Author's Note

Sorry for the delay. Here's the chapter you've all been waiting for, I'll be sure to get the next one finished and don't worry, I'm not giving up my other stories that are still unfinished. So, thanks for your patience and support, remember to stay tuned and keep bronying on.

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.