> The Midnight Can Sparkle
>  by Israel Yabuki
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Broken-Hearted Midnight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name is Chance. I know it sounds like a strange name, but I think it suits me. I’m 18 years old and 5’11 inches tall. I moved into Canterlot City to start a brand new life. I’ve even made some brand new friends at Canterlot High. And to my surprise, all of them are girls. And their names are Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. 

They were nice enough to give me a chance to be friends with them. My high school days were nearly coming to an end within 9 more months, but even though I’ve been here for a short amount of time, I have a feeling the girls and I are gonna stick together. Now, even though they’re all very attractive, I have my own reasons as to why I don’t ask any of them out.

But enough about that. Right now, the final bell was about to ring and I was anxiously waiting for the darn thing to ring so I could head into town to grab some groceries. The school was kind enough to help me get a part time job, after all, I didn’t want to risk getting thrown out on the streets for not paying my rent on time. However, the part time job I have only covers for my rent and the electricity bill.

Thankfully, Sunset help me out with getting some groceries. I asked her if there was any way I could pay her back, but she said not to fret about it. I don’t know why she said it was no big deal, I mean, all the groceries she helps me buy aren’t exactly cheap. 

My thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of the final bell ringing. I immediately grabbed all of my stuff and placed them in my backpack then headed out of the classroom. I walked down the halls and saw that not only was Sunset waiting for me, but also the rest of the girls. I guess they all wanted to lend a helping hand whenever I need it most.

“Sorry to keep you all waiting, I had to get all my stuff together,” I said, walking up to them.

“Don’t worry about it, Chance. We know exactly how it feels to be in a rush to go home,” Rainbow said.

“Yeah, it ain’t nothin’ to be ashamed ‘bout,” Applejack added. 

“So, are you ready to have your kitchen restocked?” Sunset asked. I nodded and soon all of the girls walked with me out of the school and into the city. During our walk, we talked about what we would be doing for the weekend, or possibly after we graduate high school. But then, Twilight changes the subject and then asked me something just to make sure everything goes okay.

“Did you remember to bring your list?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, it’s in my pocket,” I said, reaching into my left pocket and pulling out a piece of paper with all the groceries I need in order to stock up. “I have it right now.”

“Alright, what does it say that you need?” she asked again.

I read the list out loud so everyone would be able to hear. I had to stock up on some fresh fruit for my fruit bowl in case I oversleep and need quick bite to eat. My vegetable cabinet in the fridge was getting rather low and so was my meat supply. On top of that, I needed a new loaf of bread and some milk. The rest of the list… well… they were just a few small things to snack on just for the heck of it.

“Jeez, how big is that stomach of yours?” Rainbow asked, patting my stomach.

“Rainbow Dash, you know it’s rude to talk about someone’s eating habits,” Rarity scolded, waving her finger.

“My bad, I was just teasing him,” Rainbow said, patting me on the back.

I didn’t mind that she said that. I know I’ve got a big appetite, it does come from my dad’s side of the family.

Once we reached the city, the first thing we stopped at was at the Canterlot Supermarket. Once inside, I tell them what I needed from my list again so they wouldn’t forget. They all nodded and went to different isles of the store while I headed off into the meat section of the store. Once there, I instantly grab a couple of packets of raw steak, beef and then went to get myself some hot dogs.

I left the meat section and went over to the section of the store that had some bread. I wasn’t too picky on which brand I should get. But then, I was approached by Sunset and Twilight who came up to me with two loaves of bread and placed them in the basket.

“We weren’t sure what brand you liked, so we got those two,” Sunset said.

“It’s fine, as long as I got some bread, I should be good,” I assured.

“SURPRISE!!!” Pinkie shouted from behind, making me jump.

“Sweet beans in a basket, Pinkie, you scared the dickens out of me!” I said, placing my hand over my chest. Pinkie Pie giggled like it was just a tiny prank, which it was.

“Sorry, Chance. I just couldn’t resist the urge to surprise you. Anyways, I brought you your snacks,” Pinkie replied, placing the snacks in my basket.

“Thanks, Pinkie. Come on, let’s go find the other girls, see how they’re doing in finding the items that I told them I needed from my list,” I said. The others agreed and followed me throughout the store and continued on with our search. 

We searched every isle in the store, going in and out, looking for the rest of the girls. We found Rainbow Dash and Applejack in the fruit section with bags full of apples, bananas, oranges, peaches, melons and grapes. They helped with loading the fruit into my basket.

Afterwards, we went to go and check up on Fluttershy and Rarity. They too got every single vegetable I needed on my list and loaded them into the basket.

“Thanks, girls. I really appreciate the help you all did for me,” I said.

“Ah, think nothin’ of it, sugarcube. What’re friends for?” AJ replied, patting me on the back.

“It’s really no trouble at all,” Fluttershy added.

“Now then, I believe it's time to get all of your stuff checked out and while I have it paid for, so shall we finish up our grocery shopping, Chance?” Sunset asked.

I nodded and waited in line for a while. It was now my turn and so I placed my groceries on the counter and let the cashier lady swipe the groceries one by one before setting them to the side. She totaled the amount on the cashier and the price came to a whopping total of $125. And as always, Sunset reached into her purse and took out her debit card and swiped it on the card reader, entered her pin number and then put it right back inside her purse.

Now that everything was paid for, we got all of the groceries in their bags and then the girls all helped me carry each bag back to my house. I didn't have a car and neither did the girls, so we all had to resort to carrying the bags back on foot. And we had to move fast or the meat would spoil. 

We picked up the pace after we had left the Canterlot Supermarket. During the time we were walking back to my house, the girls got a little curious and asked me some question I definitely didn’t want to answer.

“Hey Chance, do you remember how to told us you first came to Canterlot from out of town?” Rainbow asked.

“Yeah, why do you ask?” I replied.

“Well, it’s just that… you never told us which town you came from and I just wanna know what it was like where you used to live, you know give us some clues,” she explained. 

“Uh… now’s not a good time to talk about it, maybe some other time, I’ll tell you,” I shook my head as I replied. 

“Aww, come on don’t leave us in the dark, you can tell us, we won’t tell anybody,” she persisted.

“Now, now, Rainbow Dash. If the poor deary says he doesn’t want to talk about it, then we have to respect his wishes,” Rarity chimed in.

“Aww come on. Aren’t you girls just a little bit curious of Chance’s previous life?” Rainbow kept on bringing it up. And the more she brought it up, the more I kept visioning the scars of my past haunting me. I dropped to the ground and felt my entire body shaking.

“Now look what you’ve done, Rainbow! You went and made him have a flashback of one of his bad memories that he was probably trying to forget!” Twilight scolded before kneeling down and placing her hand on my shoulder, comfortably. “It’s okay, Chance, just take a deep breath.”

I did as she told me and took a few deep breaths until I my body stopped shaking and then stood back up.

“Thanks, Twilight,” I said.

“You’re welcome,” she replied.

I picked up the grocery bags from the ground I was carrying and continued to onwards back to my house with the girls following me close behind. In about half the time, we managed to finally make back to my house. I grabbed my house keys from my pocket and latched them in the keyhole, unlocking the door before allowing the girls to step inside before me.

The girls walked in with me and then placed my groceries on the kitchen counter. “ Hey listen, thanks again for all of your help today, everyone. I couldn't have gotten this done without you,” I said, gratefully, earning smiles from the girls.

“It was no problem at all,” Sunset replied.

“And sorry for bugging you about your past. I didn’t know you had some really bad memories back when you still lived in your hometown. If you ever get the chance, maybe you can tell us all about what it was like when you feel like you're ready, how does that sound?” Rainbow asked.

“Sure, I’ll let you know when I’m ready to talk about it, but for now, I think now is as good a time as any to get these groceries put away so they don’t spoil,” I replied.

“Alrighty. I’m just gonna head back home and get in some practice for the soccer game coming up this weekend, then chill out and relax. You take care and don’t be a stranger,” Rainbow said before she bolted out of my house and left for home.

“As fer me, Ah’ve been dyin’ to try out some new Apple family recipes, see if Granny Smith’ll add these to either the family dinner menu an’ maybe the cafeteria menu. Plus, those apples won’t harvest themselves fer the market,” Applejack said. “Catch ya later, sugarcube.” And once she said that, she took off and headed back home to Sweet Apple Acres.

“I’m gonna go back to Sugar Cube Corner and hold down the fort. The Cakes took the twins with them to see some family members out of town earlier this morning and they put me in charge of watching the shop until they get back home later on tonight. Bye-bye Chancey!” Pinkie said before hopping out of my house and back to Sugar Cube Corner. Every time she makes the springing noise, I can’t help myself thinking just how ridiculously adorable it makes her look.

Next up, Fluttershy checked her phone and then got a little concerned. “Oh dear, I’ve got to get back to the shelter and feed all of the animals! The poor little critters must be so hungry and lonely sitting in their cages all day today. I’ll see you tomorrow, Chance. Goodbye,” she said, before taking off.

“Well, I guess that’s my cue to exit. I did promise to make you a nice wardrobe, darling. I just hope that little Opal hasn’t scratched any of my clothing materials. Toodles, darling and be sure to take care of yourself,” Rarity chimed sing-songy. She hugged me and I hugged her back before she finally went back home.

“I guess I’d better head home, too. I still gotta get a head start and study for the math, english and history test that’s coming up this Friday. If you ever get stuck on anything, just give me a call and I’ll stop on by your house to give you a helping hand. Take care, Chance. Goodbye, Sunset,” Twilight said before she and Sunset hugged and then kissed each other.

I guess I forgot to mention that Sunset and Twilight were actually dating each other. They told me so themselves during lunch a week after the Friendship Games, which I wasn’t enrolled into Canterlot High until a week after Twilight and Sunset got together. If I'm gonna be honest with myself, I thought it was cute how the two of them loved each other so much.

Once they separated, Twilight walked out the door and now only me and Sunset were left. “Well, I will see you later on tomorrow in class, Chance. And sorry about Rainbow Dash bothering you like that, she can get a little too curious for her own good. Are you gonna be okay?” Sunset asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine now, thanks to Twilight,” I assured with a nod.

“That’s good to hear. Well, I’d better be getting home. I’m getting a tad hungry, haven’t eaten anything to eat since those tacos at school earlier today.” she replied, rubbing her stomach.

“You gotta admit, Taco Tuesday is the best. But hey, on the bright side, tomorrow, Granny Smith is gonna be serving some tasty cheeseburgers,” I said, rubbing my stomach.

“Oh, you have no idea how much I love those cheeseburgers. Alright, you take care and be sure not to slack off. Remember, we still got all of those tests tomorrow. See ya, Chance,” Sunset waved at me before she closed the door on her way out and then went back home. I walked up to the door and locked it and then let out a relaxed sigh and headed back in the kitchen.

I took this time to unpack all of my groceries out of the bags and stocked them in the fridge, freezer, pantry and also in the spice cabinets. After all of my groceries were stocked, I took the bags with me and placed them in one of the cabinets in case I need one of the bags for the trash can I have in my bathroom.

“Phew, all that hard work made me hungry,” I said, wiping away my sweat. I went into the fridge and pulled out some dough, pizza sauce a block of yellow and white cheddar cheese and some pepperoni slices. I leaned down and opened up one of the cabinets, then pulled out my trusty cheese grater and a smooth wooden cutting board.

I learned how to cook thanks to a lot of help from Applejack, Sunset and Pinkie Pie. But most of the recipes Pinkie taught me were all dessert dishes. I didn't mind sweets, though it took a bit of time for me to finally adjust my sweet tooth. Maybe after a while, I'll bake some chocolate chip scones after dinner, but for now, what I really have a craving for is some delicious homemade pepperoni pizza.

And so, I started off my getting the dough all nice and flat, though I made sure to use some flour so none of the dough would peel off and stick to my hands or the cutting board. After it was good and flat, I put the pizza sauce on top and spread it all around the dough. Next, I took the block of cheese and shredded it using my cheese grater.

I made sure to put the shredded cheese in a bowl before sprinkling it on the dough. After that, I threw in the pepperoni slices on top of the cheese. I can already smell the pizza already. Now all I had to do was cook it.

So, I set the oven to preheat and waited a few minutes before placing the pizza inside the oven and allowed it cook up for a few minutes. While I was waiting, I took the time to clean up my kitchen counter and put away all the ingredients I used and washed up all the dishes before finally heading back into the living room to watch some good old-fashioned TV.





The next day, my usual day went by a little slower than usual, though I blamed myself for constantly looking up at the clock when I should've been taking notes for the tests coming up this Friday. Because of my mistake, my only choice of passing was to ask Twilight over to help me out in order to prepare. She and her family were understanding of me being one of her friends and didn’t mind her visiting me.

After school had ended and finishing my part-time job, I gave Twilight a call on my flip phone. I know it sounds lame that I have a flip phone, but it’s all that I could afford, along with the $30 monthly phone bill. Anyways, I dialed the number for Twilight and put it up to my ear.

The dial tone went off at least 3 times before Twilight finally picked.

“Hi, Chance. Need something?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, do you think maybe you can stop by my house and help me out? I forgot to take some notes to study for the tests coming up this Friday,” I replied.

“Wait what? Chance, how did you forget to take notes, were you ignoring your studies and watching the clock most of the time again?” Twilight asked, hitting it right on the mark.

“You guessed it,” I said, shamefully.

“It’s okay, I’ll stop by your house later after my date with Sunset. This might be a little long, but are you able to wait for at least another 2 hours?”

“I can wait 2 hours, yes.”

“Okay, I’ll see you later on at 5:30 and remember to pay attention to your studies and not at the clock next time, just a little friendly advice, okay?”

“Alright, I’ll talk to you later. Bye,”

“Bye, Chance.” 

After our conversation ended, I hung up and put my phone back in my pocket before heading off for my daily afternoon stroll around the city. I liked going for a walk because it helps me clear my head after a stressful day at school. 

I was a couple of blocks away from the Canterlot City Cinema, taking in the fresh air. It's rare that I got to smell clean fresh air, especially since the last town I lived in was like the biggest living nightmare.

As I was walking along the streets, I hear the sound of someone crying. I quickly followed the sobbing noise, which lead me to a dark alleyway where some strange girl was sitting against the wall. Her legs were folded and had her hands covering her face. Though, for some reason, it feels like I know her from somewhere, but I didn't know where.

I felt bad for this girl so I asked her. “Hey, what's the matter?” And she jumped, then turned to look at me with those beautiful dark lavender eyes. Her skin color was the same color as her eyes and had beautiful hair shooting upwards like it was being blown by the wind. On her forehead, she had this glowing horn and had these gorgeous wings in her back. Around her eyes was this magic energy that made her look like she was wearing glasses.

“D-Don't come near me! I… I'm warning you!” she exclaimed, pointing at me. I ignored her warning and approached her.

