WHEN MIDNIGHT FALLS

  Luna pulled herself out of Midnights mind and sighed softly as her room came into focus. Her heart was beating fast and she could still feel the rosy heat of a blush on her cheeks. She giggled to herself as she thought about Midnight's beautiful dream world and the castle he'd build there in honor of her. Everything about it was breath taking and far beyond what Luna expected any pony to make for her, even if she was their favorite Princess. She yawned slightly as the strain of dream watching began to weigh on her. Luna rose from her bed and stretched. She was going to get a light snack then go to sleep. She trotted over to her door, opening it she stepped out and headed towards the kitchen. She knew she could have easily had one of the servants go and fetch her something, but she felt like doing things for herself this morning. Luna came to the kitchens grand doors and pushed them open. The smell of breakfast wafted from within and Luna smiled. Celestia had instructed the servants to prepare breakfast for the whole castle including themselves in the morning and soon she knew that there would be a morning feast.

  Celestia would have the servants come to the grand dining hall and they all would sit together and eat. But not Luna, she would usually be asleep when all this was going on and would not get to enjoy having a meal with every pony. This saddened her, Why was it that Celestia got to be seen as the kind benevolent ruler while Luna was left in the shadows. "Because she doesn't care about you." Whispered a voice in Luna's mind. She shook off this thought. "Nay tis not true, my sister loves me and that will never change." Luna walked over to a cabinet and used her magic to grab a box of multigrain cereal. She loved this cereal and got out a bowl and spoon. She filled the bowl and got out the milk. She poured some milk into her bowl as her mind wandered again to Midnight wondering if he was having a morning snack as well or simply sleeping and recovering from his work. Luna almost didn't see the little filly as she turned to leave the kitchen and just managed to stop walking without trampling her. "Oh My Stars! Greetings small one, and where for hast thou come from? Where is thy guardian? Shame on them for allowing you to wander unchecked." The tiny filly looked up at Luna who was much bigger than her and smiled.

  Luna noticed that her eyes were an odd pale icy blue shade, much the same color of her coat. She lifted her hoof and waved it at the little filly but she looked at Luna with unseeing eyes. "Well now I understand. Thoust can not even see thy Princess of the Night. That is for the best for I am sure thou would have run away by now if thoust could see Us." Luna rubbed the filly's snow white mane gently. Most ponies seemed to flee Luna rather than stay too long in her presence. Celestia always said it was because she always wore such a serious expression and she needed to try smiling more. But Luna knew better than to be foalish enough to believe that. Her expression was never too hard unless something had angered her and when she was angered every pony knew it. THAT is how a Princess should be! Her will is Law and everypony should respect and adore her regardless of how her face looks. For all those ponies knew she was perhaps trying to decide just how she would arrange the stars that night or if the moon should be a crescent or full! Not that it mattered anyway, they would all just sleep through her night and wake at Celestia's dawn.

  Luna lost in her thoughts had stopped rubbing the filly's head and a tiny hoof rubbed her leg vying for her attention again. Luna looked down to see the tiny filly was still smiling up at her. Despite knowing she couldn't see her Luna was sure that the filly was looking right into her heart. Luna picked the filly up tenderly with her magic and held her level with her face. "Tell me little one, if thoust were born with sight would thee have loved my night?" The tiny filly laughed and cooed happily and Luna smiled. Well there was at least one pony she knew  loved her night. Then her mind wandered to Midnight. Correction, there were at least Two ponies who loved her night. Luna smiled at this thought and held the tiny filly to herself with magic. She then levitated her bowl of cereal up next to her as well and trotted out of the kitchen heading back down the hall. Along the way she found a day guard who was napping while standing at his post.

  "YOU THERE!! ARISE AND MAKE THYSELF USEFUL!!" Luna blasted him with the Royal Canterlot voice and he all but jumped out of his skin.

  "M..m...m..m.m.m...My apologies Princess Luna I didn't see you coming!" Luna glared at him with glowing white eyes and he cringed slightly.

