A Birthday Party for Midnight Legendby Midnight LegendChaptersA First Time for EverythingOf Hard Work and BabysittingMeeting Manticores and ZebrasDreams, Healing, and SurpriseBirthdays and MemoriesA First Time for Everything--Golden Oaks Library-- It was just before sunrise in Ponyville, when a single unicorn that had a sapphire blue coat and dark mane knocked on the door to the library. Few ponies were out this early, so it was ideal to have a meeting. Pinkie Pie, Ponyville's resident "party pony" and wielder of the Element of Laughter, is extremely giddy this morning. She is speaking to her friends about a surprise party that is to happen that day. "Oh, this is going to be so exciting! Are you excited? 'Cause I'm excited; well, except for the first time I saw him, when I went like..." She went silent except for her attempt at speaking with her mouth magically sealed by a lavender unicorn. Twilight Sparkle, the de facto leader of this group of friends and wielder of the Element of Magic, began to speak. "Good morning, everypony. Now, this is a project of great magnitude; it requires precision, order, and cooperation. Are we all perfectly clear?" All six of them replied in one accord, "Yes." "Good, now, our mission today is to keep Midnight Legend out of the house for most of the day. This is where you all come in. Applejack, find some reason for him to help on Sweet Apple Acres." The farm mare responded, "Will do, Twilight. He does owe me for that bet we made." "Anyway, after he finishes, Rarity will send Sweetie Belle to him and ask him to watch her for a few hours while you 'finish up a big project.'" "Oh, yes, with Sweetie Belle gone, I can get a lot more work done in the shop," said the refined mare. "After that time is up, Rainbow Dash will race over and tell him Fluttershy needs some help with the animals that have been "startled" and are missing." "Um, alright. But what if my animals really do go missing?" the shy animal caretaker asked. "Don't worry, Fluttershy. If it does happen, that'll give Pinkie more time to do her thing. "Of course, while he's gone," Twilight resumed, "Pinkie will get everything ready. And our source, who is present here, has helped us and will be our last resort should the above plans fail, right?" The unicorn nodded. "Also, I have a special arrangement, but it's meant to be a real surprise to all of you. Does everypony understand what needs to be done?" The other six nodded in agreement. They all left the library and went their separate ways. --A few hours later, in a house not too far away-- A noise suddenly rang out. It startled the sleeping alicorn out of his slumber. Midnight Legend, Ponyville's Head of Safety, got up from his bed. The sun was mostly above the horizon at this time. He performed a few stretches to get his blood flowing from his partly-groggy body. He then levitated his trademark blue cape onto his back and connected the hooked chain into the eye. Walking out of his bedroom door made his eyes widen in shock. In the kitchen, he saw pots and pans everywhere, something burning on the stove, and the refrigerator door wide open. He trotted inside and saw a strange sight. A younger unicorn was struggling to get the garbage can while magically stirring something in a bowl. This unicorn was Starry Nights, his little sister. The newest addition to his life after years of separation, she was a few years younger than him, but was not as good with magic as others. She also wasn't a cook, judging by the mess and the burning. Her coat was covered in flour, some bits of food, and sweat. She, feeling a presence watching her, turned to see her older brother staring at her with a small smile on his face. Starry Nights looked at him, with both relief and regret in her eyes. She put her foreleg around his neck, which he reciprocated the action. "Happy birthday, Midnight. I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed. I wanted to show how much I love you, especially on your birthday." Noticing her frown and still smiling, he replied, "Star, you know I don't need to be shown your love. I appreciate your attempt, but we both know you're not the best when it comes to cooking. You get cleaned up while I clean this mess. And don't worry, I'll cook breakfast." As she left to shower, Midnight used magic to turn on the sink, gather the dishes, and put some dish soap in the sink. Then, he started to wash the dishes and neatly stack them in their respective cabinets. With the kitchen somewhat clean, he looked inside the refrigerator to see what he could make that hadn't been burned. --Outside of Ponyville-- After he had cleaned up and cooked breakfast, they ate and, at Starry's insistence, took a walk. As they journeyed toward Sweet Apple Acres, she spoke up. "So, has Mom and Dad sent a card yet, Midnight?" "Not yet, but I'm sure it's gonna be in the mail today or tomorrow at the latest." "You're right. It doesn't take that long for mail to travel from Canterlot to here." Looking over to his nervous filly sister, he asked, "What's bothering you? You seem troubled today." "Oh, it's nothing, really. Just a bit disappointed you made breakfast when I wanted to surprise you." "I understand just how you feel, Star. I myself wasn't a cook either, but I learned from Cadance when I was in the palace." He went silent immediately; Star then noticed a strange look in his eye. It always appeared when he mentioned or thought about something from the ten years before he moved to Ponyville. "You really miss that time, don't you, Midnight?" "Yes, I do. Of all that time, I missed the Cadance I knew and loved. Since last year's Canterlot Garden Party, it's like she changed. We did so many things together, and though I’m happy for her, the pain still remains.” Consoling him, Star replied, “Listen, I don’t exactly know what caused her to change her mind, and I don’t wish to know. That’s between you and Cadance. Yet, she was the only person you could truly call ‘friend’ during that whole time.” “It’s true. I could confide in her some things I couldn’t even tell you of. Not that I don’t trust you, but, for that time, she felt like an older sister to me.” “That close, huh?” “Yes.” The moment was cut short by Applejack running toward them. She started to speak, but her heavy breathing inhibited her speech. “Need… Midnight… help… something…” “Just catch your breath, AJ.” After she caught her breath, she said, “I need yer help. Big Mac jus’ got hurt, an’ nopony’s nowhere near as strong as you are.” “Is it something you can do?” “No. I’m nowhere near as strong as my brother, and you’re probably the next strongest.” “Well, I’m trying to spend some quality time with my sister on my birthday.” “Oh, c’mon, sugarcube. You owe me for that bet, remember?” “Can it wait until tomorrow, Applejack?” “Nope.” Reluctantly, he turned to his sister and said, “Look, Star, I’ll go help Applejack on the farm. Just go home, and I’ll be back soon.” With that, he left. All that Starry Nights was thinking was, “Phase 1 has begun.” Author's Note I hope you all enjoy this story in celebration of my birthday. Of Hard Work and Babysitting---Sweet Apple Acres— Two ponies stood before an old storage shed that needed to be torn down, but with care so falling debris would not damage any of the apple saplings nearby. Applejack, the shorter of the two, spoke up, “So, uh, Midnight, you think you can do this without hurtin’ them saplings over there?” His reply was only, “Of course I can. It’s simple.” “Alright. Now, you head over to th’ back of the shed while I go to the front. When I whistle, you push and buck with all yer power while I do the same over on my end. If ev’rythin’s done right, nothin’s gonna fall on the saplings.” “And if they do, I’ll just catch it with my magic and throw it to the side.” “Ya done took the words right outta my mouth, sugarcube.” “Alright, let’s get to it.” Hearing how the farm pony said “sugarcube” brought a certain charm to it. Midnight knew Applejack, along with most of the fillies he met, thought him among the finest stallions in Equestria. Not quite as handsome or popular as the pony stars like Bruno Mares or Matthew McConaughay, yet he could entrance the mares with a few words. He assumed his position behind the shed. When he heard the whistle, he bucked at the wall, which snapped at the support. After about an hour of work, all that was left was a pile of timber. Wiping the sweat off her brow, she said, “Whew, that took some effort, but we did it.” “That we did, Applejack. Now that I’ve paid my debt, I would like to finish the heart-to-heart with Star.” To his shock, he heard a voice over the hill. It sounded like a young school-age foal calling out his name. Sure enough, up over the hill came a white unicorn filly with light pink and light purple hair. “Sweetie Belle, if yer lookin’ for Apple Bloom, she’s over at the house.” “I know that, but Rarity sent me over here to give Midnight Legend this note.” Taking the note, Midnight read the contents. As his eyes peered across the page, he grew slightly annoyed. Midnight, I know this is so sudden, but I was supposed to look after Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo for a few hours at the Boutique. Just today, an order came from Canterlot for several dresses made of the finest fabrics in Equestria; the buyer wanted the order to arrive in three days’ time. This could be the next step toward my dream and I hope you can empathize. If you can watch over the girls, that would be most wonderful. We can work out some form of compensation later. Thank you. With love, Rarity “Applejack, could you watch the girls?” “Shoot, no. I got double th’ work cut now that Big Mac’s out for a while. Sorry.” “It’s fine. See you later.” “Alright. And thanks for the help.” With that, Applejack went off toward the apple orchards. He really wished he could get out of this, but it was useless. “So, Sweetie Belle, let’s go over to the house and see if Apple Bloom’s there.” When they arrived, Granny Smith was sitting on the porch. She was rocking in her chair and sipping a mug of apple cider. Sitting beside her was Big Macintosh, with a bandage around his torso and enjoying his own cider. “Hey Granny Smith. Is Apple Bloom here?” The elderly mare replied, “She sure is. Big Mac, could you get your sister down here?” “Eeyup.” After a few minutes, Big Mac exited the house with Apple Bloom. She ran out the door and went to greet Sweetie. “Hey, Sweetie Belle. When are we gonna meet Scootaloo over at Rarity’s?” “Sorry, but my sis just got a large order from Canterlot. She needs the time to finish the dresses. Midnight agreed to