“I won't hurt you, I promise,” I reassured. But she wasn't buying it and then she attacked.

“I said DON'T COME NEAR ME!!!” she screamed, shoving her hand on my chest. When she shoved me, this burst of magic shot me back and I landed on the sidewalk. I grunted in pain from the harsh impact.

My head was spinning rapidly from that blast of magic energy. As I laid there, I remember seeing the look she gave me when I got too close to her. The look of someone who's all alone and has absolutely no one else to turn to. No one to trust, not even themselves. That's the exact same look I once had when I was just a child. I had to show her that I was her friend and that I wouldn't hurt her.

So, I slowly got up and looked over at the girl who still had the same sad and lonely look on her face, but this time, with an added touch of guilt. I got up, but my knees buckled a little.

“I… I won't hurt you, that I promise. I can take you to a warmer place to stay at if you want,” I offered, standing where I was to avoid scaring her again.

“J-Just leave me alone! Didn't your mother ever teach you that you shouldn't talk or worse, take in random strangers off of the cold streets?! How do you know I'm not someone else's long lost daughter?”

“After that blast to my chest, something tells me you're no ordinary girl. Look, there's plenty of room over at my house and it's a lot warmer there than it is here. I even have a guest room that I can set up just for you, no trouble whatsoever, I can assure you,” I said.

“How do I know that I can trust you? Why exactly would you be nice to someone you don't even know who practically almost killed you?!” she exclaimed.

I paused for a second to take a deep breath and then told her my reason. “Because you remind me of myself: alone, broken down and having no one else to trust. I won't turn my back on anyone who's been struggling just to survive for who knows how long. So please, let me be your pillar of strength,” I confessed. 

Hopefully she'll accept my offer. I really don't want her having to spend the rest of her life in this cold alleyway. Still, she remained hesitant about taking me up on my offer. I can't really blame her for feeling so scared.

“J-Just… I…” she said, not able to come up with the right words. She must be at a loss. If she didn't want to come with me, then I can't really stop her or force her, otherwise that'd make things worse. She sighed and then stood herself up and walked up to me with her sad expression on her face. “Just hurry up take me away from all of this, please.” As she said that, she gave me a big hug and buried her face on my shoulder. I responded with a warm and nice hug in return, trying to give her some comfort.

I can feel my shoulder growing wet from her tears, but it didn’t matter to me. Right now, I did what I felt was right and took her to my house. I knew I was probably going to give an explanation to Twilight after she gets done with her date with Sunset, but it’s a necessary sacrifice I have to make. 

So, this girl and I made our way through the city and back to the neighborhood, coming up to my house which was directly across from the school. For some reason, the girl kept her eyes locked on the school and wouldn’t stop glaring at it. Was she a former student at that school, did she get expelled from there? I just don’t know.

“Is there something wrong, miss?” I asked, patting her shoulder lightly. I guess I snapped her out of her trance and she turned to me.

“Just get me away from that place. And for the record, my name is Midnight Sparkle,” she said, not wanting to talk about it. I was surprised to hear that she had the same last name as Twilight. Is she her twin sister?

Hmm, now that I think about it, they do have similar features, but I doubt she’d want to talk about it and risk having a bad memory flood her mind like what happened to me yesterday.

I didn’t waste anymore time with the details and took my keys out of my pocket and unlocked the front door, letting Midnight go in first. “After you,” I said.

She walked inside and didn’t say anything as I walked in behind her and closed the door and locking it up. Midnight sat down on the couch and wrapped her arms around herself, shivering like a leaf.

“If you want, I can get you a blanket,” I said.

“P-P-Please…” she said, turning away from me. I quickly ran down the hall on my left and entered the 2nd door on the left. I entered my room and opened up my closet door. I reached the top shelf and grabbed one of my warm blankets and took it with me back to the living room. I unfolded it and wrapped it around Midnight.

“If you need anything else, just let me know. I’m gonna go set up the guest room,” I said, before letting Midnight have some time alone. Whatever happened to Midnight Sparkle, it must have hurt her really bad. Maybe worse than what I went through, but when the time is right, I’ll ask her if she wants to get it off her chest.

After all, there’s no better way to let go of the past than to talk it over with your friends.
> A Meeting After An Unpleasant Reunion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some time had passed and I was in the guest room, straightening out the blankets on the bed in order to have it ready for Midnight when she's ready to get some sleep. Poor girl must’ve been through some rough times and I can’t really blame her for having trust issues. And since she’s been out in the city for who knows how long, she must be really hungry. So, after I finished up with the bed, I left the guest room and went straight into the kitchen to make her something to eat.

I still had some leftover slices of homemade pizza from yesterday stored in the fridge, so I took them out and put the slices in the microwave in pairs of two and set the timer. I did this 3 times in a row, then brought the plates over to the living room and set them down on the coffee table.

“W-What are you--?” Midnight asked.

“You haven’t eaten anything, so I heated up some pizza for you,” I replied. "You look like you probably haven't had anything to eat in weeks. And if you need some more food, just say the word and I'll fix you up a nice, tasty meal, no problem."

She reached out and grabbed one of the pizza slices by the crust and brought it up to her, unsure of whether or not she could take a bite. “Can I… get some water with this, please?” she asked, hesitantly. I guess she's not used to asking for help from other people. Poor girl must have been on her own for who knows how long that she didn't have anyone to help her.

I nodded. “Sure.” Then I went back to the kitchen and grabbed her a cup of water. 

After that, I brought it back to Midnight and sat down next to her. “Here you go, Midnight,” I said, patting her on the shoulder lightly. She said nothing and just drank from her cup. She sighed and took another bite of her pizza slice. First, she took only small bites, which turned into bigger bites. Pretty soon, she scarfed down all of the slices I gave her and chugged down her cup of water.

"T-Thank you... they were delicious," she stuttered a bit. She avoided eye contact with me and hid her face from me using her beautiful wings. As cute as it was, now was not the time for me to be complimenting her or she'll get the wrong idea.

"It's the least I can do. Now, if you need me, just let me know and I'll see what I can do," I said. She didn't say a word and just sat there, not wanting to show her face to me. After I was done, I headed back into my room so I could be ready when Twilight came over. I went over to my desk and grabbed my history, math and English books and turned to the pages I had bookmarked from today's lessons. I also have a story that I need to read called Oedipus Rex, but I've already gotten the gist of it from start to finish.

I'm not ashamed to say that I messed up in school today. Twilight's right, I should have paid more attention in class and took notes instead of watching the clock every so often. All that really does for me is slow down my time and my progress.

Maybe when I get raise in my paycheck, I'll buy Twilight a lunch at school as my way of saying thank you, since she is helping me with my tests. Right now, no matter how hard I focus, my mind keeps drifting off and I can't stop thinking about how and why Midnight Sparkle ended up in her current situation. What kind of person would leave her out in the cold streets to shiver and starve to death? Maybe when she's feeling comfortable enough to get it off her chest, I'll sit down and listen to what she has to say.

After all, Twilight's sweetheart, Sunset taught me that no matter how bad people may be, they're just trouble by their own jaded past and struggling to cope with their own torture. I can already tell that Midnight Sparkle is no different and I'm gonna give her the benefit of the doubt.

A few hours later, I hear the sound of knocking coming from my front door. I thought that must be Twilight, so I gather up all of my books and head out to the living room. I place my books on the coffee table and run up to the front door and unlock it. I open it up and right away, I see Twilight. She had on her backpack, so I'm guessing she brought along her books to help me out.

"Hey, Twilight. How was your date with Sunset?" I asked.

"It was wonderful as always. So Chance, you still need help with your assignments?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, I got my books stacked on the coffee table. Come on in," I said, stepping to the side.

"Thanks, Chance. So, which one should we--" Twilight said before she let out a shocked gasp. That made me jump a little and I was curious as to why. "C-C-Chance?!" she stuttered. I saw her pointing at Midnight Sparkle, who didn't seem all that happy to see Twilight either. The two girls stared daggers at each other, only Midnight looked sort of intimidating. I was scared and thought a fight was gonna break down.

"Twilight Sparkle..." Midnight said in a low, menacing tone, standing up.

"Midnight Sparkle, what are you doing in Chance's house? Did you hypnotize him to letting you stay here at his house or did you threaten him?" Twilight asked, clenching her fists.

"That's none of your business! Now back off before I--"

"Before you what? You and I both know that after what happened at--" Twilight argued, but then I got in the middle and placed my hands in front of both of the girls. I couldn't stand the tension that was affecting these two, so I shouted as loud as I could to break them up.

"ENOUGH!!!" the girls both backed off and I took a deep breath. "Now, what exactly is it that's making you two hate each other so badly?"

"Since when did you start caring about what goes on between us?" Midnight snapped at me. "This is our business and you are not a part of it! Now stay out of our way, or I'll blast you!"

"If you do that, you'll leave me with no choice but to gather the other girls," Twilight warned.

"Girls please, enough with the fighting! Look if you're not gonna tell me what happened between you two, then don't, but you're in my house and my one rule states that there will be no fighting! If you can't stand to be in the same room with each other, then one of you will move to a different room," I said.

"Fine, if that's how you feel so badly, then I guess I'll just TURN IN EARLY!!!" Midnight shouted as she grabbed her blanket and stomped towards the guest room, slamming the door shut.

I looked back at Twilight and she was still concerned. "Chance, are you okay? She didn't hurt you, did she, or threaten you if she didn't get to stay here, right?" Twilight was so worried about me, I couldn't just keep it to myself and make her worry about me even more. So, with a deep breath, I explained everything to Twilight in the hopes that she would understand.

"Earlier today, when I was out for a walk, I found her crying in an alleyway. I asked if she was okay, but it was evident that she didn't want me to get close to her. She didn't threaten me, but she did give me a warning and blasted me with some strange magic," I explained.

"She did "what?" You're not injured are you?" Twilight asked again. I shook my head. "But still, did she threaten and force you to let her stay with you or did she hypnotize you? Just tell me exactly what happened and I'll let the girls know, then we'll take Midnight off your hands." Now that's something I could not let her do, even if she is trying to help me out. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"No, Twilight. I offered her to stay with me out of my own free will. I felt bad about her and I didn't want her to starve out in the cold streets," I straightened it out.

"You... you really did that for her? But why?"

"Because... she reminded me of myself when I was alone," I said, looking down.

And when Twilight tried to argue with me about the whole "alone" thing, she couldn't say what she wanted to say, so she all she did was tell me this. "I understand, Chance. If you feel that this choice is the right one, I won't argue with you, but just remember, if Midnight ever tries to hurt you, just let me know and I'll call everyone else over and give you a helping hand."

"I appreciate the offer, Twilight, but right now the only thing Midnight needs right now is a friend and a place to stay so she won't have to shiver and starve," I replied.

"Okay then. Now, how about we get started with your preparations for the tests. I can probably tell I'm gonna be here for quite a while," Twilight pointed out. She and both sat down on the living room couch and opened up our books to the specific pages that both of us bookmarked. I wasn't about to flunk out of any of my tests and with Twilight's help in preparing me, how can I lose?





It was now 7:45 P.M I took up just about notes I needed to prepare myself. Twilight said her goodbye and told me to be careful with Midnight Sparkle. I sighed and heeded the warning, but still gave Midnight the benefit of the doubt that she's not all that bad.

Once that was done, I felt a bit hungry and wondered if Midnight was also hungry. I walked down the hall and knocked on the door on my right. "Midnight, are you awake?" I asked.

"Go away," Midnight replied behind the door.

"I just wanted to know if you wanted something to eat. It's dinnertime, so if you want something to eat, just let me know and I'll cook up something for you," I called out.

"Whatever, now leave me alone!" Midnight said, annoyed.

"Midnight, I know you've had a rough day today, but that's no excuse to--" I was cut off when her door flew wide open and then felt my neck being grabbed tight. My breath had escaped me and Midnight pinned me up against the wall hard, which caused me to grunt in pain. "M... Midnight! What do you think you're doing, let me go, I can't breathe!" I choked.

"If this was your idea of a joke, I'm not laughing! How dare you invite that girl over!" Midnight yelled, glaring daggers at me while she kept on choking me.

"W... What's Twilight... ever done to you?" I struggled to say. I felt my conciousness about to leave me when suddenly she lets go of me and I slump to the ground, coughing violently. My breathing was heavy and I had my hand on my throat. As I was trying to catch my breath, Midnight exploded on me.

"SHE'S THE REASON WHY I BECAME HOMELESS!" she shrieked. My ears rang from her loud voice. "Now get out of my room right now or I'll STRANGLE THE LIFE OUT OF YOU!"

My whole mind was filled with fear at first, so I ran out as fast as I could. Once I was outside, the door slammed shut and the door locked. I heard her slam herself onto the bed and could hear her making these sounds like she was... crying? It just doesn't make sense, how can Midnight blame Twilight for putting her in the situation she was in earlier today? She's a really nice girl and she would never try to hurt anyone. I wanted to help Midnight fix the problem, but when I walked towards the door, I was too scared to even knock, otherwise she'd probably cut off all of my breathing with her bare hands.

I decided to leave her alone and just went into the kitchen. She's not in the best mood right now and I'm feeling a bit hungry for something simple and tasty. Suddenly, I remembered this dish I saw on this popular TV show called a chaliapin steak rice bowl. Maybe I'll give that a shot.

Thank god I bought enough ingredients to make this dish, otherwise I'd have to try and make a GOTCHA pork roast, which is actually quite good. Anyways, I walked into the kitchen and grabbed all of the tools and ingredients I needed to cook up my special dish. I'll definitely save some for Midnight in case she does get hungry, maybe leave one on the kitchen counter. Soon, I began the preparation work on my dish, following the recipe very carefully so I don't slip up.

Just as I was almost done, I realized something. I'm constantly distracted during class when I should be paying attention to my school work, but when it comes to cooking, my mind is always focused, like I was meant to be a cook or something.

Maybe someday if I try hard enough I could be a chef and open up my own restaurant. Though, it's gonna be kinda hard for me to do start, but right now I gotta focus on what's in front of me. After I finish the preparation work, it was time to get down to the actual cooking. By now, I could already smell the tasty aroma of my new dish and I couldn't wait to taste it. And yet, somehow my mind drifts back to Midnight and the way she acted towards me when I brought over Twilight. I had to get to the bottom of this mess so I can try and her make amends with Twilight, maybe get them to become good friends.

Finally, my dish was complete. Now that they were finished, I took one of them and left it on the kitchen counter just in case Midnight got hungry later on. Then, I sat down with my own chaliapin steak rice bowl and got down to eating, enjoying the delicious flavors.

