The Sun, The Moon, and The Starsby Phoenix FirebirdChaptersPrologueI'm Coming Home......Or Maybe Not.The World Turned Upside DownA Talk Over TeaShould've Said No To ItPrologueThe sun, the moon, and the stars. Each a worshiped, extraterrestrial, being. Each portrayed in centuries of art, music, literature, and theatre. In Equestria, the princesses are affiliated with these celestial bodies. Princess Celestia with the sun, and Princess Luna with the moon and stars. That's how it's always been, since ponies started taking records. But what about before they started? Celestia and Luna were born to King Cosmos, and Queen Galaxia. Princess Cadence and Twilight were created alicorns, from their original pegasus or unicorn form. Together, they rule Equestria and the lands beyond in wisdom, love, and harmony. Only two know that there was a fifth. He was lost to time, only found in the most ancient of records, kept in the darkest vault, in the most secret of places in all of Canterlot. Buried deep beneath the Canterlot Archives... His name was Prince Midnight Star. He ruled the stars. He shaped thousands of suns that were of Celestia's, or so much larger, into art that would inspire ponies for generations, that would make them yearn to learn more about what was beyond Equestria. Stars, that would guide them to new lands, to explore and create. Stars, that gave the ponies at night, a show with the moon that would be unique and unforgettable each night. Stars, that earned him a love that was so powerful, it could've repelled all evil, shown a light in even the darkest places, and brought forth an era of peace and prosperity that could've lasted forever. And then he left. He disappeared, into the shadows. Not in control of the stars, but always watching. The Princess of the Moon became the Princess of the Night, and she took the responsibility of the stars. The stars never shown as bright as they had when he had them. Eventually, Equestria moved on. Ponies forgot of the shows of the night, of the benevolent ruler. Truth turned to rumor. Rumor to myth. Myth to legend. Legend...to nothing. However, it is well known that alicorns never die. He has watched Equestria grow, from tiny settlements on the fields, to great cities on mountains and islands. He watched as ponies no longer flew or galloped across the land, rather they traveled in elegant airships, speedy trains, or recreational helicopters. He watched as ponies no longer watched the night sky, rather they frolicked mainly under Celestia's sun. He watched as Equestria lost one of it's most dear princesses...and watched as she returned as Nightmare Moon, only to be defeated by the Elements of Harmony yet again. He watched as Discord reigned chaos all over the land. He watched as a royal wedding was interrupted by an evil hive of shape-shifting changelings. He watched the Crystal Empire rise anew. He watched a new princess rise from the quaint town of Ponyville. He watched the Everfree Forest tried to take hold on Equestria. He watched as a long past enemy returned and stole magic from all species of pony. Not him though. He was careful. He watched as a new castle emerged from the ground of Ponyville. Yet no one knew he watched. He knew that the sisters knew that he was still probably alive. He knew he had caused them great grief by leaving. But he had his reasons. Whether they knew them, he didn't know. But he was tired of watching. Tired of standing on the sidelines, not doing anything. And he oh so missed his stars. His beautiful stars... Hey, if Luna could return after millennia, surely he could. Right? I'm Coming Home...Manehattan. One of the largest cities in Equestria, it is a thriving hub, a melting pot of culture and fashion, home to all sorts of ponies and creatures. A city so tough, it is said that if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. A city where ponies yell to the sky, "YOU HAVEN'T BEAT ME YET, AND YOU WON'T BEAT ME TODAY!!!" And today, one of it's residents was leaving. He appeared to be a tall, slender, male unicorn, working his way through the crowd of ponies on the train platforms, carrying his luggage and all his personal belongings, toward a westbound train. A train going to the capital city of Canterlot. Canterlot. Ruling city over all Equestria, it was the home of many high-class and elite ponies. Ponies who's ENTIRE lifestyle was to judge everything, and everyone. Snobby, uptight ponies. Granted, some were more tolerable than others, but it was a harsh city if you didn't have a connection to someone well-known. It was a city that cast it's influence over Equestria and all the lands beyond it. But it wasn't an influence because of who called it home. No, it was an influence because of who made it home. Living in Canterlot Castle, ruling over all Ponykind, were the Princesses Celestia and Luna. They ruled with kindness, grace, and generosity, keeping and protecting all those who lived in their fair land. Rulers who had been around before records began, thousands of years old, but appearing as youthful as ever. These were the two ponies that made Canterlot an elite city. The tall unicorn made his way aboard the Friendship Express, heading to the compartment car, where he would have complete privacy the entire trip. He made his way to his compartment, beginning to pack away his luggage in the overhead racks. "Tickets please, tickets." The unicorn looked out the door, to his right, to see the conductor making his ticket rounds, collecting and stamping tickets. The unicorn took hold of his ticket, enveloped in his magic. He looked at the name on it; Midnight Star. "Ticket please, ticket." Midnight gave his ticket to the conductor, who stamped it and handed it back to him. He continued on into the next car, while Midnight made his way back into his compartment. As he closed the door, he flipped a sign over with his magic, that said: DO NOT DISTURB... He made his way onto his bed, laying down on all four knees, feeling that familiar tug of the train departing the station. He watched the skyline fly by, watched as taxi ponies pulled carriages filled with middle and high-class ponies. He watched as the train went over the Bronclyn Bridge, and then closed the curtain after that. He lit up his horn, closing his eyes and surrounding himself in his magic as it powered up. The magic surrounding him fine-tuned itself, on the sides of his barrel. The room began to get brighter and brighter, as his horn powered up to its full potential. He felt the magic surge through his body, through his very soul. And all of a sudden-a bright flash lit up the whole room. The light in the room died down as his horn cooled down, and as the magic surrounded him diminished. He opened his eyes, squinting a bit as he recovered from the flash that had even penetrated his eyelids. He looked down toward his barrel, and smiled as he saw two wings, folded and asleep. He took hold of his wings with his magic and shook them awake. It had been days since he last stretched his wings, and seeing he was alone now, he figured it was as good a time as any to stretch them and preen. He flinched as the pins and needles started to pinch the backbone of his wings. It was definitely the worst part of him having to hide his wings. Wings were especially sensitive, and having them feel like that a thousand needles were puncturing them was...uncomfortable, to say the least. While his wings began to wake, he took a small, hoofheld mirror and brought it to his face. The deep blue and purple hair that had stood still began to wave and shimmer in a non-existent wind. The inner, deep blue part of his hair began to sparkle, and before he knew it, stars appeared in it, shining as bright in the night sky. The feeling in his wings eventually passed, and he now could control them without the use of his magic. He ruffled them, shaking out anything that might have been lodged in them. Then, he began to stretch, bending them, pushing them out, pulling them in, and doing a few wing-ups. Once they were relaxed, he brought he left wing over to his muzzle and began to preen them. He took his time, making sure every feather was perfectly in place and looked presentable. After he finished with his left wing, he fluttered it, and moved on to his right wing. After his wings were preened, he gave them a flutter, feeling their strength push the air and ruffle the bedding underneath him. After flapping and fluttering his wings a couple more times, he floated his suitcase down from the rack above his bed. He opened it, finding ancient scrolls, magic texts, and books. He began to read from some of the scrolls, thinking over what was written on them, and what he planned to do upon arrival in Canterlot. A male alicorn had not been known for thousands of years, all records being lost in time. He had been the only one besides Celestia and Luna's father. After he passed into a higher being, he had been the only one. He had ruled alongside Celestia and Luna for thousands of years, leading ponies with finesse and grace. But he left one day, leaving no explanation, no note... Nothing. He knew that they desired answers. Mainly, why he had left. At the time he left, he had just about everything anypony could want. He had a good reputation, he had a position of power, he was respected, feared, loved...he even had one pony he called his lover. No one knew why he left. Only he did... Nevertheless, he watched as the two sisters, who had suffered great grief along with their subjects at the loss of their dear Prince, moved on and ruled Equestria. He watched Equestria grow, he watched as Luna was banished and returned, he watched as the Elements of Harmony defeated every obstacle that crossed their path, from a hive of shape-shifting changelings, to an immortal god intent on stealing the magic of Equestria. He watched as two faithful ponies became alicorns, ruling over love and friendship. It had been four THOUSAND years since he had been seen in his full alicorn form. Well, technically 3 weeks, but he was pretty sure that pony was knocked up on hard cider, and didn't remember anything... Midnight put up his scrolls and levitated the suitcase back up into its holder, making sure it was secure before he started to get comfortable on his bed. He had been in that train station for hours, and sleep sounded amazing right now... WHOOOOOEEEOOOOOHHEEOOOOH!!!! The train whistle let out a long, deep sound, and as it did so, Midnight shot up like a bird, horn powered up, wings fully extended. He looked around, and seeing nor sensing any immediate threat, he allowed his wings and horn to relax. He peeked out the curtain, and saw Canterlot Mountain approaching fast. It was dusk, nighttime rapidly approaching. With Canterlot coming up fast, Midnight powered up his magic yet again, folded his wings, and cast his illusion spell upon his barrel. The train pulled into the station just as he finished packing up his bags. He departed the compartment, heading for the exit. He left the train car, taking the first breath of Canterlotian air he had taken in almost half an eon. He walked around, taking in the city, and all it's scenery, shops, and homes. So much had changed since 4000 years ago... Well, most things. He watched snobby nobles eating tiny portions of food, probably at ridiculously high prices, in restaurants lined with gold and royal purple. He saw ponies window shopping, looking at exquisite jewelry and fashion, priced at hundreds or even thousands of bits. 'Probably cheap as dirt for them', Midnight thought sarcastically, as he watched a noble couple come out, dressed in fine clothes and beautiful accessories, keeping their muzzles turned up at ponies who so much as glanced at them. As he walked through the city streets, the lights came on, and darkness fell. Luna's moon shone in the sky, along with objects that he had not controlled for so long... His stars. He longed more than ever to make them SHINE. Luna did an adequate job of making sure the stars were there and visible, but could never make them do what he could. He made them cast their own light upon Equestria. They would shimmer and shine under his control. He would make shooting star showers, illuminating the land below in streaks of light, amazing the ponies. 'Maybe that's why Luna became so bitter. She could never do what I could with the night...', He though as he stared up at the stars. He wanted to SO badly... 'Maybe just this once...' Princess Luna sighed as she raised the moon and brought the stars out. This meant the start of Night Court, something that she dreaded from her waking hour. Ponies coming to whine about petty issues like prices, land, and taxes in the middle of the night. It drove her bat-crazy! 'Actually no, that's racist. Never say that.' Luna made a mental note on that as she sat down on her throne, getting comfortable and ready to take on a ridiculous amount of stress. She stared at her bat-pony guards, blushing as she looked at them and though of her previous statement. She regained her composure, sat up straight, put on her "loving-princess" face (ugh...), and gave the command to the guards. "Guards! Let in the poni-AGH!" Luna flinched as her horn felt a sharp pinch go through it. She grabbed it and massaged it gently with her hoof. She had never felt something like that. "Princess! Are you alright?!", one of her guards asked as she rubbed her horn. "I am fine, Silent Night, thank you. I just had a pinch go through my horn. A new feeling, but not something I can't deal with on my own. Please continue with your post. Let the ponies in." "Yes, Your Majesty." As Silent Night walked back to the door to open it, the Princess allowed herself to relax. She would need to be as calm as possible, because some of these ponies were absolutely unbearable. Before Silent Night made it back to his post, a bright light washed through the stained glass windows, going from right to left, and disappeared as fast as it had come. More of these lights started to occur, causing Luna to gallop toward the balcony. 'It can't be. It can't possibly be...' as she rushed out to the balcony. She stopped when she got there, and looked up, her jaw dropping and her pupils shrinking to pinpricks from the sight before her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing... A star shower was occuring. Tens of stars, shooting across the sky, brighter and faster than any meteor shower. They danced with each other, shooting through the sky in perfect harmony. It was a sight no living pony had ever seen. No pony except for two, she thought. But now, one of her hopes, and possibly fears, had come true. No pony except for THREE. As Celestia lowered the sun to make space for Luna's moon, she lit a fire in her fireplace and laid down on her comfy collection of throw pillows that served as her couch. It had been a long day for the Princess of the Sun, from dealing with whiny nobles in day court, eating lots of cake, and dealing with Blueblood's inflated ego. All she wanted to do was lay down, read some literature or poetry, and then rest for the next day, which was sure to bring it's own trials. She settled in to her pillows, and took hold of some of Starswirl's writings with her magic. She began to study over them, reading and taking in the knowledge they held. 'As usual, I'm sure that Twilight will want to read these after I'm finished. And then write an essay. And create a slideshow.' Celestia giggled at the idea of Twilight creating a big deal out of nothing. 'Then again...she probably will do that.' As Celestia continued reading, she noticed a light shining across the room, and suddenly disappearing. She ignored it, thinking a cloud had passed the moon. But it happened again, and the light was brighter this time. Celestia got up, and walked to the balcony of her tower. She gasped as she saw the stars flying across the sky. 