watch us as we play in the fields for a few hours.” “Alright, then let’s get going.” “And forget about me!?” a voice yelled. Over the hill came a small burnt orange Pegasus filly riding a red scooter. She did a flip as she jumped off another hill. Midnight thought she had a future with that little scooter. “Hey, you guys. Just came over from Rarity’s; she told me you all were here. I came here as fast as I could in case you decided to leave me. “We wouldn’t do that, Scootaloo. You’re a fellow Crusader,” Apple Bloom replied. “Cool, so what awesome things are we gonna do today?” “Alright, girls,” Midnight said as he got their attention, “I know you want to do many things today, but let’s head toward the fields right now. You can talk about what you’re gonna do on the way.” As they went towards the fields near Sweet Apple Acres, the three friends spoke of trying to get their cutie marks. A small group of ponies, Midnight Legend included, knew what their talents really were, but he allowed them to dream and wait for them to discover those talents like he did what felt like a lifetime ago. ---The fields near Sweet Apple Acres--- They started to play in the fields when they got there. The first hour was spent trying to get their cutie marks in bird-catching, which resulted in them coming back with droppings and pecks marks on their skin. After they cleaned up in a nearby pond, the other two decided to plan for the next event. Sweetie Belle, tired of their crusading, trotted toward Midnight and said to them, “Go ahead and plan; I’ll just rest here for a while.” They went on their way underneath a tree about fifty feet away from them. As the young filly sat down beside him, she started to converse with him. “Can I ask you something,” the small filly queried. “Go right ahead.” “Do you like my sister Rarity?” “Like as in?” “Like as in like-like.” Midnight had never been asked if he loved somepony since Twilight asked the same question on the train ride to Ponyville after he moved from Canterlot. He least of all expected it to be asked of a relative of that certain somepony. “To answer your question, no, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like your sister at all. I admit she is beautiful, charming, and sophisticated. Whoever marries her will be one lucky stallion.” “Oh. Well, she hasn’t really been eyeing anyone recently.” “Sweetie Belle, why is it you’re telling me this?” “Because I want that ‘one lucky stallion’ to be you.” He was shocked at that statement. Yes, he said she was beautiful, but that was hardly enough to count as “being interested.” “I told you that I don’t love her, yet you want me to marry her. Why?” “Because you’re a kind, sophisticated, handsome, and talented pony; Rarity deserves the best.” “But I’m not the best. I used to think I was, but that was during my younger years. My extreme pride in my abilities is what caused my bitterness toward Twilight. I still hold my skills in particularly high regard. This pride doesn’t control me, but it’s still there, like it is in most ponies. And the fact I am sophisticated has to do with my upbringing in Canterlot. My handsomeness is merely a value judgment; it varies from pony to pony. But my kindness is something everypony chooses to act, which I chose not to show in the past.” She stared at me for a moment, in awe or terror he could not tell. The tiny filly who could never understand my feelings was listening as Midnight spoke his mind. “Don’t let what I said get you scared, Sweetie. I would never hurt you or your friends. Those days are behind me, but they still happened. I did many things I regret. Yet, I learned important lessons from them.” “Could you tell me about the time you were in town to stop Nightmare Moon during the Summer Sun Celebration two years ago?” “Again!? You’ve probably heard it a hundred times already.” “Actually, only seventeen, but who’s counting.” So, again, he retold the story of the weeks leading up to the 1000th Summer Sun Celebration, his surprise encounter with Nightmare Moon, and his heroic act of calming the citizens as they panicked. Suddenly, a rainbow streak whizzed across the sky above him and landed a few steps in front of him. It was Ponyville’s local daredevil, Rainbow Dash. “Yesss!! Did it in only two minutes.” The other two fillies abandoned their project to see Rainbow Dash. All of them, especially Scootaloo, looked up to Rainbow Dash in a way. Scootaloo remarked, “That was so awesome, Rainbow Dash.” The cyan Pegasus said, “Eh, it was nothing. Could’ve shaved twenty seconds if that wind wasn’t against me.” Midnight cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Rainbow, but is there a reason for you to be here?” “Oh, yeah. Fluttershy asked me to get you to help out searching for her animals.” “Don’t tell me they ran away.” “Not all of them. Just a few animals got spooked by something in the forest.” “But what about the girls? I can’t leave them alone.” “Don’t worry, Midnight. I got them.” “OK, thanks.” He spread his wings and started to flap. As his hooves left the ground, he felt the exhilaration of truly flying. He rarely used his wings, but he loved it when he did. He turned in the direction toward Fluttershy’s cottage and sped as fast as he could. He was no Rainbow Dash, but he was faster than most Pegasi. He saw the yellow Pegasus near the edge of the Everfree Forest. As he landed, Fluttershy was frightened until she saw who it was. Meeting Manticores and Zebras—Edge of the Everfree Forest— The sun was about three quarters of the way across the sky by the time Midnight Legend had arrived near Fluttershy’s cottage. She shared her home with many woodland creatures, though some of them went missing. “You called?” “Oh, Midnight, I’m so glad you’re here. A few of my animal friends wandered into the forest despite my warnings. They were only small, almost babies.” The Pegasus let out a whimper and started to weep. Midnight, being a kind pony, put a hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. We’ll find them. One question: how long has it been since they went in?” “Oh, um, it was about ten minutes ago.” ---Inside the Everfree Forest--- They had been searching for nearly a half-hour along the edge of the forest. He knew that those animals could not have journeyed too deep into the forest. They started to split up and look along the forest's edge about ten minutes each way, and both had come empty. “Then they couldn’t have gotten too deep into the forest. I’m sure they all stuck together since this forest is unfamiliar territory for them.” The look of concern on the Element of Kindness brought Midnight a smile. Noticing it, the yellow Pegasus began to tear up, thinking it a derisive grin. Seeing her reaction, he explained, “Fluttershy, I really admire your concern for the woodland creatures. I apologize if my face showed otherwise.” “Um, it’s just fine, Midnight. If you want…” Her phrase was interrupted by the sound of several animals whimpering. The two of them headed toward the sound, jumping over brambles and ducking under branches. Sure enough, inside a small cave with a large log blocking the entrance were the missing creatures. Fluttershy ran quickly over toward the hole and looked inside. “Oh, are you all hurt or…” “Fluttershy, stay still and quiet. I don’t think we’re alone.” The cracking of twigs and rustling of leaves were heard in the distance. Fluttershy assumed the fetal position and shuddered on the ground. From the shadows emerged two large manticores. They obviously intended to eat the small creatures. As they came out, they released a loud roar that caused the animals and their caretaker to whimper in fear. Midnight was the only one who stood fast. His horn glowed as the log blocking the cave entrance levitated above his head. “Fluttershy, I’ll handle these two and lose them in the forest. Take the animals back to the cottage when this log leaves my control.” The manticores began to threateningly stomp the ground, signaling they were about to attack. He calmly and bravely stayed his ground, a determined look in his eyes. In that moment, the log flew toward the two wild beasts. Meanwhile, as instructed, Fluttershy escorted the animals towards her cottage. This left Midnight alone with the manticores. One of them noticed the Pegasus and her animals escaping; he attempted to lunge at them. It was stopped by a log that suddenly dropped in his path, knocking that manticore unconscious. “Unless you want to end up like your friend, I’d stay right here and face me.” Focusing on his enemy who made him lose a meal, the remaining manticore stomped the ground again. Again, Midnight just held his ground. The manticore suddenly pounced. Expecting such a straightforward attack, he merely dodged, causing it to skid along the earth. The alicorn began to go airborne as he flew deeper into the forest. A magic aura suddenly glowed around Midnight’s horn as trees were pulled from their roots and into the path behind him. He peeked over his shoulder and noticed the manticore still fairly close. Midnight flapped his wings to increase his speed, hoping to lose him. Then, as if instantly, a sharp pain caused him to crash into the ground. He looked at the cause and was shocked. His left wing was broken and had a gash. The manticore chasing him caught up and stood over him. As it was about to strike Midnight with his paw, a rock struck the beast in its face; it instinctively searched to see which direction the stone originated and who was tossed it. But Midnight made no attempt to follow in his foe’s actions. This distraction was his time to be rid of the manticore. A log loomed in front of the wild beast and flew into his head. He had used his magic to finally escape the beasts, at least for now. They were unconscious, but would eventually come to and devour him if he stayed. As he struggled to stand, Midnight then heard footsteps coming from behind him, but they did not belong to a wild beast of the Everfree Forest. They sounded like those of a pony. He turned to see a hooded figure. The front legs of this creature were striped with black and white. From the hood, two eyes stared at him and spoke in a deep accent. “The manticores are fierce, indeed, but that one is a more bestial breed.” Looking around, I noticed a blood-stained branch above. His wing must have clipped that branch when he checked the distance between him and the now-unconscious manticore. Midnight said in response, “I wouldn’t know that. I assume it was you who threw the rock at it.” “Yes, I was the one who threw the stone, as this forest to you is currently unknown. Come with