"You will be required to bow and address me as 'Your Royal Highness'. Any transgression of this rule will result in an immediate relocation to the dungeon for no fewer than thirty days." Celestia said with a serious expression plastered on her muzzle.

Everypony in the room fell silent. All eyes stared at Celestia as if she had just murdered a puppy. Midnight physically lifted her head from David's neck and stared daggers at her. Eventually, the staring got to her, and Celestia's mask cracked. A tiny trace of a grin formed on her lips, and before long, everypony in the room saw through her.

David was the first to chuckle, prompting Celestia to finally relent and laugh herself.

"Oh, you know I'm only joking. Nothing between us has changed, David. You're my friend, and as soon as we get the paperwork done, an honorary citizen of Equestria." Celestia said, finally getting every other pony in the room to breathe again.

"Okay, thank god. You had me worried there for a second, not gonna lie, Tia." David replied, shaking his head.

"You're lucky I know your sense of humor so well, sister. Were it anypony else and I might have thought they were serious." Luna chimed in.

"A-anyway..." Doctor Stable announced, "Mister Lawson will be free to leave the hospital by the evening. We just need to finish a few more basic motor skill tests and some paperwork."

"Awesome. Thanks, Doc." David replied.

With that, Doctor Stable left the room.

"So, Davey, I know that everything is going kinda fast right now, but, um... since you're a pegasus now..." Storm trailed off.

"Since I'm a pegasus now... what?" David replied, motioning for her to continue.

"Well, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with the one that you have now, but it's not very pony-ish... I guess what I'm trying to say is, are you going to change your name now that you're a pony?" Storm asked, trying her best not to offend the crimson pegasus.

"You know, that is a good point," Twilight chimed in, "You've got a pony body now, you might want a pony name to go with it."

"Change my name? I mean... does it matter that much?" David asked.

"David, your name is fine. You don't need to change anything else about yourself." Midnight whispered into his ear.

"I do believe that is a discussion for another time. I can see the doctors and nurses waiting outside right now. We should allow them room to work." Luna announced.

"Agreed. Unfortunately, my sister and I have our royal duties to attend to for the rest of the day. That said, if you need anything, as usual, do not hesitate to ask." Celestia said, already moving for the door.

"I understand. Again, thank you so much for everything, both of you. I owe everyone in this room a lot... Just, thanks, Tia. Thanks, Luna. And you too Twilight. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here right now." David said with an appreciative nod.

"Of course. I still want to have our weekly meetings though!" Twilight said as she moved for the door.

"It was our pleasure, David. Anything for our friends." Celestia replied before walking out the door with Luna in tow.

"I should probably get going too. Wind Rider is going to be worried sick about me if I keep him waiting any longer." Storm said as she turned for the door.

"Alright, Stormy. I'll see you later. Thanks for being there with Mid. It means a lot." David said as he waved his farewell.

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Storm replied as she walked out the door, "Oh, before I forget, you'd better come by when you're feeling a hundred percent so that I can help train you to fly!" She called from the hallway.

"Will do, Stormy. See ya later!" David called back.

David and Midnight walked out of the hospital just as the sun began to set on the horizon. Despite having walked on two legs his whole life, David found walking around on four legs to be rather intuitive, and within the first few hours was easily able to walk around like any other pony.

Even so, he leaned on Midnight for support as his body was still very new to him. That and he just wanted to be close to her.

"I still can't believe that I'm actually a pony now... I feel like I'm really going to miss having hands." David admitted with a slight chuckle.

"I know. I wish there was another way, but we just didn't have time to figure something else out. The spell Twilight found could only change a creature into a pony. I mean, if you asked her to keep digging, I'm sure she could find a spell that could potentially change you into a griffon so that you'd have claws, or at least something resembling fingers." Midnight reasoned.

"Now just how am I supposed to kiss you with a beak?" David asked, planting a kiss on her cheek to prove his point.

Midnight blushed lightly before turning and kissing David's cheek. She allowed a tender smile before turning to see the setting sun.

"What do you say we head home, big guy? It's getting late and I think we've both had a pretty long day." Midnight asked.

"Sure. Home sounds perfect right about now." David replied.

As they continued to walk, with Midnight nuzzling against David's neck, she managed to reach a particular spot along his throat. A loud *pomf* sound filled the air, and David's wings shot straight out, knocking her over and into the dirt.

"Ow" Midnight groaned.