  "NO YOU DID NOT SEE US COMING AND HAD WE BEEN AN ENEMY ABOUT TO SLIT THY THROAT THOUST WOULD HAVE BEEN NONE THE WISER TILL THOU WERE DEAD! TAKE THY JOB SERIOUSLY OR LEAVE THIS CASTLE! WE HAVE NO NEED FOR SLACKERS AND LOUTS!" Luna's gaze could kill and the guard was shaking visibly from fear. Luna was satisfied, she was quite certain that the guard would make sure to get rest and be more alert when he was working. She lowered her voice to a normal tone as she floated the tiny filly before the stallion. "I have found this youngling. Find her guardian and tell them that the Princess of the Moon demands that they keep a more watchful eye on her!! She was wandering around the kitchen where any manner of terrible things could have happened to her! Tell them if I find her wandering again they will be punished!" The guard nodded as Luna set the filly on his back.

  "AND BE CAREFUL WITH HER!" Luna had turned on the Royal Canterlot voice again and the guard was almost deafened by it.

  "Ye.....Ye....Yes Princess Luna I will do as you command." He quickly trotted away with the filly laughing on his back. Through all of Luna's loud talking the filly never once cried or showed fear. Luna smiled. She was a sweet little filly. "Maybe one day in the future I will have a filly like that and maybe Midnight can be the father?" Luna thought to herself then shook her head violently. "My Blessed Moon, I've only just met him and already I am thinking of.....Family? I must truly be tired." Luna walked and ate her now soft cereal so that when she arrived at her room she had nothing left to do but go to bed. She settled into her covers snuggly and let herself drift into her own dream world. Images of a darkly handsome colt filled her dreams and she smiled in her sleep as she hoped her dreams might one day become reality.

  Midnight rolled one way in his bed, then rolled the other; and then rolled back the other way again. A night sky colored Princess was tickling him and he couldn't escape her assault no matter which way he rolled. Eventually she stopped tickling him but that didn't mean she was done tormenting him with pleasure. Midnight gasped as her lips met his in a passionate kiss. Midnight growled slightly as he felt his body react to her kiss. He knew what he was doing was probably all kinds of wrong, but he wasn't able to dwell on that too long with her licking his lips and twining her tongue with his. Midnight lost himself and threw his weight into his dream Luna making her fall backwards in a cloud of silver moon dust. He was all over her and leaned his head down to kiss her deeply. She gave in willingly and he took greedily. He rubbed himself against her soft body and relished in her soft moans. Midnight had never actually had a mare before, though he had had a few try to rub themselves against him and entice him into doing something.

  But he'd always let them know he was only a colt and couldn't do something like that with him. Every single one was shocked when they learned of his age, and a good number of them told him that it didn't matter because he was clearly big enough to be a stallion. But Midnight never took their offers. Even other colts wondered why he didn't buck everything that threw themselves at him being he was clearly something they wanted. But Midnight had always said that he wanted his first time with a mare to be special not just him bucking for the sake of bucking. They always said he was weird and laughed but it never bothered Midnight. He knew who he was and he knew what he wanted. And right now, the What that he wanted was Luna's warm body wrapped around his.

  He shuddered in his sleep his body physically reacting to his dream and his member slid free rubbing against his soft satin sheets. The internal dream world mixed with the physical real worlds stimulations to create something of a masterpiece. In his dream Midnight was making love to Luna, in reality he was making love to his freshly cleaned bedding. In the end he came, both in his dream world and in the real world which left his bed a sticky wet mess. But he was asleep, and in his dream world he was warm and happy. In a few minutes the dream would fade and the reality of his physical release would make itself known. But for now, he was happy and warm all over.