me. To my home I will bring and I will help you heal your wing.” He suddenly remembered his broken wing. He followed her, not knowing how he was going to get out of the Everfree Forest. Many stories have circulated of ponies getting lost here and never being seen again, but he knew they were all conjurations of the Equestrian Enquirer. Breaking the silence, Midnight said, “Judging by your accent and your stripes, you must be from Zebrica. If I may ask, what is your name?” “Zecora is what I am named, and I am from Zebrica, as you claimed.” They arrived at her hut, which was inside a tree decorated with traditional Zebrican masks. Although grotesque to an outsider, they speak of welcome and happiness. Once we were inside, she removed her cloak and placed it on a hook. The zebra then turned to me. “First thing I need is to see your gash, and, to make it easy, please do not thrash.” She examined the wound and wing rather thoroughly. Midnight felt some pain due to the wing’s natural sensitivity, but it was nothing unbearable. He was surprised Zecora knew so much about the wing structure. “First, this wound must be cleaned. Afterwards, you must be preened.” Zecora brought a rag and a laver of hot water. She sopped the rag in the water and wrung it dry; then, she gently placed the rag on the wing. Midnight gritted his teeth at the heat, but felt it soothing after a second. Zecora continued doing this for about five minutes until the wing was cleaned. She carefully dried it with a towel. Midnight was hesitant about letting a non-Pegasus preen his wings. Besides the wing being injured can affect the aerodynamics, his wings were in need of it. He decided to ask Zecora to bring a Pegasus to do this task. “Zecora, I’m not sure you know much about wings. I feel more comfortable if a Pegasus did it.” “I would like to try, yet at your request, I will bring Fluttershy. Get into the bed and rest; do this at my behest.” Zecora pointed toward a cot in the corner, then left to get Fluttershy, who was no doubt worrying herself. Midnight climbed into the bed, careful not to cause further damage to his wing. He lied on his stomach and drifted into sleep. The alicorn drifted into sleep, hoping his friends truly have not forgotten his birthday. Dreams, Healing, and Surprise---At Midnight’s house--- “You actually thought we would remember such a silly event as your birthday.” said Starry Night. Pinkie Pie added, “Yeah, even I, the party-pony, didn’t even care to do anything for it.” “But what about all the things I’ve been doing all day!?” Midnight asked. Rainbow Dash replied, “We just wanted to have some fun, make you think we were doing something like keeping you out of your house until the decorations were ready.” “Yep, sugarcube,” Applejack agreed. “He sure fell for it good.” “You should’ve seen the look on your face when your sister said we didn’t have anything planned,” Twilight Sparkle said. They all laughed at his misfortune. Midnight looked downtrodden, as if the worst day of his life had happened. It was as if their laughter sucked the happiness of his expectations of the day. His eyes suddenly opened to see blackness, and realized that what he saw was a dream. ---Inside Zecora’s hut--- Midnight, sitting up on the bed, had quickly awoken from his sleep. How long he had slept was not known to him, so he decided to find out. He looked around the room, but no light was seen in the one-roomed hut; the small fire beneath Zecora’s cauldron was the only thing that pierced the darkness of the hut. What little sunlight that shone through the treetops in the Everfree Forest was nearly spent. Footsteps were heard outside. Not knowing if they were friend or foe, Midnight reassumed the same position he fell asleep in. He left a single eye cracked open so he can catch these “intruders” off-guard. The door suddenly flew open. Eight pony-shaped figures stepped into the darkened hut, but one of them gestured all but a single Pegasus to leave (Pegasi having their wings to the side, making their shadow appear more heavyset). One of them closed the door, leaving him trapped inside. Knowing of no better time to strike, Midnight jumped out of bed and landed on the floor. The two turned to look at me. “I don’t know who you are, but you’re not going to take me or anything in this hut.” One of them replied, “Why is it I would take of my own belonging? I’m here with Fluttershy for your preening.” Hearing the deep Zebrican accent made him lower his guard. Midnight lighted the torches on the wall, causing light to shine around the hut. “I’m sorry, Zecora; just thought you were some ruffians hiding in the Forest.” “You are forgiven, Midnight. We must finish, for there’s little light. The Forest is a dangerous place when darkened; the creatures will attack, even if unthreatened.” “OK. Fluttershy, I’m sorry I worried you so.” “It’s fine. At least my animals are safe thanks to you.” “That’s good to know.” “Zecora told me you were here and wanted me to help you.” “Fluttershy, I want you to…” Midnight paused midsentence. He knew about the tenderness of the wings, and preening the wings can be seen as a symbol of a relationship beyond that of mere friendship. “Um, you want me to what?” Fluttershy asked. His heart was beating rapidly. Midnight knew he needed the preening, but his mind was not sure whether Fluttershy should do it. Despite his difficult decision, he made up his mind. “Will you preen my wings?” he spoke the question loudly. The yellow Pegasus stood there surprised. Midnight Legend, a pony who had good looks, intelligence, and talent, had asked her to preen his wings. Her thoughts on his supposed affections ceased as he spoke. “Look, Fluttershy, I was in a terrible accident, and I broke my wing. Zecora cleaned the blood off. In case any of my feathers were knocked out of place, I requested her to fetch you to do the job.” “Um, I still don’t understand why you chose me of all ponies to do this.” “Does the answer ‘I trust you’ sound sufficient?” “That’s fine. Now lie down on the bed wings up.” Midnight did as he was told and climbed upon the bed. Lying down, he felt Fluttershy straddle atop his torso, his wings a short distance from her legs. She placed her mouth on one of the primary feathers, which caused him to wince. “Oh my. Did that hurt you?” “No, it’s just a different sensation. Guess I needed a warning before you began preening.” “Fair enough, Midnight. I’ll be starting back.” She repeated the same action more gently than before. He suddenly felt soothed as the Pegasus worked her way up each wing, one feather at a time. It was almost like a dream: a beautiful mare preening his wings as he lay there. Midnight then recalled his previous birthdays, from those in his home to those in the castle. Perhaps this birthday was not too bad at all. Birthday—he suddenly recalled that the day was not over just yet. Maybe somepony could still tell him “happy birthday” or that they had planned something. “So that’s what they were doing,” he thought to himself. “They must have been planning this from the start. The jobs I’ve been given did sound a bit convenient; their scheme was to keep me away from town while they planned something, but what?” “Um, Midnight, your wings are all finished.” He looked at his still-broken wing. It felt cleaner and more aerodynamic, but Zecora needed to do one last thing “You wing is indeed neat, now bandaging it will make your treatment complete.” Zecora then partly unrolled a bandage roll and handed it to Fluttershy. As Zecora held the end in place, Fluttershy passed it under my torso back to Zecora, who repeated the process. When my wing was completely immobile, Zecora bit the bandage away from the roll. She then grabbed a glue-like substance and placed it at the loose end. Midnight then tested the strength of his bandages. The wrappings were tight enough to restrict movement, but loose enough to allow breathing. “Zecora, could you be kind enough to show us the way out of the Everfree Forest? I’ve heard the stories of this place, and my wings’ incapacitation is not a good thing.” “I would be glad to show you the way, so you two can avoid being a foul creature’s prey.” With that, the zebra lead Midnight and Fluttershy out of the forest. We spoke of many things: ancient remedies, the histories, and life stories (at least those Midnight would not mind telling). Zecora showed us at the main entrance to the Everfree Forest. If you would not care, I would wish to make sure you reach home without a scare.” “That sounds fine. And thank you again, Fluttershy, for your assistance. I must be getting home soon; don’t wish to trouble Starr for being out so late.” “Um, Midnight, if you don’t mind, I wish to make sure you get home safely.” “I think that’s…” “Oh, uh, I understand you want to be alone. So, I’ll just go home.” “Wait, you didn’t let me finish. I was saying ‘I think that’s just fine, if it will put you at ease.’” So, the two of them walked through the fields and into Ponyville. Most of the houses were covered, with only a curtain or shutter that allowed passage of light to the outside. He arrived at his house with Fluttershy. Midnight thought he heard several noises coming from inside. No lights were on, which made him suspicious of who was inside. As she opened the door, he prepared for the worst. Fluttershy and Zecora stepped forward, with Midnight following close behind. The darkness suddenly disappeared as light suddenly flooded the room. Dozens of ponies jumped from hiding places and yelled at the top of their lungs. “SURPRISE!!” Birthdays and Memories—At Midnight Legend’s house— Standing in awe at the door’s threshold, Midnight Legend decided to step forward to greet everypony. His path was suddenly blocked by a pink pony. “Surprise!! You should’ve seen your face when you came in. We were like ‘Surprise,’ and you were like *gasp*. I mean, I’ve been planning this thing for weeks and weeks and weeks.” “Yeah, you do know how to throw a party, especially if it’s a surprise party.” He scanned the crowd to view the attendees. Of course, his sister Starry Nights was here along with Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. The group of them, joined by Fluttershy and Pinkie, came toward him. “Happy birthday, Midnight,” the seven said. “So, it was you all who were responsible for the stalling.” “Yes,” said Twilight. “I organized the order of events.” “And I got you t’ help me ‘round the farm.” “And I lied about having a huge order from Canterlot. I sent Sweetie Belle to you so you can stay away from town by watching the girls.” “And I would come in and cover taking care of