5 minutes have gone by and I was almost done eating. Just then, I heard a door open from the hallway, meaning Midnight was coming out. Sure enough, I see her walking towards the kitchen counter, still looking troubled like she always is. "Are you going to eat this?" she asked, pointing her finger at the chaliapin steak rice bowl I specifically made and left for her.

"That's your dinner Midnight, go ahead and take a bite," I answered. She takes the bowl hesitantly and sits down next to me at the table. I put a fork and chopsticks in front of her, unsure of what kind of kitchen utensils she would use to eat this particular dish.

She grabbed the chopsticks, surprisingly and took a bite of the dish I prepared for her. Midnight's cheeks suddenly widened and she let out a gasp. I was about to ask what was wrong, but... "I...It's delicious," she muttered before scarfing it down. It made me feel good that she's liking my cooking. The only thing that's missing from her is a warm, passionate smile. But not everything can get better in just one day. 

After dinner was finished, Midnight thanked me for the meal and went back to her room without saying another word while I was left to do the dishes. I made sure to clean them all up thoroughly before heading off to my room to do some reading for one of my classes.

This time, I wasn't going to let myself get distracted. I was going to give my full attention to my school work before I had to take a shower and get some sleep. I've still got more preparation work to do before the upcoming tests and I don't plan on letting a single minute go by without studying hard. Twilight is right, no more watching the clock, focus on my school work.





The next day, I arrived at Canterlot High, punctual as ever. Though, I wasn't the only one who arrived there first, as Twilight was standing right in front of the school entrance. I wasn't surprised at all considering her eagerness to study to get into a good college.

"Hi Twilight," I waved. I still felt a little awkward after what happened last night. Something was definitely bothering her and Midnight Sparkle, but this problem was just like a jigsaw puzzle: I don't have all the pieces yet, so I can't jump to conclusions until I figure out what's bothering them. Twilight's not the kind of person to try and make people homeless, whether by accident or on purpose.

"Hi, Chance," she waved back at me. I ran up the steps and walked inside the building with her. "Chance, I just want to say sorry for the tension that went on between me and Midnight."

"It's fine, Twilight. But why does she feel so resentful towards you? I know you're not the type of person who would make a lot of enemies, let alone one," I pointed out. It looked like she felt a bit uneasy with my question, which meant that she unintentionally caused Midnight to become homeless. "Umm, if you don't want to tell me, it's alright, you don't have to, I completely understand."

"No, it's not that I don't want to. It's that I can't tell you... at least not right now. Did Midnight tell you the exact reason why she hates me?"

"She never mentioned anything specific, other than you were responsible for putting her in her current situation, but I don't think you meant to do it on purpose."

"If she's only told you that much, then all I can say is... she's half right. I can't explain what else happened until the time is right, but for now, we'd better get to class."

"Alright then. Take care, Twilight."

"You too, Chance. And be sure not to watch the clock this time and actually pay attention to your work."

"I won't, I won't." I chuckled a little bit. After we cleared things up, Twilight headed over to her physics class while I walked to my history class. With the test coming up tomorrow, I can't afford to get distracted by anything and I can't keep relying on Twilight to bail me out every time. It's time to fight my own battle.
> Not All Hope Is Lost
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another school day had come and gone and just like Twilight promised, she didn't tell any of our friends that I found and took in Midnight to stay with me. The last thing she and I need right now is to cause more drama than there currently was the previous day. And just like I promised Twilight, I kept my eyes focused on my school work and not get distracted by the clock like I usually do. There's gonna be a time when I won't have anyone to have my back and I have to start doing things on my own. It may seem harsh, but that is reality and one of these days it might end up hitting me harder than I expect

Now that I'm off of school for today, I decided to take the time I had to head straight home to check up on Midnight and see how she's doing. Twilight stayed behind with the rest of the girls for band practice, which seemed too big to squeeze one more member. That's okay, I'm much better at singing on my own. Anyways, I crossed the street and ran over to my house, reaching into my pocket and taking out my house key.

I unlocked the door and walked inside before closing the door and locking it back up. "Midnight, I'm home, did you enjoy a nice quiet day to yourself?" I asked. I looked around the living room and the kitchen, but she wasn't there, so I assumed she was still in her room. Guess, she still prefers to be alone. It's fine, no one warms up to anyone after just one day. These things take time and I have to be patient. I sighed and tossed my backpack onto the couch and sat myself down. I took out my books and my pencils shortly afterwards. The tests were starting tomorrow and I couldn't afford to slack off right now.

Turning to the correct pages, I started reading and jotting down some of notes. I pushed myself, urging myself to not let anything distract me. 15 minutes into my studies and already, I'm about halfway done and then I hear the sound on a door opening up in the hallway.

Glancing to my left, I see Midnight coming out of her room and closing the door. She still had that sour look on her face, so I was better off leaving her alone. I continued taking notes from each subject I was studying and re-read the pages I was on in order to double check if I had got anything wrong. So far, I got just about every single question down and had an answer for every single one of them. Now the question remains: are all of them, or at least most of them the correct answers.

Once I finished my studies, I closed my books up and put them back in my backpack. I failed to realize shortly afterwards that Midnight took a seat right next to me until she said something.

"I never pictured you as the bookworm," Midnight said. I turned to my left and became startled when I saw her sitting that close to me. I jumped and placed a hand over my chest. "What's with you, are you not used to having a girl sit right next to you or something?" she asked. "Look, don't get the wrong idea. I don't like you or anything, I just want to know if you can fix up some food. I'm hungry." she turned away, lifting her chin up. It was hard to tell if that was an outright lie or a harsh truth.

"Okay, okay. What do you want me to cook for you?" I asked.

"Bacon double-cheeseburger and don't forget the ketchup," she commanded. I didn't want to start an arguement so I just went along with it. I don't know how she was able to tell about my eyes rolling, but she call out to me about it without even missing a beat. "And if you roll your eyes at me again, I'll send you flying into the next region, you got that?" she threatened. That time, I had to confront her.

"Midnight, there's no need for you to act so rude about it. I'm going to make you your meal, so stop being so ungrateful about it, okay?" I asked.

"Don't tell me what to do! I'm still mad at you for bringing that weak little bookworm to your house yesterday without even telling me about her!" she argued.

"I didn't know you and Twilight were enemies! And considering that you're living under my roof, you should at least show me a little respect!" I argued back. 

"Respect? RESPECT?! You probably don't even know the meaning of the word respect! You don't even know what I've been through after what happened between me, that bookworm and that stupid girlfriend of hers when they took everything away from me!" she yelled.

"I'm willing to listen, you just refused to tell me because of your stubborn attitude!" I yelled back.

"Just shut up and make me my burger!" Midnight said, changing the subject. And as much as I wanted to get mad and shout at her, I realized that I had failed to not start any drama. With a deep breath, I just let it all out with a sigh and just got to making her dinner. I don't know what came over me. For some reason, all that tension I released felt half satisfying. But what good is it to get mad over something so childish?





I finished making Midnight's burger and gave it to her. Or rather she took the plate from my hands.

"Gimme that!" she ordered before biting into her burger. I walked over to the TV and put in a movie before sitting back down on the couch. Midnight scooched herself away from me. No doubt she's mad at me and to be honest, I'm still mad at her for acting like she was the owner of this house. I squeezed the bridge of my nose in frustration a little bit, trying my hardest not to start another arguement.

"I might as well make myself something to eat," I said, getting off the couch.

"While you're at it, fetch me some water," Midnight said in a snobbish tone. Now she was beginning to sound like a spoiled brat who thinks she can have anything she wants. That's something I'm not going to ignore, so I turned to look at her with my arms crossed. "What, didn't you hear me?" she asked, rudely.

"Midnight, I'm not going to do everything while you just sit around. I'm fine with feeding you, but I'm not going to let you act like some spoiled brat," I said, sternly.

"What did you just say to me?" Midnight asked, her hostile glare staring right at me. "I don't think you fully understand who you're talking to, Chance! I happen to have some powerful magic which I can use to bend you to my will, or possibly even obliterate you if I want! So unless you want to be turned into a pile of ashes, you'll stop defying me and get me my WATER!"

"And I'm telling you you're living under my roof and I'm not your servant! My only job is to keep a roof over our heads, give you a warm place to sleep in and cook you breakfast, lunch and dinner! Why do you insist on making things difficult on me when I'm trying to help you?" I asked, irritated.

"Why should I waste my breath telling you why I act like this? You wouldn't even understand the concept of what I had to endure after what I... UGH, forget it! I'll just go get my own water just to shut you up! I swear, I don't know why I even bother trying to get through to that thick skull of yours," she said. Although, maybe if she were to ask me nicely, I wouldn't have a problem with getting her some water. But because of her rude behavior, I had to lay down the law and it was a real pain. She and I walked over to the kitchen together and she grabbed a cup from the cupboard and filled it up with water.

Meanwhile I decided to fix myself up a grilled cheese sandwich. At least it'll calm my nerves when I've got a full stomach and watch some old movies.





I sat down in the living room with Midnight, finishing up my sandwich while she was halfway done. I don't know if Midnight was watching with me, but I had put on the Rugrats Movie. I always get a good feel from watching these old movies from back in the 90's and early 2000's. They all seem to teach better life lessons than the ones modern movies and TV shows do these days. Everything seemed quiet for the duration of the movie until I got curious and asked Midnight about something.

"Midnight, earlier you said you had the magic power to obliterate me. I'm not saying you're a coward or anything, I just want to know why you chose not to kill me," I asked.

"Because your friends'll just come and find me and try to erase me afterwards. And I don't have enough magic to ward off those girls. That and you're just far too useful to be obliterated, coupled with the fact tha you did take me in and gave me a place to stay," Midnight answered.

"I understand, Midnight," I said, scooching over to her and patting her on the shoulder. But she yanked her shoulder away from me.

"Don't touch me! I'm still mad at you from what you said earlier!" Midnight scowled. Guess she can really hold a grudge, even over something that was no big deal. I suppose I should just let her be for now and just enjoy the movie until she's cooled down a little.

For the duration of the rest of the movie, neither of us said nothing. And by the time it got to the end credits, I looked over at Midnight and... she was crying.

"What's the matter?" I asked, trying to reach for her. But Midnight turned her whole body away from me and insisted on trying to keep whatever was bothering her all to herself.

"N-Nothing just... mind your own business, okay?" Midnight asked.

This time, I pressed on. "Midnight, something's obviously bothering you. I want to help you. It's not gonna go away unless you tell me what's wrong."

"Why do you care?"

"Because I can't stand to see you suffer like this. I'm not gonna accept "no" for an answer this time, I'm going to help you one way or another. Please, Midnight. I'm asking you as a friend," I said. This time, when I gently grabbed her hand, she didn't yank it away from me or swat at me. She went ahead and locked her fingers with mine, though she still didn't look at me, but I didn't mind.

She sighed in defeat. "Fine, but promise that if you do tell anyone, make sure you don't include all of Twilight's friends, I'd rather not end up between a rock and a hard place," she said, shaken up.

"I promise," I agreed. She finally turned around to look at me and still had tears in her eyes. I turned off the TV and the DVD player so nothing was gonna interrupt us. Everything around us had gone quiet until I finally got the truth from Midnight.

"You see... I was created from this magic pendant that Twilight once had. It happened during the Friendship Games when I was trying to rule both this world and Equestria," Midnight said.

"Equestria? What's that?" I asked.

"It's a whole other world inhabited by ponies. I had it all in the palm of my hands until..." Midnight paused, probably getting to the part she hated most.

"...Until Sunset absorbed the remaining magic and used it against me. I would have won against her, but Twilight's dog, Spike, just had to get in my way and I lost the battle. In the midst of the blast, I was blown out of Twilight's body and ended up lost in this forsaken town with only limited magic. Every day, I've hated Twilight and how she and her friends took away everything from me, after I tried so hard!" she finished. And once she was done, she planted her face into her hands and let loose the waterworks.

Normally, anyone with a story like that would be lying, but this was Midnight's story. The fact that she's different from other people and the fact that she once blasted me with her magic was undeniable. 

I gently pull her in for a nice warm hug, unable to say anything. Though I think that if I were to say anything, she would just feel worse. So, I kept Midnight in a compassionate hug. I was surprised when she herself gave me a hug in return and then cried on my shoulder. I didn't mind it at all and just let her get it all out. As we hugged each other, I could feel a couple of tears running down my eyes. In truth, it feels like the both of us have suffered equally at one point in our lives.

After we finished, Midnight pulled away and stared at me. "T-Thanks for... hearing me out, Chance," she said, rubbing her arm in embarrassment.

"What are friends for," I nodded. Midnight gave me one last hug and then suddenly... a kiss on my cheek. I was surprised and was blushing a bit when she did. With a small smile, she got up from the couch and walked back to her room, closing the door and leaving me to contemplate what happened. I thought I was going crazy because Midnight Sparkle actually kissed me! If I'm dreaming, I don't think I'd want to wake up and if I'm awake, I don't ever want to sleep. I finally snapped out of my little daydream. This wasn't a dream and I'm glad to see that Midnight's finally warming up to me a little bit.

I sighed and got up from the couch, heading over to my room with my books. I set my books down on my desk and ran back into the living room. I grabbed the empty plastic plates and tossed them in the trash before washing up the pan and then the grill.





Later on that night, I finished cleaning up the house, took a nice, relaxing shower and then got some extra studying done before bed. Now, here I am, laying in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. My mind seemed to be running all over the place, contemplating over the settlement Midnight and I had after our arguement. I wasn't expecting her to kiss my cheek. I'm not sure if it was just to say thank you or if it meant something else. If only there was some kind of sign that could tell me what it means, anything at all.

I sighed. "Listen to yourself, Chance. You're getting all worked up over a simple kiss. You'll get over it tomorrow after you've gotten a good night sleep," I said to myself. A few minutes went by and I felt myself getting tired and drifted off to sleep.

And so, as I slept, I wasn't sure how or when it began, but my dreams appeared. I didn't know what to think of it, but I was baffled from the sight I saw. I'm standing in a warm, white void and a few feet across from where I was standing, Midnight Sparkle slowly flies over towards me. She seemed to be reaching out for me I felt myself reaching out to her. We drifted closer and closer to each other. As soon as we were closed enough to grab each other's hand, our fingers locked together. We pulled ourselves even closer and we hugged each other, slowly and steadily spinning around in the void.

I couldn't control myself. I felt my hand stroke her cheek. She nuzzled into the palm of my hand before wrapping her arms around my neck. My arms wrapped around Midnight's waist. I felt my face growing warm and she seemed to be blushing.

For a while, we just stood there, admiring each other and never breaking the hug. I don't know why I didn't see it before, but Midnight Sparkle looked so beautiful, especially when she's calm and peaceful. Next, I felt her beautiful wings wrap around me like a blanket. Pretty soon, the white void in my dream changed into a hillside on the outskirts of Canterlot city. Midnight and I stood under a tree, overlooking the city with smiles. I was only looking at the city for only a few seconds and when I turned around... I was surprised.