'No...he's gone. He left!' Celestia thought in disbelief and surprise as she watched more stars fly across the sky. A flash and a bang behind her showed her sister, Luna. Celestia galloped over to Luna, pure concern and worry in her eyes and voice. "Luna, are you doing this?" She asked, with almost a sound of anger in her voice. "N-No..." Luna stammered. She had never seen such an intense look in her sister's eyes, not since her turning into Nightmare Moon. The look in Celestia's eyes softened, as she put a comforting hoof around Luna, pulling her into a hug. "He's back...and I believe he's here in Canterlot." It is a sight to behold, and a sight to fear, to see the High Princesses of Equestria walking with the expression that they mean business. Servant and guard alike watched in awe as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walked down through the main hall, going toward 4 platoons of the Canterlot Royal Guard. "Captain," Celestia said toward the Captain of the Guard, "Begin a citywide search for a male alicorn. He will have a purple and blue mane, a deep blue coat of fur, and a cutie mark of a falling star. Do you and your platoons understand?" "YES MA'AM!!" 120 ponies said in intense harmony. "Very well. Begin." Author's Note Well, I'm back. Yay... Yeah, grades caught up to me and bit me in the butt. I wasn't able to publish my first story in time for Christmas. I will have it up this upcoming holiday season, so get ready to wait for 11 months. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, and please do leave a like and comment. I do enjoy hearing what people have to say about my stories. ...Or Maybe Not.'I should not have done that.' Midnight ducked his head as a bolt of magic flew over his head as he galloped away from the source of it; a squad of guards pursuing him. 'Yeah, I definitely should not have done that.' He continued to gallop, as he dodged and ducked under more magic bolts. He shot a few of his own back at random into the approaching and ever-growing squad of Royal Guards. He made sharp turns into alleyways and around street corners, trying to find the edge of the city. He knew he could get away if he found the drop-off. As he made a particularly sharp turn onto Regius Avenue, he came face to face with one of the scariest things he had ever seen in all his life. Princess Luna, up in the air, looking like she could turn to Nightmare Moon any second, with a platoon of unicorn guards behind her, horns at the ready. "Oh buck..." he mumbled, backing away slowly. "Oh buck indeed, MIDNIGHT." Luna said that last part with a certain intensity, an intensity that could make you get goosebumps all over your body. He turned around, hoping to go back the way he came, but found that the squad of guards that had been chasing him was in formation behind him. "There's really no place to go, Midnight," said Luna, lowering back to the ground. "The only way that could possibly let you escape is your Star Flight, but you would destroy every window within a mile. You could injure or even kill a pony. You wouldn't want that, now would you?" "Luna, this is not how I wanted to reunite with you and Ti-" He caught his tongue, holding back that name. "Celestia." "And yet, you create an event that will have everyone looking to me, my sister, Cadence, and Twilight for answers, you resist arrest, and you attack a squad of Royal Guards." Luna bit back, voice full of anger. And yet, he picked up on something else inside her voice. Worry. Frightfulness. "Luna...there is no reason for your aggression. Please calm-" "NO!" Midnight winced as Luna dropped into the Royal Canterlot Voice, with her eyes closed and angry tears flowing down her muzzle. "I WON'T LET YOU TAKE AWAY MY NIGHT!!" She screamed. She then did something that Midnight had not expected. She charged at him, eyes blazing with fury, taking flight as she got closer. Luna was a great warrior, definitely one of the greatest warriors Equestria had ever known, but she had never fought a full-size alicorn in her Luna-state. Midnight was taller than she was, and had more raw muscle hidden under his slender body than met the eye. He charged up his horn, ready to defend against the blow that was certain to come. He just hoped everypony around them was ready for it. Midnight took his stance, and then- Horns collided. A blast wave flung guards in all directions breaking every window and streetlamp surrounding them. Luna was pushing everything she had into her attack, pushing hard into Midnight's horn with her wings and head. He started to slide back into the asphalt of the street. "Luna, that's enough! Stop! I don't want to hurt you!" he begged, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. She ignored him, pushing more so. He then stopped moving. Luna felt it, and opened her eyes. Her pupils shrunk and her mouth fell open as he started to push her back, leaning into his attack as well. She saw a light growing, and looked up at his horn. It took her only a second to figure out what was coming, but by that point- BOOM! It was too late. The blast from Midnight's horn blew her into a cafe, through the empty window. She collapsed onto a table, breaking it with the force of her momentum. She stumbled back up, her entire body sore and bruised. She fluttered her eyes open slowly, weary from pain. She looked back at Midnight, only to be blasted back to the ground. He was gone. Midnight blasted up from the scene, blasting up at speeds that tittered dangerously close to supersonic. As he flew away from Canterlot, he felt the rainbow cone form around him, tightening and tightening, until he saw the wave of rainbow energy soar from around him. He left a rainbow trail behind him as he soared across the night sky. Personally, rainbows weren't his thing. He felt another cone start to solidify around him, one that was glittering and a deep, majestic purple. He pushed to his full capacity, and felt the cone get tighten, until it sent out a deafening BOOM and a purple wave of stardust emerged from around him. He looked behind him, and found his body was glowing and sparkling white, with sharp prongs of light energy coming off him and leaving a trail of stardust behind him. He smiled widely as he continued to fly, sending out glorious laughter as he flew. Because he was flying at ultraspeed. He was a shooting star. He would arrive at his destination in less than an hour at this speed. He had absolutely no doubt that the Princesses would be looking for him. They would be deploying every royal guard they could. He was certain that Princess Cadence was aware of his existence at least, and would soon know that he had returned. However...Princess Twilight might not know. Possibly. At this point, that was his only hope. "Twilight, can I PLEASE go to bed? We've already done this twice..." Spike groaned as he started to triple-check the nighttime list, per request of none other than Twilight Sparkle. "Spike...", Twilight whined, letting her back slump and putting on her pouty face. "We need to make sure everything is ready! For all we know, Equestria could fall into chaos tomorrow! If so much as ONE thing is out of place, it could spell doom for us and the rest of Equestria!" "Twilight," Spike deadpanned, before rolling his eyes with a sigh. "I love you and all, but you need to, and I mean this with as much kindness I can muster, CHILL. Nothing is going to happ-" He was cut off by a passing light going through Twilight's window. "What was that?" Twilight said in a questioning tone as she trotted over to the window, Spike in close pursuit. Their mouths fell open as they watched the orbs of light shoot through the moonlit sky. "I've seen an occasional shooting star, but never something like this...", Twilight muttered as she watched the storm pass. She turned to Spike, with her mouth still slightly open. "Spike, grab some parchment and a quill. I need to send a lette-" Before she could finish, a belch of green flame came from Spike's mouth, only to have a roll of parchment with the Royal Seal of Equestria appear in a small, white flash. Twilight grabbed the letter in her magic, and brought it over to herself. She undid the red ribbon around it, opened it, and began to read. My dearest Twilight, One of these days, I will write to you under favorable circumstances. Sadly, today is not one of those days. I assume you saw the storm of stars in the sky minutes ago. This event is not the first of it's kind, and most certainly won't be the last. An old...friend of mine has returned to Equestria. I do not have time to go into details at the moment, but I require your presence in Canterlot IMMEDIATELY. Yours truly, Princess Celestia Twilight stood there, frozen, staring off into space as Spike took the letter from her magical grip and read it himself. After he finished reading the letter, he rolled it back up and looked over at Twilight. He could see her mind was at work, trying to think back on who this "friend" could possibly be. "Twilight, hello?" He got no response. "Equestria to Twilight, do you copy?" Twilight finally shook her head, still with a questioning look on her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word out, a familiar boom was heard from outside. A glance at the window showed a rainbow-colored wave of energy emerging from a point in the sky between Canterlot and her vantage point. "Why in Equestria is Rainbow Dash up at this hour?" Twilight mumbled as looked out the window. "She can barely stay up during the day..." A flash of light shown moments later, causing Twilight to shun away from the window. She looked back and saw a ball of light start to form in the sky, right where the explosion of light happened. She couldn't believe her eyes...again. "Spike, go get Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy, and bring there here ASAP. I'll get Applejack and Rainbow. I have a feeling all of them are going to have to come with us to Canterlot." "So let me get this straight. A creature has returned to Equestria that can perform a Sonic Rainboom AND can fly faster than that? AWESOME!" Rainbow cheered gleefully as Twilight paced around the Cutie Map, waiting for Rarity and Applejack to show up. "NO. NOT AWESOME!" Twilight counteracted as she turned to Rainbow. "This is a creature that has given PRINCESS CELESTIA a reason to be worried! Every SINGLE creature that has given the Princess a reason to worry has led to events that have the very fate of Equestria in the balance!" "But she claimed that they were a friend! So they can't possibly be THAT bad!" Pinkie claimed, hopping around cheerfully. "Discord is the Princess's friend, and yet, he almost destroyed our friendship!" "I agree with Twilight...and Rainbow. And Pinkie....Oh, and probably Spike, Applejack, and Rarity. Fluttershy said quietly, one eye hidden behind her hair as she looked down at the crystal floor. "You can't agree with everyone, Fluttershy." Rainbow deadpanned as she looked over at Fluttershy, who had a blush on her face and hid behind her hair. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but just as she started, Spike, and a tired Applejack and Rarity walked into the room, each with luggage, one with a bit much for an emergency(guess who). "Good, you guys are finally here! Let's get to the train station!" Twilight exclaimed with a bit too much glee for the current situation. "Twi, do ya mind explaining what this is all about?" Applejack asked, a questioning face staring at her. "Indeed darling, I would like to know the reason for having my beauty sleep interrupted." Rarity said as she tossed her curls with her hoof. "I'll explain, but we really need to get going. The train takes 5 hours to travel to Canterlot." Twilight said before hearing Rarity jump up and scream- "WE'RE GOING TO CANTERLOT?!" "Ugh, yes, BUT WE NEED TO GO NOW!" Twilight yelled as she started walking out the door, luggage in magic. As Twilight and her friends walked through the main hall towards the grand doors, they slammed open, cracking the crystal wall behind them. A star stood in the door, sparkling and gleaming as it moved into the castle. It stopped 10 feet in front of them, simply standing there in all it's glory. "Twilight Sparkle." Twilight squinted at the star, silent as she stared at it. Her friends stood on each of her sides, looking at the star fiercely, ready to protect her from any action this thing could make. After a few moments, the star began to dim, it's light and sparkles fading. The shadow of a figure started to appear, it's features becoming more apparent. A long horn appear, four slender legs appear, a waving mane and tail appearing. But most shocking of all... A pair of wings erupting from the barrel of the creature. As they watch this, their mouths drop, pupils shrinking as an alicorn walks up right to Twilight. Twilight is in absolute shock, her body leaning away from the alicorn as HE walks up to her. He puts his hoof under her chin, tilts her head up to him, and smiles, saying in a quiet tone: "Twilight Sparkle, I am Midnight Star, Prince of the Stars, Royal Representative of the Sovereign Nation of Equestria. I have been gone for 4 millennia, and I need you to know one thing; I am not your enemy." That was the last thing she remembered before she fainted. Author's Note I do enjoy writing this. Well, I'm un-grounded! YAY!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter of my story, and as always, please leave a like and a comment! Yours truly, mon amis, The World Turned Upside DownThe Royal Conference Room-a tall, majestic room, with columns rising parallel to the grand windows overlooking the valleys below the mountain. Sitting at the long, cold elliptical marble table was Princess Celestia, with her top advisers, military generals, and key nobility and royalty. These important figures were muttering amongst themselves, speaking of politics, international relations, and the other things that could be expected to be spoken of from ponies of their social standing. Celestia rapped her golden hoof-shoes against the floor gently but firmly, gaining the attention of the little ponies in front of her. "You are all aware of the occurrence that took place in the skies of Equestria tonight. Every pony from Vanhoover to Baltimare saw the shower of stars that took place tonight, and they will all be asking questions. I'm sure you all have questions as well. But before I answer any of them, you need to know one thing." Celestia took an old banner in her magic from a Royal Guard, and placed it in the middle of the table. She unfurled it, showing the design to all those who looked upon it. The outline of an alicorn on the left, raising the moon. Another alicorn in the center, raising the sun. And a final alicorn on the right, raising the stars. "There are those of you who know of this third alicorn, and those of you who have just found out about him right now. He is an ancient prince as old as Princess Luna and I. His domain was the stars, and all that lay beyond it. This is the pony that caused this supernatural occurrence tonight. Are there any questions?" The table was silent, with some ponies looking to be deep in thought, others staring at the banner and back at Princess Celestia with wide eyes. Finally, after a minute of this, Commander Spitfire raised her hoof, looking to Celestia. "Yes, Commander?" "Does this alicorn pose a threat to Canterlot or any other populated area in Equestria?" she asked, with a commanding tone in her voice, eyes frowning. "In my sister's attempt to bring him to the Castle, he attacked a squad of Royal Guards, and when engaged in duel with Princess Luna, destroyed a street intersection, shattering windows and blowing trees down. There were no fatalities, but injuries were reported at the scene and my sister is currently being attended to in the royal infirmary. I don't believe he has evil intentions, rather a strong sense of self-defense. The possibility does linger however, that he is a fallen alicorn, but usually any fallen alicorn changes shape, such as Nightmare Moon and Nightmare Star. So once again, I do not believe he has fallen to evil." "So potentially anypony who engages him or attempts to could be in harm's way?" General Brazen Fire asked. "Yes. However, unless there is a large military presence, or a strong subduing force, I do not believe ponies will be anxious to engage him. This is an alicorn as large as I, and who has millennia of magical experience." "Do