The cafeteria at canterlot high was packed and noisy, smells of the food drifted overhead and conversations were all around, every table was packed except for a few at the back that were empty, the room was darker there. Not only in its sense of comfort but the lights were burnt out, the custodial staff had yet to replace them. Sitting alone at the very back table was a teen with grey skin and curly black hair with red tips, but the curls made it a mix and haphazard display of the two colours. His beard however was black, yellow and red. He was wearing a pink collared shirt and dark grey cargo pants. He held his ipad out infront of him and was tilting and jerking it back and forth as his car on screen dodged and weaved through the traffic of paradise city. He was not oblivious to the eyes watching him and mocking him, on the contrary, he found it amusing that people his age still felt the need for someone to put below them.
"What do you think he's doing?" Asked a cyan skinned girl with rainbow hair, she was sitting at a table and had twisted her body to look at the student at the back.
"Probably playing a game." Said a white girl with violet hair done up in elegant curls. "I happen to be in a few of his classes and that's all he does is play games throughout the class and help with technology related problems." She explained. "Ugh that beard of his is disgusting though!" She whined.
"I think it just looks stupid." muttured a orange girl with a plaid shirt and a Stetson on her head.
At the back of the room the student raised a hand to his beard and touched it as a sad expression replaced his neutral one as he glanced over to their table.
"You're being mean!" Cried a pink girl with pink, cotton candy like hair. "We don't even know him and you're making fun of him." She scolded. "I'm going to go over there and be his friend!" She declared.
The student just began to walk faster towards the doors, once the doors swung shut behind him the pink haired girl trudged back slowly to her seat.
"Don't feel bad Pinkie." The rainbow one assured her. "He's just new and doesn't know you yet."
"He's strange, ah'll give him that." The one with the Stetson on her head.
"So other than what rarity told us do we know anything about this guy?" The rainbow haired one asked.
"I saw him in the gym setting up for the dance." Pinkie offered. "He brought all his own equipment, I heard him and vice principal Luna arguing, she wanted to pay him and said he didn't want it."
"Why would you not take the money. They pay Vinyl tons for dances and other things." The rainbow one stated.
"Maybe, Rainbow, he wanted the publicity." The white one stared down at her nails. "People do that kind of thing for my aunt all the time, and then others looking to do their own event come to her asking who did the stage lights and sound, she tells them who and the gentleman who did it for free gets several new job offers or 'gigs' as i am told they call them."
"Whatever." Rainbow muttered.
"He brings Sunset shimmer to the animal shelter and they help there after school." The yellow one whispered.
"I'm sorry what was that Fluttershy darling?" The white one asked.
"You let that witch near animals!" Cried Rainbow. "She probably just wants to use them as an army to take over! I bet she scares them whenever no ones looking." Rainbow accused.
"Ah wouldn't put it past her." The one with the Stetson agreed.
"Applejack! Rainbow dash!" Cried the white one. "How on earth could you say such awful things about her!"
"Rarity, she turned into a demon and tried to invade another world, I bet she does much worse then just scare animals." Rainbow stared at her friend.
"And did you ever think that maybe she regrets her actions? Hmmm?" Rarity asked.
"Yeah, I bet she regrets losing." Rainbow countered.
"I won't stand for this, I'm leaving." Announced Rarity. "If you insist on bad mouthing her then you can forget about this evening." Rarity stood up and left the table, carrying her lunch tray with her.
"Rarity, wait!" Rainbow called out.
"Don't worry Rainbow, ah'm sure she'll still come out tonight." Assured Applejack.
"I guess..." Rainbow sighed sadly as she watched Rarity exit the cafeteria.
Rarity walked briskly through the halls of CHS looking for the new student. After leaving her other friends in the cafeteria she began to wonder how Rainbow dash would react to her friendship with the new student. 'She is not seem to like him that much...' She thought. Rounding the corner she saw the new student on his tablet as he leaned against the wall.
"Midnight." She called out.
The new student looked up and he threw a nod in her direction, putting his ipad away he pushed off the wall and patted the bag on his back. "Hello." He grunted.
"You are back?" Rarity asked walking over. "I thought you said you were 'bailing' as you put it."
"I've been looking for nova." He said solemnly, "all I keep finding is her camping spots, she's always gone."
"Oh, I forgot I'm so sorry." Rarity reached out.
Midnight whipped his arm back, "not to be rude but please don't, its just a way of humans showing false emotion, you didn't know her, so therefore you have no reason to feel anything other than indifference when she disappeared." He smiled. "But I appreciate the sentiment, strangely."
"Oh...." Rarity croaked, lowering her arm and stepping back. "Would you like to join my friends and I at our table?" She offered.
"Sure, when. And I say 'when' because it will happen, when skittles tries to slander her, I will retort." Midnight yanked on a cable on the shoulder strap of his pack.
