Chapters Meeting Midnight Dash
The bright sun shone over Sweet Apple Acres, warming Applejack's body and fur and making her green eyes glisten.
"Where in tarnation is Rainbow Dash? She was supposed to be er' an hour ago! She knows ah need help gettin rid of the rotten apples..." Applejack huffed as the cyan mare was no where in sight in the bright blue sky.
"Ah swear if she bails out on me again I'll-"
"Hi, AJ! Sorry I'm late...I was catching up with my cousin, Midnight Dash!" The mare explained as she came into view and landed with a dark blue mare by her side, unfamiliar to Applejack.
"..." Midnight remained silent for a few minutes before she silently whispered, "Hi." She slowed looked at all the apple trees, then at the ground.
"Hiya sugarcube! Name's Applejack!" The orange mare put out her hoof.
Midnight store blankly at her in complete silence as she slowly shook the mare's hoof.
"Rainbow, can we talk for a sec?" AJ whispered to her awkwardly staring friend.
"Yes." The two mares trotting to and closed the red barn doors shut.
"Why did ya bring er here? She's so...er'....awkward!"
"She's just a bit shy is all...it came from her mother's side...relax...you won't regret me bringing her, I Pinkie Promise!" Dash responded. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"
"At least get er' ta talk..."
"Fine."
The two mares stepped out of the barn, grins on their faces. Midnight glanced up from her hoof dirt drawing at them, and glanced back down at the dirt.
"Midnight, Applejack needs help picking out rotten apples...can you help?" Dash asked hopefully.
"Yes." the mare quickly replied, her eyes still on the ground.
"And don't be shy, AJ here is my best friend, so you can talk more." The pegasus added, putting a hoof around Applejack to make the point.
"Uh but Rainbow I don't think I should I tend to-" A cyan hoof covered her ear as her cousin whispered, "Brag as much as you want..even make stuff up...AJ will be so annoyed it'll be funny."
"She already doesn't seem to like me..."
"Of course she likes you! Give her a chance...please do it for me..."
"Fine..."
"Alright, Midnight, I guess ya can help me while Rainbow gets some more baskets and disposes of the other rotten apples..." Applejack told Midnight, a slight distraught tone held within her voice.
"Hey AJ, did you know I won the flyer competitor 6 years in a row? Or that I'm one of Spitfire's special dedications? Or that I'm not afraid of anything and that I can hold my breath for 3 minutes underwater?" blurted the dark blue mare as she picked up some rotting apples from the trees.
"Why won't she just shut up?! I liked it better when she didn't talk at all for buck's sake!" Applejack thought as the mare continues to blurt things that weren't probably true, or just bragging.
That's when Applejack began to wonder what was taking Rainbow Dash so long. Midnight continued to blurt on, and Applejack finally snapped. "If you're not afraid of anythin, then why don't ya spend the night with me in the Everfree forest! No tents or nuthin...only a blanket an' pillow..."
"Uh...does it have to be TONIGHT?" The blue mare responded quickly, dropping the apples in her basket.
Applejack raised an eyebrow at the sheepishly looking mare.
"I mean...tonight's perfect..." Midnight lied.
"Hey guys I'm back..." Rainbow stated as she landed on the ground. When Rainbow gazed upon the two mare's, she saw something she hadn't seen ever since Midnight's parents died in Midnight's ice blue eyes....FEAR.
Secrets Discovered
"Midnight where ah' ya? Ah'm sorry fer what I did! Please quit yer hidin! It's dangerous! I almost got hurt by dem' Timberwolves!"
The earth pony scanned the trees frantically, trying to seek the navy blue mare.
She then heard a slight whimper, and crickets and even more animal sounds...but the whimper was faint but close to her.
"Huh? Anypony out here?" The whimper came once more. even closer. AJ could hardly see, but the moonlight shone on a bush in front of her, and she was horrified by what she saw.
The wolf laying there had her yellow eyes barely open, but what surprised AJ the most was the one side of the wolves' face...was seen by the moonlight and was horrifying. The earth pony looked closer and saw that the scratch on the face caused the fur underneath to change into a lighter color...and worse, her eye was blue...
Then, at that moment, AJ knew. Midnight was the she-wolf who saved her. She didn't know much about magic and all...but she knew it was Midnight by what she was seeing. She slowly held a hoof out to the wolf, and she leaped on the mare, licking her face before uttering another yelp of pain, and limping to reveal a scratch on where her hooves would've been. AJ rubbed a hoof on her belly, and earned a hoof-full of licks.