we know how he thinks, how he works?" Brazen Fire asked, a lieutenant scribbling down notes. "He is strong, and has a strategic, brilliant mind. He knows magic that has been forbidden, or was lost to the ages centuries ago. He has extreme mental training, and usually won't let anyone know what doesn't need to be known. He is constantly trying to do what is best for others, and will always defend ponies. And this is where his weakness is." Princess Cadence and her husband, Captain Shining Armor, sat next to Princess Celestia, hanging onto her every word. Princess Cadence spoke up, asking in a questioning tone, "So his weakness is...love?" "Yes and no. When I last knew him, he lived in fear, always afraid that he was doing something wrong, that he wouldn't be able to help everyone. These thoughts hurt him, and I'm afraid that it could have a part in his disappearance millennia ago. He's a perfectionist in an imperfect world." "Were you and Auntie Luna related to him?" Cadence asked. "No, but we might as well have been. In the Tri-Alicorn era, the three of us ruled with the same benevolence that is so well reflected in my sister and I, as well as you and Princess Twilight today. But when not attending to royal duties, we were the best of friends, and when faced with crisis and war, when the three of us were of the same mindset, we were near unstoppable. When he left..." Princess Celestia paused, her eyes closed and lips pursed tight in a thin line. "...the world turned upside down. My sister and I were in despair, as was most of Equestria. Ponies all over searched for him for decades, hoping to bring him back to the throne. Their attempts were in vain, as were my sister's and I." "Wait a minute-where is he?" Shining Armor asked in an urgent tone, a concerned look in his eyes. "After his duel with my sister, he took flight, flying away from Canterlot in a southwestern direction. He took a rare form of flight, commonly known as a Sonic Rainboom." "I thought Rainbow Dash was the only pony in Equestria who was able to pull off a Rainboom." Commander Spitfire said. "That's one of the reasons she's higher up in our Reserve program." Alicorns have the possession of pegasus flight, but more concentrated, which allows us to reach speeds like that with more ease than a regular pegasus. An alicorn actually created the Sonic Rainboom, as well as another type of flight. The other type of flight is known as Star Flight, which when a pony reaches that speed, creates a magical aura around them, resembling a shooting star. He has mastered this form of flight, and it has been confirmed that he went into it in his escape from Canterlot." "I'm sorry-but do you mind telling us what the hay this prince's name is?" Data Quill, Princess Celestia's deputy adviser spoke up, with an impatient voice. "Certainly, Data Quill. My apologies. His name is Midnight Star." "Ok, so how do we want to go about informing the public that Prince Midnight has returned?" Rough Draft, Celestia's Director of Public Relations asked, scribbling down notes on a small notepad. "Whether we inform the public of him or not, the rumors will grow. Many ponies were in the vicinity of the duel, and at least saw a pony that could defeat a Princess, which makes him appear dangerous and evil. We have to address this in a way that doesn't give him a bad image. This could cause havoc later in the future if we do not." "Very well, Your Majesty. I will have a copy of the rough draft on your desk within 24 hours." Rough Draft replied, maintaining eye contact with his notepad. "Thank you, Rough Draft. Are there any more questions?" Celestia asked, looking at the ponies around the table. Her question was met with silence and glances around the table from other ponies, looking for a hoof raised or a mouth opening to speak. None of these was seen. "Very well. Thank you all for coming. Meeting adjourned." Celestia rapped her hoofshoe on the floor. One thing many ponies who haven't been in a meeting with ponies of this status, is that when the Princess ends a meeting, no one really starts to leave for a good two or three hours. They would move away from the table, granted, but Princess Celestia always made sure to have the room booked for another 4 hours after the meeting was supposed to end. Sure enough, the attendees were all gathered in groups, discussing all the things you could expect of aristocrats and nobles. City happenings, politics, economics, and of course...themselves. There was only one pony who wasn't in a group, and that was Princess Cadence. She had been walking around the room, politely greeting everyone who approached her, but not staying long enough to engage in conversation. She was thinking. Thinking about an occurrence that had come to pass during the meeting. Cadence had felt something coming, an emotion of a type, coming from Princess Celestia. She was pretty sure she knew what it was, but she had to confirm her suspicion. She walked over to Princess Celestia's group, from which a large amount of laughter was emitting. "Auntie, may I please speak with you?" "Certainly, Princess Cadence. If you'll excuse me mares and gentlecolts, I must speak with my dear niece." Princess Celestia walked away from the group of nobles she was conversing with, who went back to their conversations which each other after bowing their head in respect. She walked with Cadence to another, more secluded part of the conference room. "How can I help you, Cadence?" Celestia asked, a gentle smile on her face. "So, when I say this, I'm talking just about you not you and Auntie Luna. What was YOUR relationship with Midnight?" Cadence immediately began to observe every feeling that flew through Celestia's mind and face. Her face revealed nothing, but there was a rush through her eyes. Windows to the soul after all. The rush of feelings was something she would later look back on, and think one thing...'How did I not get drunk off that?' 'Love, acceptance, playfulness, hope, arousal...well Auntie, he was certainly a special friend wasn't he?' "Princess Cadence, are you trying to imply something?" Princess Celestia asked, suspicion crawling into he eyes, a single eyebrow raising. "No. At least I wasn't, until that burst of feelings. Auntie, you may claim that he was simply your best friend, but I thought that we agreed to never lie to each other. Who was he to you?" "He...we were lovers." Celestia bowed her head down, eyes closed. "The love we had for each other filled our hearts. Even after he left, I yearned for him. I spent many a night crying in my room, looking up at the stars, begging for him to return. In the days since his departure, I still haven't taken on a new lover. Not even during estrus..." Celestia said, face turning red at the last sentence. "Yeah, I picked up on that," Cadence said, blushing heavily as she remembered the more...passionate thoughts and feelings that went through Celestia's head. "Do you still...love him?" "Well..." Just as Celestia began to to speak, she stopped. Her thoughts went to another pony, someone who should've been here, or at least responded to her desperate letter saying that she was en route. "Cadence, where's Twilight?" Celestia raised her head, looking around the room with wide eyes. "No, don't change the subject. Do you love-" "No, seriously, where is Twilight? She hasn't responded to my letter, and she isn't here." Celestia cut her off, the intensity of her tone growing with every word spoken. "She's probably bringing her friends, and you know Twilight. She'll do whatever it takes to get here ASAP. I promise you, she's probably aboard the Canterlot train." "Very well. Cadence, I will discuss my feelings for Midnight later, when all of us are present. Understood?" Celestia said, raising her head high and turning back to walk to the nobles. "Yes, Auntie. Have a good evening." The two princesses departed from each other's company, heading back into the midst of the conference room. Author's Note I get such anxiety from seeing the notifications for comments. Like, social anxiety. Is that weird? Anyway, I will integrate Season 6 in here sooner or later. Love y'all! A Talk Over TeaTwilight awoke in a much different setting than she remembered. She awoke on a set of throw pillows present inside her tea room. Her tea room was a warm, cozy room, with throw pillows surrounding a round, crystal table, and couches facing each other with coffee tables in between in several other parts of the room. On the wall opposite of the windows, a line of counters and cupboards stuck out, stocked to the brim with many different types of tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and other hot beverages. FWOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Twilight looked over at the counters and saw Midnight facing the whistling kettle, taking it off the stove and pouring it into two white mugs, and putting them onto a tray. He opened one of the cupboards and took out a box of Saddle Arabian jasmine tea. He took out a tea bag and placed it in one of the mugs. He closed the box and placed it back in the cupboard. "What kind of beverage would you like?" Twilight kept staring at him in curiosity, not taking in his question. "Twilight. Hello?" Twilight shook her head, blinking her eyes rapidly and fluttering her wings. She looked at Midnight's face, which reflected sincerity, with a tiny smile of amusement on his lips. "Umm, chamomile." "Excellent choice. One of the finest Germane beverages I've had the pleasure of consuming." Midnight said as he took out the chamomile box, placing a tea bag in the other mug and putting the box back in it's place. "Come. I suspect we have much to discuss." Twilight stood up and walked over to one of the couches, taking a seat. Midnight walked over with the tray in front of him, held in his magic. He placed the tray down on the table, grabbing his mug and taking a seat opposite of Twilight. He removed the tea bag, floating it over to the trash can, and took a timid sip of the beverage. He placed the mug down and looked at Twilight, saying "I suppose you have many questions, so let me introduce myself formally. I am Midnight Star, crown prince of Equestria, and creator and ruler of the stars. Twilight's eyes went all around Midnight, registering all the little details that she could find. The color and texture of his fur, his mane and tail. The emotions trying to hide in his eyes as he looked at her. She looked deep into his eyes. The windows to the soul. Thousands of words could be decrypted, memories found, stories told, all from the eyes. These eyes were weary and old, having watched the history of thousands of years unfold before them. Wars and peace. Love and hate. Life and death. So much knowledge could be found if these eyes could speak... "Yes, I have seen much in my lifetime, Twilight. However, what you see is all you'll know if we don't talk and you keep stargazing in my eyes." Midnight chuckled as he looked at Twilight, who had grown a rather intense look on her face. Twilight shook her head quickly a couple times, a blush growing on her face as she looked away. "I wasn't..." "Twilight, forgive me, but I have been alive for over 4,000 years. I've found my way around emotions. And those who seek to read them. However, I am not here to reveal the emotions that I have at the moment. Let me ask you something." Midnight leaned in, his muzzle a foot away from Twilight's. He bore no emotion on his face, his eyes wide open, staring into her own eyes as he spoke. "Have you ever heard of me?" Twilight stared, wracking her brain for any mention of a male alicorn. She could recall nothing from history books, nothing from spell books, no entries from journals of famous scholars and magicians, nothing from...anywhere. "No. You aren't anywhere in my books." "Interesting. When did you find out about Luna?" "The day before her return as Nightmare Moon." "Exactly. Celestia had kept our existence from you. You were her top student, and you are now a Princess of this nation. Any idea of why she would do that?" Midnight said, leaning back into his seat, lifting his tea mug up to his mouth. Twilight's considered this. She was told of Discord AFTER his release. Princess Celestia had told her of an entire country that had been hidden for a thousand years the day AFTER it re-appeared in the Frozen North. She learned of Tirek the day AFTER he returned to Equestria. Of all the many things she had faced, she never had previous knowledge of them. All of it... ...depended on Princess Celestia. "She probably did it because I need to be able to act quick in a sudden emergency. That's an essential skill not just for a Princess, but for anypony." She said, struggling to find another way of defending her mentor's actions. Midnight raised his eyebrows, as if almost skeptical of her words. "Yes, that makes sense. However, I think we can both agree that you've had your share of licks, and you've gotten through all of them. I believe that as far as being able to act quickly in a national emergency, you are more than qualified to do so. And if you weren't high-profile enough to know of these things, you certainly are now, PRINCESS Twilight." Midnight said, sipping his tea slowly. "Are you trying to turn me against my mentor?" Twilight asked, a questioning tone with a hint of outrage in her voice. Midnight chuckled, putting his tea mug down. "Absolutely not. Despite her flaws, Celestia is a wonderful pony who is incredibly talented in all that she does. However, I need you to understand that both she and I have our flaws, and that some of our mistakes are worse than others." "Celestia and Luna were my absolute best friends on the planet. When our rule began, we were nearly unstoppable in all that we did. Anything we needed done, we were able to do if we put our minds to it together." Midnight paused, before continuing. "However, Celestia was closer to me than Luna, mainly because we were courting. I dated Celestia for many years before and during our rule. The love we had was powerful, and it was something we both cherished. However, Luna and I had a closeness that Celestia and I never shared. The closeness of friendship. We were both rulers of the night, and used our control of the heavenly bodies to show ponies the true beauty of the night. Either way, they were both incredible ponies, and I treasured them deeply." Twilight saw and heard while Midnight was talking, for just a fleeting moment, a twinge of heartbreak in his voice. Some may have mistaken it for a crack, but those who truly knew heartbreak could distinguish it in any form. She might've not known the heartbreak he had felt in his very long life, but she knew her own. "As you may know from Equestrian history, the monarchy did not have a smooth start. The Third Pony-Griffon war was raging, and power-hungry nobles and corrupt politicians were seeking for a chance to expose a flaw in our ways and bring down the government. Many ponies didn't like the idea of all-powerful beings ruling over them with little public control. We made every attempt to include the general public in our political decisions. We created a cabinet. We included local government in our decisions. It didn't do much. Ponies still searched for a way to bring our monarchy down." "When we were nearing the end of the war, Celestia and Luna traveled to Saddle Arabia for 5 days to negotiate reinforcements in order to push the war to it's end. I stayed behind in order to command troops and keep the peace in the capital. If I had known what I was about to fall into, I would've traded places with Luna." Midnight's head lowered, looking at the floor, tears filling his eyes. He swallowed, his chin trembling as he looked up at Twilight. "What happened?" Twilight asked, almost at a whisper, worry and curiosity filling her voice. Midnight sighed. "I nearly destroyed the Equestrian government as we knew it, I gave specific people a way to control my actions to their will, and most importantly... A tear made it's way down his face. His voice cracked, saying "I had to break Celestia's heart. Author's Note ANDDDDDDDDDDDD............. I should've been writing this