"Mid! Shit, are you okay?! I didn't mean to do that, these things just shot out on their own!" David hastily explained while trying to help Midnight to her hooves.

"Hehe, forgot about that spot. I'm alright, David. That's my bad." Midnight replied as she was helped to her hooves.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that." David explained.

"David, it's fine, I'm fine."

"I know, I just... I feel like I kinda ruined the mo-" David began, only to be cut off by Midnight pressing her lips against his.

They shared the kiss for a few moments, and David's wings deflated back down to his sides. Once they were folded back and away, Midnight broke the kiss and smirked at the dopey smile now plastering David's muzzle.

"Moment's not ruined, big guy. Come on, let's go home." Midnight said with a wink.

The sun gently set over the horizon, and with its fading light, the ponies of Equestria set about going to bed. Shops were closed, dinners served, and a particular pair of ponies finally arrived at their secluded house on the far side of the mountain.

Midnight used her magic to open the door for both her and David before moving to enter the house. She carefully helped him inside, insuring that his wings did not catch on the doorway. They were brand new and prone to move on their own, after all. Once inside, Midnight easily led him to the couch before heading over to the fireplace.

"So, uh... This is gonna take some getting used to, isn't it?" David asked as he clumsily climbed onto the couch.

"Well, the doctor said that since you're a pony now, certain parts of your brain will adapt and make the transition natural. Like walking for example, you seem to be able to do that pretty easily, even with twice as many legs as before." Midnight explained as she brought a spark to the wood, igniting the fire.

"Yeah, but I don't think I'm actually gonna be flying any time soon. Not really sure how these things work just yet. It's like having an extra pair of arms sticking out of my back." David replied.

"I think in time, you'll hardly even know they're there. Unless you're using them, of course." Midnight chuckled.

"Hey, Mid, you know what I just realized?" David asked.

"What's that, big guy?" Midnight asked as she hopped onto the couch with him.

"Well, maybe it's just the fact that I see ponies a little differently now that I am one, but I think I'm finally realizing just how beautiful you really are." David said with an honest smile.

"Aww... You should see yourself, big guy. You should have seen all those nurses when they saw you for the first time. I think half of them were ready to throw themselves at you on the spot." Midnight replied with a laugh.

"And they would have all been disappointed. I simply don't have enough love to give anyone else. You're just too high maintenance for me to dish it out freely." David said with friendly sarcasm.

"Hey, you're pretty high maintenance yourself, big guy. Don't forget all the crap you've put me through these last six months." Midnight lightheartedly chastised.

"And you've put up with me through it all. You really are my other half." David replied, love emanating from his voice.

Midnight's breath caught in her throat. Her mouth moved but no words managed to find their way out, and after a moment, David was beginning to worry that he broke her.

"Uh... Mid? You oka-AGH!" David managed just as Midnight pounced on him, wrapping her hooves around him in a vice-grip.

"Thank you... I love you." Midnight whispered.

"Eheh, thanks, Mid. Love you too. Just uh... please be a little more gentle... I'm a bit fragile right now." David wheezed.

"Oh, sorry! Sorry, I forgot." Midnight gasped, instantly releasing her hold on him.

"It's okay. I think my ribs are still all in one piece." David said, with a slight sigh.

"Hehe, it's gonna take a lot of willpower to hold myself back until you're feeling better." Midnight admitted, a heavy blush on her face.

"Hey now, I may be fragile, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna break if you cuddle with me." David replied with a grin.

Midnight immediately took the hint and wrapped her hooves around David's barrel. She pulled him in close while nuzzling her cheek into the crook of his neck. Her tail managed to wrap itself around his, and she finally found her resting place with her head on his chest fur.

"Mhhhh... forgot how soft pegasai are..." Midnight happily whispered.

David leaned down and kissed her forehead. He wrapped his hooves around her and held her close, just the way he used to.

"I think I'm gonna miss scratching your ears the most." David mused.

"Aww... You just reminded me about that..." Midnight whined, "Well, at least you have a fluffy chest I can use as a pillow then."

"Hehe, you can use me as your personal pillow anytime." David replied.

They fell into silence for a few moments. They're quiet breathes filled the air as they both watched the last of the sun finally dip under the horizon. Midnight gazed up just in time to see the last of the orange light glisten off of David's chocolate brown eyes before it was gone for the night, and the light orange glow of the fireplace took its place. With that, she nuzzled her head back against his chest and closed her eyes.