  Luna wiggled in her bed. In her dream world she was being cuddled by a dark and beautiful stallion. Her mind had wandered to the future imagining herself as a tall graceful and beautiful mare of the night and Midnight had grown into the perfect stallion for her. He was dark as the night sky and just as breath taking to look at. She was laying with him cuddled in his hooves safe and warm. He was kissing her horn and muzzle gently as he whispered sweet nothings to her. "Your so beautiful Luna and your night sky is absolutely perfect. Those other ponies who don't stay up all night and gaze a pond its majesty are fools and undeserving of your concern. Worry yourself not of them and focus only on me. I love your night my Luna and I love you." Midnight kissed her lips and Luna felt herself blushing hard. He was so kind and sweet and Luna hoped even though this was just a dream that the real Midnight would be just as tender to her when they were both fully grown. Luna ran her hoof over his chest and neck and he moaned softly. She smiled and let her hoof run down his stomach.

  She was going to run her hoof over other parts of him but a loud knock at the door broke her out of her dream and pulled her up into the world of reality. The sun was just starting to set turning the sky into a brilliant golden orange and Luna face hoofed herself. "Oh Nay, How could we have slept so long....." Luna didn't need to answer her own question, a distinct moistness between her thighs told her why she had slept so long. She gathered herself and answered in the Royal Canterlot voice. "YES, WHO KNOCKS AT OUR CHAMBER DOOR?" It was Celestia who answered and Luna felt herself growl inwardly then wondered where such a strong emotion of dislike towards her sister had come from. She shook it off and got up. Trotting over to the door she opened it with her magic. "Yes, Celestia to what do I owe this pleasure?" She smiled at her sister hoping Celestia just wanted to check on her and be gone but what came next was not what she wanted to hear.

  "Sister, I came because there is a young colt asking for you. He says that you asked him to come today around this time. The guards were refusing to allow him entry but he was so adamant about coming to see you that he forced his way in. Even with four guards trying to hold him down he is still something to recon with. I decided to come and see if you actually knew him as I have never seen him before and am sure you haven't either." Luna looked at her sister in shock and then anger filled her voice as it was raised to full Royal volume.

  "YES WE KNOW HIM!! HE IS OUR FRIEND!! TELL THEM TO RELEASE HIM IMMEDIATLY OR WE SHALL HAVE THEIR HEADS!! HOW DARE THEY ATTACK SOMEPONY WHO HATH COME TO SEE US!!! ARE WE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE ANYPONY VISIT AND ENJOY OUR COMPANY?! OR IS THAT A PRIVLEDGE RESERVED ONLY FOR THEE CELESTIA!!" Luna's voice was filled with a malice Celestia never knew she had. She stood for a moment processing the situation then spoke in her ever calm motherly voice that now in days irritated Luna more than calmed her.

  "Luna, I have never denied you company. Nor will I ever do something so cruel. I simply wanted to make certain he was not a spy or enemy trying to harm you. I will inform them that you know him and to allow him to wait for you in the grand dinning room. And I will have them bring him some of our finest food to atone for his rough treatment." Luna sighed, she knew she had done wrong and needed to make things right. She spoke softly now making sure to convey her regret with her every word.

  "Big Sister, Wait....I apologize for my out burst. Lately I have been feeling...Odd. That outburst stemmed from a very heavy mix of sorrow and....anger? Though I can not understand what I am saddened or angered about. But this colt....Midnight....He literally crashed into my room last night and well...Something about him is special." Luna felt herself blush slightly. "He makes me feel....Happy again. Maybe its because he is a Night Watcher and I know how short their lives can be but he faces every night with such optimism and a love of life. It makes whatever tiny thing I have going on seem....Unimportant in the grand scale of things and in the short moments I have spent with him he has made me feel....Happy." Luna sighed softly. "So please forgive my moment of anger. It was not at you....I am just having some confusing thoughts and need some pony to talk to. I hope that sense your always so busy you wont mind if that some pony is Midnight." Celestia smiled brightly much to Luna's shock.

  "I see...Oh Luna I know exactly what is going on here. And do not worry, you were already forgiven before you asked. I hope....Midnight?...Is that his name...Very fitting when paired with you, will be a good friend for you. Yes, a very good and close friend." Luna looked at Celestia confused.

  "What? What do you mean Sister?" Celestia laughed softly.