more than I did. And I know it's short. BUT ANYWAY. So, I hope you've all had a great summer. I went up to New York, saw 'Hamilton' and 'Waitress'. I did some other stuff too. By the way, you guys have been reading this story for longer than Pokemon Go has been out! I'll work hard to make the next chapter longer. Also, something new about me? I have crippling social anxiety HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA so I get a panic attack every time one of y'all leaves a comment. Hehehe... But, that's just me. Thanks for reading! Missed y'all Should've Said No To ItYear 7 of the Tri-Alicorn Era "Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'll see what we can do as soon as possible." As soon as the pony walked out of the room, Midnight closed and locked the door. And no sooner after that did he let his forehead make contact with the desk for what seemed like the millionth time that day. A muffled groan made it's way about as he repeatedly hit his head on the desk, making the various items on it shake and move in small ways. This was the 8th day that his lover and his best friend had been gone. For a normal pony, that might've been fine. For a monarch who shared the crown's work with two others, and had to do their work on top of his, it was quite the opposite of fine. Celestia and Luna had still risen their respective heavenly body, but Midnight had done just about everything else in their place. He hadn't slept in a good 36 hours, he was weak in every knee, and he hadn't eaten nearly as much as a growing alicorn should be each day. But regardless of this, he still pushed through, and he knew it would be only two days till his fellow monarch's return. Though, in all honesty, that was probably the only thing that got him through today. He still wasn't sure if he could get through tomorrow without dropping dead. From hunger. Or exhaustion. Or boredom. He had many choices. "Your Highness, your next appointment is here. A Ms. Lunar Sea." Midnight's guard, Sky Sprint said through the door. Another groan could be heard as Midnight lifted his head up, straightened out the objects on his desk, and unlocked his office door. "Thank you, Sky Sprint. Please let her in." The doors opened to reveal a tan colored pony with a chocolate-colored wavy mane and a light blue dress that covered her cutie mark. She walked in, her hooves making a light clicking sounds as she made her way across the marble floor to Midnight's desk, a slight sway in her hips as she walked. She took a seat in the chair provided, staring at him with vibrant brown eyes, which had a slight tint of red, almost has if she had been...crying? "Good evening, Lunar Sea. How can I help you?" "Your Majesty, thank you for seeing me. It's been a hard few months for me. Forgive me if this is a problem that you shouldn't be handling, but...my coltfriend has been...g-going downhill lately. He's been gone multiple nights in a row, reeks of alcohol and sex when he returns, and has been...using substance." Lunar Sea said, her voice filling with sadness as she spoke. "I don't know what to do, and I can't go to my parents or the authorities. They'll just...a-arrest him, take him away, and I love him so much!" She cried, breaking into tears as she finished her sentence. As she cried, Midnight pondered on what to do. Her coltfriend seemed to have been caught in a darker part of the city, where the black market thrived. If he had been using illegal substance, he was eligible for at least 5 years in jail, and a fine of 10,000 bits. On top of that, he had obviously been causing emotional trauma in this poor mare, who wanted nothing but to help him. He would normally try to help in these situations, but the law had more authority than he did at this point. "Lunar Sea, I'm honored that you have a trust in me strong enough to bring a personal problem like this to my attention. It is very much appreciated, especially in these trying times. However, that being said, as a representative and leader of the Equestrian government, I'm afraid that if your coltfriend is engaging in illegal activities, I'll have to notify the proper authorities. The law is above me in this situation. I'm truly sorry." "Wait! Please, don't! There has to be something I can do to help him!" She pleaded, eyes wide open, tears still streaming down her face. "Miss Sea, our rehabilitation centers are the best help he can receive at this point. If you truly love him, I must insist that you let me handle this as the law dictates it must be handled." "No, please. I'll give you anything!" She begged. "Miss Sea, there's nothing you can offer me that will change my mi-" Midnight stopped, a deep blush filling his face as Lunar Sea locked lips with him, forcing her tongue inside his mouth as she sat on top of his desk, her eyes closed, tears slowing as she continued to kiss him. He tried using his magic to force her off of him, but she raised her hoof to his horn, causing waves of ecstasy to move through his body, de-focusing the stream of magic that previously coursed through his horn. She pushed him back, knocking him out of his chair, back on the floor, she sat on him, leaned in to his ear, and whispered- "How long has it been since you've been properly treated?" That pushed it. It had been a long time since he and Celestia had engaged in their more...intimate activities. And with the war effort taking up most of their time, he had barely been able to do anything at all with her. The stress that had built up over those weeks, and especially the last 3 days, left him desperate. He missed a physical touch. He wanted it back. He NEEDED it. He returned the passionate kiss, using his magic to take off the dress on her body. His mouth went down on her neck, getting lower and lower. The sun went down, and the moon rose, unnoticed by either individual until an hour after the sun's departure. Only when the guards knocked did the two take notice of the present around them. "Your Highness? Is everything alright?" His other guard, Arctic Breeze, asked through the door. "Yes, everything's fine. Miss Sea was just about to leave." Midnight said with a slight tone of hostility, glancing at Lunar Sea, who was getting back into her dress as he spoke. She fussed with her hair, making it to look like it did when she entered, and when she was finished, came over and gave Midnight a soft kiss on his cheek. "Till we meet again, Your Majesty." She said in a sultry voice, swaying her hips ever so slightly more as she walked out of the office. Midnight walked back to his desk, putting his chair upright and taking a seat in it. His eyes glanced over to a portrait he had on his desk. It was a picture of him and Celestia from the day of their inauguration, her eyes and smile wide as Midnight planted a kiss on her cheek in their full royal regalia. He drew a shaky breath, and grabbed the portrait with his magic, putting it face down on the desk. He grabbed a piece of parchment and began writing, not about anything in particular, but to calm himself. As he continued to write, a knock came from the door. "Your Highness? A letter has arrived from Princess Celestia." A panic came over Midnight. She had already written her daily letter to him earlier that day, and should've been asleep by this point. She wouldn't have written unless it was dire, and it couldn't have just been about Lunar Sea. She couldn't have known about that already! "W-what? Bring it in immediately." Midnight said, stuttering as he pushed his piece of parchment into a drawer in his desk. Arctic Breeze walked in, levitating the letter with his magic. Midnight grabbed it immediately, snapping the ribbon and unrolling it quickly. "Are you alright Your Highness?" Arctic said, hesitating to leave the room at Midnight's sudden panicked actions. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you. You may return to your post." He said, turning back to his letter after dismissing Arctic. ~~My Dear Midnight,~~ ~~Are you alright? Luna rose the moon over an hour ago, and yet we have still not seen the light of your stars glow upon Equis.~~ ~~I know you're working very hard. Luna and I are eternally grateful for the work you are doing. Everything helps when it comes to ending the war. I know you must be very tired, and it means a lot, especially to me, that you've been handling all the needs of our citizens.~~ ~~Please make sure you get some rest tonight. Luna and I will be home soon.~~ ~~Sending my love,~~ ~~Celestia~~ Midnight put the scroll down, a heaviness in his heart growing ever steadily as he read the last words over and over again. He lit up his horn, barely registering the stars as they rose to their position in the sky. He felt nauseous, feeling like he could throw up any second at the thought of the transgression he had committed, the weakness he let come over himself, the LUST... Because of an hour of lust, he could lose love forever. "Faust, you should've shown me how to say no to this..." he muttered, putting the scroll in a cleverly concealed safe in the office's closet. He then walked over to a wood cabinet, opening it and grabbing an old bottle of scotch and a glass. He poured the aged hard liquor into the crystal, and lifted it to his mouth, swallowing the burning liquid. "What have I done..." he said, swallowing more, and proceeded to pour himself another glass. Something wasn't right. Arctic Breeze could feel it. First, after that Lunar Sea mare left, the Prince seemed to be more jumpy then he had been as of lately. After he had taken the scroll, he and Sky Sprint hadn't heard a word from him for the past two hours. The Prince normally retired to his chambers at a time that had passed over half an hour ago. Even on busy nights like these, this wasn't normal behavior. He had waited long enough to not be concerned. He went up to the solid mahogany doors, rapping his hoof on them hard and firm. "Your Highness? Are you alright in there?" he asked, a tone of concern present in his voice. No response. "Your Highness, can you hear me?" Yet again, no response was heard. Arctic Breeze turned to Sky Sprint, a look of confusion and worry on his face. Sky Sprint shrugged, glancing at the door, and back at Arctic. Arctic nodded in response, opening the door slowly. The first thing that hit him was a strong smell of alcohol. It was almost overpowering, and it made him take a step back in disgust. The second thing however, caught his attention in a much more urgent way. Slouched on the desk in front of him was Prince Midnight, surrounded by a few empty bottles of scotch. He appeared to be conscious, muttering under his breath, and visible tear lines were under his eyes, constantly refreshed by new tears flowing from his eyes. "Sky Sprint! Get in here right now!" Arctic called out, clearing the bottles away with his magic as he tried to get a better look at the drunken prince in front of him. "What's wron-woah..." Sky Sprint said, hesitant to take another step into the room after the smell stormed his nostrils. "Get Captain Blaze! We need to get him up to his chambers!" Arctic shouted, the commanding Royal Guard making itself apparent. "Yes sir!" Sky Sprint ran off, heading to the Captain's post. Arctic returned his attention to the prince, desperate to get something out of him. "Your Majesty, can you hear me?" Arctic said, looking directly into the prince's half-closed, bloodshot eyes. "Eurghhhhhh...." was all the prince said before closing his eyes, a light snore showing that he had passed out. "Oh Celestia," he muttered as he tried to lift the prince up with his magic, but he proved too heavy to lift by himself. He tried a few more times, channeling more magic in his horn, but did not succeed in any of his later attempts. By that point, the Captain had arrived with Sky Sprint and three other Unicorn guards. "Sweet Faust, what happened to him?" the captain asked, getting a closer look at him. "He's drunk. Blackout drunk." Arctic said, no better response coming to mind as he backed away from the prince, lining up with the captain beside him. "Well, the best thing we can do is get him up to his chambers. I can have a medical pony put a few spells to try and aid the heck of a hangover he's gonna have in the morning, but that's just about it." the captain said, signaling in the unicorns. "Well boys, focus your magic and get him up to his room. Be careful as to not injure him. Report back to me after you've safely transported him." the captain ordered, receiving a chorus of 'yes sir's as he walked to the door. "Oh, and Private Sprint, Corporal Breeze? Guard his chamber. Make sure he's tended to when he wakes up." "Yes sir!" Sky and Arctic said in unison, hooves popping up into a salute. "Have a good evening, gentlemen." the captain said, walking out the door and down the hallway, heading back to his post. "Ok, soo..." Arctic trailed off, watching the other guards lift the prince up with their combined magic. "Let's get up there. We have a long night ahead of us." Sky said, turning to the door, walking in front of the team of guards. "Indeed. He's gonna have a harder one though." Midnight woke up to a throbbing pain in his head, as if someone was trying to drive a nail into it...from every angle. His stomach was also not in prime condition. In fact, he felt like he was going to not only throw up the contents of his stomach, but his actual stomach as well. His mouth was drier than Saddle Arabia, and despite waking up, he was exhausted. Alicorns may be immortal, and survive many things normal ponies couldn't, but a hangover affected him just as badly, if not worse. He immediately summoned a glass of water from his bathroom, gulping down it's contents as if he was inhaling air after holding his breath. He slammed the glass down on his bedside table, a satisfied gasp escaping his lips. He got up out of bed...and sat back down on the bed, as the moment he put weight on his legs, they turned to jelly, causing him to collapse. Sighing, he pulled a golden rope next to his bedframe, summoning a servant from their quarters. A minute passed by before a pony walked in through the door, silver tray stacked with pain relievers in hoof. He set them down on the bedside table, bowing after putting it down. "I assume this is what your wanted, Your Highness?" "Yes. Thank you very much. Dismissed." Midnight replied, staring at the floor trying not to puke as he waved away the pony. As soon as the servant left, Midnight dashed wobbily to the bathroom, failing to keep what was inside him inside. After throwing up the contents of his stomach for what felt like hours, he slowly walked back to the sink, taking the glass of water and a couple of painkillers in his magic. He put the pills in his mouth, quickly downing them with the water, laying his head on the cool marble surrounding his sink. Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to curl up under his bed covers and stay there for...ever, he still had a nation to run and citizens to meet with. He lifted his head, looking in the mirror. Standing before him was himself, hair running amok, his eyes tinted red, dark bags under them. He levitated his hairbrush over, and started brushing his hair, simultaneously putting toothpaste on his toothbrush and brushing his teeth. Regardless of either of these actions, he could not tear his eyes away from their reflection mere inches away. The eyes that had been allowed to betray him, that feasted on the lustful beauty of Lunar Sea. His eyebrows clenched, an ugly anger growing his stomach, twisting it into knots. With a shout he threw the closest object in reach, his hairbrush, at his reflection. The mirror cracked at the impact, spreading the cracks in random and erratic patterns. He stood there breathing intensely, still staring with a hate at the one thing he could see. He turned with a scoff and walked with a wobble towards the door. Author's Note Well, you'll be happy to know that I did well on my midterm finals! That's basically the only goo thing that has come from these last two months... Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll begin writing the next in January. I'll have some downtime on my hands after New Years. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year's!