"C'mon Midnight, ah kner of a place to go..." Applejack smiled at Midnight, her eyes looking a bit adorable and helpless. But she couldn't help but tremble when she thought of when she attacked the Timberwolves.
She then lifted the wolf onto her back. "Yer not too heavy...kinda cute actually. Thanks fer uh...savin me..." Applejack thanked softly, a bit flushed that the only response was a somewhat confused grunt. Midnight licked AJ's face again, and wagged her tail playfully on her back.
"Are you kissing me?" AJ joked, patting Midnight's head.
She growled at her a bit, and Applejack chuckled. "Ah'm only kiddin' ya."
Fluttershy's cottage came into view as Applejack reached her friend's house path. Applejack thudded on the door while Midnight barked a bit. "Ya gotta stay quiet or ya wake up the whole town, girl! Sit." AJ sternly commanded as if she was talking to Winona. The she-wolf sat immediately, and wagged her tail, panting.
"Fluttershy! It's an emergency! Come out or I'll buck the door open fer ya!"
The yellow pegasus dragged herself out of bed and slowly trotted to the door, and yawned briefly before opening it a crack just to reveal AJ. "Is Winona hurt again?" The pegasus barely whispered.
"Nnope. Something a teensey bit moar' important..." AJ creaked the door open a bit more, to reveal Midnight wagging her tail and panting happily.
"Is t-that a w-wolf?" Fluttershy gasped, as her pupils shrank as she began to tremble.
"Fluttershy...it's not JUST a wolf...it's Rainbow Dash's cousin! She'll love ya! Don't be afraid of her..." Applejack whispered back, trying to hold back the shock that she thought Midnight looked cute when acting like a this.
"W-what? How d-do you even know it's her?" The yellow mare gasped.
"We er' in the Everfree Forest, and when ah thought she got lost, I heard er whimpering and under her scratches is her pony features. Please Fluttershy...Dash will be upset..." AJ begged.
"F-fine...anything for a er..animal in need." Fluttershy smiled softly as Midnight slowly followed AJ as she walked in.
Midnight saw Fluttershy and started licking her face like crazy.
"Down girl, down. AJ...where's the injury?" The mare timidly asked, then frowned.
AJ put down a lamp full of fireflies, and pointed to Midnight's face and paws.
Fluttershy adjusted the light on Midnight's face, who was lying on her back. "Sit girl."
The she wolf immediately listened, and sat down.
Fluttershy saw what half Midnight's face looked like, with the blue eye, and saw the scraped leg.
"AJ, hand me the alcohol and bandages...this may hurt a bit girl, but it'll only be for a sec, okay?" Fluttershy rubbed Midnight's head softly, while AJ trotted back with her mouth holding a basket.
"Okay...AJ, will you calm her down?" Fluttershy asked, a bit of fear in her voice.
"Easy girl, easy...we'll only trying to help...and I'll give you plenty of belly rubs when we're done..." AJ soothed, rubbing Midnight's back.
Fluttershy carefully applied the alcohol on a cloth, but surprisingly, Midnight didn't snap or anything. She only growled one time, but that was when Fluttershy was applying the bandages and steeped on her tail by accident.
"She needs to rest somewhere..." Fluttershy said as she finished cleaning up.
"Ah guess I'll take er' in for the night. Thanks again Fluttershy...and uh...don't tell Rainbow...okay?"
"I promise! Bye Midnight!" she said to the wolf as she rubbed her furry belly.
Midnight could walk at least now, and she walked alongside AJ, wagging her tail and leaping around. Her yellow eye glowed brightly as she leapt down the path, her claws digging in the dirt and her fur bouncing.
"Slow down girl, or ya might get hurt again!"
The grey she-wolf gave the orange mare a daring fanged smile, and began to run.
"You're on..." AJ thought as she sped after the she-wolf.
The trees were a blur as they raced through the apple tree acres, and the night breeze blew on their fur.
Midnight grinned a bit before tripping and falling on the grass.
"Midnight!" AJ ran up to the fallen wolf.
"I told ya you shouldn't run so fast an' now look!" AJ scolded, her breathing heavy.
The wolf looked up at her and smiled, as if to say, "Gotcha!"
Applejack blushed and gave the wolf a dirty look as she trotted toward the barn, the wolf eagerly following.