  "Oh nothing my dear Luna. Nothing you need to worry about now. You'll understand in due time. I will go and inform them of the situation now." And with that Celestia vanished with a loud pop. Luna sighed and turned back to her room. She trotted quickly over to her boudoir and grabbed up her brush and moisturizing spray with her magic. She spritzed and brushed her mane and tail quickly then looked herself over in the mirror. She didn't need the spray but it was a very nice smelling spray and she wanted her mane to spell pretty for Midnight when she hugged him. She smiled looking at herself.

  "We Are....I Am....Beautiful." She said softly to herself then turned away and trotted out of her room closing the door behind her. She concentrated and magically teleported herself to the hallway outside of the grand dinning room where she and her sister entered. She could hear Celestia talking to Midnight who was apparently having a great time despite his earlier treatment. Luna smiled, that was definitely going to be one of the things she loved about him. Luna opened the door to the grand dinning room and stepped inside. "LUNA!! HEY!!" Was the first thing that greeted her. Midnight forgetting himself had called her by her name without her title and she smiled. "Oh Wait!! I mean...PRINCESS LUNA, HEY!!" Midnight smiled sheepishly as Celestia's gaze fell on him. Luna giggled which caused Celestia to turn her attention to her instead. It had been so long sense shed seen Luna smile let alone giggle.

  Luna was right, there was certainly something special about this Midnight colt. Celestia looked back towards Midnight as Luna took her usual seat next to her leaving Midnight to sit alone and gaze at the two of them. He was certainly large for a colt, but those big wide eyes were definitely filled with the innocent curiosity that a stallion could never hope to poses once he's lived life. "Midnight, We are glad that thou hast come to visit us. We are sorry for the confusion earlier. We...Over slept and were not here to Welcome thee. Forgive us." Midnight looked at Luna with eyes that Celestia and any pony else could see were filled with love and admiration. But when he spoke Celestia was taken aback. His proper voice was certainly lower than his playful voice and held all the edges of a stallion. But what surprised her more was the manner in which he spoke matching Luna's proper dialect with perfect precision.

  "Nay My Princess Luna, Thou dost not have to apologize for what occurred to me. T'was was mine own fault for using force to gain entry into thy Castle. Any good guard worth their salt would have tackled me as well. I would have tackled me had I been there." He winked at her and Celestia was amazed to hear Luna laugh softly before she spoke again.

  "Had ye been there thoust would have tackled thyself? How gallant of thee to protect thy Princesses from thyself." Midnight bowed his head.

  "But of course most beautiful Princess of the Night, It would be my honor to protect thee and thy sister from all manner of threats, even myself." Luna laughed out right and Midnight joined in. Celestia could not help but smile. She was not sure how but in a night Midnight had made a bond with her sister and gotten her to smiled where it seemed she herself was no longer able to. She was happy for Luna. And if Midnight managed to live and become a stallion maybe he could be Luna's special some pony. Celestia had never seen herself getting married but shed always hoped for her little sister that wedding bells would be heard and little colts and fillies born to her. Seeing the joy on Luna's face made Celestia once again believe that her dream for her sisters happiness would come true. She interrupted their banter of joy then with a question.

  "Ah Luna, Didn't you say that Midnight here was a part of the Night Watchers? They are a very special branch of the Night Guard are they not?" Luna looked at Celestia and nodded her smile still stuck on her face.

  "Oh yes dear Sister. They are a very special branch trained to fly at night and control the wild storms that brew during the night hours." Luna's smile faded slightly as she continued. "Because the night....Is so dangerous...This special branch was made to control the Everfree storms that roll in from the forest during the night and keep them from ever reaching the Castle or Ponyville. They also use those storms to water crops that need more moister than others all around Equestria." Luna's smile completely faded as she finished. "They are known for their amazing flying skill, but they are also known for their high death toll. They loose more members than any other of the guard squads combined per year. Their work...Is a dangerous evil. If only the night were less wild and more tame...But we...Do not have the power to control everything in Our night. We are too weak to protect our most faithful servants...And they die for us." Celestia saw a tear run down Luna's face and she worked hard to find a way to cheer her up but Midnight beat her to it with his simple mind and good natured voice.