Midnight Sparkle seemed to be in my arms... in a wedding dress, veil and all. Meanwhile, I found myself wearing a wedding tuxedo like we had just gotten married. It was painfully obvious I was developing these feelings for Midnight, but is it really possible we'd get married?

I wasn't so sure if this was a sign or if it was a prediction. By the time I had gathered up my thoughts, I soon discoved that nighttime had fallen and the stars up in the night sky, as if to set the mood. Boy, my dreams sure knew how to mess around with me, and yet, I was okay with this dream. I held Midnight like she was dear to me, not sure how she's back on her feet, but I didn't care and I didn't want to let go of her, telling her I loved her so much.

"I love you too... Chance," her beautiful voice echoed in my voice in a soft whisper. Right as she said that, everything faded into white, including Midnight. I was devastated as I could feel my body drifting aimlessly and felt myself being brought back to reality.





My phone went off on my nightstand, waking me up. I reached over and grabbed my phone, turning the alarm off and set it back down. I laid there for a few more seconds, contemplating about what had happened in my dreams and these warm fuzzy feelings I had now developed for Midnight. When my hand came into contact with my face, I felt something wet had ran down my cheeks. Did I cry when I was sleeping?

I shook my head and got out of bed. I stretched my body and walked over to the closet, grabbing some nice, clean clothes before I started changing. 

Next, I left my room and headed for the bathroom. I quickly got to work on brushing my teeth and putting on my deodorant while still thinking about that dream from last night. It came as a mystery to why I would dream about Midnight like that. Although, I'd be lying if I thought it wasn't a good dream. Far from it, I actually considered the possibility that she and I might end up becoming a couple. But it'd be unwise to rush into the relationship too early, especially since this is all so new to me. Same with Midnight, I'll bet.

After I finished, I exited the bathroom, then headed into the kitchen to fix myself up some breakfast. I took out a few eggs from the fridge and then put them carefully in a small pot filled with water. I set the stove to medium high, then covered the pot with a lid.

Soon, a few minutes passed by and I turned off the stove, then drained the water out of the pot and waited for the hard boiled eggs to cool off before peeling the egg shell off of one of them and took a bite to see if I had boiled it just right. Yup, it was definitely boiled just enough. I put the other eggs in a bowl and placed them on the counter just in case Midnight wanted some. 

The guest room door opened up as Midnight walked out, all rested up. I looked over at her and waved at her, though I was a little awkward after that little peck on the cheek she gave me yesterday. Somehow, she felt the same way by how she waved and gave me an awkward smile and went into the bathroom.

I wanted to find out more about this, but I didn't want to get sidetracked anymore than I already have. The tests were going to start soon and I'm gonna make sure that I pass them all. After that, maybe I'll talk to Twilight, see what she has to say about my situation. After all, I'd rather not want to keep on going like this, always feeling awkward whenever Midnight and I would make eye contact. So, after I finished eating my hardboiled egg, I made my way back into my room and grabbed my backpack with all my books and notes.

"I'm heading off to school now, Midnight. I've made some hardboiled eggs if you want some," I called out.

"Okay, thanks," she said, surprisingly in a nicer tone. After I gathered up everything else to take with me, I left the house and locked the front door before heading off to school. Lady luck seemed to be on my side when I saw Twilight arriving at the school first. I ran up to quickly, but not too quickly.

"Hey, Twilight! You got a second?" I asked. She turned to her left and looked at me.

"Oh, hi Chance. What's the matter?" she asked, turning her whole body around to face me.

"Can I talk to you when lunch starts?" you asked.

"Um, sure. I'm not sure what it is you want to talk about, but if something's troubling you, I'll see what I can do to help you and if I can't, then we'll ask our fr-" I stopped her quickly when she brought up our friends.

"No, Twilight. I'd rather keep this between you and me... it's about Midnight," I said.

Twilight blinked in surprise, but didn't say another word. She just nodded once. She knew right away that when Midnight is the subject, it can only be discussed between the two of us. I can only hope I don't have to deal with another confrontation. Especially with my friends.
> The Truth Will Set You Free
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today's tests were difficult just as I predicted. But, thanks to the studying I've done, I managed to pass with an A- in History, a B+ in Math class, A+ in English, surprisingly and a regular A in science. I couldn't have done all of this without the help of Twilight, though, I wish I could celebrate more, but I still had other things I needed to discuss with her on the subject of Midnight Sparkle. So, when lunchtime had come, I was coming into the cafeteria and walked over to one of the tables. I didn't have any money to buy a lunch, so I just made a lunch at home in advance.

I opened up my lunchbox and pulled out a cheeseburger. I made some extra ones just for special occasions like this and even left Midnight a burger at home. Next, I pulled out a banana and a container filled with water before closing my box back up.

Moments later, the girls showed up and grabbed their lunch trays, serving themselves some pizza slices with a bowl of fresh fruit and a tall glass of water. Twilight spoke to the others, telling them she'd meet up with them later after she had a chat with me. The other girls first tried to get involved, but Twilight insisted that it'd only be her and me, to which Sunset did as her girlfriend asked. So, the girls took their seats at a different table while Twilight came and sat down next to me.

"Okay, Chance. What happened between you and Midnight? Did she hurt you?" Twilight asked quietly.

"No, far from it. It's quite the opposite. Midnight told me something that she's been keeping to herself for a while now and she told me everything that happened some time ago," I responded quietly.

"What did she tell you?" the lavender bookworm asked.

I laid out the details of what had transpired during this event called the Friendship Games and how Midnight came to life due to all of the contained Equestrian magic inside Twilight's pendant and her plans to take over both this world and this other world Midnight called "Equestria." Twilight placed a hand over her heart as if it had gotten hit by a ton of bricks. I also mentioned how she fought against Sunset and ended up losing the fight and got seperated from Twilight when she was overpowered by the magic blast wave and became lost and along in the city.

"That's pretty much everything she told me," I said.

"Every word of it... is true," Twilight said, looking down, depressed. "It's all true, Midnight Sparkle was born from the magic contained in my pendant. I was trying to understand the magic at this school, but my curiosity nearly costed everyone's lives after that event." I got concerned when Twilight started shedding tears from her eyes as if it was her fault.

"Twilight...the important thing here is that you still feel bad about it. You're not a bad person and I'm pretty sure Sunset and the others agree to that," I assured her.

The lavender egghead sniffled. "Thanks, Chance," she said. I grabbed a napkin from one of the napkin dispensers they had on the table and gave it to her. She used it to wipe her tears away and then threw it in the trash before letting out a sigh. "Is there anything else you wanted to tell me about Midnight?" I knew she was going to ask me that, so I told her everything that happened after that. 

When I got to the parts where Midnight kissed me on the cheek and started being friendly with me, Twilight was shocked to hear it. She was even more shocked when I told her about the dream I had where Midnight and I were standing on a hillside in our wedding outfits.

"I'm not sure what to think of it, other than I might actually be falling for her. Though, I'm not sure if it's a good idea to go and pursue her, so I figured maybe you might know what I should do. I know you and the others might not think this is such a good idea, but I'm not sure what else to do. Do you have any tips on what I should do when it comes to matters like this?" I asked.

"Umm, well if you want my advise, you should take things slow. Midnight's still very new to the whole love thing, even if she doesn't show it. I'm pretty sure you're new to it, too," Twilight said.

"I see. So I should just stick to trying to be her friend for now?" I asked, earning a nod from Twilight. "Alright, I'll try not to make things bad between me and Midnight. In the meantime, maybe I'll try to convince Midnight to have a meeting with you and the rest of the group. Would that be okay?"

"Sure, but we'd have to arrange a day when we're the least busiest. Is there anything else you wanted to know before I head back with the others?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah, I do have one more question..." I paused and Twilight gave me her full attention. "What was it that made you fall in love with Sunset?" I asked, making Twilight blush a little. Though, there wasn't a hint of her feeling uncomfortable in the very least.

Twilight took a deep breath and told me everything.

"It was when she rescued me from Midnight that I grew fond of her. I was still a little nervous at first and I was afraid that she might reject me and that she might not like me the same way. So I summed up the courage and confessed to her a week after the Friendship Games had ended when school had come to an end and do you know what she did?" she asked. I shook my head. "She kissed me... right on my lips. She told me how she had a thing for me for a while and she was too nervous to pursue me. I felt like I was the happiest girl in all of Canterlot High."

"Aww, that's so sweet. I'm really happy for you and Sunset," I replied.

"Thanks, Chance. And I hope everything turns out alright between you and Midnight," Twilight said, patting my shoulder before taking her seat next to her sweetheart. Meanwhile, I decided to do some thinking while began to start eating my homemade lunch. I'm still pretty new to the whole "love" thing and I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to adapt to it. Then again, Twilight did mention for me to take things slow with Midnight and it does seem like the more logical approach. I can only hope things work out between her and me and if they do, I'll have to find a way to tell my friends about this.

Secrets never stay secret forever. I sighed and continued to eat my lunch quietly to myself.





Another couple of hours went by and school had finally ended. Everyone ran out the front doors, ready to finally get some well-deserved relaxation for the weekend. I was in no rush for obvious reason. I crossed the street and walked up to my front door and was about to unlock it, but then Midnight unlocked it for me and opened up the door for me, letting me into my house.

"Thanks, Midnight," I said. 

"You're welcome," she replied almost quietly. I step inside and she closes and locks the door for me. It was rather courteous of her. "Did... did you do okay on the tests?" My ears definitely caught that. I thought Midnight being friendly was just a one time thing yesterday, but she's actually taking interest in how I'm doing at school, it's like she's slowly changing deep down. Guess that talk we had yesterday about her past is what's causing her to slowly open up her heart to me.

"Y-Yeah, I passed with A's and B's," I say. Although, technically, I only got a B+ in math. "So what have you been up to while I was at school, did you do anything in your free time?"

"Other than watching a few movies, nothing. And... well... I think I'm finally ready for you to tell the others about me, but I want to make an arrangement for them to meet us here. So, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like you to call your friends over here, Chance," Midnight says.

"You sure about this? And what day do you want them to come over here?" I ask

"I'm 100% positive about this and I want it to be next Saturday... I'm still too nervous to face them today or tomorrow, so I hope you don't mind," Midnight twiddles her thumbs after saying that.

"I don't mind at all," I reply. Midnight's eyes sparkle as she walks over and hugs me. I hug her back and take her with me to the couch, sitting us both down.

Reaching into my pocket, I grab my phone and dial Twilight's number. I wait for her to pick up and she answers her phone on the third ring. "Hi, Chance. Sorry for telling you this, but Sunset's taking me out for dinner soon, did you need something from me?" she asks.

"Actually, Midnight and I just had a short talk and... she wants to know if you can bring the girls on by and have a talk with her next week on Saturday," I explain.

"Next week on Saturday? I'll have to check with the girls about this, but I don't think we'll be doing anything next Saturday, so I'll talk to Sunset about this and we'll go ahead and spread the word about the meeting to the others, that okay, Chance?" Twilight asks.

"Okay sure, do what you gotta do," I respond.

"And how is Midnight doing, is she pulling through alright?" My eyes turn to look at the magical she-demon who has this calm and relaxed smile on her face. I smile right back before responding.

"Yes, she's doing just fine."

"Okay, take care, Chance. Tell Midnight I said this: Best wishes to you," she says before she hangs up. I put my phone down on the coffee table and turn back to Midnight.

"She's offering her best wishes to you and we might have our meeting," I say.

"That's good to hear. I'm really grateful for your help, Chance. I just wish I knew how I can somehow repay for all you've done for me," Midnight says.

"No need to trouble yourself, I'm just glad you're wanting to make amends," I reply.

Midnight's eyes swell up with tears and she starts sniffling, but her smile still stands strong. "I guess I made the right choice in staying with you. I... I just..." she couldn't finish her sentence and just lunges at me, hugging me tightly and sobbing on my shoulder, but I didn't mind at all. Midnight must still have some emotions she never had the chance to let out before. She's so vulnerable right now and I did all I can to soothe her aching heart and show her that she's not alone anymore.

I try to make things better by rocking Midnight from side to side, silently shushing her. Her sobbing fades into nothing more than soft whimpers. I've never seen her so vulnerable like this before. I was right to take Midnight in away from the cold hard streets.

Midnight finally calmed herself down and soon looks up at me. "Chance..." she says. Suddenly, my heart races the moment I lock my eyes onto hers. I don't know why I never saw this before, but Midnight somehow looks so cute... so beautiful... and so attractive. I feel my face burning up a little just as her cheeks turn red.

"Midnight..." that's the only word I'm able to get out of my mouth. My hand gently rubs her cheek. Midnight nuzzles slowly into my hand and slowly leans up towards me. I lean down closer to her simultaneously.

Soon, I feel the sensation... of her soft lips touching my own. At that moment, I felt a spark coarsing throughout my whole entire body. I close my eyes, basking in the sensation of what I never felt before: The sensation of having my very first kiss. I can honestly say that I don't regret it. I gently rock Midnight side to side, which she enjoys as she hums into the kiss. There was no tongue involved, just our lips staying connected to each other for who knows how long until she and I broke free. 

Her beautiful smile was so hypnotizing, I could stare at it for hours. "Chance... why are you so nice? I'm glad you are, but I want to know... you had every chance to leave me out in that cold alley and never look back, yet you tolerated me and took me in without hesitation... why?" she asks.

I blink in surprise. "W-Well, that's kind of a personal thing I don't usually tell people," I reply, turning my head away a little bit, but Midnight places her hand on my cheek and turns me back to face her.

"Chance, did something happen to you a long time ago? You can always tell me," Midnight says.

I wanted to refuse, but I realize something. I persuaded her to tell me about why she was so angry with Twilight and her friends and it wouldn't be fair if I keep hiding the truth about what I went through. "Alright, Midnight, you win, I'll tell you everything that happened," I say.

She nods and scooches up close to me. "I'm all ears," she says.

I clear my throat and tell her my story. "You see, back when I was only 6 years old. I lived in this quiet town, in this quiet neighborhood 45 minutes away from Canterlot City. My parents... weren't the best parents a kid could ever ask for, they made my life a living nightmare. Every day, when I got off school, I had to work part-time at this grocery store with my mom to make ends meet. My dad never appreciated the cash we brougt home from work and would only feed me small scraps of food, nothing big."

"What? Why would he do that?" Midnight asks.

"Because he didn't want to be a father in the first place. He hated me with a burning passion. Sometimes whenever he got drunk, he would either beat me or my mom. It went on for a long time and it eventually made my mom start attacking me. I never felt so scared in my life. I even felt my sanity about to leave me because all I could think about was disappearing so that I could be free," I continue.