"Sleep on ta hay and I'll tell ya when somepony's coming....which probably won't happen because my family's in Manehatten visiting my Aunt and Uncle..." The wolf gave the orange pony puppy eyes.
"You can't sleep inside....look at you!"
The wolf looked and the ground and frowned.
Applejack sighed, "Fine, ONE night."
The two trotted up the stairs and into AJ's room. Midnight jumped on the bed like a dog and laid at the edge, her eyes droopy.
AJ took off her hat and yawned, "Night, sugarcube." as she tucked into bed.
Midnight growled in reply and smiled.
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A Night in the Everfree Forest with Only Each Other
A Night in the Everfree Forest with Only Each Other
"You what?! Midnight...tonight's a full moon...look...I take everything back about what I said about messing with AJ...you could hurt her! I'll go tell her you can't because-" Rainbow was interrupted by her cousin yanking her tail back, causing her to almost fall off the cloud.
"No!" Midnight yelled as she gripped her cousin's tail in her mouth as she tried to take off.
"She got real mad when I boasted and she might think I'm too chicken if I don't do it...I have to do it..."
"But Midnight you'll-"
"I'm going Rainbow Dash and that's final! I'm not a filly anymore...okay?!"
And her cousin lashed away, flicking her brown and golden tail.
"She's crazy...." Rainbow muttered as she flew back home; letting Midnight make up her mind. "It was all MY fault..." she groaned.
At Sweet Apple Acres....
"Got you're saddlebag, boaster?" Applejack smirked as Midnight gave her a glare.
"Yeah, I do, Apple Smack!" She growled back, stomping in front of the mare.
"Let's hit the road then!"
On the trip AJ constantly bumped into Midnight, knocking her over a few times.
"Watch it, Apple Smack!" she shouted as she slapped her hoof across her face, leaving a read imprint.
Midnight snickered and received a slight buck in the face.
AJ gave Midnight a dirty look and brushed past branches, and let go of the one she was holding, whipping Midnight in her face.
The mare now annoyed, growled angrily, and flapped after the country mare. After that, they quit messing around.
It was sundown by the time they reached a perfectly spooky spot, as AJ called it.
"Why don't we light a fire and tell stories?" Midnight chuckled.
"Sounds mighty fine to me. Mind gatherin the firewood?"
The fire crackled as Midnight cleared her throat, but then the sun was noticeably getting lower fast, so she pointed to AJ. One amber landed on her muzzle. She quickly brushed it off.
"Uh...wanna go first?"
"The story's called, The Pony of Shadows!" The mare's voice boomed.
"This'll be mighty easy...she hasn't heard this one..." AJ thought as she told her tale.
"Oh...is the moon rising already? Heh...time flies when you're uh...telling stories...uh goodnight...." Midnight pretended to snore, but nothing would get her out of this.
"Ya too chicken to stay up now? Ha! I wuz right! You're afraid...aren't ya?" chuckled the orange mare, poking Midnight through her blanket.
"N-no...I'm just uh...real tired from all my flying...ow!" Midnight squeaked.
Applejack took the blanket off Midnight and raised an eyebrow as the mare blitzed up frantically, hidden by the shadows.
"Tired huh?"
"Uh...I gotta go..." Midnight dashed as fast as she could, but she couldn't outrun the pain. Trees were brown blurs as she hit a branch hard and crashed.
Her heart raced as she grew more dizzy. "Why did you listen to Rainbow?!" she screamed in her mind as the pain blazed in her body. "Why didn't Rainbow t-tell AJ?" she slowly stuttered.
A sudden shout was heard. Midnight's ears twitched as she tried to stand up. "AJ?" she murmured, trying to drag her body there. She fell again, and groaned, the pain feeling paralyzing in her wings.
"Uh...n-nice Timberwolves...uh..s-sit...d-down er.. boy..." Applejack was cornered and had no defense.
"M-midnight I need help!"
"Owhoooooo!" A wolf howl rang through the woods.
The Timberwolves flipping around to see a yellow eyed wold standing there with grey fur and a slight mane covered in grey fur.
They snarled at each other, and the grey wolf lept at them. They scratched, bit, and growled at each other as some bumped into trees and bushes.
Applejack saw how the wolf fought them all off, smashing their wooden parts so they wouldn't rebuild again, and her agility was quite surprising. The wolf got scratched by one of the wolves, and yelped, crashing into the ground.
"Jeez, are ya alright?" Applejack murmured as the wolf got up and finished off the last Timberwolf.