Another few moments of silence before David shuffled uncomfortably. Midnight noticed the movement, but said nothing and simply allowed him to find a comfortable position. After a moment, he settled back down, only to move again a second later.

This went on for a few minutes before Midnight lifted her head from his chest to see what was wrong.

"Hey, you alright, big guy? You're kinda squirming a lot. I'm not hurting you, am I?" Midnight asked.

"No, it's alright, I'm just... adjusting..." David meekly admitted.

"What do you mean adjus....ting..." Midnight trailed off as her eyes fell onto David's groin.

Her tail had been draped over his sheath, her long hairs tickling it the whole time, and causing his stallionhood to poke out from the attention. The especially dark skin of his member would have gone unnoticed by her gaze, were it not for the light pink splotches covering a decent amount of his length catching the firelight.

"Oh..." Midnight said with a blush.

"Y-yeah... Uh... Sorry. I don't really know how to put it back yet..." David said, his crimson cheeks flushing even a darker shade of red as Midnight's eyes stayed fixated on his shaft.

"Well... I may have an idea on how to take care of that, if you're open to it." Midnight sensually whispered, lifting herself off of David fully.

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, then my answer is hell yes... as long as you're gentle with me." David replied.

"That's what I hoped you'd say." Midnight said as she snaked her way down to David's hips.

She gently brought her muzzle to his length before stroking him with her tongue. Her slow, practiced ministrations brought David up to full mast within a matter of seconds. The soft, velvety caress of her tongue sent a shock up his body, and a bead of pre began to form at the tip of his head. A relaxed sigh escaped David's lips as Midnight continued to leisurely lap at his stallionhood.

"You smelled great before, but now... wow, I can't get enough of your scent, big guy." Midnight purred.

"Jeez... Mid, you keep that up and I'm not gonna last. I think I may have lost some of my stamina..." David groaned, a hint of concern in his voice.

"You'll be perfect for me either way, big guy," She said with a wink "Now hold still so I can get this lined up."

Midnight rose to her hooves and straddled David's torso as he laid on the couch. She managed to somewhat awkwardly rear back on her hind legs to give David access to her marehood. A drop of her crystalline juices dripped down onto the head of David's member as she gave a hard wink, causing him to visibly shiver at the sensation.

Slowly and steadily, Midnight lowered herself down until her lips met the flat head of David's length. She gasped upon the contact, but maintained her poise and continued to lower herself onto him. With a resistance similar to their first time all those months ago, David's head found its way pressing through her vulva and spreading her labia. Inch after inch of David's length pressed into her, and with a heavy sigh, she finally reached her limit. David's length pressed against her cervix almost to an uncomfortable level.

David's new length stretched Midnight's lips wide, and even with all her weight bearing down, he still had an extra inch of stallionhood to spare. Regardless, he was panting already and his wings were completely outstretched. They were almost painfully stiff, and before he could think about trying to gain control, Midnight leaned down and placed a loving kiss on his lips.

All other feelings seemed to fade to the back of his mind as he simply kissed his mare back. Even his wings seemed to regain some semblance of control.

Midnight's tongue darted into his mouth, and for the first time since he fell for her, David was able to beat back her tongue with his own, even broader tongue. The sensations of his new muscle seemed irrelevant until it was scraping and wrestling with Midnight's. Every nerve registered Midnight's tongue at such a higher level than he was used to, that after a few moments, he had to break the kiss. His mind did back flips as he tried to rationalize just how kissing Midnight could feel so much better than it used to.

"Y-you... okay there... big guy?" Midnight asked upon the kiss breaking.

"Yeah... just... wow everything is super sensitive right now... I was about to... just from kissing you." David admitted with a shudder.

Midnight found a wicked grin forming on her face as she leaned forward again.

"Oh really?" She purred, bringing her muzzle right to David's ear.

"Y-yeaAaahhhhhhh" David moaned as Midnight nibbled on his ear.

Lighting pleasure danced through his entire body as Midnight punctuated her nibble with a sensual lick from the base of his ear all the way to the tip. The feeling was indescribable - his hips involuntarily bucked up as the electric wave of pleasure danced throughout his body. A deep blush formed on the crimson pegasus's face, turning his coat an even darker shade of red. Midnight pulled herself away from David's ear and looked down at him with an extremely smug smile.