Midnight gasps. "You... you mean you tried to...?"

"Yes... but I chose not to do it. Instead, I ran away from home, if I could ever call it that. I hid in a back alley inside a box with nothing to eat or drink. I didn't have anything to keep me warm except for the torn-up clothes on my back, but I didn't care about it. It was a lot better than sleeping on a hard board floor in my room. I stayed in that alleyway for two days until a cop found me. I told him everything about my mom and dad and all the bad stuff they did to me and I showed him the bruises and scars they left me," I say. 

"Scars? What scars?" Midnight asks, worried.

"These scars," I turn myself around and have my back turn to Midnight. I lift up the back of my shirt and show her all of the whip marks I got from my childhood. She gasps. "Those were all my mom and dad's doing," I say as I turn back around to face her. "My parents were furious with the way I "turned my back on them after everything they did for me, after they took me in and fed me." But I told them straight away... and I ended up cursing at them... "I'm tired of your bullshit and all the times you made my life a living hell. I wish you two never existed and I hope you both get the electric chair so I can watch you suffer the way you made me suffer."

"You must've been really upset that day," Midnight says.

"Upset is an understatement. When the court date arrived, my parents denied ever putting their hands on me, but when I testified, my dad tried to grab me and choke me to death. The judge sentenced my dad to 20 years in prison with a lifetime restraining order and the judge ordered to have me under the witness protection program, but my mom was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In that one moment before she was carted off, she gave me one last look and mouthed out these words: "I'm sorry, Chance. I never should have abandoned you, be strong, sweetie, I'll make it up to you one day, I promise." I cried so hard that day, I was in pieces when the harsh reality had finally hit me: I had no parents to watch over me and my mom showed remorse after all the pain she had inflicted on me," I keep going.

"Oh, Chance... I'm so sorry," Midnight says, hugging me. "What happened after that?"

"I got put in an orphanage for the remainder of my childhood. This particular orphanage knew about the case with my bad parents and the kids showed sympathy towards me and welcomed me with open arms. I stayed in the orphanage the rest of my life until I was an adult. I only had one couple try to take me in, but they didn't look like they wanted a child, just an errand boy. I refused and chose to stay at the orphanage. I was too scared to go to a new family and preferred to stay until I could take care of myself. And now, here I am, about to graduate high school in just a few short months and I've got you with me," I say.

"You know... even after you told me everything: you didn't cry once," Midnight says.

"It's because... I... I just felt like I needed to hold it in so you underst-" But Midnight shook her head.

"It's okay to cry every once in a while. I cried after I told you my story, you can do the same, too. There's no need to act all tough anymore. The truth will always set you free," she insists.

Now, for some reason, I felt like my heart had just gotten lighter. My eyes got all swollen and my body quivered just like it did 8 years ago. But this time, it felt different. It's as if the darkness itself has been driven out from inside of me and a warm light has taken its place. For the first time in my entire life: I sobbed and cried and Midnight was here to comfort me. I was so lucky to have her by my side.

"It's alright, Chance. I'm here for you... just like you were there for me," Midnight whispers in my ear.

"Thank you... Midnight Sparkle," I whisper, my eyes closed... but with a warm smile on my face.
> Resolving Conflicts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A week has passed since that day Midnight and I had our little moment, same with when I arranged a meeting with Twilight and the others. I patiently waited for the day when we would break the news to all of my friends about Midnight's brand new living arrangements. Midnight and I have gotten closer to each other within that week, though it was a bit of a hassle to go out and explore the city. So I had to buy some clothes that'll keep her identity hidden just in case we bumped into any one of the students from either Crystal Prep or Canterlot High and those didn't come cheap.

I had to use up what was left of my hard-earned cash to get Midnight some incognito clothes, but it was worth it to allow her to come with me on my walks. Needless to say, she had the best week she could ever ask for and things only got better when I told her I'd take her to this special place in Canterlot. She's still waiting for that day to come, but she won't have to wait for much longer.

Saturday morning rolled by faster than expected, but patience does go a long way. I lay there in the comforts of my own blankets and soon I'm woken up by the sound of my phone ringing. I yawn and reach over to grab it and check to see who's calling me. Twilight's name shows up on my phone and I answer it. "Hey, good morning, Twilight, did you need something?" I ask, still feeling tired and let out another yawn.

"Sorry to wake you up, Chance, but Sunset and I got word from the other girls: They said they'll meet up with you at your house at noon today. Is that a good time for you?" Twilight asks.

I check the time on my phone and it read 8:30 A.M. "Sure, I make it by then. And since they're planning to come over to my place at noon, should I also make some lunch for everyone and bring out a few drinks?" I ask. 

"I'll check up with them on that. But anyways, I'll see you later, Chance," Twilight says.

"Bye, Twilight," I reply. I hang up the phone and get out of bed, stretching myself. I grab some clean clothes from my closet and make my way towards the shower. This is it, the time has finally come. Midnight's finally going to set things right with the others. If she feels like helpless and can't say anything to defend herself, I'll step in and help her and vice versa. Plus, I've kept my own secrets hidden from the girls long enough and it's time I got it off my chest just as I did with Midnight.





It is now 11:30 A.M. I got a call from Twilight again. She told me the other girls would be happy to take me up on my offer to cook up some lunch for everyone. Of course, I only had enough time to prepare something simple, like maybe some grilled cheese sandwiches, a salad and maybe a few hot dogs.

I was in the living room, watching a movie when I got the call from Twilight. I've got the okay to prepare lunch, but somehow managed to forget to remind Midnight. Well, better late than never. "Midnight, Twilight said she's bringing the girls over at noon, so make sure you're ready and I'll get lunch started," I call out. I hear the door to the guest room open and see Midnight walking out.

"Okay, thanks for telling me," she said. "But you could've told me a little sooner."

"I know, it was a dork move to forget to tell you beforehand, sorry," I chuckled nervously. Midnight rolled her eyes while keeping her smile before heading into the bathroom. I sigh and head into the kitchen to get lunch started for our guests. As I get out the ingredients, I start feeling concerned about the whole situation, worried that the girls might not like the idea of Midnight being with me. However, if that does happen, I'll just have to convince them to keep an open mind about why I had to do it. After all, I did bring Midnight to my house by choice and I would do it all over again if I could.

The way Midnight's been opening up to me lately has made me feel so proud of her. My mind then drifts off to the time me and Midnight had our tender moment together on the couch. I still remember the warmth of her lucious lavander lips on my own.

I'm not sure if it's real or not, but if it is, then something tells me I might be falling in love. I shake my head to pull myself together and not get ahead of myself. I have to focus. Midnight's not going to be the only one who's gonna open up her heart to the girls. This is also my chance to finally get my jaded past off my shoulders so I can truly be free of this burden. And the more I think about it, the more tense my body becomes and I don't know exactly how to stop it.

My thoughts are interrupted by a surprise hug from behind. I turn around and see Midnight, all freshened up and ready to start the day. "Relax, there's no need to get all worked up about this," she said. I don't know how she did it, but somehow my anxiety left me as quick as it got to me. 

"Thanks, Midnight. I guess I'm just a little nervous about today. I'm happy you're choosing to open up to the girls, but I just hope you they won't be so harsh wiith you. I know there's some good in you just like how you saw the good inside me, you know what I mean?" I ask. Midnight nods and keeps me wrapped in her arms, lifting the weight of my anxiety away fully.





All of the girls finally arrived right on schedule and I had everything set up and placed on the coffee table with a plate of hot dogs in the middle, some grilled cheese on the left side of the table and a large bowl of salad on the right hand side and a few cups.

I got out a gallon of apple juice, and a pitcher filled with ice cold water. Midnight was in the guest room, waiting for me to call her out. She wanted to surprise the girls with her presence. I thought it was a good idea, so I went along with it and showed the girls to their seats on the couch and handed them their plates, earning a thank you from each of them.

"The food looks simply scrumptious, darling," Rarity chimes.

"Yeah, you really outdid yourself here, bud," Rainbow adds in.

"Mighty thanks fer the grub, partner," AJ says.

"So, what exactly was it that you wanted to talk about?" Sunset asks. Of course, Sunset gets straight to the point as she and the other girls serve themselves. 

I clear my throat and stare off in the direction of the hallway. "You can come out now," I call out. The girls all looked a little confused by my actions.

Their questions were soon answered as Midnight soon walks out of the guest room. Everyone, except for Twilight and I let out a gasp of surprise. Midnight walks over to the living room, but is startled when Rainbow Dash and Applejack jump over the couch and get their fists clenched, glaring at Midnight.

"You! Just what the hell do you think you're doing here?!" Rainbow asks through her teeth.

"Y'all better start explainin' yerself!" AJ demands. Midnight's smile instantly disappears, her hands clench into fists and tears swell up in her eyes. She's doing her best to keep her composure.

"Girls, stop! There's no need to get physical!" I intervene.

"No need?! This is the same girl who took over Twilight's mind and almost wrecked our school! How can you trust this girl to hang around your house?! She'd better not have forced you to make her take refuge in here, or I'll give this monster a real good thrashing!" Dash says, hitting a soft spot in Midnight.

"M-Monster?!" Midnight asks. When she said that... I snapped.

"You need to apologize to Midnight Sparkle for that crap you spat out... NOW!!!!!!" I shout. Now, everyone in the room is startled by my angry side, myself included.

"Girls, please, listen! Just give them a chance to explain and it'll all make sense!" Twilight says.

"It would be smarter to hear them out. So Rainbow, Applejack, calm yourselves down, eat your food and get the wax out of your ears," Sunset says. Applejack and Rainbow finally back off and sigh in defeat before sitting themselves back down on the couch. Now that Twilight and Sunset got everyone to calm down, I went ahead and explained everything that happened from start to finish. When I finished my part of the story, Midnight explained her part of the story, but Rainbow Dash and Applejack were still skeptical on Midnight's change of heart and didn't think she was 100% trustworthy.

And after we finished telling our stories, the girls all had a lot to ask us... well, me, anyways.

"Chance, I'm not one to judge or anything, but why did you choose to let Midnight live with you? I know you're a good guy and all, but..." Fluttershy says, but can't finish her sentence.

"Well, it's because I couldn't just leave her out in the cold streets to fend for herself. And not just that..." I was about to explain more, but Midnight did it for me.

"Because deep down, I was scared and alone just like he was. I didn't want to believe it at first because I was so dead set on trying to find a way to get back at Twilight. But I've had some time to think it over when I was alone in his house while he was at school. I didn't understand his kindness at first, but when I confessed to him just how much I was hurting inside, Chance made me feel like... like I mattered."

"He did?" the girls ask in unison.

"Yes, and he even has his own jaded past that maybe you should hear straight from him," Midnight implies, giving me the spotlight once again. I went into specific detail on every little thing that happened to me and I could tell it took a heavy toll on my friend, Pinkie because I heard her hair deflate like a balloon and go flat while she stared at me with a whimpering, sad look. As I told my story, Midnight stayed right by my side in case I would get choked up and get all teary-eyed.

In that one moment, Rainbow Dash and Applejack's perspective on Midnight must've changed. Right after I finished my story, I sat down with everyone and served myself a plate of food.

"Chance... you wouldn't mind if Ah say somethin' to Midnight, would ya? Ah promise I ain't gonna snap at her this time, ya have mah word on that," AJ says, lifting her hand like she's making a vow.

I turn to Midnight and she nods at me. "Alright, AJ," I say.

"Midnight... Ah wanna apologize fer my behavior earlier an' fer scarin' ya. Ah was way outta line fer jumpin' to conclusions right off the bat. Can ya find it in yer heart to fergive this gal?" AJ asks. I watch as she takes off her stetson and presses it against her chest area. I turn my head to Midnight. Her straight face turns into a warm and compassionate smile before my very eyes.

"If Chance was able to give me a second chance, then I can do the same for you, so I forgive you," Midnight says before she walks over to AJ and hugs her.

Watching this puts me at ease, but this is far from done. Now I turn my gaze to Dash. "So, Rainbow Dash, is there something you would like to tell Midnight Sparkle?" I ask before folding my arms. I know Rainbow likes having a spotlight, but with the current situation she's in, she's not feeling so comfortable. She sighs and directs her attention straight as Midnight, though it's hard for her to look at her in the eye. Rainbow Dash was so ashamed of herself and I believe all of us can tell.

"Alright, I was wrong to call you those names and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so close-minded about you being in our friend's house. Can you... forgive me?" the speedster asks, rubbing her arm.

Just like with Applejack, Midnight approached Dash and gave her a hug. "As long as it doesn't happen again, I'll give you a second chance," Midnight confirms. Now I truly feel at ease. I approach the two of them and pull 'em in for a group hug. The other girls all come up and join in. Midnight turns her gaze towards me with happy tears flowing out of her eyes. I pull her in closer to me and nuzzle her. Now that we've settled our affairs, we can finally rest easy and go about our daily lives.





After lunch had finally ended, the girls stuck around for a little while longer, saying how my mom would be proud of me for how I stood strong even after I was left alone. But then, I was bombarded with a pretty awkward question that really got to me and Midnight.

"By the way, Chance, you seem to be pretty close to Midnight Sparkle. Are you two an official couple?" Pinkie asks, which caused me and Midnight to blush. "Ooh, you're blushing! So you do love each other! Aww, that's the sweetest thing I have ever seen." Our blush only got deeper and it became hard for me and Midnight to look at each other like we were just too shy to confess.

"Come now, Pinkie, you know it's not polite to assume that two people are a couple. I mean, yes, they would look lovely as a couple, but that's only IF they confess that it's true," Rarity says.

"If it is true, I wouldn't be mad," Sunset says, holding Twilight hand. "And I know that if they do make it official, they'll do just about anything to make each other happy... right, Twilight?" she asks her girlfriend. Twilight nods and leans in for a kiss on Sunset's lips. The other girls find it cute whenever Sunset and Twilight share a tender moment, Rainbow included, but she doesn't show it.

"Well, we'd best be off. Y'all take care o' yerselves now," AJ says.

"And if you ever want to come by for a visit, you're more than welcome to," Fluttershy says.

"Ta-ta, darlings," Rarity says.

"Don't you go and get too crazy with each other now, you hear?" Rainbow asks.

"Bye bye, besties!" Pinkie says.

"Let us know if you need anything else. And welcome to our group, Midnight," Sunset says. Midnight's smile seemed to shine brighter the moment she heard that.

"And Chance, you take care as well. Remember to take things slow and steady," Twilight says before all the girls walk over to the front door.

The door opens up and exit my house before closing the door. While I was still distracted, Midnight goes and grabs the empty plates, bowl and pitcher, bringing them all back into the kitchen. I shook my head and walk into the kitchen with Midnight so I can wash the dishes.