PrologueThe sun, the moon, and the stars. Each a worshiped, extraterrestrial, being. Each portrayed in centuries of art, music, literature, and theatre. In Equestria, the princesses are affiliated with these celestial bodies. Princess Celestia with the sun, and Princess Luna with the moon and stars. That's how it's always been, since ponies started taking records. But what about before they started? Celestia and Luna were born to King Cosmos, and Queen Galaxia. Princess Cadence and Twilight were created alicorns, from their original pegasus or unicorn form. Together, they rule Equestria and the lands beyond in wisdom, love, and harmony. Only two know that there was a fifth. He was lost to time, only found in the most ancient of records, kept in the darkest vault, in the most secret of places in all of Canterlot. Buried deep beneath the Canterlot Archives... His name was Prince Midnight Star. He ruled the stars. He shaped thousands of suns that were of Celestia's, or so much larger, into art that would inspire ponies for generations, that would make them yearn to learn more about what was beyond Equestria. Stars, that would guide them to new lands, to explore and create. Stars, that gave the ponies at night, a show with the moon that would be unique and unforgettable each night. Stars, that earned him a love that was so powerful, it could've repelled all evil, shown a light in even the darkest places, and brought forth an era of peace and prosperity that could've lasted forever. And then he left. He disappeared, into the shadows. Not in control of the stars, but always watching. The Princess of the Moon became the Princess of the Night, and she took the responsibility of the stars. The stars never shown as bright as they had when he had them. Eventually, Equestria moved on. Ponies forgot of the shows of the night, of the benevolent ruler. Truth turned to rumor. Rumor to myth. Myth to legend. Legend...to nothing. However, it is well known that alicorns never die. He has watched Equestria grow, from tiny settlements on the fields, to great cities on mountains and islands. He watched as ponies no longer flew or galloped across the land, rather they traveled in elegant airships, speedy trains, or recreational helicopters. He watched as ponies no longer watched the night sky, rather they frolicked mainly under Celestia's sun. He watched as Equestria lost one of it's most dear princesses...and watched as she returned as Nightmare Moon, only to be defeated by the Elements of Harmony yet again. He watched as Discord reigned chaos all over the land. He watched as a royal wedding was interrupted by an evil hive of shape-shifting changelings. He watched the Crystal Empire rise anew. He watched a new princess rise from the quaint town of Ponyville. He watched the Everfree Forest tried to take hold on Equestria. He watched as a long past enemy returned and stole magic from all species of pony. Not him though. He was careful. He watched as a new castle emerged from the ground of Ponyville. Yet no one knew he watched. He knew that the sisters knew that he was still probably alive. He knew he had caused them great grief by leaving. But he had his reasons. Whether they knew them, he didn't know. But he was tired of watching. Tired of standing on the sidelines, not doing anything. And he oh so missed his stars. His beautiful stars... Hey, if Luna could return after millennia, surely he could. Right?
I'm Coming Home...Manehattan. One of the largest cities in Equestria, it is a thriving hub, a melting pot of culture and fashion, home to all sorts of ponies and creatures. A city so tough, it is said that if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. A city where ponies yell to the sky, "YOU HAVEN'T BEAT ME YET, AND YOU WON'T BEAT ME TODAY!!!" And today, one of it's residents was leaving. He appeared to be a tall, slender, male unicorn, working his way through the crowd of ponies on the train platforms, carrying his luggage and all his personal belongings, toward a westbound train. A train going to the capital city of Canterlot. Canterlot. Ruling city over all Equestria, it was the home of many high-class and elite ponies. Ponies who's ENTIRE lifestyle was to judge everything, and everyone. Snobby, uptight ponies. Granted, some were more tolerable than others, but it was a harsh city if you didn't have a connection to someone well-known. It was a city that cast it's influence over Equestria and all the lands beyond it. But it wasn't an influence because of who called it home. No, it was an influence because of who made it home. Living in Canterlot Castle, ruling over all Ponykind, were the Princesses Celestia and Luna. They ruled with kindness, grace, and generosity, keeping and protecting all those who lived in their fair land. Rulers who had been around before records began, thousands of years old, but appearing as youthful as ever. These were the two ponies that made Canterlot an elite city. The tall unicorn made his way aboard the Friendship Express, heading to the compartment car, where he would have complete privacy the entire trip. He made his way to his compartment, beginning to pack away his luggage in the overhead racks. "Tickets please, tickets." The unicorn looked out the door, to his right, to see the conductor making his ticket rounds, collecting and stamping tickets. The unicorn took hold of his ticket, enveloped in his magic. He looked at the name on it; Midnight Star. "Ticket please, ticket." Midnight gave his ticket to the conductor, who stamped it and handed it back to him. He continued on into the next car, while Midnight made his way back into his compartment. As he closed the door, he flipped a sign over with his magic, that said: DO NOT DISTURB... He made his way onto his bed, laying down on all four knees, feeling that familiar tug of the train departing the station. He watched the skyline fly by, watched as taxi ponies pulled carriages filled with middle and high-class ponies. He watched as the train went over the Bronclyn Bridge, and then closed the curtain after that. He lit up his horn, closing his eyes and surrounding himself in his magic as it powered up. The magic surrounding him fine-tuned itself, on the sides of his barrel. The room began to get brighter and brighter, as his horn powered up to its full potential. He felt the magic surge through his body, through his very soul. And all of a sudden-a bright flash lit up the whole room. The light in the room died down as his horn cooled down, and as the magic surrounded him diminished. He opened his eyes, squinting a bit as he recovered from the flash that had even penetrated his eyelids. He looked down toward his barrel, and smiled as he saw two wings, folded and asleep. He took hold of his wings with his magic and shook them awake. It had been days since he last stretched his wings, and seeing he was alone now, he figured it was as good a time as any to stretch them and preen. He flinched as the pins and needles started to pinch the backbone of his wings. It was definitely the worst part of him having to hide his wings. Wings were especially sensitive, and having them feel like that a thousand needles were puncturing them was...uncomfortable, to say the least. While his wings began to wake, he took a small, hoofheld mirror and brought it to his face. The deep blue and purple hair that had stood still began to wave and shimmer in a non-existent wind. The inner, deep blue part of his hair began to sparkle, and before he knew it, stars appeared in it, shining as bright in the night sky. The feeling in his wings eventually passed, and he now could control them without the use of his magic. He ruffled them, shaking out anything that might have been lodged in them. Then, he began to stretch, bending them, pushing them out, pulling them in, and doing a few wing-ups. Once they were relaxed, he brought he left wing over to his muzzle and began to preen them. He took his time, making sure every feather was perfectly in place and looked presentable. After he finished with his left wing, he fluttered it, and moved on to his right wing. After his wings were preened, he gave them a flutter, feeling their strength push the air and ruffle the bedding underneath him. After flapping and fluttering his wings a couple more times, he floated his suitcase down from the rack above his bed. He opened it, finding ancient scrolls, magic texts, and books. He began to read from some of the scrolls, thinking over what was written on them, and what he planned to do upon arrival in Canterlot. A male alicorn had not been known for thousands of years, all records being lost in time. He had been the only one besides Celestia and Luna's father. After he passed into a higher being, he had been the only one. He had ruled alongside Celestia and Luna for thousands of years, leading ponies with finesse and grace. But he left one day, leaving no explanation, no note... Nothing. He knew that they desired answers. Mainly, why he had left. At the time he left, he had just about everything anypony could want. He had a good reputation, he had a position of power, he was respected, feared, loved...he even had one pony he called his lover. No one knew why he left. Only he did... Nevertheless, he watched as the two sisters, who had suffered great grief along with their subjects at the loss of their dear Prince, moved on and ruled Equestria. He watched Equestria grow, he watched as Luna was banished and returned, he watched as the Elements of Harmony defeated every obstacle that crossed their path, from a hive of shape-shifting changelings, to an immortal god intent on stealing the magic of Equestria. He watched as two faithful ponies became alicorns, ruling over love and friendship. It had been four THOUSAND years since he had been seen in his full alicorn form. Well, technically 3 weeks, but he was pretty sure that pony was knocked up on hard cider, and didn't remember anything... Midnight put up his scrolls and levitated the suitcase back up into its holder, making sure it was secure before he started to get comfortable on his bed. He had been in that train station for hours, and sleep sounded amazing right now... WHOOOOOEEEOOOOOHHEEOOOOH!!!! The train whistle let out a long, deep sound, and as it did so, Midnight shot up like a bird, horn powered up, wings fully extended. He looked around, and seeing nor sensing any immediate threat, he allowed his wings and horn to relax. He peeked out the curtain, and saw Canterlot Mountain approaching fast. It was dusk, nighttime rapidly approaching. With Canterlot coming up fast, Midnight powered up his magic yet again, folded his wings, and cast his illusion spell upon his barrel. The train pulled into the station just as he finished packing up his bags. He departed the compartment, heading for the exit. He left the train car, taking the first breath of Canterlotian air he had taken in almost half an eon. He walked around, taking in the city, and all it's scenery, shops, and homes. So much had changed since 4000 years ago... Well, most things. He watched snobby nobles eating tiny portions of food, probably at ridiculously high prices, in restaurants lined with gold and royal purple. He saw ponies window shopping, looking at exquisite jewelry and fashion, priced at hundreds or even thousands of bits. 'Probably cheap as dirt for them', Midnight thought sarcastically, as he watched a noble couple come out, dressed in fine clothes and beautiful accessories, keeping their muzzles turned up at ponies who so much as glanced at them. As he walked through the city streets, the lights came on, and darkness fell. Luna's moon shone in the sky, along with objects that he had not controlled for so long... His stars. He longed more than ever to make them SHINE. Luna did an adequate job of making sure the stars were there and visible, but could never make them do what he could. He made them cast their own light upon Equestria. They would shimmer and shine under his control. He would make shooting star showers, illuminating the land below in streaks of light, amazing the ponies. 'Maybe that's why Luna became so bitter. She could never do what I could with the night...', He though as he stared up at the stars. He wanted to SO badly... 'Maybe just this once...' Princess Luna sighed as she raised the moon and brought the stars out. This meant the start of Night Court, something that she dreaded from her waking hour. Ponies coming to whine about petty issues like prices, land, and taxes in the middle of the night. It drove her bat-crazy! 'Actually no, that's racist. Never say that.' Luna made a mental note on that as she sat down on her throne, getting comfortable and ready to take on a ridiculous amount of stress. She stared at her bat-pony guards, blushing as she looked at them and though of her previous statement. She regained her composure, sat up straight, put on her "loving-princess" face (ugh...), and gave the command to the guards. "Guards! Let in the poni-AGH!" Luna flinched as her horn felt a sharp pinch go through it. She grabbed it and massaged it gently with her hoof. She had never felt something like that. "Princess! Are you alright?!", one of her guards asked as she rubbed her horn. "I am fine, Silent Night, thank you. I just had a pinch go through my horn. A new feeling, but not something I can't deal with on my own. Please continue with your post. Let the ponies in." "Yes, Your Majesty." As Silent Night walked back to the door to open it, the Princess allowed herself to relax. She would need to be as calm as possible, because some of these ponies were absolutely unbearable. Before Silent Night made it back to his post, a bright light washed through the stained glass windows, going from right to left, and disappeared as fast as it had come. More of these lights started to occur, causing Luna to gallop toward the balcony. 'It can't be. It can't possibly be...' as she rushed out to the balcony. She stopped when she got there, and looked up, her jaw dropping and her pupils shrinking to pinpricks from the sight before her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing... A star shower was occuring. Tens of stars, shooting across the sky, brighter and faster than any meteor shower. They danced with each other, shooting through the sky in perfect harmony. It was a sight no living pony had ever seen. No pony except for two, she thought. But now, one of her hopes, and possibly fears, had come true. No pony except for THREE. As Celestia lowered the sun to make space for Luna's moon, she lit a fire in her fireplace and laid down on her comfy collection of throw pillows that served as her couch. It had been a long day for the Princess of the Sun, from dealing with whiny nobles in day court, eating lots of cake, and dealing with Blueblood's inflated ego. All she wanted to do was lay down, read some literature or poetry, and then rest for the next day, which was sure to bring it's own trials. She settled in to her pillows, and took hold of some of Starswirl's writings with her magic. She began to study over them, reading and taking in the knowledge they held. 'As usual, I'm sure that Twilight will want to read these after I'm finished. And then write an essay. And create a slideshow.' Celestia giggled at the idea of Twilight creating a big deal out of nothing. 'Then again...she probably will do that.' As Celestia continued reading, she noticed a light shining across the room, and suddenly disappearing. She ignored it, thinking a cloud had passed the moon. But it happened again, and the light was brighter this time. Celestia got up, and walked to the balcony of her tower. She gasped as she saw the stars flying across the sky. 'No...he's gone. He left!' Celestia thought in disbelief and surprise as she watched more stars fly across the sky. A flash and a bang behind her showed her sister, Luna. Celestia galloped over to Luna, pure concern and worry in her eyes and voice. "Luna, are you doing this?" She asked, with almost a sound of anger in her voice. "N-No..." Luna stammered. She had never seen such an intense look in her sister's eyes, not since her turning into Nightmare Moon. The look in Celestia's eyes softened, as she put a comforting hoof around Luna, pulling her into a hug. "He's back...and I believe he's here in Canterlot." It is a sight to behold, and a sight to fear, to see the High Princesses of Equestria walking with the expression that they mean business. Servant and guard alike watched in awe as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walked down through the main hall, going toward 4 platoons of the Canterlot Royal Guard. "Captain," Celestia said toward the Captain of the Guard, "Begin a citywide search for a male alicorn. He will have a purple and blue mane, a deep blue coat of fur, and a cutie mark of a falling star. Do you and your platoons understand?" "YES MA'AM!!" 120 ponies said in intense harmony. "Very well. Begin." Author's Note Well, I'm back. Yay... Yeah, grades caught up to me and bit me in the butt. I wasn't able to publish my first story in time for Christmas. I will have it up this upcoming holiday season, so get ready to wait for 11 months. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, and please do leave a like and comment. I do enjoy hearing what people have to say about my stories.