"Mmhh... pegasi ears are extremely sensitive..." Midnight seductively whispered.

"I-I... uh..." David stuttered, his mind still reeling from her assault on his ear.

"Don't worry, big guy. I'm gonna take care of you," Midnight blushed, "Cobalt was a pegasus. I learned where all of the most sensitive parts are..." She trailed off, pawing at his chest fur with her hoof.

"What do you meeeeaaaaaann...?" David's words trailed off into another moan as Midnight leaned down and nipped at one of his pinfeathers.

Another lighting bolt of pleasure darted through his body, from left to right, causing him to visibly shudder from the nearly overwhelming pleasure. Midnight stuck her tongue out in a playful display of affection before moving to his other wing and repeating the action. Again, his entire body shook, this time from right to left. He gasped as the light ministrations to his wings pushed him nearly to the edge.

"M-Mid... I.. jeez... let a guy breath." David managed between heavy breaths.

"Trust me, when I'm done with you, you're gonna be thanking me." Midnight replied before diving back into his feathers.

"H-how.. are... these things... so damn sensitive!?" David gasped.

Midnight trailed her tongue off of David's wing and brought it to his neck. She gently licked the side of his neck before lightly nipping at him. David immediately tensed up in response. His shaft was pulsing inside of her warm folds, and with every throbbing wink of her clit, he felt closer and closer to the edge. It took everything in his power to hold back from losing control.

"M-Mid... seriously... I'm gonna c-cum if you keep doing that..." David pleaded.

Midnight brought her eyes to his and lovingly gazed back at him. She could feel his length throbbing against her clit as it pulsed with each frantic beat of David's heart. She bit her lower lip as each beat seemed to register with every nerve in her body, sending euphoric bliss coursing throughout her veins. She looked down at his member, still speared inside of her warm folds, and a small pout formed on her muzzle. As fast as it appeared, it was gone, and she instead gave an understanding smile.

Smiling all the while, she leaned forwards and kissed him. Her tongue met his in a slow, deliberate show of passion. David seemed to relax somewhat at the gesture, and allowed his hooves to find purchase on Midnight's flanks. Slowly, he rubbed in circles around her cutie marks, eliciting a small moan from the dark mare as she continued to kiss him.

Midnight brought her hooves down to either side of David's head as she continued to kiss him. Her tongue darted over his teeth, and to her surprise, his canine's were still there. A small smile graced her lips before she pressed back into the kiss in earnest.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Midnight pulled away from David and gasped for air. Both of them took a moment to catch their breaths before Midnight leaned forward and lifted herself off of David until his length was just barely still inside her. Slowly, she lowered herself back down, earning a hiss of pleasure from the crimson pegasus under her.

David gasped as Midnight lifted herself up again, and once more as she came back down. The way her velvety insides gently caressed him each time he entered her, and the loving way they seemed to kiss his length goodbye each time he nearly completely exited, drove his new pony mind mad with pleasure. Each thrust was like an entirely different experience from the last, sending all new waves of pleasure throughout his body.

Midnight began to pant as her legs moved, and she tightly shut her eyes as each wave of pleasure wracked her body. She grit her teeth, and with a quiet moan, she rode him harder.

If David's wings weren't painfully stiff before, they most definitely were now. The longer Midnight continued to ride him, the less control he seemed to have over his body, as his wings began to flap on their own accord. Cool air blew past Midnight, gently brushing her messy mane out of her face, exposing a hungry look in her eye. After a matter of minutes, Midnight grew weak in the knees and she began panting heavily.

Being filled all the way to her cervix was normal for Midnight, but having David's new length filling her so much and still having room to spare was a new experience, and each time her clit rubbed against him, she felt a pulsating wave of electric pleasure shoot up her spine. Her breathing quickly became erratic, and her smooth, rhythmic motions became frantic, and uncoordinated. She harshly grit her teeth together as the feeling of pure bliss began to fill her groin and shoot up her spine. Before she could even begin to stop herself, Midnight found her climax already knocking on the front door.

With a breathless cry, she threw her head back, and stopped her movements. Her entire body tensed as wave after wave of pleasure filled her body and wracked her mind. David's heavily flared tip massaged her insides as her velvety walls convulsed and contracted on top of him. She couldn't even manage a word as the sheer energy of her orgasm overwhelmed her senses, and blanketed her mind. Stars appeared in her vision as marecum gushed out of her slit and all over David's stallionhood.