"Chance, can we talk for a moment?" Midnight asks.

"Of course," I nod. As I get to washing the dishes, Midnight helps me out by washing some of the big dishes all while we start talking to each other. "Listen, I'm sorry you had to hear what Rainbow Dash said about you earlier, it wasn't right for her to call you that."

"You stopped the fight, that's the important thing. And also... I wanted to say I'm sorry for the hardships I put you through when we first met. I was just so...scared."

"That's understandable. You were all alone and afraid, hellbent on thoughts of revenge. But now look at you, you changed and made amends with the girls. It might not be a full recovery, but with a little time and effort, I'm confident that you'll befriend other people as well. And I also want to thank you for helping me be more open with my heart and my emotions," I say, hugging Midnight.

"And I want to thank you... for being so nice to me, making me feel special... like I'm important," she says, wrapping her arms around me.

"You know, I've got something planned for the both of us. Remember how you got all excited about this place that I want to take you to?" I ask. She nods, looking at me. "Well, how about later on tonight, we can go for a little walk and I can show you this place. Best part is that it's not far."

"Then I guess we'd better get to work," Midnight says, winking. And so, we put our rears into high gear, getting the dishes all cleaned up and letting them dry off.





Later that night, at around 8:30 P.M, Midnight and I headed out and she didn't bother to wear her incognito outfit and just wore her usual clothes. What was fortunate for us was that most of the people were relaxing at home or visiting some family members. We continued walking until we reached the Canterlot Park, getting Midnight all confused since she might have been here before when she was alone. I told her she would be surprised when I show her the place I mentioned.

The whole walk took at least 20 minutes and an extra 5 minutes to arrive at our destination. "Okay, Midnight, close your eyes and follow me. I want this to be a surprise," I say. 

"Okay, but you'd better not be pulling my leg," she says playfully before closing her eyes. She even made things easier for me by putting a hand to her eyes. This was my chance to guide her up this hill. We climbed and climbed until we reached the top where there was a beautiful medium-size oak tree.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now," I say. Midnight removes her hand from her eyes and opens them up, gasping at what she sees. All around her, she can see the most beautiful view of Canterlot City.

"Chance, this is... this is so... beautiful!" Midnight says. Midnight's eyes gazed at the many buildings that lit up the night sky while the moon shined down on the city. It looked so beautiful that Midnight was speechless and could only place a hand over her chest. I felt good about this. "How did you even find this place?" Of course, what I'm about to tell her might come as no surprise.

"This is where Sunset and Twilight had their 100th day anniversary. They posted it all over their social media and it got tons of likes," I explain.

"Aww, that's so sweet. They must really love each other," Midnight says. I nod in agreement as we take a seat underneath the shade of the oak tree and stare down at the city from atop our special relaxation spot. "Chance, there's something I want to tell you. It's something that I want to get off my chest and I hope that you'll understand what I have to say."

"Go ahead and tell me," I say. Of course, I have a strong hunch what she's about to tell me, but I'm well-prepared for what she might say.

"Okay, here it goes," Midnight takes in a deep breath, holds my hand and looks me straight in the eye, telling me exactly what I anticipated. "Chance, I love you." At that moment, my heart starts beating faster than it normally does and a huge smile forms on my face. 

"You really mean it?" I ask.

"I do. I love you. You're so much more kind and understanding than anyone in the entire world. And after rescuing me back then, how could I not love you? So... do you..." I quickly cut her off.

"Yes. I love you too, Midnight," I reply. 

The tears in her eyes leak out and her smile melted my heart. With nothing else to say, Midnight and I held each other and locked our lips together. I still can't believe that a guy like me actually landed a unique young lady who, even though had a troubled past, was by far the most beautiful woman I will always love and treasure for the rest of my life.
> Blossoming in the Midnight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

10 months have passed and since then, my high school days were now over. My friends all moved following their dreams and making a difference in the world. Applejack stayed at her house to help out with apple farming, Rainbow Dash was now training herself to take home the gold in the Olympics. Fluttershy resumed her full-time job at the animal shelter and plans on investing to open up a santuary for all animals. Pinkie Pie continues to work at Sugar Cube Corner and patiently invests her savings for the day she would open up her own shop called "Pinkie's Sweeties" as she puts it. Rarity is still working at the boutique and plans to expand her business to other citys and towns outside of Canterlot.

As for Twilight and Sunset, with their good grades, they both got accepted into Canterlot City University and plan to further their education in order one day achieve the impossible: cure any and all illnesses, be they easy to shake off or impossible to get rid of. Sunset and Twilight even plan to one day get married. I couldn't be more happier for them and their ambitions.

Now as for me, I quickly applied for a brand new job ever since I had to leave my old one. I now work as a waiter at a nice family restaurant. It's a full-time job and I've been able to earn double than what I received from my old job and thanks to that, I now have a little more spending money every month. And as of right now, it's a beautifull Friday evening and I had just ordered some pizza and a soda. As for my girlfriend, Midnight Sparkle, she got herself a part-time job at the same restaurant I work at.

She mainly works as a server, but other times, she works the cash register at the front, but only when the head cashier is not around at times. I've seen the way the acts with others. She constantly makes everyone she sees feel like they're welcome to stop on by anytime.

Midnight and I are currently sitting on the couch, watching some movies to pass the time. We have nothing better to do other than keep watching, cuddle with each other and wait for our pizza. I give a couple of glances at my girlfriend, watching as she lets out cute sighs and nuzzles into me more. Lately, she's been acting way more clingy than usual and would give me these playful spanks every time we pass each other in the hallway, but I tolerated it and brushed it off as her being playful with me.

"Midnight, are you sure you're not part kitty?" I asked, jokingly.

"I dunno, you tell me. Do you like kitty-cats?" Midnight asked playfully. She continues to nuzzle me, playfully teasing me and now making these purring noises. I play along with her and start stroking her soft cheeks, making my lovely lady giggle. 

"Now I know you're a cute little kitty," I say, booping her on the nose.

"Nyaa, hee hee," she giggles. "I can't help it. I just can't resist teasing you. By the way, have you heard about anything new from the girls? I've noticed they haven't been keeping in contact recently."

"I'm not too worried. Although, I did hear from Sunset last week. She told me that she's planning on saving up her money to get a ring... for Twilight," I reply.

Midnight gasps. "You mean Sunset's gonna propose to Twilight?" she asks. I nod. "Aww, that's so sweet. I hope it happens really soon. So, changing the subject, have you decided on what you want to do in the future, or are you fine with your job at the restaurant?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking about learning how to design video games. Although, for now, I'm hoping to patch things up between me and my mom."

"Your mom? But I thought she was still in prison. I'd kinda be worried if you said you wanted to patch things up with your dad, considering the abuse he laid on you." But then, Midnight placed a hand over her mouth, feeling as if she might have said too much. "Oh, sorry, Chance. I didn't mean it."

"It's fine. And to answer the question about my mom, she is still in prison. And now that I've had all this time to think, I want to actually get the truth out of him. Find out why he was so abusive."

"I don't really like it, but I am willing to respect it. And if it's alright, maybe I can come along with you to see your parents and be there for... emotional support." I smile at Midnight suggestion and nod. Her attention and mine is then brought towards the sound of her rumbling stomach. "Hey, is the pizza delivery boy going to get here soon, because I'm getting really hungry."

"He should be here right about..." and right on cue, the doorbell rings. "...now," I say before getting up from the couch and walk towards the front door.

I open it up and see the delivery boy. I pull my wallet out of my pocket and hand him the cash. He gives me the pizza and wishes me a good evening. I say the same to him before closing and locking the door and then walk back, setting the pizza on the coffee table. Midnight's eyes lit up like a 9-year-old in a candy store, which I thought was so cute, I could kiss her. 

In fact, I sneak in a peck on her cheek, making her yelp. She playfully smirks at me as I'm taking my seat and opening up the box, letting the scent of freshly baked pizza roam free.

Midnight instantly grabbed the biggest slice and brought it to her lips, taking a bite out of it before letting go and fanned her tongue like crazy. "Careful, Midnight. Remember it just came out of the oven," I warn. I couldn't help myself, chuckling at how she didn't check if it was that hot. "Here, I'll go get us some drinks, do you want water, orange juice, apple juice or will milk suffice?"

"Anything to cool down my tongue," Midnight says. I head into the kitchen and open the fridge. I guess I should mention that I went and bought a brand new pitcher that can turn tap water into filtered water, which was the first thing I grabbed and took out of the fridge.

I grab a cup and bring it back to the living room, filling it up with cold water and then give it to Midnight. She takes a few sips and then sets her cup down on a coaster on the coffee table. She and I wait for the pizza to cool off a little and then she and I grab our slices and start eating. This time, she moans in satisfaction. And who wouldn't, this pizza tastes really good. Maybe I should open up my own pizza joint as a backup career.

"Thanks for the pizza, Chance," Midnight says.

"You're welcome," I say. We continue to eat our pizza while watching the movie. And the movie she picked out was called The Iron Giant. I've heard a lot of good things about this movie, but I never even imagined this movie would be this good. Midnight sure knows how to pick her movies. Maybe I should have her pick the next movie that comes out in theaters.





After we scarfed every slice of pizza and the movie ended, Midnight and I still remained sitting on the couch, chatting about random things until Midnight brought up something unexpected.

"Chance, since it's still early in the evening, do you think maybe we can... you know... do it?" she asks. I didn't know what she meant when she said "do it." "We've been dating for 9 months and I feel like... I'm ready to take the next step, so do you want to... do it?" Okay, now I know what she's talking about. My face changed into a bright red color and starts heating up real quick.

"Y-You mean you're wanting to go all the way?" I ask.

"How could I not? 9 whole months and to this day, you never once asked me the very same question I asked you, is there a reason to why you never asked?" Midnight asks.

"Well, I didn't think it was the right time back then. We were still trying to find out more about each other. In short, I wanted us to be prepared for when we do it," I reply.

"Aww, that's really sweet. But now, I want to know one thing: I'm ready to go all the way. Are you?" It's a hard question to answer, but if she's ready to take this next big step, then so am I. So, after I make up my mind, I look my sweetheart in the eye, then give her my answer.

"Yes, Midnight. I'm ready. But I think it would be best if we wait until later on at 11:30 P.M.  I want our first time to be extra special when we take that big step."

"Okay, I don't have any problems with that," Midnight agrees. With our plan set, we continue to watch more movies, but my mind is still fixated on the idea of actually doing it with Midnight. I remember back in school, some of my classmates would talk about how painful their first time was. I just hope it won't be too painful for us when the time comes for us. If only my mom was here, maybe she'd explain it to me. She's the only other person who knows from experience what it felt like. No I don't have the time to ask her and maybe I'm just overthinking this whole thing, so I toss that thought aside for now and just keep watching more movies. I then pull Midnight in closer towards me and gently rub your shoulder.





After watching who knows how many movies, the clock read 11:30 P.M. And as of right now, Midnight grabs the remote and turns off the TV and DVD player. We both get off the couch and I surprise Midnight by picking her up bridal style, making her yelp and then giggle.

I carry her down the hallway and into my room. Then, I lay her down on my bed and walk back to close my bedroom door, but Midnight beats me to it by using her magic to close it. I look back at her and walk up to her as I undress myself, starting with my shirt. Though, as I was removing it, I heard Midnight using her magic again and when I got my shirt off, I can see Midnight... completely naked. She has this embarrassed smile, her cheeks turning bright red and her right arm covering her perfectly sized bust.

My face felt like it was burning up. "So, umm... d-do I look beautiful," Midnight asks.

"Beautiful?! You're absolutely gorgeous!" I reply, stunned by her natural beauty. Her blush starts getting brighter, forming a blushing bridge on her nose. She turns away, still smiling. I quickly remove my pants and boxer briefs and my socks before laying down with Midnight. "Midnight, are you aware of how painful a first time can be and how it can result in pregnancy if you don't take precautions?"

"I'm aware. But I'm not worried about the latter. I might have changed, but I still have magic. And thanks to the girls' help, they gave me some of their Equestrian magic, so now I can use a protection spell and keep myself from getting pregnant on my first try," she says.

"Alright then. Here we go," I say. Midnight and one of our hands with each other and pull ourselves closer, locking our lips together in a passionate embrace. I can hear her moaning as my eyes close. She takes her occupied hand away from my hand and brings it down at my manhood. I feel her soft, smooth fingers stroking my length, causing me to shudder and moan in delight. My length starts hardening with each stroke. 

"You're really cute when I stroke you like this. You're getting so hard and so... big. Looks like it was worth the wait if it means I can ride this meaty stick," she whispers.

Wow, I definitely wasn't expecting her to say that. Now I feel even more embarrassed. But, at the same time, I find it to be so arousing. I bring one of my hands towards her plump C-cup breasts. She flinches and moans, even though I barely touched her. She must be very sensitive. I grope and rub Midnight's breasts, being as gentle as I can with her. Her sighs of content sound so lovely.

"Mmm, t-that feels... so good, Chance," Midnight moans.

"I could say the same about you," I moan back. "What do you say we make this more interesting?"

"Interesting? How?"

"Here, I'll show you. First, I need you to stand on your arms and knees." Midnight put on a confused look, but went along with it, anyway. Now that she was in position, I move myself behind her and stare directly at her lovely, wet womanhood. I rub her cute, naked butt and lean myself in and lick her lower lips. Midnight gasps in surprise from the sudden intrusion of her special area. I continue to lick her nether regions, causing her to moan softly and flap her wings in excitement.

My heart was racing. I couldn't deny it any longer: I love what we're doing.

As I keep licking her down there, I feel this fleshy button poke out from her womanhood. I feel my tongue graze against it, making her squeal adorably. I guess that this was her sweet spot. And she clearly liked it when I licked it, so I go for it again. I get the same result. I keep up with what I'm doing, evidently causing her to squirm and slowly shake her rump and press it against my face. She keeps moaning and panting heavily. Her juices spread throughout my tongue, grazing my taste buds. Her juices have a sweet and sour mix to it and I find myself enjoying it to the fullest.

"Oh my! This feels so... amazing! Please, give me more! Don't stop, please!" Midnight begs. I look up, watching her wings still flapping as beautifully as ever. I massage her tender rump and keep eating her out. Just then, I feel her inner walls tighten around my tongue.

It's hard for me to pull out and all I can do is lick and slurp her juices, gulping them down bit by bit. Midnight's moaning grows increasingly louder. Her juices leak out of her special spot a lot quicker. Before I knew what's happening, I feel her liquid spray inside my mouth. I took it all in big gulps to avoid choking. Midnight screamed from the top of her lungs and threw her head up. Her wings spreaded outwards, stiffening. After she finishes, her inner walls let go of my tongue, but I give Midnight's outer lips a few more good licks to get it all nice and clean for when we finally do it.