the girls so you could go help Fluttershy.” “Oh, and the animals really weren’t supposed to get captured, but pretend to be lost so you can find them. But you got injured, which wasn’t supposed to happen.” Jumping into the middle, Pinkie added, “And while you were doing all that, I was putting up the decorations and streamers and confetti and tables and chairs and cups and plates and forks and spoons and cake and ice cream and…” “Alright,” Starr interrupted, after putting her hoof in Pinkie’s mouth, “I think he gets the idea.” Midnight was flustered. All of them had kept him out of town just so they could plan this surprise party for him. He felt touched by their actions. He said, “Well, now I know who did what, but I don’t know whose idea this was in the first place.” “It was my idea. I wanted your first birthday in a new town to be special. This was all for you.” His sister ran and threw her legs around his neck. Midnight acknowledged the action and returned the hug. What seemed like they were linked for hours was only about thirty seconds. The two of them separated and began to socialize amongst the attendees. Twilight then came up to him. “I have a special surprise for you. You are gonna love this present.” “Really now?” “Oh, yes. I’ve been planning it for weeks, but you will have to wait a little bit.” “If it’s as good as you say it is, I can’t wait.” Among the party attendees he knew personally were the Mayor, the Cakes, Cheerilee, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Spike, Lyra, Time Turner, and Derpy. Others were present he did not know very well, but still knew of them. He socialized for about a half hour until Twilight brought everypony’s attention to the main table where the cake was. The cake itself was three-tiered; it also had several candles on each tier. It was iced with hayseed frosting (hayseed frosting is his favorite icing). Starr joined Midnight as he went forward to blow out his birthday candles. As per tradition, he was to make a wish before blowing the candles out. His mind wandered and wondered on what he should wish. Less than a year ago, he had moved to Ponyville from Canterlot. It had been shortly after his closest friend Princess Cadance’s wedding to Shining Armor. At the time, he had recently stopped being so bitter towards Twilight Sparkle for something that he felt was a dishonor. Twilight, who had joined him on the train ride to Ponyville alone, was told by Midnight that he loved her. Shocked, she listened as he finally poured his heart to somepony other than Cadance. From the time she saw him speak to Cadance in such a kind way (until that time, Twilight had never heard kindness in his speech patterns), she suspected that her former foalsitter meant more to him than just as friends. She asked him about his feelings toward Cadance. Although he still loved her, Midnight was still happy that she felt happy with Twilight’s brother; he had always seen Cadance almost like a sister who, at the time, he had always wanted. His mind dissolved into reality, the hours reminiscing actually around two seconds. He wished that his friend was here to celebrate with him. With that, he blew out the candles. As the candles were forcefully snuffed, a loud knock came to the door of the house. Running to the door, Twilight and Starr made Midnight stay where he was until they returned. He could make out a distinctly male voice, like that of a guard. He heard processional trumpets being played as the door opened to reveal two regal ponies. It was Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Equestria’s co-rulers and Midnight’s former caretakers, come to take part in the festivities. Once the two had entered, the door remained open. Why? Showing hospitality, he went forward toward the princesses, lowered his head, and bowed. He still wondered why they were here; some hidden motive of their being here bothered his mind. Celestia said, “Rise, Midnight. Twilight Sparkle told us of your birthday and how she as well as your sister wished it to be the best day for you.” “Tis true,” Luna added. “Though our shared time in the palace was short, I remember when you told me your enjoyment of admiring my night.” “How rude of us. Leaving our royal guests, who journeyed far to get to Canterlot just to come to this event, outside. Guard, escort her inside.” With a quick bow, the guard left Princess Celestia and went back outside. Another procession, this time from two ponies that looked as if they sparkled underneath the light. They must be the legendary crystal ponies from the recently-rediscovered Crystal Empire. These mysterious guests stepped across the entrance to Midnight’s house, drawing everypony’s eyes to her. Lighting the shadows, two figures emerged from the darkness: an alicorn mare and a unicorn stallion. The unicorn had a white coat and blue mane; a shield emblazoned with the symbol for magic was upon his flank. Although noticing the unicorn, Midnight’s eyes were focused upon the alicorn. She had a pink coat with a rose and violet mane. Her cutie mark was a crystal heart with golden lace surrounding it. Save for Midnight, Twilight, and the princesses, all in the room showed their respect to the rulers of the Crystal Empire: Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. Celestia and Luna turned to Midnight and Twilight and gestured to go to the new guests. Midnight took off toward Cadance; he then embraced her, having not seen her since she left for the Crystal Empire several months ago. She returned the action as they conversed. “Cadance, I’m so glad you could make it.” “I would never miss such an occasion: your first birthday in this new chapter of your life.” “Yeah, so how are things up in the Crystal Empire since you’ve taken over?” “You know how it is to rule over many ponies: it isn’t as easy as it sounds. At least I’m not ruling Equestria like Aunt Celestia did during Luna’s banishment.” “I can only imagine such a burden. As Head of Safety here, I’m responsible for everypony’s safety. I’m working on getting a more efficient communication system between Ponyville and Canterlot in case of disasters like Nightmare Moon or Discord.” “That is actually a great idea. I’d run that by my aunts as soon as you can, but tonight, it’s all about you.” Concurrently, Twilight was speaking to her BBBFF Shining Armor. “So, Twily, how’s Midnight been treating you since…” “Oh, that. Well, we’re no longer together, but still on speaking terms.” “Still, at least you had some romantic interaction with another pony, especially a stallion as good as Midnight.” “Aside from my life, how’s co-ruling the Crystal Empire been?” “Though Cadance does more of the actual ‘ruling,’ I still have the Canterlot Royal Guard to run. I go down once a month to check up on them.” “Is that why you’re here, Shining Armor?” Midnight queried. “Yes; it’s a pain to leave Cadance alone, but I trust nothing will happen as long as my sister has her friends.” Twilight then went to Cadance and talked about her adventures since the Sombra attack: reforming Discord, battling a corrupted Trixie, and even combating an army of Pinkie Pies. The night went on as the guests dwindled in number. The only ones left in the room were the princesses, Shining Armor, the Element bearers, Starry Nights, and Midnight. “So, now that everypony’s gone, whose idea was it to bring Cadance here?” Starr ran up to her brother and threw her legs around his neck. When that happened, it was as if the two of them were bound together as one. “This was your idea?” “Yes. I knew you would want Princess Cadance to be here, so I asked Twilight to coordinate getting her here at the proper time. I even asked to bring Princess Celestia and Princess Luna into this plan and invite her and Shining Armor as royal guests.” “You even had the princesses lie to get them here?” “Of course not, Midnight,” Celestia answered. “We actually did have some business to discuss about the Crystal Empire’s autonomy; the meeting finished earlier than expected. So, we just chatted about other matters, personal and royal.” “My sister, we must be leaving soon. You need your rest; I will guard the night.” “Very well, Luna. We bid you all farewell.” In unison, the sisters said, “And happy birthday, Midnight.” He smiled as they left in their personal carriage to Canterlot. The Element bearers, save for Twilight, returned to their own homes. Cadance then said, “It’s time that we return to Canterlot. We will be leaving for the Crystal Empire the day after tomorrow, and we need the rest.” “Yeah, but it was good seeing you, Midnight.” Shining Armor added. “And it’s always good to see you again, Twily.” “And you too, BBBFF.” Midnight went to Cadance spoke; “Cadance, thank you for making my birthday one I’ll remember for all my days.” “I’m glad I could be a part of your life again. Every time I’ve seen you, you are coming farther along than when you first came to the palace. Although your soul has been hurt, you’ve left that pain in Canterlot and started anew in Ponyville.” Starr then replied, “And he hasn’t regretted it since he has me.” Twilight then added, “You know, Midnight, you’re lucky that you have such a loving little sister.” “And I’m lucky to have such good friends as you all.” Everypony said their goodbyes to the co-rulers of the Crystal Empire as they left. Twilight then returned to her library, where Spike had probably fallen asleep waiting for her. After cleaning up a little bit, Midnight said, “I guess it’s time we go to bed.” “You’re right, Midnight.” Starr then went to her bedroom, but she turned around and went to her brother. She once again embraced him as he reciprocated her embrace. “I’m glad you liked your birthday.” After a moment of silence, she resumed, “Midnight, I love you.” Those final three words brought a smile to his face as he tightened his hug, pulling the two of them closer. Since she came back to his life, Starr had brought joy back in his life; that was something no amount of “I love yous” could ever repay. “I love you too, Starr.” He had to fight a tear from coming out of his eye; that moment he was in was the one he would remember more than Cadance. She was family, someone he could be a role model for. He kissed her on the head, showing his love for his sister. She returned to her room as Midnight stood there taking in the moment. He then lied down on his bed, pulled the sheets over his body, and closed his eyes. Today had truly been a remarkable day. It had been his birthday: one he would never ever forget. What made it special was not the cake, the decorations, or the presents. It was the love and friendship that was in that room during those few hours. And those relationships could never be undone.