  "Nay My Princess, Do not shed thy tears for us. We are proud to serve you and protect all ponies during the night. Yes the night is wild, but that is one of the things that make it beautiful. The night is FREE. It is its own creature and it demands our respect. But if you give that respect you will find that the night is the most amazing time of day. There are so many things to find in the night that youll never see during the day!" Midnight had forgotten his proper dialect simply wanting to make Luna smile again. "Your night is amazing to all of us who work under your night sky. We often sit and look at the stars when we finish our work and marvel at how perfectly you set each one in the sky. Speaking of that, I have a question Princess Luna." Luna wiped her eyes and looked at Midnight curiously.

  "Yes Midnight?" Midnight looked down at his hooves for a moment seeming to be unsure of how to ask but then he spoke and his voice was calm and steady but serious.

  "Me and the others in the Night Watchers in my squad were wondering...Do you make the stars for every pony who has died?" Luna looked at Midnight at a loss for words as he continued. "We were just wondering this because...Well...If you remember a few weeks ago there was a tornado that came from the Everfree. Tornados and Hurricanes are the most dangerous storms we can face and they often kill a number of us before we can dissipate them. Well as I said before, we often sit and take a moment to gaze at the stars after we are done working. Well the next night after we had finished our work we noticed there were some new stars. At first we figured that we had just missed them but one mare on our team, her names Star Shower by the way, well she is a fanatic about your stars. She even showed us a map of your night sky showing where every constellation was and every random star and on the map. And the place where the new stars were was empty on that map. We couldn't believe it but she kept going with it and told us to count the stars. We did....There were five...Five new stars."

  Midnight looked at Luna his eyes shimmering slightly with barely held back tears and Celestia felt her heart melting at his face. "There were three of us that died in the sky that night and the last two died at the hospital, well one died on the way to the hospital. The last died as they were trying to operate and save him. He was Showers son. He had wanted to follow in his mom and dads hooves. His dad Snow Storm was killed a few years back during a bad blizzard. Kind of ironic given his name but a strong ice wind blew him into a dead tree that was, well, as cold and hard as ice. It stabbed him through the heart and he was dead long before we were able to find him. Star Shower noticed the new stars and told us that it wasn't the first time shed seen you add new stars. She told us that when Snow had died she had looked up into the night sky wondering why he was gone and where he was now and there it was, a new star formation with exactly the same number of stars as the number of ponies who died."

  Midnight couldn't hold his tears back anymore and they ran down his face. "Luna....Do you make stars for ponies who died? Because if you do....Then I know two of those stars are for my father and mother. And for that....I Thank You from the depths of my soul." Luna sighed and rose from her seat. She flapped her wings and flew down to Midnight. She landed in front of him and wrapped her hooves around his neck pulling him to her for a warm embrace.

  "Yes my faithful servant. Every pony who dies is my subject and deserves my love and concern. When I wake everyday I look to see the reports on who has died during my night and the previous day. Every night I fill the sky with their souls and make new creations to honor their life. Every ponies life is like a star burning brightly....Until it isn't. I make sure that their life...Their light...In some small way...Never truly dies. I have done this for years, eons, generations....And I have never had any pony notice. Of all my servants you, my Night Watchers...Are my most beloved for you clearly know my heart better than any pony. So I make more and more stars as my way to Thank You."

  Luna felt tears run down her face as Midnight hugged her tightly and cried into her mane. Celestia couldn't help the tear that rolled down her cheek but she quickly wiped away the rest and flew down to land beside her sister. The time she had been dreading had come. She never knew that Luna held herself responsible for the deaths of the Night Watchers. And shed never known that Luna was filling the night sky with stars for all the ponies who died. The guards who were in the room were equally as shocked. For one, seeing the Princess of the Night weep over others when she always seemed so cold was a pill to swallow, but to hear that she filled the sky every night with stars to honor them was something that they could have never imagined. Everyone of them vowed that before they slept they would make a point to gaze at the night sky even if it was only for a few moments and appreciate the work she put into the night. Celestia placed her hoof on Luna's shoulder.

