I awoke incredibly early, around noon, the next day after having dozed off just after three the night before. The blackout curtains kept my room well within a safe degree of exposure. I wandered around to the bathroom and showered in the dark, not bothering to light the candles on the vanity. Usually, when alone, I keep my house as unlit as possible. It saves me a bundle on candles. Even though my parents left me more than enough to live off of, I try to live frugally. There are some things, like supplies and my special clothes, that I have to pay a little extra for, but I cut everywhere I can.

On the ground floor, I could hear Vi and Tavi moving about and the smell of grilled vegetables wafted up from the kitchen, causing my stomach to remind me that I hadn't eaten the night before. Tavi, being the more domestically-inclined of the pair, would be working the stove. The mare could make mud appetizing and palatable.

After shaking myself dry, I ran a brush through my pale mane and along my dappled coat. Many ponies, those who had not seen my actual hues, assumed me to be an albino like Vinyl, but I'm actually a rather dark blue, almost black, in color. Which had prompted my parents to name me Midnight.

I left my bathroom and started down the stairs, pausing halfway when I noticed that some pony had left the curtains open.

Sunlight flooded the entire ground floor.

I cleared my throat loudly. “Would some pony mind closing the curtains so I can come down?” I called out.

Vi trotted in from the kitchen, drawing the drapes with her magic as she passed the windows. “Always gotta make an entrance, don'tcha Snow pony?”

“You know me, Scratch. The only thing more over-inflated than my ego is...yours.”

Vi froze and stared at me in open-mouthed shock. “Normally, I'd beat the horseapples out of any pony who insults me like that. Lucky for you, I don't fight handicaps.”

“What!” I squawked, galloping the rest of the way down the flight and actually leaped the last few steps to the landing. “You come back here and say that to my face, Vinyl Scratch.”

“You're not worth the energy.”

“Heh, they should've named you 'Chicken Scratch'.” I shot back.

Vi froze again. “What did you say?”

I snorted. This type of insulting was how Vi and I played and our fights were little more than wrestling. It had taken Octavia a while to get used to it. Once, while witnessing such an altercation, she had tried to pull us apart and caught a stray blow from Vinyl. The hoof had been aimed at my withers and the ricochet had robbed it of most of its force. However, it was still more than enough to bloody poor Octavia's muzzle. The mare had promptly ran and hid under one of the beds. It had taken most of the day to convince her that Vi and I were not actually fighting. She eventually emerged, delivered a solid bop to VI’s nose, and marched off to clean herself up.

“You heard me.” I retorted.

Vi trotted up and pressed her muzzle to mine. “I couldn't hear you from over there.” She said, menacingly, while lifting a hoof to point behind her.

“Oh, will you two kiss already? Your posturing is incredibly annoying. Besides, it's time to eat.” Octavia said from the dining room alcove.

Scratch and I continued to stare at each other, neither backing down.

Until I stuck my tongue out and licked Vi’s nose.

Vinyl fell back on her plot and immediately covered her nose with a hoof, a bright blush forming across her cheeks. I gave her a teasing wink before following Tavi into the next room.

“Don't give her ideas, Midnight. The next thing you know, she'll be asking you to join us in bed.”

“That might not be such a bad idea. Me and my two best friends...”

“My two best friends and I,” Tavi automatically corrected.

“...having a little menage-a-trois. I've read about a few thing I'd like to try. I think, if I'm careful enough, I might be able to synchronize yours and Vinyl's orgasms.”

Tavi froze with a squeak, her face flaming. Despite how long we've known each other, she still wasn't used to the wildly-inappropriate turns my sense of humor could take and I doubt she would ever be.

“Midnight Snow!” Tavi snapped, recovering admirably. “I don't need to tell you how inappropriate that was and I demand an apology.”

Judging by the way her tail was twitching, she was opposed to it only on principal. Even the elegant and sophisticated Octavia Harmony had a naughty side.

“C'mon, Tavi. You know it would be fun. Besides, I know one of you is a screamer, but I can't figure out which one so I'll gag both of you, just to be safe.”

Octavia gave an indignant huff and trotted past with her nose in the air, her tail flicking out to swat my muzzle. I could see why Vinyl loved her. She only pretended to be prissy. Chuckling, I followed her and took a seat at the table. Vi was the last to sit down, having gone to the study to fetch the sheet music they had finished while I was sleeping.

“Where didja disappear to last night, Snow pony?” Vi asked as she sat down.

“What Midnight does in her spare time is none of our business.” Octavia snapped, sending a murderous glare at the white Unicorn.

Vinyl gave a shrug. “I was just curious.”

“I've been meaning to tell you two anyways, seeing as we're going to have a guest tonight.” I took a deep breath. “I've met some pony.”