A First Time for Everything--Golden Oaks Library-- It was just before sunrise in Ponyville, when a single unicorn that had a sapphire blue coat and dark mane knocked on the door to the library. Few ponies were out this early, so it was ideal to have a meeting. Pinkie Pie, Ponyville's resident "party pony" and wielder of the Element of Laughter, is extremely giddy this morning. She is speaking to her friends about a surprise party that is to happen that day. "Oh, this is going to be so exciting! Are you excited? 'Cause I'm excited; well, except for the first time I saw him, when I went like..." She went silent except for her attempt at speaking with her mouth magically sealed by a lavender unicorn. Twilight Sparkle, the de facto leader of this group of friends and wielder of the Element of Magic, began to speak. "Good morning, everypony. Now, this is a project of great magnitude; it requires precision, order, and cooperation. Are we all perfectly clear?" All six of them replied in one accord, "Yes." "Good, now, our mission today is to keep Midnight Legend out of the house for most of the day. This is where you all come in. Applejack, find some reason for him to help on Sweet Apple Acres." The farm mare responded, "Will do, Twilight. He does owe me for that bet we made." "Anyway, after he finishes, Rarity will send Sweetie Belle to him and ask him to watch her for a few hours while you 'finish up a big project.'" "Oh, yes, with Sweetie Belle gone, I can get a lot more work done in the shop," said the refined mare. "After that time is up, Rainbow Dash will race over and tell him Fluttershy needs some help with the animals that have been "startled" and are missing." "Um, alright. But what if my animals really do go missing?" the shy animal caretaker asked. "Don't worry, Fluttershy. If it does happen, that'll give Pinkie more time to do her thing. "Of course, while he's gone," Twilight resumed, "Pinkie will get everything ready. And our source, who is present here, has helped us and will be our last resort should the above plans fail, right?" The unicorn nodded. "Also, I have a special arrangement, but it's meant to be a real surprise to all of you. Does everypony understand what needs to be done?" The other six nodded in agreement. They all left the library and went their separate ways. --A few hours later, in a house not too far away-- A noise suddenly rang out. It startled the sleeping alicorn out of his slumber. Midnight Legend, Ponyville's Head of Safety, got up from his bed. The sun was mostly above the horizon at this time. He performed a few stretches to get his blood flowing from his partly-groggy body. He then levitated his trademark blue cape onto his back and connected the hooked chain into the eye. Walking out of his bedroom door made his eyes widen in shock. In the kitchen, he saw pots and pans everywhere, something burning on the stove, and the refrigerator door wide open. He trotted inside and saw a strange sight. A younger unicorn was struggling to get the garbage can while magically stirring something in a bowl. This unicorn was Starry Nights, his little sister. The newest addition to his life after years of separation, she was a few years younger than him, but was not as good with magic as others. She also wasn't a cook, judging by the mess and the burning. Her coat was covered in flour, some bits of food, and sweat. She, feeling a presence watching her, turned to see her older brother staring at her with a small smile on his face. Starry Nights looked at him, with both relief and regret in her eyes. She put her foreleg around his neck, which he reciprocated the action. "Happy birthday, Midnight. I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed. I wanted to show how much I love you, especially on your birthday." Noticing her frown and still smiling, he replied, "Star, you know I don't need to be shown your love. I appreciate your attempt, but we both know you're not the best when it comes to cooking. You get cleaned up while I clean this mess. And don't worry, I'll cook breakfast." As she left to shower, Midnight used magic to turn on the sink, gather the dishes, and put some dish soap in the sink. Then, he started to wash the dishes and neatly stack them in their respective cabinets. With the kitchen somewhat clean, he looked inside the refrigerator to see what he could make that hadn't been burned. --Outside of Ponyville-- After he had cleaned up and cooked breakfast, they ate and, at Starry's insistence, took a walk. As they journeyed toward Sweet Apple Acres, she spoke up. "So, has Mom and Dad sent a card yet, Midnight?" "Not yet, but I'm sure it's gonna be in the mail today or tomorrow at the latest." "You're right. It doesn't take that long for mail to travel from Canterlot to here." Looking over to his nervous filly sister, he asked, "What's bothering you? You seem troubled today." "Oh, it's nothing, really. Just a bit disappointed you made breakfast when I wanted to surprise you." "I understand just how you feel, Star. I myself wasn't a cook either, but I learned from Cadance when I was in the palace." He went silent immediately; Star then noticed a strange look in his eye. It always appeared when he mentioned or thought about something from the ten years before he moved to Ponyville. "You really miss that time, don't you, Midnight?" "Yes, I do. Of all that time, I missed the Cadance I knew and loved. Since last year's Canterlot Garden Party, it's like she changed. We did so many things together, and though I’m happy for her, the pain still remains.” Consoling him, Star replied, “Listen, I don’t exactly know what caused her to change her mind, and I don’t wish to know. That’s between you and Cadance. Yet, she was the only person you could truly call ‘friend’ during that whole time.” “It’s true. I could confide in her some things I couldn’t even tell you of. Not that I don’t trust you, but, for that time, she felt like an older sister to me.” “That close, huh?” “Yes.” The moment was cut short by Applejack running toward them. She started to speak, but her heavy breathing inhibited her speech. “Need… Midnight… help… something…” “Just catch your breath, AJ.” After she caught her breath, she said, “I need yer help. Big Mac jus’ got hurt, an’ nopony’s nowhere near as strong as you are.” “Is it something you can do?” “No. I’m nowhere near as strong as my brother, and you’re probably the next strongest.” “Well, I’m trying to spend some quality time with my sister on my birthday.” “Oh, c’mon, sugarcube. You owe me for that bet, remember?” “Can it wait until tomorrow, Applejack?” “Nope.” Reluctantly, he turned to his sister and said, “Look, Star, I’ll go help Applejack on the farm. Just go home, and I’ll be back soon.” With that, he left. All that Starry Nights was thinking was, “Phase 1 has begun.” Author's Note I hope you all enjoy this story in celebration of my birthday.
Of Hard Work and Babysitting---Sweet Apple Acres— Two ponies stood before an old storage shed that needed to be torn down, but with care so falling debris would not damage any of the apple saplings nearby. Applejack, the shorter of the two, spoke up, “So, uh, Midnight, you think you can do this without hurtin’ them saplings over there?” His reply was only, “Of course I can. It’s simple.” “Alright. Now, you head over to th’ back of the shed while I go to the front. When I whistle, you push and buck with all yer power while I do the same over on my end. If ev’rythin’s done right, nothin’s gonna fall on the saplings.” “And if they do, I’ll just catch it with my magic and throw it to the side.” “Ya done took the words right outta my mouth, sugarcube.” “Alright, let’s get to it.” Hearing how the farm pony said “sugarcube” brought a certain charm to it. Midnight knew Applejack, along with most of the fillies he met, thought him among the finest stallions in Equestria. Not quite as handsome or popular as the pony stars like Bruno Mares or Matthew McConaughay, yet he could entrance the mares with a few words. He assumed his position behind the shed. When he heard the whistle, he bucked at the wall, which snapped at the support. After about an hour of work, all that was left was a pile of timber. Wiping the sweat off her brow, she said, “Whew, that took some effort, but we did it.” “That we did, Applejack. Now that I’ve paid my debt, I would like to finish the heart-to-heart with Star.” To his shock, he heard a voice over the hill. It sounded like a young school-age foal calling out his name. Sure enough, up over the hill came a white unicorn filly with light pink and light purple hair. “Sweetie Belle, if yer lookin’ for Apple Bloom, she’s over at the house.” “I know that, but Rarity sent me over here to give Midnight Legend this note.” Taking the note, Midnight read the contents. As his eyes peered across the page, he grew slightly annoyed. Midnight, I know this is so sudden, but I was supposed to look after Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo for a few hours at the Boutique. Just today, an order came from Canterlot for several dresses made of the finest fabrics in Equestria; the buyer wanted the order to arrive in three days’ time. This could be the next step toward my dream and I hope you can empathize. If you can watch over the girls, that would be most wonderful. We can work out some form of compensation later. Thank you. With love, Rarity “Applejack, could you watch the girls?” “Shoot, no. I got double th’ work cut now that Big Mac’s out for a while. Sorry.” “It’s fine. See you later.” “Alright. And thanks for the help.” With that, Applejack went off toward the apple orchards. He really wished he could get out of this, but it was useless. “So, Sweetie Belle, let’s go over to the house and see if Apple Bloom’s there.” When they arrived, Granny Smith was sitting on the porch. She was rocking in her chair and sipping a mug of apple cider. Sitting beside her was Big Macintosh, with a bandage around his torso and enjoying his own cider. “Hey Granny Smith. Is Apple Bloom here?” The elderly mare replied, “She sure is. Big Mac, could you get your sister down here?” “Eeyup.” After a few minutes, Big Mac exited the house with Apple Bloom. She ran out the door and went to greet Sweetie. “Hey, Sweetie Belle. When are we gonna meet Scootaloo over at Rarity’s?” “Sorry, but my sis just got a large order from Canterlot. She needs the time to finish the dresses. Midnight agreed to watch us as we play in the fields for a few hours.” “Alright, then let’s get going.” “And forget