The feeling of his mare cumming on his length set David off. His wings arched back and stiffened to their full length. He threw his head back as every sensation of Midnight's supple lips caressed and tightened around his length and milked him for every last drop of his seed. His legs grew shaky and weak under her weight, and with a guttural groan, he came as well. Fiery love shot deep into her womb like a volcanic eruption. Spurt after spurt filled her to the brim, and within seconds, David's excess was steadily leaking out of Midnight and mixing with her marecum on his groin.

Midnight held herself in euphoric bliss until David completely finished before she fell forwards. David was there to catch her in an instant, and he gently brought her down onto his chest, her head resting in the crook of his neck like always. She took a few moments to steady her heavy breathing while David did the same. Slowly, his shaft went flaccid, and slid out of Midnight's marehood, allowing a small stream of cum to leak out onto his crotch. A quick flash of light from Midnight's horn, and they were both clean again.

Through the haze of pleasure and bliss, they held each other as if they were the only two beings in existence. For that moment, the love they shared was the only thing that mattered to either of them.

The cool light of the rising moon finally crested the mountainside, and with a lazy crawl, it finally bathed Midnight's house in its pale hue. The rising moonlight penetrated the glass and illuminated the graphite mare and her crimson stallion as they lay together, their hearts beating in sync.

David managed to open his eyes and look down at Midnight as she happily snuggled against his chest fur. Without even thinking, David leaned down and began licking Midnight's jawline up to her cheek. Her eyes immediately shot open, and a loving smile found it's way onto her face.

"David... are you... licking me?" Midnight asked, already well aware of the answer.

David froze mid-lick. His eyes darted from Midnight's face back down in an attempt to see his own tongue. He quickly returned his tongue to his mouth and fumbled for an answer.

"Uh... I... I guess... W-why am I doing this?" David asked, now having to physically fight the urge to continue.

Midnight smiled brightly and kissed him on the cheek.

"Pegasus instincts. Pegasi are the most monogamous of the pony races. It's natural for a pegasus to show affection to his or her mate by licking them. It's a show of affection and... well..." Midnight trailed off with a blush.

"And...?" David pressed.

"Well, it's kinda like marking your mate as yours and only yours, so that no other pegasus tries to steal them. Like I said, pegasi are the most monogamous of us ponies, so a lot of the time it's just a mare and a stallion, not a herd. Hence... pegasi can get a little possessive of their mates." Midnight explained, blushing all the while.

"So..." David began.

"Basically, your new body really appreciated the last fifteen minutes, and it's trying to tell you that you need to make sure you let me know it... You, um... your body wants to make sure every pegasus around knows that I'm yours and no one else's." Midnight explained.

"Oh... Well..." David trailed off, his cheeks dark from his heavy blush.

"I didn't say you had to stop... We already agreed that I'm yours and you're mine." Midnight whispered, gently booping David's muzzle with her own.

David hesitated for a second before leaning forward and kissing her. Her lips gently connected with his, and they shared a loving kiss. All too soon, it was over, and David leaned back again.

"So... uh... you don't mind, do you?" David asked, his instincts making him twitch slightly.

"Of course not, big guy. I love you." Midnight replied with a quick kiss on his muzzle.

David smiled under the quick peck, and proceeded to resume his ministrations on her cheek. He slowly brought his tongue to her jawline and trailed up the side of her face until he found her ear. In some strange way, his actions seemed to make Midnight melt into his embrace even more, and within a matter of minutes, he was lazily licking and nuzzling her cheek and neck while she was simply putty in his hooves.

As with all good things, eventually, it had to come to an end, and finally, David's instincts seemed to calm down. He rested his head on Midnight's wither, pressing his cheek against her neck. By the time he was comfortable, Midnight was already fast asleep, having dozed off under his loving ministrations.

"Hehe, she's probably more tired than I am after the last twenty four hours..." David thought to himself.

David held Midnight as she slept, a dopey smile still plastered on her muzzle. He allowed his own smile, and without another word, closed his eyes. Sleep came quickly, and for the first time in a long time, his dreams were not of the mist, but rather, they were of clear skies and sandy beaches. For the first time in his life, David felt like he was home.

"... shit. I forgot to make that 'tip-touching' joke to Luna..." David whined.