"Splendid!... May I ask whats in your, bag?" Rarity began walking towards the cafeteria.
"Cables, equipment, one month rations, climbing equipment, some burner phones, and an mp5." He muttered the last part.
"Ump 45?" Rarity asked wide eyed. "I've kept rainbow company long enough to know that that's a weapon."
"No, an mp5." It's a light weight long range data relay system. Besides umps have to much bulk and they just look stupid." Midnight explained, pulling out his tablet he brought up a picture of the weapon in question. "The whole body including the receiver it made out of plastic, they're to light and cant be reloaded easily. But I'm not an expert." He said.
"I forgot how much you liked guns," Rarity muttered.
"I only aprove the use of them when the values of those who are innocent are compromised and in danger, and even then there's usually a non lethal alternative." Midnight stated. "It's against my morals and values to harm another living being, but I've learned that everyone has to perform the unpleasant sometimes. Isn't life fantastic?" He asked, his question dripping in sarcasm.
"I understand you've seen some things but-"
"Don't worry, 'social Midnight' will be replacing 'depressing, boner killer Midnight' right now" midnights face broke out into a grin, "so how've you been, Rarity?" He asked cheerfully.
"That's not healthy, and its terrifying..." Rarity shuddered.
"Yeah well. I'm crazy I'm mentally unstable what can you do?" He laughed.
The two made their way into the cafeteria and made their way to where Rarity's friends were sitting. The group turned to look at Midnight and rainbow dash gave a look of disapproval, Pinkie pie however was exited that the new student had returned.
"Girls, this is Midnight, he's a friend I met up in Canada." Rarity introduced midnight to the group.
Applejack nodded her head towards him. "Nice ta meet ya. Ah'm Applejack." She held out her hand.
"Nice to meet you to, your family owns the orchard right?" Midnight shook her hand.
"Yup." Applejack held his hand in place.
Both Midnight and Applejacks hand stayed right where they were, both stared at eachother in a blank stare.
"Umm..." Pinkie pie started.
"Shhh!" Rainbow hushed her. "They're testing each others grip, who has the stronger hand. No ones ever beaten Aj."
After a few minutes of silence the group began to get nervous, both parties were staring at each other and a few onlookers had leaned over to get a better look.
"It appears as though we have reached an impasse." Midnight broke the silence. "How about we relinquish our grips on eachother and call it a tie?"
"Ah think ah can agree to that." Applejack replied.
"One." Pinkie counted. "Two. Three!"
Both Midnight and Applejack released each others hands. Rubbing their wrists the two looked at each other and shook hands and released.
"Ah'm impressed." Applejack congratulated Midnight.
"No sexism implied, but so am I." Midnight nodded.
Midnight and Applejack took a seat.
"So, Midnight, you're the new guy?" Rainbow asked, leaning back in her chair. "What school did you transfer from?"
"My last school was my high school back in toronto, but I just recently finished my apprenticeship for a field technician." Midnight explained.
"Wait what!?" Rainbow fell forward, "if you're done high school why are you here, how old are you?!"
"Rainbow dash!" Rarity scolded, "keep your voice down! This is our conversation, not the whole cafeterias."
"It's fine rarity." Midnight calmed her. "I'm 18, I started my apprenticeship in grade 9 during my co-operative education course and I finished my hours last month." Midnight explained. "I just heard about a job here so I moved down here, when I got here they said they wanted someone else, so I decided to go back to school, mostly cause I was bored." Midnight shrugged.
"You were bored?!" Pinkie laughed. "that's the silliest reason I've ever heard for going to school."
"I think its smart." Fluttershy muttered. Speaking up for the fist time in a while.
"Whats in the bag?" Rainbow asked, pointing to Midnight's military pack.
"Tools, a computer and some other things for working." Midnight opened the pack and showed them the contents of the bag.
"Whats this?" Pinkie reached out and grabbed am envelope labeled 'confidential'. "What's in here?" Pinkie began to try and open the envelope.
"It's a prop for my drama course." Midnight explained quickly, its spring loaded with stuff, please don't open it." He pleaded.
"Why not?" Applejack asked.
"Because its got things related to my job, I need that folder to retail sealed, please?" He begged.
"Fiiine." Pinkie sighed and handed the envelope back to Midnight.
"Thank you." Midnight put the folder in his bag.
"Would ya' mind tellin us whats in that there envelope?" Applejack asked, nodding to the backpack.
"Someone has been stealing Secrets and this is a folder that we're using as bait for the thief." Midnight explained.
"What kind of secrets ?" Rainbow asked.
"I don't think we should-" Fluttershy started.
"Yes, what kind of secrets?" Rarity interrupted.