about me!?” a voice yelled. Over the hill came a small burnt orange Pegasus filly riding a red scooter. She did a flip as she jumped off another hill. Midnight thought she had a future with that little scooter. “Hey, you guys. Just came over from Rarity’s; she told me you all were here. I came here as fast as I could in case you decided to leave me. “We wouldn’t do that, Scootaloo. You’re a fellow Crusader,” Apple Bloom replied. “Cool, so what awesome things are we gonna do today?” “Alright, girls,” Midnight said as he got their attention, “I know you want to do many things today, but let’s head toward the fields right now. You can talk about what you’re gonna do on the way.” As they went towards the fields near Sweet Apple Acres, the three friends spoke of trying to get their cutie marks. A small group of ponies, Midnight Legend included, knew what their talents really were, but he allowed them to dream and wait for them to discover those talents like he did what felt like a lifetime ago. ---The fields near Sweet Apple Acres--- They started to play in the fields when they got there. The first hour was spent trying to get their cutie marks in bird-catching, which resulted in them coming back with droppings and pecks marks on their skin. After they cleaned up in a nearby pond, the other two decided to plan for the next event. Sweetie Belle, tired of their crusading, trotted toward Midnight and said to them, “Go ahead and plan; I’ll just rest here for a while.” They went on their way underneath a tree about fifty feet away from them. As the young filly sat down beside him, she started to converse with him. “Can I ask you something,” the small filly queried. “Go right ahead.” “Do you like my sister Rarity?” “Like as in?” “Like as in like-like.” Midnight had never been asked if he loved somepony since Twilight asked the same question on the train ride to Ponyville after he moved from Canterlot. He least of all expected it to be asked of a relative of that certain somepony. “To answer your question, no, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like your sister at all. I admit she is beautiful, charming, and sophisticated. Whoever marries her will be one lucky stallion.” “Oh. Well, she hasn’t really been eyeing anyone recently.” “Sweetie Belle, why is it you’re telling me this?” “Because I want that ‘one lucky stallion’ to be you.” He was shocked at that statement. Yes, he said she was beautiful, but that was hardly enough to count as “being interested.” “I told you that I don’t love her, yet you want me to marry her. Why?” “Because you’re a kind, sophisticated, handsome, and talented pony; Rarity deserves the best.” “But I’m not the best. I used to think I was, but that was during my younger years. My extreme pride in my abilities is what caused my bitterness toward Twilight. I still hold my skills in particularly high regard. This pride doesn’t control me, but it’s still there, like it is in most ponies. And the fact I am sophisticated has to do with my upbringing in Canterlot. My handsomeness is merely a value judgment; it varies from pony to pony. But my kindness is something everypony chooses to act, which I chose not to show in the past.” She stared at me for a moment, in awe or terror he could not tell. The tiny filly who could never understand my feelings was listening as Midnight spoke his mind. “Don’t let what I said get you scared, Sweetie. I would never hurt you or your friends. Those days are behind me, but they still happened. I did many things I regret. Yet, I learned important lessons from them.” “Could you tell me about the time you were in town to stop Nightmare Moon during the Summer Sun Celebration two years ago?” “Again!? You’ve probably heard it a hundred times already.” “Actually, only seventeen, but who’s counting.” So, again, he retold the story of the weeks leading up to the 1000th Summer Sun Celebration, his surprise encounter with Nightmare Moon, and his heroic act of calming the citizens as they panicked. Suddenly, a rainbow streak whizzed across the sky above him and landed a few steps in front of him. It was Ponyville’s local daredevil, Rainbow Dash. “Yesss!! Did it in only two minutes.” The other two fillies abandoned their project to see Rainbow Dash. All of them, especially Scootaloo, looked up to Rainbow Dash in a way. Scootaloo remarked, “That was so awesome, Rainbow Dash.” The cyan Pegasus said, “Eh, it was nothing. Could’ve shaved twenty seconds if that wind wasn’t against me.” Midnight cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Rainbow, but is there a reason for you to be here?” “Oh, yeah. Fluttershy asked me to get you to help out searching for her animals.” “Don’t tell me they ran away.” “Not all of them. Just a few animals got spooked by something in the forest.” “But what about the girls? I can’t leave them alone.” “Don’t worry, Midnight. I got them.” “OK, thanks.” He spread his wings and started to flap. As his hooves left the ground, he felt the exhilaration of truly flying. He rarely used his wings, but he loved it when he did. He turned in the direction toward Fluttershy’s cottage and sped as fast as he could. He was no Rainbow Dash, but he was faster than most Pegasi. He saw the yellow Pegasus near the edge of the Everfree Forest. As he landed, Fluttershy was frightened until she saw who it was.
Meeting Manticores and Zebras—Edge of the Everfree Forest— The sun was about three quarters of the way across the sky by the time Midnight Legend had arrived near Fluttershy’s cottage. She shared her home with many woodland creatures, though some of them went missing. “You called?” “Oh, Midnight, I’m so glad you’re here. A few of my animal friends wandered into the forest despite my warnings. They were only small, almost babies.” The Pegasus let out a whimper and started to weep. Midnight, being a kind pony, put a hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. We’ll find them. One question: how long has it been since they went in?” “Oh, um, it was about ten minutes ago.” ---Inside the Everfree Forest--- They had been searching for nearly a half-hour along the edge of the forest. He knew that those animals could not have journeyed too deep into the forest. They started to split up and look along the forest's edge about ten minutes each way, and both had come empty. “Then they couldn’t have gotten too deep into the forest. I’m sure they all stuck together since this forest is unfamiliar territory for them.” The look of concern on the Element of Kindness brought Midnight a smile. Noticing it, the yellow Pegasus began to tear up, thinking it a derisive grin. Seeing her reaction, he explained, “Fluttershy, I really admire your concern for the woodland creatures. I apologize if my face showed otherwise.” “Um, it’s just fine, Midnight. If you want…” Her phrase was interrupted by the sound of several animals whimpering. The two of them headed toward the sound, jumping over brambles and ducking under branches. Sure enough, inside a small cave with a large log blocking the entrance were the missing creatures. Fluttershy ran quickly over toward the hole and looked inside. “Oh, are you all hurt or…” “Fluttershy, stay still and quiet. I don’t think we’re alone.” The cracking of twigs and rustling of leaves were heard in the distance. Fluttershy assumed the fetal position and shuddered on the ground. From the shadows emerged two large manticores. They obviously intended to eat the small creatures. As they came out, they released a loud roar that caused the animals and their caretaker to whimper in fear. Midnight was the only one who stood fast. His horn glowed as the log blocking the cave entrance levitated above his head. “Fluttershy, I’ll handle these two and lose them in the forest. Take the animals back to the cottage when this log leaves my control.” The manticores began to threateningly stomp the ground, signaling they were about to attack. He calmly and bravely stayed his ground, a determined look in his eyes. In that moment, the log flew toward the two wild beasts. Meanwhile, as instructed, Fluttershy escorted the animals towards her cottage. This left Midnight alone with the manticores. One of them noticed the Pegasus and her animals escaping; he attempted to lunge at them. It was stopped by a log that suddenly dropped in his path, knocking that manticore unconscious. “Unless you want to end up like your friend, I’d stay right here and face me.” Focusing on his enemy who made him lose a meal, the remaining manticore stomped the ground again. Again, Midnight just held his ground. The manticore suddenly pounced. Expecting such a straightforward attack, he merely dodged, causing it to skid along the earth. The alicorn began to go airborne as he flew deeper into the forest. A magic aura suddenly glowed around Midnight’s horn as trees were pulled from their roots and into the path behind him. He peeked over his shoulder and noticed the manticore still fairly close. Midnight flapped his wings to increase his speed, hoping to lose him. Then, as if instantly, a sharp pain caused him to crash into the ground. He looked at the cause and was shocked. His left wing was broken and had a gash. The manticore chasing him caught up and stood over him. As it was about to strike Midnight with his paw, a rock struck the beast in its face; it instinctively searched to see which direction the stone originated and who was tossed it. But Midnight made no attempt to follow in his foe’s actions. This distraction was his time to be rid of the manticore. A log loomed in front of the wild beast and flew into his head. He had used his magic to finally escape the beasts, at least for now. They were unconscious, but would eventually come to and devour him if he stayed. As he struggled to stand, Midnight then heard footsteps coming from behind him, but they did not belong to a wild beast of the Everfree Forest. They sounded like those of a pony. He turned to see a hooded figure. The front legs of this creature were striped with black and white. From the hood, two eyes stared at him and spoke in a deep accent. “The manticores are fierce, indeed, but that one is a more bestial breed.” Looking around, I noticed a blood-stained branch above. His wing must have clipped that branch when he checked the distance between him and the now-unconscious manticore. Midnight said in response, “I wouldn’t know that. I assume it was you who threw the rock at it.” “Yes, I was the one who threw the stone, as this forest to you is currently unknown. Come with me. To my home I will bring and I will help you heal your wing.” He suddenly remembered his broken