Chapter 20: Epilogue

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David walked along the open field next to Midnight's house with a happy smile on his face. The warm summer sunlight glistened off his coat, and his chocolate brown eyes squinted as he looked over the horizon. Clouds hovering just below the cliff side again made the view look like one borrowed from heaven itself. It was fitting, really. One hoof after the other, David walked, not a worry in the world. At his side was Midnight, a serene smile gracing her features as they made their way to the edge of the cliff. A gentle breeze blew over their coats, slightly bristling their fur as they moved. Birds happily chirped away in a nearby tree as they watched the two ponies.

Eventually, David arrived at his goal - a large section of the escape pod. It had been expertly removed and inscribed with three very familiar names. Above each name, was a heavily stylized picture of each human, drawn to look as close to the real person as possible.

Richie Vilovoy

Isaac Clarke

Roman Doss

Here lies what remains of the three humans who gave their lives so that one could live. Though they may be gone, their spirit will live on. Our only regret, as a species, is that we did not have the chance to meet them, to learn from them, and to befriend them. Should humanity find its way to our world, know that you are welcome here, and know that the lone survivor of this devastating crash lived the rest of his days in peace and harmony, as our guest, and as our friend.

- Princess Celestia, First of Her Name, Princess of The Sun

David read the inscription again before gently placing a hoof against the pod wall. Despite his good attitude on the way over, he couldn't help the sadness that welled in his heart upon reading the words.

Midnight quickly approached his side and nuzzled his chin with her cheek, earning a weak smile from the Crimson Pegasus. She pulled away after a moment and read the inscription for herself. Within a few moments, she raised an eyebrow and turned to David.

"Why isn't your name on there? It talks about you, but it doesn't list you by name." Midnight wondered.

"I asked Tia not to put me on here until I die. It just doesn't quite feel right, you know? I feel like I haven't earned my name on there yet." David mused.

"David..." Midnight said with a frown.

"I know, I know. Maybe in a few years, I'll change my mind. Right now though, I think it's perfect just the way it is."

"You know you did everything you could, right?"

David thought over her question for a few moments before he responded.

"Yeah."

"Alright, just making sure. I love you." Midnight said, punctuating her sentence with a small kiss on David's cheek.

"Hehe, thanks, Mid. I love you too... Hard to believe its almost been a year already." David replied.

"Well, time flies when you're having fun... or in your case, almost dying. A bunch. Really, you need to stop doing that." Midnight said with a playful smile.

"Now how would I keep you busy if I did that?" David asked with a raised eyebrow.

Midnight simply giggled in response. David took the moment to lean over and nuzzle his cheek against her neck, earning a happy sigh from the graphite mare. After a moment, Midnight leaned down and planted a kiss on David's muzzle, making him smile in appreciation.

"You know, if humanity ever does come here, they're gonna have to change into ponies to live here, or at least figure out a way to prevent their brains from being destroyed by magic." David thought aloud.

"Well, I'd say, that if we were able to warn them soon enough, they'd figure something out, or at least the princesses would. Twilight wrote an entire medical book about you and the effects magic had on your body during your first six months here." Midnight responded.

"Hehe, I remember. She was so excited about getting it into the royal archives. Either way, I hope they do come here one day. Maybe set up a little settlement somewhere, and help Equestria advance. Maybe one day, ponies could be landing on another planet and setting up a colony of their own." David mused.

"Maybe one day." Midnight replied, her head trained skyward.

"Would you mind if I said a few words? To them?" David asked, a slight hint of trepidation in his voice.

"Go ahead, big guy. I'll be right over here." Midnight replied as she gave David some space.

David turned back to the monument and walked over to it. He kneeled down until he was resting on his belly, before he found his voice.

"H-hey guys... I know this isn't really where your bodies are or anything, but uh... I think this was the best that we could do. I think you can hear me... At least, that's what I keep telling myself. A-anyways, I'm rambling now. The point is, I never forgot what you said to me that day, when I transformed. I don't think I ever will." David took a few minutes to steady his breathing before he continued.

"I, uh... I asked Tia to help build this for you guys," David said, looking over the monument, "I hope you guys like it. I think it's pretty cool, and the engraving looks good. I tried my best to get the pictures to look right, but I don't know... I don't think I got your eyes right, Isaac. I keep forgetting if they were blue or green..."

David fell silent for a few moments. He seemed to visually shudder before a tear hit the grass.