"Prototype plans for energy shielding, smart weapons, mechanical body armour resembling the combat systems from halo. Plasma shields and plasma based firearm, and interplanetary ships equiped to jump from system to system. Cloaking technology, technology that in this grouos hands would be used to take over." Midnight grimaced.
"So basically plans for things from the halo games?" Rainbow asked eagerly. "Awesome!"
"Now how in the hay did ya'll understand what he just said?" Applejack asked, frustrated with rainbow.
"I know smart people things." Rainbow defended herself.
"Rainbow dash's an egghead!" Pinkie cried.
"Am not!" Rainbow cried in defence.
"I think the more pressing issue is why are these things going missing and who would want them, yet alone who developed them." Rarity looked over to Midnight. "Perhaps you could explain?"
Midnight sighed, pulling out his tablet he opened up some files. "It was part of a hobby, me and some of my Colleagues joked about how easy some of this technology was to build if countries and organizations used the 'home brew' method of thinking... Anyone?" Midnight asked.
"Home what now?" Asked Applejack.
"Back at the beginning of the modern computer in 1975 in silicone valley, young smart nerds, some the founders of the largest technology empires on earth. They would meet and when someone had an issue with their coding, a hardware problem, anything, everyone would share what they knew to progress the computer and the technology. Now when someone figures out how to save materials, reduce waste or anything that could benefit everyone the large companies keep it a secret and sell the product for ridiculous prices." Midnight explained.
"So you worked on computers to design all this?" Rarity asked.
"Sort of, I'm a hardware technician, me friends were a physicist, an ex solider, a weapons designer, and a son of a infamous banker. We decided to build some technology that we saw in science fiction, much like the cellphone, tablet computer, computer, or most of the modern technology we have to day was considered a fantasy a few short years ago." Midnight grinned. "We worked together to create technology to help expand the knowledge of humans and possibly explore otherworldly possibilities."
"I think that's... Nice." Fluttershy complimented Midnight.
"So basically you're just a big nerd. Am I wrong for assuming that?" Rainbow laughed.
"Rainbow!" Applejack exclaimed. "Ah might not know much about all this here sci-fi jumble, but ah sure as sugar know that this could be really good for sciency types." Applejack chastised her friend.
"Wow, thanks, I really didn't expect anyone to support us." Midnight said, shocked at applejacks support. "It's just usually the canadian engineers are kind of unacknowledged or ignored."
"So you're saying that a canadian is going to help spacey things?" Rainbow looked at midnight with an eyebrow raised. "What has Canada done for the world?"
"RAINBOW!" Rarity cried shocked at her friends audacity.
Midnight smiled happily. "Ohh this is going to be fun" he rubbed his hands together. "Canadian engineers from the avro arrow went and created the technology necessary for the NASA missions, especially the moon landing, we were invoved in World War One, your country wasn't, we invented hockey, canadians were the ones that took the worst beach, juno. We invented the Canadarm critical for orbital payload manipulation, Tim Hortons, we even started the smartphone industry with the blackberry. Canada may be mocked but we're one successful nation." Midnight smiled. "I'm not mad, but now you know some of what we contribute."
"Rainbow it's inappropriate to insult ones heritage or nationality." Rarity scolded. " The canadians are our friends, we share the largest unguarded border in the world."
"Unguarded my right hoofhand" Midnight clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide.
Rarity turned to Midnight, a nervous look on her face.
"What did 'ya say?" Applejack leaned in, curious.
"You said hoof, not hand." Fluttershy whispered. "Only Sunset Shimmer and Twilight said that." Realization suddenly apparent on her face.
"Hoof?" Rainbow dash looked at Midnight, a smile slowly spreading. "You're a po-"
"Sorry." Midnight sighed heavily and jumped up and grabbed his bag before sprinting out of the cafeteria, jumping over a few tables before slipping out the door.
"What just happened?" Pinkie asked, looking around at her friends.
"Midnight's a pony? Rarity did you know about this?" Applejack turned to Rarity, a suspicious look on her face.
"Well..." Rarity looked around, fidgeting with her hair. "Here's the thing..."
"Greetings." Came a voice from near the group.
"Who was that?" Fluttershy nervously looked around.
The group looked around for the source if the noise.
"On the table..." The voice replied, frustrated.
The group turned to find Midnights tablet laying on the table. A clear green unicorn, less than six inches tall hovered on the device, her green, white, blue and black mane and tail billowed around her as she looked at the group. "Hello again Rarity. How's sweetie belle? I haven't seen the little gem since just after the formal." The mare asked. "Oh you didn't tell them about us? Well perhaps I should introduce myself, don't you think?" The mare looked around at the table. "Allow me to introduce myself, but please, can we go somewhere private?"
The group nodded dumbly and proceeded out of the cafeteria.