...Or Maybe Not.'I should not have done that.' Midnight ducked his head as a bolt of magic flew over his head as he galloped away from the source of it; a squad of guards pursuing him. 'Yeah, I definitely should not have done that.' He continued to gallop, as he dodged and ducked under more magic bolts. He shot a few of his own back at random into the approaching and ever-growing squad of Royal Guards. He made sharp turns into alleyways and around street corners, trying to find the edge of the city. He knew he could get away if he found the drop-off. As he made a particularly sharp turn onto Regius Avenue, he came face to face with one of the scariest things he had ever seen in all his life. Princess Luna, up in the air, looking like she could turn to Nightmare Moon any second, with a platoon of unicorn guards behind her, horns at the ready. "Oh buck..." he mumbled, backing away slowly. "Oh buck indeed, MIDNIGHT." Luna said that last part with a certain intensity, an intensity that could make you get goosebumps all over your body. He turned around, hoping to go back the way he came, but found that the squad of guards that had been chasing him was in formation behind him. "There's really no place to go, Midnight," said Luna, lowering back to the ground. "The only way that could possibly let you escape is your Star Flight, but you would destroy every window within a mile. You could injure or even kill a pony. You wouldn't want that, now would you?" "Luna, this is not how I wanted to reunite with you and Ti-" He caught his tongue, holding back that name. "Celestia." "And yet, you create an event that will have everyone looking to me, my sister, Cadence, and Twilight for answers, you resist arrest, and you attack a squad of Royal Guards." Luna bit back, voice full of anger. And yet, he picked up on something else inside her voice. Worry. Frightfulness. "Luna...there is no reason for your aggression. Please calm-" "NO!" Midnight winced as Luna dropped into the Royal Canterlot Voice, with her eyes closed and angry tears flowing down her muzzle. "I WON'T LET YOU TAKE AWAY MY NIGHT!!" She screamed. She then did something that Midnight had not expected. She charged at him, eyes blazing with fury, taking flight as she got closer. Luna was a great warrior, definitely one of the greatest warriors Equestria had ever known, but she had never fought a full-size alicorn in her Luna-state. Midnight was taller than she was, and had more raw muscle hidden under his slender body than met the eye. He charged up his horn, ready to defend against the blow that was certain to come. He just hoped everypony around them was ready for it. Midnight took his stance, and then- Horns collided. A blast wave flung guards in all directions breaking every window and streetlamp surrounding them. Luna was pushing everything she had into her attack, pushing hard into Midnight's horn with her wings and head. He started to slide back into the asphalt of the street. "Luna, that's enough! Stop! I don't want to hurt you!" he begged, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. She ignored him, pushing more so. He then stopped moving. Luna felt it, and opened her eyes. Her pupils shrunk and her mouth fell open as he started to push her back, leaning into his attack as well. She saw a light growing, and looked up at his horn. It took her only a second to figure out what was coming, but by that point- BOOM! It was too late. The blast from Midnight's horn blew her into a cafe, through the empty window. She collapsed onto a table, breaking it with the force of her momentum. She stumbled back up, her entire body sore and bruised. She fluttered her eyes open slowly, weary from pain. She looked back at Midnight, only to be blasted back to the ground. He was gone. Midnight blasted up from the scene, blasting up at speeds that tittered dangerously close to supersonic. As he flew away from Canterlot, he felt the rainbow cone form around him, tightening and tightening, until he saw the wave of rainbow energy soar from around him. He left a rainbow trail behind him as he soared across the night sky. Personally, rainbows weren't his thing. He felt another cone start to solidify around him, one that was glittering and a deep, majestic purple. He pushed to his full capacity, and felt the cone get tighten, until it sent out a deafening BOOM and a purple wave of stardust emerged from around him. He looked behind him, and found his body was glowing and sparkling white, with sharp prongs of light energy coming off him and leaving a trail of stardust behind him. He smiled widely as he continued to fly, sending out glorious laughter as he flew. Because he was flying at ultraspeed. He was a shooting star. He would arrive at his destination in less than an hour at this speed. He had absolutely no doubt that the Princesses would be looking for him. They would be deploying every royal guard they could. He was certain that Princess Cadence was aware of his existence at least, and would soon know that he had returned. However...Princess Twilight might not know. Possibly. At this point, that was his only hope. "Twilight, can I PLEASE go to bed? We've already done this twice..." Spike groaned as he started to triple-check the nighttime list, per request of none other than Twilight Sparkle. "Spike...", Twilight whined, letting her back slump and putting on her pouty face. "We need to make sure everything is ready! For all we know, Equestria could fall into chaos tomorrow! If so much as ONE thing is out of place, it could spell doom for us and the rest of Equestria!" "Twilight," Spike deadpanned, before rolling his eyes with a sigh. "I love you and all, but you need to, and I mean this with as much kindness I can muster, CHILL. Nothing is going to happ-" He was cut off by a passing light going through Twilight's window. "What was that?" Twilight said in a questioning tone as she trotted over to the window, Spike in close pursuit. Their mouths fell open as they watched the orbs of light shoot through the moonlit sky. "I've seen an occasional shooting star, but never something like this...", Twilight muttered as she watched the storm pass. She turned to Spike, with her mouth still slightly open. "Spike, grab some parchment and a quill. I need to send a lette-" Before she could finish, a belch of green flame came from Spike's mouth, only to have a roll of parchment with the Royal Seal of Equestria appear in a small, white flash. Twilight grabbed the letter in her magic, and brought it over to herself. She undid the red ribbon around it, opened it, and began to read. My dearest Twilight, One of these days, I will write to you under favorable circumstances. Sadly, today is not one of those days. I assume you saw the storm of stars in the sky minutes ago. This event is not the first of it's kind, and most certainly won't be the last. An old...friend of mine has returned to Equestria. I do not have time to go into details at the moment, but I require your presence in Canterlot IMMEDIATELY. Yours truly, Princess Celestia Twilight stood there, frozen, staring off into space as Spike took the letter from her magical grip and read it himself. After he finished reading the letter, he rolled it back up and looked over at Twilight. He could see her mind was at work, trying to think back on who this "friend" could possibly be. "Twilight, hello?" He got no response. "Equestria to Twilight, do you copy?" Twilight finally shook her head, still with a questioning look on her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word out, a familiar boom was heard from outside. A glance at the window showed a rainbow-colored wave of energy emerging from a point in the sky between Canterlot and her vantage point. "Why in Equestria is Rainbow Dash up at this hour?" Twilight mumbled as looked out the window. "She can barely stay up during the day..." A flash of light shown moments later, causing Twilight to shun away from the window. She looked back and saw a ball of light start to form in the sky, right where the explosion of light happened. She couldn't believe her eyes...again. "Spike, go get Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy, and bring there here ASAP. I'll get Applejack and Rainbow. I have a feeling all of them are going to have to come with us to Canterlot." "So let me get this straight. A creature has returned to Equestria that can perform a Sonic Rainboom AND can fly faster than that? AWESOME!" Rainbow cheered gleefully as Twilight paced around the Cutie Map, waiting for Rarity and Applejack to show up. "NO. NOT AWESOME!" Twilight counteracted as she turned to Rainbow. "This is a creature that has given PRINCESS CELESTIA a reason to be worried! Every SINGLE creature that has given the Princess a reason to worry has led to events that have the very fate of Equestria in the balance!" "But she claimed that they were a friend! So they can't possibly be THAT bad!" Pinkie claimed, hopping around cheerfully. "Discord is the Princess's friend, and yet, he almost destroyed our friendship!" "I agree with Twilight...and Rainbow. And Pinkie....Oh, and probably Spike, Applejack, and Rarity. Fluttershy said quietly, one eye hidden behind her hair as she looked down at the crystal floor. "You can't agree with everyone, Fluttershy." Rainbow deadpanned as she looked over at Fluttershy, who had a blush on her face and hid behind her hair. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but just as she started, Spike, and a tired Applejack and Rarity walked into the room, each with luggage, one with a bit much for an emergency(guess who). "Good, you guys are finally here! Let's get to the train station!" Twilight exclaimed with a bit too much glee for the current situation. "Twi, do ya mind explaining what this is all about?" Applejack asked, a questioning face staring at her. "Indeed darling, I would like to know the reason for having my beauty sleep interrupted." Rarity said as she tossed her curls with her hoof. "I'll explain, but we really need to get going. The train takes 5 hours to travel to Canterlot." Twilight said before hearing Rarity jump up and scream- "WE'RE GOING TO CANTERLOT?!" "Ugh, yes, BUT WE NEED TO GO NOW!" Twilight yelled as she started walking out the door, luggage in magic. As Twilight and her friends walked through the main hall towards the grand doors, they slammed open, cracking the crystal wall behind them. A star stood in the door, sparkling and gleaming as it moved into the castle. It stopped 10 feet in front of them, simply standing there in all it's glory. "Twilight Sparkle." Twilight squinted at the star, silent as she stared at it. Her friends stood on each of her sides, looking at the star fiercely, ready to protect her from any action this thing could make. After a few moments, the star began to dim, it's light and sparkles fading. The shadow of a figure started to appear, it's features becoming more apparent. A long horn appear, four slender legs appear, a waving mane and tail appearing. But most shocking of all... A pair of wings erupting from the barrel of the creature. As they watch this, their mouths drop, pupils shrinking as an alicorn walks up right to Twilight. Twilight is in absolute shock, her body leaning away from the alicorn as HE walks up to her. He puts his hoof under her chin, tilts her head up to him, and smiles, saying in a quiet tone: "Twilight Sparkle, I am Midnight Star, Prince of the Stars, Royal Representative of the Sovereign Nation of Equestria. I have been gone for 4 millennia, and I need you to know one thing; I am not your enemy." That was the last thing she remembered before she fainted. Author's Note I do enjoy writing this. Well, I'm un-grounded! YAY!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter of my story, and as always, please leave a like and a comment! Yours truly, mon amis,
The World Turned Upside DownThe Royal Conference Room-a tall, majestic room, with columns rising parallel to the grand windows overlooking the valleys below the mountain. Sitting at the long, cold elliptical marble table was Princess Celestia, with her top advisers, military generals, and key nobility and royalty. These important figures were muttering amongst themselves, speaking of politics, international relations, and the other things that could be expected to be spoken of from ponies of their social standing. Celestia rapped her golden hoof-shoes against the floor gently but firmly, gaining the attention of the little ponies in front of her. "You are all aware of the occurrence that took place in the skies of Equestria tonight. Every pony from Vanhoover to Baltimare saw the shower of stars that took place tonight, and they will all be asking questions. I'm sure you all have questions as well. But before I answer any of them, you need to know one thing." Celestia took an old banner in her magic from a Royal Guard, and placed it in the middle of the table. She unfurled it, showing the design to all those who looked upon it. The outline of an alicorn on the left, raising the moon. Another alicorn in the center, raising the sun. And a final alicorn on the right, raising the stars. "There are those of you who know of this third alicorn, and those of you who have just found out about him right now. He is an ancient prince as old as Princess Luna and I. His domain was the stars, and all that lay beyond it. This is the pony that caused this supernatural occurrence tonight. Are there any questions?" The table was silent, with some ponies looking to be deep in thought, others staring at the banner and back at Princess Celestia with wide eyes. Finally, after a minute of this, Commander Spitfire raised her hoof, looking to Celestia. "Yes, Commander?" "Does this alicorn pose a threat to Canterlot or any other populated area in Equestria?" she asked, with a commanding tone in her voice, eyes frowning. "In my sister's attempt to bring him to the Castle, he attacked a squad of Royal Guards, and when engaged in duel with Princess Luna, destroyed a street intersection, shattering windows and blowing trees down. There were no fatalities, but injuries were reported at the scene and my sister is currently being attended to in the royal infirmary. I don't believe he has evil intentions, rather a strong sense of self-defense. The possibility does linger however, that he is a fallen alicorn, but usually any fallen alicorn changes shape, such as Nightmare Moon and Nightmare Star. So once again, I do not believe he has fallen to evil." "So potentially anypony who engages him or attempts to could be in harm's way?" General Brazen Fire asked. "Yes. However, unless there is a large military presence, or a strong subduing force, I do not believe ponies will be anxious to engage him. This is an alicorn as large as I, and who has millennia of magical experience." "Do we know how he thinks, how he works?" Brazen Fire asked, a lieutenant scribbling