"I... I can't remember too much of the first six months here. Too much brain damage. D-don't worry though, Tia and Twilight have worked their asses off to fix me, and I shouldn't have any major issues for the rest of my life... I just... Can't get those memories back. Anyways, I just wanted to say that I'm doing well, and I hope you guys are too. I... I really miss you guys." David trailed off.

David hung his head and fell silent. There was quiet for a while until the sound of hooves on grass grew louder to his ears. David slightly lifted his head to the side just as Midnight laid down next to him. She affectionately nuzzled her cheek against his for a few moments before planting a loving kiss on his cheek. When he turned to look at her, tears still streaming from his eyes, he found a supportive smile looking back at him.

David offered his own weak smile in return, and leaned his head on Midnight's wither for support. They sat like that for a few minutes, both just content to be there, together, before David finally felt it was time to leave. He slowly lifted himself from Midnight and to his hooves. Midnight was quick to join him, and with a shared empathetic smile, they began the slow walk back to their house.

"You okay, big guy?" Midnight asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Thanks, Mid. I love you." David replied.

"I love you too, big guy," Midnight said with a loving nuzzle, "So... what do you want to do now? I remember you said something about the beach, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, you were gonna teach me how to swim." David responded, looking somewhat distracted.

"Right, right... You sure you're okay? You look like you've got something on your mind." Midnight pressed.

"Well... It's kinda random, but I've been thinking a lot about a pony name ever since Storm mentioned it." David replied.

"Oh yeah, what were you thinking?"

"Maybe something simple. My coat is red, but Red Something just doesn't have a ring to it... Maybe... Crimson?" David wondered, his tongue stuck out in thought.

"Hmm... Maybe." Midnight replied.

"Well, I am a pegasus... Maybe... Crimson Wing. Or Crimson Streak... Maybe Crimson Sky?" David continued to wonder.

"Oh, Crimson Sky sounds nice." Midnight responded.

"Yeah, and instead of the whole name, I could just go by 'Sky'. That sounds cool. I always liked that name." David happily explained.

"Hehe, whatever makes you happy, big guy. I'm fine either way."

"I'll have to think about it, but I definitely think we're onto something here. Anyways, was there something in particular that you wanted to do, Mid?" David asked.

"Well..." Midnight trailed off with a blush.

"Well... Come on, Mid, spill it." David said with a teasing grin.

"Well... since you are a pegasus now..." Midnight trailed off again.

David leaned forward, his ears perked up and ready to listen.

"And since my estrus cycle is coming up in a couple weeks..."

David slowly began to understand.

"We... might need to discuss the possibility of having a foal." Midnight finished with a weak smile.

David's mouth formed a small 'o' as Midnight finished. After a few seconds to let the idea sift through his brain, David shook his head and leaned over to Midnight. He draped a wing around her wither and hugged her close. There lips met in a loving kiss, and upon pulling away, David spoke.

"I think we can talk about that."

Author's Notes:

Hey guys, it's finally here. The end of the story. First of all, I want to thank you guys for all the support you've given me over the last four months. This story has taken nearly every ounce of my free time, and I've done everything in my power to make it funny, emotional, and feel-good as I can. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have given a shit were it not for your support. Secondly, I guess FimFiction is having some problems displaying the image at the bottom for some of you, so here's the link to it https://www.deviantart.com/limreiart/art/Minute-of-tenderness-714531241 just in case. Again, I have to thank my editors for their fantastic work in making this story NOT a pile of garbage. I know there were a few things that needed to be fixed in every single chapter, and I wouldn't have even noticed them were it not for you guys. Thank you all so much. I hope to see you all in my next story. Until then, adieu guys.

The Discovery

by CrimsonWolf360

Chapter 1: Coming in Hot

Chapter 2: From a Certain Point of View

Chapter 3: A Rude Awakening

Chapter 4: A Royal Greeting

Chapter 5: A New Lease On Life

Chapter 6: The Nightmares

Chapter 7: Getting to Know Each Other

Chapter 8: The Time Just Flies By

Chapter 9: The Unexpected Solution

Chapter 10: Confrontation

Chapter 11: Resolution

Chapter 12: The First Time (Clop)

Chapter 13: The Next Morning

Chapter 14: Hearth's Warming Eve

Chapter 15: Downhill

Chapter 16: The Truth

Chapter 17: Time after time

Chapter 18: The Death of David Lawson

Chapter 19: On the Wings of Fate (Clop)

Chapter 20: Epilogue