wing. He followed her, not knowing how he was going to get out of the Everfree Forest. Many stories have circulated of ponies getting lost here and never being seen again, but he knew they were all conjurations of the Equestrian Enquirer. Breaking the silence, Midnight said, “Judging by your accent and your stripes, you must be from Zebrica. If I may ask, what is your name?” “Zecora is what I am named, and I am from Zebrica, as you claimed.” They arrived at her hut, which was inside a tree decorated with traditional Zebrican masks. Although grotesque to an outsider, they speak of welcome and happiness. Once we were inside, she removed her cloak and placed it on a hook. The zebra then turned to me. “First thing I need is to see your gash, and, to make it easy, please do not thrash.” She examined the wound and wing rather thoroughly. Midnight felt some pain due to the wing’s natural sensitivity, but it was nothing unbearable. He was surprised Zecora knew so much about the wing structure. “First, this wound must be cleaned. Afterwards, you must be preened.” Zecora brought a rag and a laver of hot water. She sopped the rag in the water and wrung it dry; then, she gently placed the rag on the wing. Midnight gritted his teeth at the heat, but felt it soothing after a second. Zecora continued doing this for about five minutes until the wing was cleaned. She carefully dried it with a towel. Midnight was hesitant about letting a non-Pegasus preen his wings. Besides the wing being injured can affect the aerodynamics, his wings were in need of it. He decided to ask Zecora to bring a Pegasus to do this task. “Zecora, I’m not sure you know much about wings. I feel more comfortable if a Pegasus did it.” “I would like to try, yet at your request, I will bring Fluttershy. Get into the bed and rest; do this at my behest.” Zecora pointed toward a cot in the corner, then left to get Fluttershy, who was no doubt worrying herself. Midnight climbed into the bed, careful not to cause further damage to his wing. He lied on his stomach and drifted into sleep. The alicorn drifted into sleep, hoping his friends truly have not forgotten his birthday.
Dreams, Healing, and Surprise---At Midnight’s house--- “You actually thought we would remember such a silly event as your birthday.” said Starry Night. Pinkie Pie added, “Yeah, even I, the party-pony, didn’t even care to do anything for it.” “But what about all the things I’ve been doing all day!?” Midnight asked. Rainbow Dash replied, “We just wanted to have some fun, make you think we were doing something like keeping you out of your house until the decorations were ready.” “Yep, sugarcube,” Applejack agreed. “He sure fell for it good.” “You should’ve seen the look on your face when your sister said we didn’t have anything planned,” Twilight Sparkle said. They all laughed at his misfortune. Midnight looked downtrodden, as if the worst day of his life had happened. It was as if their laughter sucked the happiness of his expectations of the day. His eyes suddenly opened to see blackness, and realized that what he saw was a dream. ---Inside Zecora’s hut--- Midnight, sitting up on the bed, had quickly awoken from his sleep. How long he had slept was not known to him, so he decided to find out. He looked around the room, but no light was seen in the one-roomed hut; the small fire beneath Zecora’s cauldron was the only thing that pierced the darkness of the hut. What little sunlight that shone through the treetops in the Everfree Forest was nearly spent. Footsteps were heard outside. Not knowing if they were friend or foe, Midnight reassumed the same position he fell asleep in. He left a single eye cracked open so he can catch these “intruders” off-guard. The door suddenly flew open. Eight pony-shaped figures stepped into the darkened hut, but one of them gestured all but a single Pegasus to leave (Pegasi having their wings to the side, making their shadow appear more heavyset). One of them closed the door, leaving him trapped inside. Knowing of no better time to strike, Midnight jumped out of bed and landed on the floor. The two turned to look at me. “I don’t know who you are, but you’re not going to take me or anything in this hut.” One of them replied, “Why is it I would take of my own belonging? I’m here with Fluttershy for your preening.” Hearing the deep Zebrican accent made him lower his guard. Midnight lighted the torches on the wall, causing light to shine around the hut. “I’m sorry, Zecora; just thought you were some ruffians hiding in the Forest.” “You are forgiven, Midnight. We must finish, for there’s little light. The Forest is a dangerous place when darkened; the creatures will attack, even if unthreatened.” “OK. Fluttershy, I’m sorry I worried you so.” “It’s fine. At least my animals are safe thanks to you.” “That’s good to know.” “Zecora told me you were here and wanted me to help you.” “Fluttershy, I want you to…” Midnight paused midsentence. He knew about the tenderness of the wings, and preening the wings can be seen as a symbol of a relationship beyond that of mere friendship. “Um, you want me to what?” Fluttershy asked. His heart was beating rapidly. Midnight knew he needed the preening, but his mind was not sure whether Fluttershy should do it. Despite his difficult decision, he made up his mind. “Will you preen my wings?” he spoke the question loudly. The yellow Pegasus stood there surprised. Midnight Legend, a pony who had good looks, intelligence, and talent, had asked her to preen his wings. Her thoughts on his supposed affections ceased as he spoke. “Look, Fluttershy, I was in a terrible accident, and I broke my wing. Zecora cleaned the blood off. In case any of my feathers were knocked out of place, I requested her to fetch you to do the job.” “Um, I still don’t understand why you chose me of all ponies to do this.” “Does the answer ‘I trust you’ sound sufficient?” “That’s fine. Now lie down on the bed wings up.” Midnight did as he was told and climbed upon the bed. Lying down, he felt Fluttershy straddle atop his torso, his wings a short distance from her legs. She placed her mouth on one of the primary feathers, which caused him to wince. “Oh my. Did that hurt you?” “No, it’s just a different sensation. Guess I needed a warning before you began preening.” “Fair enough, Midnight. I’ll be starting back.” She repeated the same action more gently than before. He suddenly felt soothed as the Pegasus worked her way up each wing, one feather at a time. It was almost like a dream: a beautiful mare preening his wings as he lay there. Midnight then recalled his previous birthdays, from those in his home to those in the castle. Perhaps this birthday was not too bad at all. Birthday—he suddenly recalled that the day was not over just yet. Maybe somepony could still tell him “happy birthday” or that they had planned something. “So that’s what they were doing,” he thought to himself. “They must have been planning this from the start. The jobs I’ve been given did sound a bit convenient; their scheme was to keep me away from town while they planned something, but what?” “Um, Midnight, your wings are all finished.” He looked at his still-broken wing. It felt cleaner and more aerodynamic, but Zecora needed to do one last thing “You wing is indeed neat, now bandaging it will make your treatment complete.” Zecora then partly unrolled a bandage roll and handed it to Fluttershy. As Zecora held the end in place, Fluttershy passed it under my torso back to Zecora, who repeated the process. When my wing was completely immobile, Zecora bit the bandage away from the roll. She then grabbed a glue-like substance and placed it at the loose end. Midnight then tested the strength of his bandages. The wrappings were tight enough to restrict movement, but loose enough to allow breathing. “Zecora, could you be kind enough to show us the way out of the Everfree Forest? I’ve heard the stories of this place, and my wings’ incapacitation is not a good thing.” “I would be glad to show you the way, so you two can avoid being a foul creature’s prey.” With that, the zebra lead Midnight and Fluttershy out of the forest. We spoke of many things: ancient remedies, the histories, and life stories (at least those Midnight would not mind telling). Zecora showed us at the main entrance to the Everfree Forest. If you would not care, I would wish to make sure you reach home without a scare.” “That sounds fine. And thank you again, Fluttershy, for your assistance. I must be getting home soon; don’t wish to trouble Starr for being out so late.” “Um, Midnight, if you don’t mind, I wish to make sure you get home safely.” “I think that’s…” “Oh, uh, I understand you want to be alone. So, I’ll just go home.” “Wait, you didn’t let me finish. I was saying ‘I think that’s just fine, if it will put you at ease.’” So, the two of them walked through the fields and into Ponyville. Most of the houses were covered, with only a curtain or shutter that allowed passage of light to the outside. He arrived at his house with Fluttershy. Midnight thought he heard several noises coming from inside. No lights were on, which made him suspicious of who was inside. As she opened the door, he prepared for the worst. Fluttershy and Zecora stepped forward, with Midnight following close behind. The darkness suddenly disappeared as light suddenly flooded the room. Dozens of ponies jumped from hiding places and yelled at the top of their lungs. “SURPRISE!!”