down notes. "He is strong, and has a strategic, brilliant mind. He knows magic that has been forbidden, or was lost to the ages centuries ago. He has extreme mental training, and usually won't let anyone know what doesn't need to be known. He is constantly trying to do what is best for others, and will always defend ponies. And this is where his weakness is." Princess Cadence and her husband, Captain Shining Armor, sat next to Princess Celestia, hanging onto her every word. Princess Cadence spoke up, asking in a questioning tone, "So his weakness is...love?" "Yes and no. When I last knew him, he lived in fear, always afraid that he was doing something wrong, that he wouldn't be able to help everyone. These thoughts hurt him, and I'm afraid that it could have a part in his disappearance millennia ago. He's a perfectionist in an imperfect world." "Were you and Auntie Luna related to him?" Cadence asked. "No, but we might as well have been. In the Tri-Alicorn era, the three of us ruled with the same benevolence that is so well reflected in my sister and I, as well as you and Princess Twilight today. But when not attending to royal duties, we were the best of friends, and when faced with crisis and war, when the three of us were of the same mindset, we were near unstoppable. When he left..." Princess Celestia paused, her eyes closed and lips pursed tight in a thin line. "...the world turned upside down. My sister and I were in despair, as was most of Equestria. Ponies all over searched for him for decades, hoping to bring him back to the throne. Their attempts were in vain, as were my sister's and I." "Wait a minute-where is he?" Shining Armor asked in an urgent tone, a concerned look in his eyes. "After his duel with my sister, he took flight, flying away from Canterlot in a southwestern direction. He took a rare form of flight, commonly known as a Sonic Rainboom." "I thought Rainbow Dash was the only pony in Equestria who was able to pull off a Rainboom." Commander Spitfire said. "That's one of the reasons she's higher up in our Reserve program." Alicorns have the possession of pegasus flight, but more concentrated, which allows us to reach speeds like that with more ease than a regular pegasus. An alicorn actually created the Sonic Rainboom, as well as another type of flight. The other type of flight is known as Star Flight, which when a pony reaches that speed, creates a magical aura around them, resembling a shooting star. He has mastered this form of flight, and it has been confirmed that he went into it in his escape from Canterlot." "I'm sorry-but do you mind telling us what the hay this prince's name is?" Data Quill, Princess Celestia's deputy adviser spoke up, with an impatient voice. "Certainly, Data Quill. My apologies. His name is Midnight Star." "Ok, so how do we want to go about informing the public that Prince Midnight has returned?" Rough Draft, Celestia's Director of Public Relations asked, scribbling down notes on a small notepad. "Whether we inform the public of him or not, the rumors will grow. Many ponies were in the vicinity of the duel, and at least saw a pony that could defeat a Princess, which makes him appear dangerous and evil. We have to address this in a way that doesn't give him a bad image. This could cause havoc later in the future if we do not." "Very well, Your Majesty. I will have a copy of the rough draft on your desk within 24 hours." Rough Draft replied, maintaining eye contact with his notepad. "Thank you, Rough Draft. Are there any more questions?" Celestia asked, looking at the ponies around the table. Her question was met with silence and glances around the table from other ponies, looking for a hoof raised or a mouth opening to speak. None of these was seen. "Very well. Thank you all for coming. Meeting adjourned." Celestia rapped her hoofshoe on the floor. One thing many ponies who haven't been in a meeting with ponies of this status, is that when the Princess ends a meeting, no one really starts to leave for a good two or three hours. They would move away from the table, granted, but Princess Celestia always made sure to have the room booked for another 4 hours after the meeting was supposed to end. Sure enough, the attendees were all gathered in groups, discussing all the things you could expect of aristocrats and nobles. City happenings, politics, economics, and of course...themselves. There was only one pony who wasn't in a group, and that was Princess Cadence. She had been walking around the room, politely greeting everyone who approached her, but not staying long enough to engage in conversation. She was thinking. Thinking about an occurrence that had come to pass during the meeting. Cadence had felt something coming, an emotion of a type, coming from Princess Celestia. She was pretty sure she knew what it was, but she had to confirm her suspicion. She walked over to Princess Celestia's group, from which a large amount of laughter was emitting. "Auntie, may I please speak with you?" "Certainly, Princess Cadence. If you'll excuse me mares and gentlecolts, I must speak with my dear niece." Princess Celestia walked away from the group of nobles she was conversing with, who went back to their conversations which each other after bowing their head in respect. She walked with Cadence to another, more secluded part of the conference room. "How can I help you, Cadence?" Celestia asked, a gentle smile on her face. "So, when I say this, I'm talking just about you not you and Auntie Luna. What was YOUR relationship with Midnight?" Cadence immediately began to observe every feeling that flew through Celestia's mind and face. Her face revealed nothing, but there was a rush through her eyes. Windows to the soul after all. The rush of feelings was something she would later look back on, and think one thing...'How did I not get drunk off that?' 'Love, acceptance, playfulness, hope, arousal...well Auntie, he was certainly a special friend wasn't he?' "Princess Cadence, are you trying to imply something?" Princess Celestia asked, suspicion crawling into he eyes, a single eyebrow raising. "No. At least I wasn't, until that burst of feelings. Auntie, you may claim that he was simply your best friend, but I thought that we agreed to never lie to each other. Who was he to you?" "He...we were lovers." Celestia bowed her head down, eyes closed. "The love we had for each other filled our hearts. Even after he left, I yearned for him. I spent many a night crying in my room, looking up at the stars, begging for him to return. In the days since his departure, I still haven't taken on a new lover. Not even during estrus..." Celestia said, face turning red at the last sentence. "Yeah, I picked up on that," Cadence said, blushing heavily as she remembered the more...passionate thoughts and feelings that went through Celestia's head. "Do you still...love him?" "Well..." Just as Celestia began to to speak, she stopped. Her thoughts went to another pony, someone who should've been here, or at least responded to her desperate letter saying that she was en route. "Cadence, where's Twilight?" Celestia raised her head, looking around the room with wide eyes. "No, don't change the subject. Do you love-" "No, seriously, where is Twilight? She hasn't responded to my letter, and she isn't here." Celestia cut her off, the intensity of her tone growing with every word spoken. "She's probably bringing her friends, and you know Twilight. She'll do whatever it takes to get here ASAP. I promise you, she's probably aboard the Canterlot train." "Very well. Cadence, I will discuss my feelings for Midnight later, when all of us are present. Understood?" Celestia said, raising her head high and turning back to walk to the nobles. "Yes, Auntie. Have a good evening." The two princesses departed from each other's company, heading back into the midst of the conference room. Author's Note I get such anxiety from seeing the notifications for comments. Like, social anxiety. Is that weird? Anyway, I will integrate Season 6 in here sooner or later. Love y'all!
A Talk Over TeaTwilight awoke in a much different setting than she remembered. She awoke on a set of throw pillows present inside her tea room. Her tea room was a warm, cozy room, with throw pillows surrounding a round, crystal table, and couches facing each other with coffee tables in between in several other parts of the room. On the wall opposite of the windows, a line of counters and cupboards stuck out, stocked to the brim with many different types of tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and other hot beverages. FWOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Twilight looked over at the counters and saw Midnight facing the whistling kettle, taking it off the stove and pouring it into two white mugs, and putting them onto a tray. He opened one of the cupboards and took out a box of Saddle Arabian jasmine tea. He took out a tea bag and placed it in one of the mugs. He closed the box and placed it back in the cupboard. "What kind of beverage would you like?" Twilight kept staring at him in curiosity, not taking in his question. "Twilight. Hello?" Twilight shook her head, blinking her eyes rapidly and fluttering her wings. She looked at Midnight's face, which reflected sincerity, with a tiny smile of amusement on his lips. "Umm, chamomile." "Excellent choice. One of the finest Germane beverages I've had the pleasure of consuming." Midnight said as he took out the chamomile box, placing a tea bag in the other mug and putting the box back in it's place. "Come. I suspect we have much to discuss." Twilight stood up and walked over to one of the couches, taking a seat. Midnight walked over with the tray in front of him, held in his magic. He placed the tray down on the table, grabbing his mug and taking a seat opposite of Twilight. He removed the tea bag, floating it over to the trash can, and took a timid sip of the beverage. He placed the mug down and looked at Twilight, saying "I suppose you have many questions, so let me introduce myself formally. I am Midnight Star, crown prince of Equestria, and creator and ruler of the stars. Twilight's eyes went all around Midnight, registering all the little details that she could find. The color and texture of his fur, his mane and tail. The emotions trying to hide in his eyes as he looked at her. She looked deep into his eyes. The windows to the soul. Thousands of words could be decrypted, memories found, stories told, all from the eyes. These eyes were weary and old, having watched the history of thousands of years unfold before them. Wars and peace. Love and hate. Life and death. So much knowledge could be found if these eyes could speak... "Yes, I have seen much in my lifetime, Twilight. However, what you see is all you'll know if we don't talk and you keep stargazing in my eyes." Midnight chuckled as he looked at Twilight, who had grown a rather intense look on her face. Twilight shook her head quickly a couple times, a blush growing on her face as she looked away. "I wasn't..." "Twilight, forgive me, but I have been alive for over 4,000 years. I've found my way around emotions. And those who seek to read them. However, I am not here to reveal the emotions that I have at the moment. Let me ask you something." Midnight leaned in, his muzzle a foot away from Twilight's. He bore no emotion on his face, his eyes wide open, staring into her own eyes as he spoke. "Have you ever heard of me?" Twilight stared, wracking her brain for any mention of a male alicorn. She could recall nothing from history books, nothing from spell books, no entries from journals of famous scholars and magicians, nothing from...anywhere. "No. You aren't anywhere in my books." "Interesting. When did you find out about Luna?" "The day before her return as Nightmare Moon." "Exactly. Celestia had kept our existence from you. You were her top student, and you are now a Princess of this nation. Any idea of why she would do that?" Midnight said, leaning back into his seat, lifting his tea mug up to his mouth. Twilight's considered this. She was told of Discord AFTER his release. Princess Celestia had told her of an entire country that had been hidden for a thousand years the day AFTER it re-appeared in the Frozen North. She learned of Tirek the day AFTER he returned to Equestria. Of all the many things she had faced, she never had previous knowledge of them. All of it... ...depended on Princess Celestia. "She probably did it because I need to be able to act quick in a sudden emergency. That's an essential skill not just for a Princess, but for anypony." She said, struggling to find another way of defending her mentor's actions. Midnight raised his eyebrows, as if almost skeptical of her words. "Yes, that makes sense. However, I think we can both agree that you've had your share of licks, and you've gotten through all of them. I believe that as far as being able to act quickly in a national emergency, you are more than qualified to do so. And if you weren't high-profile enough to know of these things, you certainly are now, PRINCESS Twilight." Midnight said, sipping his tea slowly. "Are you trying to turn me against my mentor?" Twilight asked, a questioning tone with a hint of outrage in her voice. Midnight chuckled, putting his tea mug down. "Absolutely not. Despite her flaws, Celestia is a wonderful pony who is incredibly talented in all that she does. However, I need you to understand that both she and I have our flaws, and that some of our mistakes are worse than others." "Celestia and Luna were my absolute best friends on the planet. When our rule began, we were nearly unstoppable in all that we did. Anything we needed done, we were able to do if we put our minds to it together." Midnight paused, before continuing. "However, Celestia was closer to me than Luna, mainly because we were courting. I dated Celestia for many years before and during our rule. The love we had was powerful, and it was something we both cherished. However, Luna and I had a closeness that Celestia and I never shared. The closeness of friendship. We were both rulers of the night, and used our control of the heavenly bodies to show ponies the true beauty of the night. Either way, they were both incredible ponies, and I treasured them deeply." Twilight saw and heard while Midnight was talking, for just a fleeting moment, a twinge of heartbreak in his voice. Some may have mistaken it for a crack, but those who truly knew heartbreak could distinguish it in any form. She might've not known the heartbreak he had felt in his very long life, but she knew her own. "As you may know from Equestrian history, the monarchy did not have a smooth start. The Third Pony-Griffon war was raging, and power-hungry nobles and corrupt politicians were seeking for a chance to expose a flaw in our ways and bring down the government. Many ponies didn't like the idea of all-powerful beings ruling over them with little public control. We made every attempt to include the general public in our political decisions. We created a cabinet. We included local government in our decisions. It didn't do much. Ponies still searched for a way to bring our monarchy down." "When we were nearing the end of the war, Celestia and Luna traveled to Saddle Arabia for 5 days to negotiate reinforcements in order to push the war to it's end. I stayed behind in order to command troops and keep the peace in the capital. If I had known what I was about to fall into, I would've traded places with Luna." Midnight's head lowered, looking at the floor, tears filling his eyes. He swallowed, his chin trembling as he looked up at Twilight. "What happened?" Twilight asked, almost at a whisper, worry and curiosity filling her voice. Midnight sighed. "I nearly destroyed the Equestrian government as we knew it, I gave specific people a way to control my actions to their will, and most importantly... A tear made it's way down his face. His voice cracked, saying "I had to break Celestia's heart. Author's Note ANDDDDDDDDDDDD............. I should've been writing this more than I did. And I know it's short. BUT ANYWAY. So, I hope you've all had a great summer. I went up to New York, saw 'Hamilton' and 'Waitress'. I did some other stuff too. By the way, you guys have been reading this story for longer than Pokemon Go has been out! I'll work hard to make the next chapter longer. Also, something new about me? I have crippling social anxiety HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA so I get a panic attack every time one of y'all leaves a comment. Hehehe... But, that's just me. Thanks for reading! Missed y'all