  "Luna. My sweet, sweet Luna. I never knew you did such a wonderful thing in honor of our ponies. I was so blind to hold you back from your full potential. Well not anymore. Luna if you wish it, starting tomorrow I will teach you how to gain the magic of the cosmos just as I have. You will not just be able to control the moon and stars but also the sun and even the rains. Together we can protect this land both day and night and lessen the deaths that happen from Everfree's wild storms. I am sure of this now, you are ready to learn this most ancient of magic." Luna looked at Celestia with wide bright eyes.

  "Sister....Do you mean what you say? Will you truly teach me so that I may become a mare as strong as you and can protect my subjects with you?" Celestia nodded and was knocked over by the force of Luna slamming into her with a massive hug. She laughed as Luna nuzzled her neck and showered her cheeks in kisses with the repeated mantra of, "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" the whole way. Midnight having wiped his face was laughing at the scene before him. On one hoof he found it to be adorable and sweet. On the other hoof he found it to be very sexy. Luna finally released Celestia from her loving death hug and Celestia rose to her hooves with as much dignity as she could having been knocked over by a filly half her size then kissed and hugged half to passing out.

  "Well, yes....I am glad you are happy Luna. But listen to me well...What I am going to teach you is powerful magic. You must control it, you can not let it control you. Not Ever." Luna nodded enthusiastically.

  "Yes Sister, I will be careful and focus." Luna promised happily unable to contain her joy. Celestia nodded to her and looked out the window.

  "Well my beloved Luna the time for you to raise the moon and stars is here. May haps Midnight would like to watch?" Midnight nodded so violently that Celestia worried he was scrambling his own brain. Luna giggled.

  "Ok Midnight you can watch. There is no need to destroy your head in the process." Midnight smiled.

  "This is so cool Princess Luna, I have always wanted to watch you create the beautiful night! This is a dream come true!" Celestia smiled at him then flapped her wings and rose into the air.

  "Well come Midnight. Luna let us go to the balcony and begin." Luna nodded and flapped her wings as well lifting off the ground behind her sister. Midnight followed suite and the three flew out the large wooden doors that led to the main hall and then out the large doors that led to the outside. The air felt alive to Midnight and he wondered if it was because he was flying with the two Princesses. They flew up and around the castle till they came to a large balcony that faced the direction of both the rising and setting sun and moon. Celestia opened her wings and Midnight marveled as her whole body began glowing with a golden light. Luna landed next to her and did the same thing. Midnight landed behind them looking on in awe as Luna started to glow with a silvery light. Midnight stood there and watched as the sun started to quickly set and the moon in turn started to rise.

  Midnight focused on Luna and tip hoofed around her so he could watch her from a more frontwards view. His breath cough in his chest as he gazed a pond his Princess in all her glory. The silver glow radiated from her like star dust and flittered about the air. Her mane and tail swirled in an invisible wind and shimmered like the moonlight on water. Midnight held his breath as Luna opened her eyes and they glowed a brilliant white and the moon started to climb higher and higher in the sky. He could feel a heat radiating from her and wondered if it was her magic he was feeling. Once the moon reached a certain point Luna released her magic allowing it to travel at its own pace around the planet. Luna sighed and blinked allowing her eyes to return to normal. She then looked to Midnight and smiled.

  "And that Midnight is how I raise the moon every night. Did you enjoy the show?" Midnight smiled brightly.

  "DID I!! IT WAS FANTASTIC LUNA!! I VE NEVER SEEN SUCH POWER!! YOU ARE AMAZING!!" His enthusiasm took Celestia by surprise but Luna smiled and basked in the glow of his glee and her moonlight. Yes Midnight was some pony she wanted to keep around.

  His love for her was palpable and she didn't want to ever be without it.