"That... was the best... orgasm... I ever had..." Midnight says between breaths.

"Really?" I ask. Midnight nods. "That's nice to hear. I don't normally say this, but... you tasted really good. So, now what do we do, should we..."

"Well, how about we do this?" Midnight asks.

What happens next is she makes me turn around and sits me down, having me face the foot of my bed and then she gets in between my legs, grabbing my shaft. She strokes me a few times, giving me goosebumps. Next, as my shaft is now fully hardened, she takes it into her mouth and sucks on it. Now, my whole body starts tingling like crazy from the way she's sucking on my member. My legs start twitching and the only things coming out of my mouth are moans of pleasure.

"Is... is this what a... b-b-blowjob feels like?!" I stutter. It feels too good for me to think straight. All I can do is bask in the glorious sensation of Midnight's surprisingly incredible skills. All I could think of was where she even learned this trick.

I couldn't take my eyes off her beautiful, adorable gaze. She looks so cute the way she stares up at me, bobbing her head up and down. She keeps sucking me off and swirling her tongue around the base. I don't think I'll ever find another woman like her, not if I looked for 100 years. Even if I did, I would choose Midnight anytime any day and I wouldn't regret my decision.

Miraculously, I regain a bit of control and just smile down at Midnight, watching her get creative with my shaft, making the tip poke at her inside cheek. I could kiss her for being so cute.

Suddenly, my body tingled the moment I feel her humming on my manhood. The sensation sent vibrations I couldn't ignore and soon, I can feel my breathing getting heavier. My family jewels quickly start swelling up and I warn her by tapping her head rapidly. She looks up, confused. "M-Midnight, I... I can't hold it!" I stuttered again, but she does the exact opposite of what I anticipate: Midnight bobs her head on my shaft faster this time and sucks on it harder. If she wants me to do that, then so be it. All I can do is gently stroke her hair locks until I get ready shoot out my load inside her.

Within a few more seconds, I feel my orgasm explode inside of Midnight's warm mouth. Her cheeks inflate a little at first and then deflate as she swallows every drop I shoot down her throat. I groan and grunt with every spurt that I launch.

I finish on my 4th spurt and fall on my pillow, panting heavily. Midnight removes my shaft from her mouth and crawls up to me, cuddling and starting to kiss me. Our tongues dance momentarily. She hums into the kiss and cups my cheeks while stroking my hair. I embrace Midnight in my arms, caressing her soft skin and her large, feathery wings, while making sure I don't get too rough with them. She moans happily before separating our lips and smiles down on me with her hald-lidded eyes, but it wasn't seductive.

"Chance... promise me you'll never leave me," she says.

"I swear on my life to stay by your side," I reply without hesitation. 

"Then, take me, Chance. Make me your girl," she begs.

I couldn't say no to that. So, I take the initiative and switch positions with her. I grab my shaft and carefully aim it directly at her special spot. Midnight spreads her folds apart to help me get it all in. I press against her lower lips, slowly entering inside her warm passage. I struggle a bit, but unbeknownst to me and Midnight Sparkle, the clock on my phone struck 12 midnight right as I went all the way inside her. She shrieks in pain, followed by a moan of pleasure afterwards. I look down and panic when I see small droplets of blood dripping out of her pussy and then see tears coming out of her eyes.

"M-Midnight, did I hurt you?!" I ask, panicking.

"I-It's fine, just... just don't move yet. I want to get used to the size," she says, trying to suppress her crying, gripping my bed sheets tightly. I lean down and cuddle her while slowly showering her with pecks on her cheeks, forehead and lucious lips. "Th-Thank you, Chance. I'm starting to feel a little better now. You can go ahead and move, I'm ready for you."

"Okay, sweetheart," I say, making her giggle. I take in a deep breath and slowly move my shaft in and out of Midnight's wet passage, steadily building up my rhythm. Midnight coos and takes in deep breaths. I still can't believe what has happened.

Me, out of all the guys in the world, landed the most amazing girlfriend. And to make things more surprising, I have given her my virginity. Midnight's heavy panting and soft moaning was so beautiful. I take another step forward by caressing her subtle, yet firm, breasts. She hums, closing her eyes, swaying her body left and right at a slow pace, smiling all the while. My body then acts on its own and picks up speed. Midnight's moaning grew a little louder when this starts happening. 

"Mmm... yeah! Oh yes... give me the pounding of my life, Chance. Please! I need you," she begs. If the lady asks, then she shall receive it. I lock my hands with hers, heavily panting and thrusting harder in and out of her womanhood like a rabid animal in mating season.

"Hnngh! Midnight, did you just get tighter all of a sudden? You're sucking in my little guy," I grunt, though I feel shocked that I even said that to my girlfrriend. I keep pounding away as usual, but then, I get that familiar feeling in my ballsack just like before with the blowjob. Suddenly, Midnight's inner walls get tighter and wetter each time I pound her with such ferocity and speed. I don't know how fast I was going, but if I have to guess, I'd say I'm going as fast as a steam piston.

"Oh my stars! I'm gonna cum! I'M! GONNA! CUM!" Midnight screams.

"S-S-So am I!" I yell in reply. I'm unable to take in much of of the pleasure and soon, I hilt all the way inside Midnight's wet passage and shoot my load in her fertile womb. I shout in pleasure while she screams in pure bliss as her cum sprays my crotch with her cum. We keep cumming for what felt like almost a minute and I know it feels like that because I notice how my seed is leaking out of Midnight's pussy. I pull out as soon as we finish, then lay down right next to her, panting.

Midnight uses her remaining strength to conjure up a spell and cleans up her nether regions. Not only that, but the stains in my bed have vanished, too. "Oh wow, that was... incredible," I say between breaths.

"I... can't believe it... either. Who knew sex... could feel... so good," she pants, still holding my hand. "Chance... you have no idea... how long I've... want to do this. And to think... none of this would've been possible... had it not been for Twilight's interest in Equestrian magic."

"She's a curious one. But that's just how she is," I say.

"True. But you know... there is something that's bothering me," Midnight says. "You see, I am happy for Sunset wanting to propose to Twilight, but at the same time, I'm jealous. It's not every day that my newest friends are thinking about finally tying the knot. It makes me wonder if... I could ever be a bride."

"I see what you mean," I say in an understanding tone. For the next few minutes, I didn't say anything and neither did my precious sweetheart. But then... I got an idea.

"Midnight, since we've been dating for about 10 months, maybe the time is right for the both of us. We've both come a long way since that faithful day. haven't we?" I ask. She nods. "Well, I want to make this night extra special and I think I know just how to make things better."

"R-Really? You mean...?" Midnight asks, quickly looking at me with star-struck teary eyes.

"Yeah, it is," I confirm. I grab her hand in both of my palms and whisper to her. "Midnight Sparkle, I would love nothing more than for you... to be my lovely bride." Of course, it would've been more special if I had a ring on me, but I guess there was no harm in winging it.

Midnight quickly grabs me and pulls me into a tight hug. Her tears run down my shoulder and soon enough, she whispers to me. "Yes... of course I'll marry you... Chance."

We share a deep passionate kiss with each other afterwards and then cuddle underneath the blankets once our fatigue got to us. With one last sigh, I hold my precious Midnight Sparkle in my arms and then drift off into the dreamland as the moon outside my window shines so bright in the evening sky. I was so looking forward to the day when wedding bells will chime and the day when we start our futures together. 

Just thinking about it makes me the happiest man in the world. And I know for a fact it's made Midnight the happiest girl in the world.
> The Midnight Has Sparkled
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Within three more months, Midnight and I have been preparing ourselves for the big day. Naturally, we got a lot of help from our friends. We couldn't have made it possible without them. We got extremely busy, and not in the dirty kind of way, there was more important matters. For instance, Midnight and I got to work on preparing the guest list, which sort of started out small at first. But then, it got bigger as the girls brought along the girls from Twilight's old school, Crystal Prep.

I also arranged for someone to record the wedding so I could give it to my mom as a present so that she wouldn't feel so left out of my life. She, just like everyone else, deserved to know I was getting married. And I suppose my dad deserves to know I was tying the knot, too. 

The day after Midnight and I had our first time together, I paid a visit to the prison dad was locked up in to at least try and reason with him. It was somewhat easy for me to make amends with my mom, considering how torn up she was about what she did to me. That, and she wanted to be there for me after she was released from prison some time ago. My dad, on the other hand, he was a harder case. When I got to the prison, he just told me to "fuck off like the mistake I was." I was too stubborn to give up and told him I was going to get married and that I was planning on sending him the video.

My dad just gave me the cold shoulder and said something that even made my blood boil. He told me "do what you need to with her, then broom her fast." I told him something that might have sounded too harsh, but I told him if he keeps up this attitude, he'll never get to see his own grandchild/grandchildren and he'll never get the chance to see them for the rest of his miserable life.

I must've struck a nerve, but not in the violent way. He actually broke down in tears. Now I really felt like an ass, but at the same time, I guess he deserved to hear the truth. I asked him why he lashed out at me and my mom all those years and didn't bother telling me about it. He said the pressure of being a father was too much for him and he tried to get help from his parents, but they told him to handle it himself. The pressure got more intense within a few years, which was what caused him to lash out. Once he calmed down, he told me that even though he's my father, he'll never be the dad I should have had. He told me he lost that chance a long time ago when he gave up on my mom and me.

It became clear to me. My dad never truly hated me, he hated the fact that he didn't have a pillar of support, hence the reason he lacked the confidence and courage to really step up as a dad. I told him how I understood his actions and if we could turn the clock back, we could fix it.

But then, he explained to me that he would rather hone up for his mistakes. He told me to ask my mom if she can find it in her heart to forgive this "patheticly cowardous man" for his misdeeds. I told him I would pass on the message and told him I would send him the video so he won't feel left out. And for the first time in years, I saw him smile at me and told me these five words: "I'm proud of you, son."

I felt so relieved to finally lay the ghosts of my past to rest. Now I could truly move forward.





At that time, all of our friends and their families were gathered at the Canterlot Park. It was there that our wedding was being held at. It was in the center of the park where a beautiful fountain was displayed. I stood at the front of the fountain, waiting patiently for my bride to show up. In the meantime, I struck up a few conversations with my friends, all while our old classmate, Micro Chips, recorded everything. There wasn't much to talk about, other than just fooling around about how silly I looked in a tux. 

If I know better than anyone, that's usually what Rainbow Dash would say. I wasn't offended in the slightest, so I merely just laughed it off. She even admitted how it was just a joke and that I actually looked pretty sharp and then told me to take very good care of my new wife.

I didn't let her down then, and I certainly wasn't going to let her down now. All my friends wished me the best of luck and I wished them good luck on their journeys as well. When all was said and done, it was time to get ready for the main event. Everyone sat down while Twilight and Sunset stood at the alter as Midnight's chosen bridesmaids, waiting for the bride to show up. Micro Chips went to the back of the aisle and recorded everything on his video camera just as I paid him to do.

My eyes looked down the aisle, locked on the woman of my dreams as the music begins.

Everyone's eyes were fixated on Midnight. Her face was covered by her gorgeous wedding veil and matching white and light lavender wedding dress. She held a bouquet of purple and white flowers. I knew she was beautiful, but this gives that definition a whole new meaning to the word. And coming up in the rear was Twilight's niece, Flurry Heart, who was being held by her sister-in-law, Cadance. Little Flurry grabbed a handful of flower petals and tossed them down on the carpet as Cadance walked her down the aisle.

Everyone, including myself, thought that was so cute. And soon, my lovely bride stood face-to-face with me and once the song ended, the pastor began his speech.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to unite this man and woman in holy matrimony. For as of today, this couple has chosen to walk down a path that they know is not to be taken lightly. Marriage isn't just the joining of two lovestruck people willing to spend the rest of their lives together. It is also the joining of two families and two souls becoming one. May this lovely couple be guided down a peaceful and prosper path," he said while I kept smiling at Midnight and vice versa.

"Chance," the pastor said. "Do you take Midnight Sparkle to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honor and nurture in sickness and health, through good times and bad until death do you part?"

"I do," I say without hesitation. Suddenly, I hear the sound of a man crying in the audience and I can take a pretty good guess of who it is. Judging by Twilight squeezing the bridge above her nose, I guessed right that it was her older brother, Shining Armor. Cadance wasn't kidding, he is a big crybaby when it came to weddings other than his own. I can't imagine how embarrassed Twilight must be.

Anyways, with that out of the way, the pastor moved on with the ceremony.

"Midnight," he said. "Do you take Chance to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honor and nurture in sickness and in health, through good times and bad until death do you part?"

"I do," Midnight said without hesitation.

"Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce this couple "husband and wife," he said. Right on cue, the ring bearer showed up to give us our rings. As for who the ring bearer was, I asked Twilight's father, Night Light to fill in for that role the day before the wedding. Thankfully, he agreed to fill in. Soon, he came up to me and Midnight and gave us our rings. We placed it on each other's left wedding finger before we hear the pastor say those 6 familiar words to seal the deal. "You may now kiss the bride."

I moved Midnight's veil over her head, held her hands and planted my lips on her. Everyone at the park clapped for the two of us. In that instant when we locked our lips together, I felt Midnight lifting us both off the ground for a little bit and then gently floated down. Once our lips separated, neither of us could look away from each other now that we finally achieved our dream.





Even now, I can still remember that faithful day. I still can't believe it's been 10 whole years since we joined together and the photo on my drawer proves it. During those 10 years, a lot has changed. Twilight and Sunset moved into the city and are currently out on a family vacation out in California in San Fransisco with their precious daughter, Sunshine Sparkle. Some of our other friends chose to stay here and have acheived their dreams and are currently living their dreams to the fullest.

Fluttershy invested and finally opened up her new animal sanctuary. A place where animals can roam free and almost any animal can get adopted. Pinkie Pie now owns her own bakery "Pinkie's Sweeties," and currently has a partnership with Sugar Cube Corner.

Rainbow Dash has opened up a gym she calls "The Champions' Den," after winning the Olympic games twice in a row and even hired her team to join her at her new job. From what I understand, business has been going extremely well for her. Applejack and the rest of her family still carry on the family business at Sweet Apple Acres and have brought forth with some children of their own. Big Mac and Sugar Belle have a son they named Sweet Macintosh and a daughter they call Apple Pastry. Even Applejack's little sister, Apple Bloom was blessed with a child of her own, compliments of her husband, Tender Taps. Apple Bloom and Tender Taps have a precious little girl who goes by the name of Jazzy Apples. Meanwhile, AJ has herself both a boy and a girl, with the names Apple Jewel and Elusive Apples, both belonging to her and her wife, Rarity.