Birthdays and Memories—At Midnight Legend’s house— Standing in awe at the door’s threshold, Midnight Legend decided to step forward to greet everypony. His path was suddenly blocked by a pink pony. “Surprise!! You should’ve seen your face when you came in. We were like ‘Surprise,’ and you were like *gasp*. I mean, I’ve been planning this thing for weeks and weeks and weeks.” “Yeah, you do know how to throw a party, especially if it’s a surprise party.” He scanned the crowd to view the attendees. Of course, his sister Starry Nights was here along with Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. The group of them, joined by Fluttershy and Pinkie, came toward him. “Happy birthday, Midnight,” the seven said. “So, it was you all who were responsible for the stalling.” “Yes,” said Twilight. “I organized the order of events.” “And I got you t’ help me ‘round the farm.” “And I lied about having a huge order from Canterlot. I sent Sweetie Belle to you so you can stay away from town by watching the girls.” “And I would come in and cover taking care of the girls so you could go help Fluttershy.” “Oh, and the animals really weren’t supposed to get captured, but pretend to be lost so you can find them. But you got injured, which wasn’t supposed to happen.” Jumping into the middle, Pinkie added, “And while you were doing all that, I was putting up the decorations and streamers and confetti and tables and chairs and cups and plates and forks and spoons and cake and ice cream and…” “Alright,” Starr interrupted, after putting her hoof in Pinkie’s mouth, “I think he gets the idea.” Midnight was flustered. All of them had kept him out of town just so they could plan this surprise party for him. He felt touched by their actions. He said, “Well, now I know who did what, but I don’t know whose idea this was in the first place.” “It was my idea. I wanted your first birthday in a new town to be special. This was all for you.” His sister ran and threw her legs around his neck. Midnight acknowledged the action and returned the hug. What seemed like they were linked for hours was only about thirty seconds. The two of them separated and began to socialize amongst the attendees. Twilight then came up to him. “I have a special surprise for you. You are gonna love this present.” “Really now?” “Oh, yes. I’ve been planning it for weeks, but you will have to wait a little bit.” “If it’s as good as you say it is, I can’t wait.” Among the party attendees he knew personally were the Mayor, the Cakes, Cheerilee, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith, Spike, Lyra, Time Turner, and Derpy. Others were present he did not know very well, but still knew of them. He socialized for about a half hour until Twilight brought everypony’s attention to the main table where the cake was. The cake itself was three-tiered; it also had several candles on each tier. It was iced with hayseed frosting (hayseed frosting is his favorite icing). Starr joined Midnight as he went forward to blow out his birthday candles. As per tradition, he was to make a wish before blowing the candles out. His mind wandered and wondered on what he should wish. Less than a year ago, he had moved to Ponyville from Canterlot. It had been shortly after his closest friend Princess Cadance’s wedding to Shining Armor. At the time, he had recently stopped being so bitter towards Twilight Sparkle for something that he felt was a dishonor. Twilight, who had joined him on the train ride to Ponyville alone, was told by Midnight that he loved her. Shocked, she listened as he finally poured his heart to somepony other than Cadance. From the time she saw him speak to Cadance in such a kind way (until that time, Twilight had never heard kindness in his speech patterns), she suspected that her former foalsitter meant more to him than just as friends. She asked him about his feelings toward Cadance. Although he still loved her, Midnight was still happy that she felt happy with Twilight’s brother; he had always seen Cadance almost like a sister who, at the time, he had always wanted. His mind dissolved into reality, the hours reminiscing actually around two seconds. He wished that his friend was here to celebrate with him. With that, he blew out the candles. As the candles were forcefully snuffed, a loud knock came to the door of the house. Running to the door, Twilight and Starr made Midnight stay where he was until they returned. He could make out a distinctly male voice, like that of a guard. He heard processional trumpets being played as the door opened to reveal two regal ponies. It was Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Equestria’s co-rulers and Midnight’s former caretakers, come to take part in the festivities. Once the two had entered, the door remained open. Why? Showing hospitality, he went forward toward the princesses, lowered his head, and bowed. He still wondered why they were here; some hidden motive of their being here bothered his mind. Celestia said, “Rise, Midnight. Twilight Sparkle told us of your birthday and how she as well as your sister wished it to be the best day for you.” “Tis true,” Luna added. “Though our shared time in the palace was short, I remember when you told me your enjoyment of admiring my night.” “How rude of us. Leaving our royal guests, who journeyed far to get to Canterlot just to come to this event, outside. Guard, escort her inside.” With a quick bow, the guard left Princess Celestia and went back outside. Another procession, this time from two ponies that looked as if they sparkled underneath the light. They must be the legendary crystal ponies from the recently-rediscovered Crystal Empire. These mysterious guests stepped across the entrance to Midnight’s house, drawing everypony’s eyes to her. Lighting the shadows, two figures emerged from the darkness: an alicorn mare and a unicorn stallion. The unicorn had a white coat and blue mane; a shield emblazoned with the symbol for magic was upon his flank. Although noticing the unicorn, Midnight’s eyes were focused upon the alicorn. She had a pink coat with a rose and violet mane. Her cutie mark was a crystal heart with golden lace surrounding it. Save for Midnight, Twilight, and the princesses, all in the room showed their respect to the rulers of the Crystal Empire: Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. Celestia and Luna turned to Midnight and Twilight and gestured to go to the new guests. Midnight took off toward Cadance; he then embraced her, having not seen her since she left for the Crystal Empire several months ago. She returned the action as they conversed. “Cadance, I’m so glad you could make it.” “I would never miss such an occasion: your first birthday in this new chapter of your life.” “Yeah, so how are things up in the Crystal Empire since you’ve taken over?” “You know how it is to rule over many ponies: it isn’t as easy as it sounds. At least I’m not ruling Equestria like Aunt Celestia did during Luna’s banishment.” “I can only imagine such a burden. As Head of Safety here, I’m responsible for everypony’s safety. I’m working on getting a more efficient communication system between Ponyville and Canterlot in case of disasters like Nightmare Moon or Discord.” “That is actually a great idea. I’d run that by my aunts as soon as you can, but tonight, it’s all about you.” Concurrently, Twilight was speaking to her BBBFF Shining Armor. “So, Twily, how’s Midnight been treating you since…” “Oh, that. Well, we’re no longer together, but still on speaking terms.” “Still, at least you had some romantic interaction with another pony, especially a stallion as good as Midnight.” “Aside from my life, how’s co-ruling the Crystal Empire been?” “Though Cadance does more of the actual ‘ruling,’ I still have the Canterlot Royal Guard to run. I go down once a month to check up on them.” “Is that why you’re here, Shining Armor?” Midnight queried. “Yes; it’s a pain to leave Cadance alone, but I trust nothing will happen as long as my sister has her friends.” Twilight then went to Cadance and talked about her adventures since the Sombra attack: reforming Discord, battling a corrupted Trixie, and even combating an army of Pinkie Pies. The night went on as the guests dwindled in number. The only ones left in the room were the princesses, Shining Armor, the Element bearers, Starry Nights, and Midnight. “So, now that everypony’s gone, whose idea was it to bring Cadance here?” Starr ran up to her brother and threw her legs around his neck. When that happened, it was as if the two of them were bound together as one. “This was your idea?” “Yes. I knew you would want Princess Cadance to be here, so I asked Twilight to coordinate getting her here at the proper time. I even asked to bring Princess Celestia and Princess Luna into this plan and invite her and Shining Armor as royal guests.” “You even had the princesses lie to get them here?” “Of course not, Midnight,” Celestia answered. “We actually did have some business to discuss about the Crystal Empire’s autonomy; the meeting finished earlier than expected. So, we just chatted about other matters, personal and royal.” “My sister, we must be leaving soon. You need your rest; I will guard the night.” “Very well, Luna. We bid you all farewell.” In unison, the sisters said, “And happy birthday, Midnight.” He smiled as they left in their personal carriage to Canterlot. The Element bearers, save for Twilight, returned to their own homes. Cadance then said, “It’s time that we return to Canterlot. We will be leaving for the Crystal Empire the day after tomorrow, and we need the rest.” “Yeah, but it was good seeing you, Midnight.” Shining Armor added. “And it’s always good to see you again, Twily.” “And you too, BBBFF.” Midnight went to Cadance spoke; “Cadance, thank you for making my birthday one I’ll remember for all my days.” “I’m glad I could be a part of your life again. Every time I’ve seen you, you are coming farther along than when you first came to the palace. Although your soul has been hurt, you’ve left that pain in Canterlot and started anew in Ponyville.” Starr then replied, “And he hasn’t regretted it since he has me.” Twilight then added, “You know, Midnight, you’re lucky that you have such a loving little sister.” “And I’m lucky to have such good friends as you all.” Everypony said their goodbyes to the co-rulers of the Crystal Empire as they left. Twilight then returned to her library, where Spike had probably fallen asleep waiting for her. After cleaning up a little bit, Midnight said, “I guess it’s time we go to bed.” “You’re right, Midnight.” Starr then went to her bedroom, but she turned around and went to her brother. She once again embraced him as he reciprocated her embrace. “I’m glad you liked your birthday.” After a moment of silence, she resumed, “Midnight, I love you.” Those final three words brought a smile to his face as he tightened his hug, pulling the two of them closer. Since she came back to his life, Starr had brought joy back in his life; that was something no amount of “I love yous” could ever repay. “I love you too, Starr.” He had to fight a tear from coming out of his eye; that moment he was in was the one he would remember more than Cadance. She was family, someone he could be a role model for. He kissed her on the head, showing his love for his sister. She returned to her room as Midnight stood there taking in the moment. He then lied down on his bed, pulled the sheets over his body, and closed his eyes. Today had truly been a remarkable day. It had been his birthday: one he would never ever forget. What made it special was not the cake, the decorations, or the presents. It was the love and friendship that was in that room during those few hours. And those relationships could never be undone.