Two pairs of eyes widened comically at this revelation. I was known for being a recluse who rarely acknowledged other ponies. Not out of rudeness, but because I was often very shy. Like I said before, I'm not the most socially-adept pony. All of my friends figured that I would spend my days as a confirmed bachelorette. The news that I had met another pony who was equally interested in me was met with the same surprise that I would receive if I told them I was actually a stallion.

Vinyl was the first to recover. “Way to go, Snow pony!” She cheered, giving me a high-hoof.

Octavia cleared her throat as she began to dish out the grilled vegetables. “That certainly wasn't news I was expecting. Nevertheless, I'm very happy for you.”

“Thank you, Tavi. That means a lot.”

“So, spill! Is he hot? Have you, y'know, done it?”

“Vinyl!”

I chuckled. “She is the most beautiful, most amazing mare I have ever met.”

“Is she like you? With the sun?” Octavia queried.

“No, I don't think so. I think she just enjoys the night.”

“Well, that's convenient. Does she have a name?”

I met Vinyl's gaze. “Her name is Luna.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Octavia cock her head. Vinyl turned to meet her lover's stare and mouthed the words, Couldn't be. Tavi rapidly shook her head.

“What do you two know?”

Octavia bit her lip. “Well, Midnight. Vinyl and I were a bit confused. You said this pony's name is 'Luna'?”

“Yes.” I drawled.

“It's just that...one of the Princesses is named Luna and it's not a very common name is it?”

“Wait. I thought Celestia was the Princess. Where's this Luna been all of this time?”

“You don't know the stories? The Mare in the Moon?”

“Yeah. C'mon, Snow. I know your dad told that story to us when we were still little.”

“Yeah, but that was an old pony's tale.”

Octavia blinked. “Apparently, it was true.”

I held up my hooves. “Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me that there was a pony living in the moon for the past thousand years?”

Vinyl nodded. “Turned back up during the Summer Sun Celebration. Tried to take over Equestria and make everlasting night, banished Celestia somewhere, got her plot kicked by the Elements of Harmony.”

“I'm surprised you haven't heard anything about that.” Octavia commented.

I fixed her with a look. “Don't get out much.”

She suddenly found her plate very interesting. “Right.”

“And, besides, there's no way that my Luna could be Princess Luna. The Princesses are Alicorns, right? My Luna is a plain old Unicorn.”

“Have you seen her wings?” Vinyl asked.

“Well, no. She wore a cloak. It's been chilly.”

Octavia and Vinyl passed a look between themselves.

“Listen,” I called their attention back to me. “Let's look at this logically. This Princess Luna is famous, right?”

“Well, more infamous, but yes.” Octavia agreed.

“What are the chances that, of all the places Princess Luna could go, she ends up on the Ponyville bluffs on the exact night that I decide to go up there? Hmm? I think it's more likely that a random unicorn, also named Luna, is the one I met.”

Both of my friends nodded.

“Yeah. Like Snow said, what are the chances?”

“Indeed. Forgive us for jumping to conclusions, Midnight.”

Unbeknownst to Octavia, Vinyl reached across the table and rearranged the forks.

“I, for one, look forward to meeting Midnight's-” Her sentence broke off as she lifted a fork. “This...this...feels like the olive fork. This should be the asparagus fork.” She turned her attention to the utensil in her hoof, finding that it was, for certain, an olive fork.

She set it back down in the empty space. When her eyes raised again, her glare burned into Vinyl, who shook with silent laughter.

I had seen this happen before. Remember when I had mentioned how Octavia could be when somepony messed with her neurosis. Sometimes, she went a little above that.

She leaped over the table and tackled Vinyl. “Put them right!” She roared.

Vinyl cackled madly.

Tavi hauled her to her hooves and dragged her around the table. “Now!”

“Oh, Tavi, you're adorable when you're angry.”

With the strength that only Earth ponies possessed, Octavia lifted Vinyl up and pressed her muzzle to the utensils. Her voice became a deadly whisper as she leaned to Vinyl's ear. “Put them right, now!” Her bellow, so close to the ear, caused Vinyl to wince.

“Okay, okay. Sheesh.” She glared down at the silverware. “Let's see. Uhm...Olive fork to the right of the salad fork-”

“Left!” Octavia snapped.

“Right.”

“No, left.”

“That's what I said.”

They continued like this for some time. Vinyl resetting the silverware with Tavi glaring over her shoulder. I watched with a degree of amusement. Though their relationship could be described as tumultuous, it was obvious that they loved each other. Hopefully, Luna and I could have such a relationship.

For as long as it lasted anyways.

Author's Note

Sorry this took so long, folks. You would not believe the trouble I had with this chapter. Hopefully, none of you gave up.