Speaking of Rarity, She has actually been successful in expanding her business to multiple cities and towns, but has chosen to stay with her lover, AJ and her two children. Her little sister, Sweetie Belle has moved out of her boutique and moved in with her new husband, Button Mash. They had two kids, both are a boy and girl, just like Rarity and AJ's kids. Rarity's nephew's name was Game Time and her niece was known as Liberty Belle and she acts similar to Rarity when she was growing up.

I'm so glad that everyone got what they wanted in life, just like I have. And things have gotten better for me, since Midnight and I are now married. "Daddy, are you ready? We're waiting for you," said a young female voice, which causes me to turn away from the window and towards my bedroom doorway. There, standing in front of me, was my 8-year-old daughter, Nightfall Sparkle. She looks almost exactly like her beautiful mother, except for the color of her eyes and hair. "Come on, silly, mommy's waiting for us in the car."

"Okay, sweetie. I'll meet you there in a few minutes," I reply. Nightfall nods and skips down the hallways and heads out of the house. I grab my keys and at two small presents box from my nightstand. I head out of my house and catch up with my wife and daughter.

I hop into the car and buckle up. Midnight and Nightfall have already buckled up beforehand. "Took you long enough to get here, I was afraid I'd have to drive off without you," Midnight says playfully. "Did you remember to bring the presents for you-know-who, honey?"

"Yeah, I have them with me right now," I say, showing her the small present box.

"Good. Now as for you, young lady," Midnight says, turning to look at the back seat. "Remember, when we get there, be sure to give them a big hug, okay?"

"Yes mommy," Nightfall says.

"That's my girl," Midnight says. I turn the engine on and drive off. During the drive, I can hear Nightfall humming to herself and looking out the window. I couldn't be more proud of Nightfall. Midnight thinks so, too and we were kind enough to sign our daughter up for a choir. Nightfall even told me and Midnight she wants to one day become a singer and perform in front of all her friends. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for it, but she still has a long way to go and we agreed to help her with her dream if she studies well in school.

In the 10 years I've been married, I also changed jobs and am currently working at as a family therapist while my wife works as a masseuse. Our businesses pull in all kinds of clients and the pay is great. It's so great, we're actually planning on one day moving to a new place.

Now then, after about 10 minutes of driving, we arrive at this nice house in this other quiet neighborhood. It's a really nice two-story building where two vehicles are parked outside the garage. I park the car on the curb and turn off the engine. We get out of the car and walk over to the front door of the house, then Nightfall rings the doorbell before stepping back. The sound of footsteps can be heard from inside. They quickly approach the door and when the door opens, two familiar faces I know all too well.

"Chance, it's so nice to see you again," my mom says.

"How's life been treating you and your sweetheart?" my dad asks. Since my mom and dad got out of prison, they decided to work things out a couple of years ago and give their marriage another shot. My dad quit drinking altogether thanks to some therapy sessions in prison. My mom received the same therapy as well and because of that, I didn't need to keep up the restraining order. 

"We've been doing okay. Have you two been doing alright?" I ask and they nod. We enter their house, Nightfall gives her grandma and grandpa a big hug and kiss on the cheek. My dad picks her up and gives her a ride on his shoulders, making my little girl giggle.

"Look at you, Nightfall, you're growing up so fast. Aww, you look so precious," my mom says. Nightfall just keeps giggling and then my concentration is broken when Midnight nudges me. I quickly remember and walk up to my daughter, who is then put down on the ground. I take her with me for a little while and hand her the two present boxes before letting her go back in the living room.

"Grandma, grandpa, I have a present for you two. I made them myself in art class," Nightfall says, giving her grandparents her presents.

"Oh really? Well, let's see," my mom says. My parents open up the boxes and when they look inside, they take out these beautiful locket necklaces. Inside each of the lockets contains a picture of me and Midnight holding Nightfall in our arms on the day she was born. "Nightfall, this is so sweet. Aww, you just look so adorable in this picture, sweetheart."

"Thanks, grandma," Nightfall says.

"I wish I could've been there to see you on the day of your birth. But, I have myself to blame. Anyways, this is a very sweet present, little princess," my dad says.

"Thank you, grandpa," Nightfall replies. The young magic girl approaches her grandparents again and gives them both yet another big hug.

After their little tender moment is done, we all sit on the couch and start talking about what's been happening lately in each other's lives. Mom's been working as a bank clerk at the Canterlot Depository and there hasn't been any robberies since she joined a few years ago. Because of dad's heavy criminal record, he was only able to land a job at a meat slaughter house. The pay was decent, but the hours were long and exhausting. Despite his exhaustion, he puts up with it to make up for his past mistakes. I can only imagine how many showers he's had to take in order to get rid of that meaty smell.

Midnight went on and on about how her latest clients and what's been going on. One of her clients was a man who kept on giving my wife a hard time, going on about how he wished she was his wife. The last straw was when he tried to brush her cheek, which made Midnight blast him out of her shop. 

I'm guessing it was either Flash or Timber. They'll never learn. Anyways, as with me, I start telling my parents about a family who made an appointment with me, but I didn't get into much detail about who they were or what the main problem was exactly because I have to respect the privacy of my clients. I can still remember that eventful day like it was yesterday.






*Flashback*


The time was 2:30 P.M and I was in my office, sitting across from me were three people. One of them was a business man wearing a blue business suit and on his red tie was a money sign. He had faded black fair and tan skin, looked like he was in his early 50's. The other was a woman wearing a sky blue dress with expensive golden accessories such as golden bracelets, a necklace and shoes. She had pink skin and a dark burgundy hair color, was probably in her late 40's but looked like she was starting out in her 30's.

As for the young lady sitting at a distance from the married couple, she had pink skin just like her mother. She had purple hair with a white stripe running down at the end. She wore a white, sleeveless shirt and had on a black skirt and on her left hand, she had a wedding ring on. She looked to be the same age as me, or a year or two younger than me, probably about 26 or 27. "Alrighty, let's get this started, shall we?" I asked. "Now, what seems to be the problem, Mr..."

"Rich. Filthy Rich. And my problem is with the conflict my wife is having with our daughter," the man said, gesturing to the two woman who won't even look at each other. "Ever since my wife found out about Diamond being married, she's been acting more and more persistant with her." I take note of what he says and the reactions his family makes when he said all of that. His wife gripped the couch tightly and glared at her husband, then at her daughter, who still refused to look at her own mother.

"It's not my fault her husband is common filth!" the woman shouted.

"Hey, don't go saying that about my husband, mom!" Diamond said, finally glaring at her mother. "He may not be as rich, or powrful, or well-connected, but at least he thinks about me more than himself!"

"Don't you take that tone of voice with me, young lady! I know what's best for you!" the mother scolded.

"No you don't, you're just a stuck-up stubborn-ass bitch who can't even think straight because daddy's always spoiling you rotten with all that money in his pocket! Isn't that right "Spoiled Rich?!"

"Are they always like this, Mr. Rich?" I asked. I made sure not to say his first name because I wasn't sure if he would take it as an offense.

"Afraid so. And this has been going on ever since we had Diamond. She would always fill her with these ideas that common folk around here are nothing but parasites. I try to make things better by buying her stuff, which worked most of the time over the years. But ever since she got her high school diploma and went off to college, we barely even speak to each other. When I found out she fell in love with this boy named Lickity Split, I was happy to know she found someone special. But I didn't take into account that my wife, Spoiled Rich, would be listening in on our conversation that day," Filthy explained.

"Hmm... interesting," I said, writing it all down in my notes. Next, I turn to the ladies who were still yelling at each other and I take note of their communication via loud arguements. "Diamond, was it? Would you prefer to call you by your birth last name or marriage last name?"

The arguement between the two ladies stopped for a moment and Diamond turned her attention to me. "My birth name is Diamond Tiara. But since I'm married, I'm Diamond Split. But you can just call me Diamond," she said after taking a few deep breaths. I nod in understanding.

"So, Diamond. Let's talk about you. Are you happy you're married?"

"Yes, I love it almost as much as my husband. He's a wonderful man. He's a very strong and independent man and he's just as understanding as my dad. He doesn't care about my family's connections or how much money I have in the bank, all that matters is that he loves me... for me. And if I ever need time to spend with my friend, Silver Spoon, he let's me spend some girl time with her," Diamond said, looking at her wedding ring, then placing it above her bosom, as if cherishing it.

"That's wonderful to hear. Now, I know this will become nerve-wracking, but I need you to bare with me so we can figure out a solution for this," I said. "What is it about your mother that you like and don't like?"

"As if you need to ask. She's vile, selfish and a big fat suck-up to the higher ups. When she found out about Lickity Split, I was furious because that bitch kept insisting that I dump him for someone who's rich. I keep telling her it's not going to happen, but does she listen? No, because she's too deaf with all that goddamn money lodged in her fucking ears!" Diamond said, frustrated. Spoiled looked like she was about to explode with anger, but then it faded when suddenly... tears formed in Diamond's eyes. "She never stopped to think about how I feel at the end of each arguement we've had over the years. Sometimes, when I'm at home, I just start crying in my room... thinking that my own mom sees me nothing more than one big mistake."

After she said that, I blinked in surprise. I write it down on my clipboard and then turn to the wife in question, keeping my composure about this whole mess. "Mrs. Rich, was it?" I asked.

"W-What?" she stuttered.

"Let me ask you a question: Do you love your daughter?" I asked.

"Of course I love her! She was the result of my marriage with one of the richest men in Canterlot City!" Spoiled Rich said, like she was offended.

"Is that the main reason why you love her?" I asked.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, confused.

"I mean... do you love your daughter because she's part of a rich family?"

"W-Well... I... uh..." Spoiled Rich couldn't come up with the right answer. And with Diamond still crying to herself, Filthy Rich got up from the couch and went to go sit down next to his daughter and give her a big hug, rocking her side to side, just like any loving father would.

"Spoiled, why don't we move onto another question: Why do you act this way with Diamond?" I asked.

"Promise me that you won't let this leave the room," Spoiled said.

"Our session is strictly confidential," I assured.

"Very well then. I suppose I can't hold it in any longer; I... forced my expectations onto my own daughter because of my own overbearing father. I... I figured if I could make him proud by showing him I'm just as good as him, he wouldn't look down upon me. I was never given any sort of freedom and therefore I had no companions to talk to, nor did I attend to any schools as a child. I was homeschooled my whole life because my father said there's too many common trash schools that are filled with lies," Spoiled explained. I saw the tears forming in her eyes, so I knew we were getting somewhere.

"So, this was all to get your own father's approval? Where is he now?" I asked.

"Dead. He passed away a week after my daughter was born from lung cancer. All these years, I've wanted to make my father happy... just this once. But now I'll never have that luxury," Spoiled said, looking down at the floor as the tears in her eyes dripped and fell on the carpets.

"My dear, why didn't you tell me?" Filthy asked.

"I... I didn't know how," Spoiled said, choked up. "But I know this... *sniff* I'll never be the mother you always wanted me to be and I'm... I'm..." she said, trying to get the words out. Diamond looked straight at her sobbing mother and then broke down in tears when the weeping mother finally spoke. "...I'm so sorry for all of the things I put you through over these past few years. I never should've put you through so much pressure when all you wanted was my eternal love. Can you ever forgive this decrepit old woman?"

"M-Mom..." without another word, Diamond moved on over to her weeping mother and hugged her. The two ladies held each other as they sobbed uncontrollably. "I... I'm sorry I was such a lousy daughter for not meeting your expectations!" Diamond sobbed.

"No! Don't say that!" Spoiled said, calming down a little. She looked at her teary-eyed daughter and then said something that I will never forget. "You listen to me, young lady. You've always met my expectations, I was just too blind to notice it. You've met my every expectation by being my child and I wouldn't trade you for anything else in the world and do you know why, Diamond?" she asked. Diamond shook her head left and right. "Because I love you with all of my heart."

"I... I love you too, mom," Diamond said, smiling. Spoiled smiled back at her and then the two hugged each other and it wasn't long until Filthy Rich joined in on the hug.

"And I'm sorry too, Diamond," Filthy said, having only a few tears in his eyes.

"W-What for, daddy?" Diamond asked in confusion.

"For trying to solve your problems with material things. And... for not spending enough quality time with you like a real father should do. I know how you always say I got you everything you could ever want, but it's no excuse for me to miss out on being with my precious little princess, now turned into a beautifully young queen, so from now on, we're gonna make time for you," Filthy explained.

"Daddy... I love you," Diamond said, hugging Filthy tight.

"I love you too, Diamond. I always have," he said. I smiled at let the family have their tender moment. Of course, I made sure to write all of this down on my clipboard. It does my heart good to see feuding families making amends with each other and showing their undying love to each other. 

After they finished, they all sat together and it was finally time to do my final evaluation.

"I can imagine it must've been hard for you all after all is said and done," I said, making them nod. "Well, since you finally got this off your chest, I suppose you won't have to be told this twice: Mr. Rich, there are some things in this world that money can't buy. One of those things is a loving family. Mrs. Rich, I might not be able to talk to your father, but I can tell he's very proud of you and he's smiling down on you from heaven. And remember, Diamond might not be your little girl anymore, but she'll always be your daughter. And nothing in the world can replace such a beautiful young lady. And Diamond, now that the feud is over, I know you're aware that despite everything, they're still your parents and you found it in your heart to forgive them. I trust you won't have anymore worries about making time to spend with your parents, right?"

"Of course. And mom..." Diamond said.

"What is it, dear?" Spoiled asked.

"If it's possible... could you come by my house this weekend? I... want you to meet my husband. He's been wanting to meet you two for a while now," Diamond asked.

"Even after all those dreadful things I said about him?" Spoiled asked, surprised. Diamond nodded. "Well, if he wants to meet us, I don't see why not. It's the least I can do to make up for what I've done."


*End of flashback*






Yup, I'm never going to forget that session for a long time. But I do remember the oath I swore and so I kept my story as brief as possible by saying I had to help a feuding rich family, but didn't say which family. Mom and dad are glad that me and Midnight are doing well. Then, Nightfall starts telling the story of what's been happening in school lately.

Apparently, she made a friend. A girl, who goes by the name of Fruity Freeze. She says Fruity was being picked on by these mean girls who kept making fun of her because of her geeky appearence. Nightfall stood up for her by threatening to tell the teachers, principals and their parents. But that didn't work, so she resorted to haunting them in their nightmares.

My parents grew shocked from this story. Somehow, Nightfall says that trick worked when she used her magic and it scared the bullies off. A part of me wanted to tell her to be careful with how she uses her magic, but the other part of me told me I should be happy that it didn't escalate any further. Midnight, on the other hand, is unable to stop smiling at Nightfall for showing those bullies who's boss. 

Sometimes those two can really scare me.

But you know... having those two around in my life is what makes me feel complete. Because with my wife and daughter at my side... I will always be happy... even after I depart from this world.

The End