Should've Said No To ItYear 7 of the Tri-Alicorn Era "Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'll see what we can do as soon as possible." As soon as the pony walked out of the room, Midnight closed and locked the door. And no sooner after that did he let his forehead make contact with the desk for what seemed like the millionth time that day. A muffled groan made it's way about as he repeatedly hit his head on the desk, making the various items on it shake and move in small ways. This was the 8th day that his lover and his best friend had been gone. For a normal pony, that might've been fine. For a monarch who shared the crown's work with two others, and had to do their work on top of his, it was quite the opposite of fine. Celestia and Luna had still risen their respective heavenly body, but Midnight had done just about everything else in their place. He hadn't slept in a good 36 hours, he was weak in every knee, and he hadn't eaten nearly as much as a growing alicorn should be each day. But regardless of this, he still pushed through, and he knew it would be only two days till his fellow monarch's return. Though, in all honesty, that was probably the only thing that got him through today. He still wasn't sure if he could get through tomorrow without dropping dead. From hunger. Or exhaustion. Or boredom. He had many choices. "Your Highness, your next appointment is here. A Ms. Lunar Sea." Midnight's guard, Sky Sprint said through the door. Another groan could be heard as Midnight lifted his head up, straightened out the objects on his desk, and unlocked his office door. "Thank you, Sky Sprint. Please let her in." The doors opened to reveal a tan colored pony with a chocolate-colored wavy mane and a light blue dress that covered her cutie mark. She walked in, her hooves making a light clicking sounds as she made her way across the marble floor to Midnight's desk, a slight sway in her hips as she walked. She took a seat in the chair provided, staring at him with vibrant brown eyes, which had a slight tint of red, almost has if she had been...crying? "Good evening, Lunar Sea. How can I help you?" "Your Majesty, thank you for seeing me. It's been a hard few months for me. Forgive me if this is a problem that you shouldn't be handling, but...my coltfriend has been...g-going downhill lately. He's been gone multiple nights in a row, reeks of alcohol and sex when he returns, and has been...using substance." Lunar Sea said, her voice filling with sadness as she spoke. "I don't know what to do, and I can't go to my parents or the authorities. They'll just...a-arrest him, take him away, and I love him so much!" She cried, breaking into tears as she finished her sentence. As she cried, Midnight pondered on what to do. Her coltfriend seemed to have been caught in a darker part of the city, where the black market thrived. If he had been using illegal substance, he was eligible for at least 5 years in jail, and a fine of 10,000 bits. On top of that, he had obviously been causing emotional trauma in this poor mare, who wanted nothing but to help him. He would normally try to help in these situations, but the law had more authority than he did at this point. "Lunar Sea, I'm honored that you have a trust in me strong enough to bring a personal problem like this to my attention. It is very much appreciated, especially in these trying times. However, that being said, as a representative and leader of the Equestrian government, I'm afraid that if your coltfriend is engaging in illegal activities, I'll have to notify the proper authorities. The law is above me in this situation. I'm truly sorry." "Wait! Please, don't! There has to be something I can do to help him!" She pleaded, eyes wide open, tears still streaming down her face. "Miss Sea, our rehabilitation centers are the best help he can receive at this point. If you truly love him, I must insist that you let me handle this as the law dictates it must be handled." "No, please. I'll give you anything!" She begged. "Miss Sea, there's nothing you can offer me that will change my mi-" Midnight stopped, a deep blush filling his face as Lunar Sea locked lips with him, forcing her tongue inside his mouth as she sat on top of his desk, her eyes closed, tears slowing as she continued to kiss him. He tried using his magic to force her off of him, but she raised her hoof to his horn, causing waves of ecstasy to move through his body, de-focusing the stream of magic that previously coursed through his horn. She pushed him back, knocking him out of his chair, back on the floor, she sat on him, leaned in to his ear, and whispered- "How long has it been since you've been properly treated?" That pushed it. It had been a long time since he and Celestia had engaged in their more...intimate activities. And with the war effort taking up most of their time, he had barely been able to do anything at all with her. The stress that had built up over those weeks, and especially the last 3 days, left him desperate. He missed a physical touch. He wanted it back. He NEEDED it. He returned the passionate kiss, using his magic to take off the dress on her body. His mouth went down on her neck, getting lower and lower. The sun went down, and the moon rose, unnoticed by either individual until an hour after the sun's departure. Only when the guards knocked did the two take notice of the present around them. "Your Highness? Is everything alright?" His other guard, Arctic Breeze, asked through the door. "Yes, everything's fine. Miss Sea was just about to leave." Midnight said with a slight tone of hostility, glancing at Lunar Sea, who was getting back into her dress as he spoke. She fussed with her hair, making it to look like it did when she entered, and when she was finished, came over and gave Midnight a soft kiss on his cheek. "Till we meet again, Your Majesty." She said in a sultry voice, swaying her hips ever so slightly more as she walked out of the office. Midnight walked back to his desk, putting his chair upright and taking a seat in it. His eyes glanced over to a portrait he had on his desk. It was a picture of him and Celestia from the day of their inauguration, her eyes and smile wide as Midnight planted a kiss on her cheek in their full royal regalia. He drew a shaky breath, and grabbed the portrait with his magic, putting it face down on the desk. He grabbed a piece of parchment and began writing, not about anything in particular, but to calm himself. As he continued to write, a knock came from the door. "Your Highness? A letter has arrived from Princess Celestia." A panic came over Midnight. She had already written her daily letter to him earlier that day, and should've been asleep by this point. She wouldn't have written unless it was dire, and it couldn't have just been about Lunar Sea. She couldn't have known about that already! "W-what? Bring it in immediately." Midnight said, stuttering as he pushed his piece of parchment into a drawer in his desk. Arctic Breeze walked in, levitating the letter with his magic. Midnight grabbed it immediately, snapping the ribbon and unrolling it quickly. "Are you alright Your Highness?" Arctic said, hesitating to leave the room at Midnight's sudden panicked actions. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you. You may return to your post." He said, turning back to his letter after dismissing Arctic. ~~My Dear Midnight,~~ ~~Are you alright? Luna rose the moon over an hour ago, and yet we have still not seen the light of your stars glow upon Equis.~~ ~~I know you're working very hard. Luna and I are eternally grateful for the work you are doing. Everything helps when it comes to ending the war. I know you must be very tired, and it means a lot, especially to me, that you've been handling all the needs of our citizens.~~ ~~Please make sure you get some rest tonight. Luna and I will be home soon.~~ ~~Sending my love,~~ ~~Celestia~~ Midnight put the scroll down, a heaviness in his heart growing ever steadily as he read the last words over and over again. He lit up his horn, barely registering the stars as they rose to their position in the sky. He felt nauseous, feeling like he could throw up any second at the thought of the transgression he had committed, the weakness he let come over himself, the LUST... Because of an hour of lust, he could lose love forever. "Faust, you should've shown me how to say no to this..." he muttered, putting the scroll in a cleverly concealed safe in the office's closet. He then walked over to a wood cabinet, opening it and grabbing an old bottle of scotch and a glass. He poured the aged hard liquor into the crystal, and lifted it to his mouth, swallowing the burning liquid. "What have I done..." he said, swallowing more, and proceeded to pour himself another glass. Something wasn't right. Arctic Breeze could feel it. First, after that Lunar Sea mare left, the Prince seemed to be more jumpy then he had been as of lately. After he had taken the scroll, he and Sky Sprint hadn't heard a word from him for the past two hours. The Prince normally retired to his chambers at a time that had passed over half an hour ago. Even on busy nights like these, this wasn't normal behavior. He had waited long enough to not be concerned. He went up to the solid mahogany doors, rapping his hoof on them hard and firm. "Your Highness? Are you alright in there?" he asked, a tone of concern present in his voice. No response. "Your Highness, can you hear me?" Yet again, no response was heard. Arctic Breeze turned to Sky Sprint, a look of confusion and worry on his face. Sky Sprint shrugged, glancing at the door, and back at Arctic. Arctic nodded in response, opening the door slowly. The first thing that hit him was a strong smell of alcohol. It was almost overpowering, and it made him take a step back in disgust. The second thing however, caught his attention in a much more urgent way. Slouched on the desk in front of him was Prince Midnight, surrounded by a few empty bottles of scotch. He appeared to be conscious, muttering under his breath, and visible tear lines were under his eyes, constantly refreshed by new tears flowing from his eyes. "Sky Sprint! Get in here right now!" Arctic called out, clearing the bottles away with his magic as he tried to get a better look at the drunken prince in front of him. "What's wron-woah..." Sky Sprint said, hesitant to take another step into the room after the smell stormed his nostrils. "Get Captain Blaze! We need to get him up to his chambers!" Arctic shouted, the commanding Royal Guard making itself apparent. "Yes sir!" Sky Sprint ran off, heading to the Captain's post. Arctic returned his attention to the prince, desperate to get something out of him. "Your Majesty, can you hear me?" Arctic said, looking directly into the prince's half-closed, bloodshot eyes. "Eurghhhhhh...." was all the prince said before closing his eyes, a light snore showing that he had passed out. "Oh Celestia," he muttered as he tried to lift the prince up with his magic, but he proved too heavy to lift by himself. He tried a few more times, channeling more magic in his horn, but did not succeed in any of his later attempts. By that point, the Captain had arrived with Sky Sprint and three other Unicorn guards. "Sweet Faust, what happened to him?" the captain asked, getting a closer look at him. "He's drunk. Blackout drunk." Arctic said, no better response coming to mind as he backed away from the prince, lining up with the captain beside him. "Well, the best thing we can do is get him up to his chambers. I can have a medical pony put a few spells to try and aid the heck of a hangover he's gonna have in the morning, but that's just about it." the captain said, signaling in the unicorns. "Well boys, focus your magic and get him up to his room. Be careful as to not injure him. Report back to me after you've safely transported him." the captain ordered, receiving a chorus of 'yes sir's as he walked to the door. "Oh, and Private Sprint, Corporal Breeze? Guard his chamber. Make sure he's tended to when he wakes up." "Yes sir!" Sky and Arctic said in unison, hooves popping up into a salute. "Have a good evening, gentlemen." the captain said, walking out the door and down the hallway, heading back to his post. "Ok, soo..." Arctic trailed off, watching the other guards lift the prince up with their combined magic. "Let's get up there. We have a long night ahead of us." Sky said, turning to the door, walking in front of the team of guards. "Indeed. He's gonna have a harder one though." Midnight woke up to a throbbing pain in his head, as if someone was trying to drive a nail into it...from every angle. His stomach was also not in prime condition. In fact, he felt like he was going to not only throw up the contents of his stomach, but his actual stomach as well. His mouth was drier than Saddle Arabia, and despite waking up, he was exhausted. Alicorns may be immortal, and survive many things normal ponies couldn't, but a hangover affected him just as badly, if not worse. He immediately summoned a glass of water from his bathroom, gulping down it's contents as if he was inhaling air after holding his breath. He slammed the glass down on his bedside table, a satisfied gasp escaping his lips. He got up out of bed...and sat back down on the bed, as the moment he put weight on his legs, they turned to jelly, causing him to collapse. Sighing, he pulled a golden rope next to his bedframe, summoning a servant from their quarters. A minute passed by before a pony walked in through the door, silver tray stacked with pain relievers in hoof. He set them down on the bedside table, bowing after putting it down. "I assume this is what your wanted, Your Highness?" "Yes. Thank you very much. Dismissed." Midnight replied, staring at the floor trying not to puke as he waved away the pony. As soon as the servant left, Midnight dashed wobbily to the bathroom, failing to keep what was inside him inside. After throwing up the contents of his stomach for what felt like hours, he slowly walked back to the sink, taking the glass of water and a couple of painkillers in his magic. He put the pills in his mouth, quickly downing them with the water, laying his head on the cool marble surrounding his sink. Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to curl up under his bed covers and stay there for...ever, he still had a nation to run and citizens to meet with. He lifted his head, looking in the mirror. Standing before him was himself, hair running amok, his eyes tinted red, dark bags under them. He levitated his hairbrush over, and started brushing his hair, simultaneously putting toothpaste on his toothbrush and brushing his teeth. Regardless of either of these actions, he could not tear his eyes away from their reflection mere inches away. The eyes that had been allowed to betray him, that feasted on the lustful beauty of Lunar Sea. His eyebrows clenched, an ugly anger growing his stomach, twisting it into knots. With a shout he threw the closest object in reach, his hairbrush, at his reflection. The mirror cracked at the impact, spreading the cracks in random and erratic patterns. He stood there breathing intensely, still staring with a hate at the one thing he could see. He turned with a scoff and walked with a wobble towards the door. Author's Note Well, you'll be happy to know that I did well on my midterm finals! That's basically the only goo thing that has come from these last two months... Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll begin writing the next in January. I'll have some downtime on my hands after New Years. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year's!
