The Ballad of Midnight Edge

The train moved with ease. The roads were well maintained and the train itself had little to no defects. For Midnight Edge it was an example of true Equestrian engineering. For a peaceful nation Equestria had a lot of advanced technology and even weaponry. He knew that, his family had a long line of craftsponies... "Or was it craftsmen?" Midnight Edge's mind drifted for a bit thinking about the differences between pony languages and those of other civilizations. They often sounded alike and the words were the same with few exceptions. He wondered why. As they got closer to the Crystal Empire, Midnight Edge and Babs Seed felt excitement and anticipation in their hearts. It would be their last date before Babs Seed returned to Manehattan, their first time in a place lost for centuries and filled with mystery. All they had to do in order to enjoy their date was creating a distraction for their additional companion.

"Thanks for asking me to help with your research." Twilight Sparkle spoke with a cheerful tone. "I have been waiting for a chance to visit the Crystal Empire Library without having to worry about anything else. I thought about paying a visit to my relatives too."

"You mean the princess?" The curious voice of a young filly was heard. "Her baby is an alicorn too. Right?"

"Yes. Would you like to meet her?"

"Maybe some other time. Right now we are a bit busy cause I must return to Manehattan tomorrow."

"How about you, Midnight Edge?"

"I would rather not deal with babies unless they are of my same bloodline. They are not precisely the best research assistants. And I don't understand their “language”, so there is little information I could get from them."

"I hope you don't reject your foals because of that other stuff. That would be horrible for your wife." Babs Seed teased, probably implying something.

"If I had one." Midnight Edge's response was a clever way to deviate attention from his beloved filly's implication. "I will think of that once I get married. For now I don't have to worry about my future progeny. It would be nice to have a son, but not yet."

"What about a daughter?" Twilight Sparkle inquired. "I mean, would you like to have a daughter?"

"That would be fine too. But I don't know how I would handle that."

"Why not? You look like an excellent big brother. In fact Babs Seed looks like your little sister right now. You are so close to each other you look like relatives." Babs Seed blushed upon hearing Twilight Sparkle's statement. "I bet you could handle a daughter."

"I am not a good brother. I... I am terrible at being a brother. Well, at least with my sister I was... She... I was a terrible example to her." The air grew tense, Midnight Edge rarely mentioned his family. Whatever happened he did not like to talk about it. "But she is doing just fine right now. Just that she never learned to make friends because of me. I made her think friends were pointless. Now she only cares about her work."

"Don't blame yourself for that! If she wants to be alone it's her fault." Babs Seed knew he felt guilty about it, but she did not like to see him taking blame for the choices made by others. "So what if she thought friends were a waste of time? You did not tell her that! If she followed the wrong example it's not your fault. You were just being yourself. She saw you focusing on your interests instead of making friends. It's her fault she did not have friends because of that. You are a great big brother and you would be a great father."

"Thanks. I just feel I should have been there to help her. Let's talk about something else."

The conversation lightened in mood for the rest of the trip. Once they arrived to the Crystal Empire they headed right to the library. It was a wild goose chase, but it was also the only excuse to go there.

Officially Babs Seed was Midnight Edge's assistant, nothing else. Some ponies wondered why would a quirky researcher would pick a little filly, an aspiring stylist to make it weirder, as his assistant, but her relatives actually got it. She once helped solving a criminal case, she was just what he needed, a pony who could see things from a different perspective. They had to keep the charade in front of Twilight Sparkle until they could get rid of her.

"All right! We are not borrowing any books unless we find something useful, so avoid the literature section. We are here for research only. Well. Maybe you can check one or two unrelated books, but I am not borrowing those I will already waste time getting my library card."

As they entered the library Midnight Edge prepared to set in motion his plan. They would search for information, but after a few minutes they would “take a break” knowing Twilight Sparkle would be extremely distracted reading. That would give them enough time to have a decent date. After spending enough time together they would return to the library and continue their research. There would be plenty of time for other things too, but probably Twilight Sparkle would join. By the end of the day they would take the train back to Ponyville and the next day Babs Seed would be on the train back to Manehattan.

The three looked for any information regarding atypical cutie marks within the many books in the library. Most of the books were outdated, probably due to the many ages the library remained concealed and frozen in time. Midnight Edge and Babs Seed browsed the shelves slowly, taking no more than three books at the time. Twilight Sparkle on the contrary would take several books at once, taking dozens of books to read, adding one for each book she returned and taking notes of anything she could find of interest not only for the research she was invited to take part on, but to her personal interests. Soon she found herself reading books which were entirely unrelated to cutie marks.

After an hour Midnight Edge decided it was time to proceed with the next step of the plan. Carefully and without altering the atmosphere he approached the princess of friendship making sure to not alert her or raise any suspicions. He had to make sure she would remain focused on reading rather than listening to his words. It was all part of the plan. He picked Twilight Sparkle of all the possible candidates they could invite to join them on that trip knowing how oblivious she became of her surroundings once she spent enough time reading anything she found of interest. Her intellect was the perfect excuse to bring her instead of other ponies who would prove to be a hindrance to their plans.

"Um... Twi... We are going to take a break for now. Care to join?"

"No. I'm fine." Twilight Sparkle responded without averting her gaze from the book or paying much attention.

"You sure? There are many cool things in this place. I am curious to know what these crystals are made of."

"O.K. Enjoy your break." She was not paying attention at all, her mind was completely focused on the book. Everything was going according to the plan.

"Well. Se you later dude."

Midnight Edge walked toward Babs Seed with a wide smile which made him look like an entirely different stallion. "All clear darling. She won't even notice our absence at all. We shall enjoy our date to the fullest."

"I was getting tired of waiting." Babs Seed giggled and headed out of the library. "What are you waiting for? Come on! This' gonna be great!"

The loving couple spent the afternoon exploring the city. They visited a cafe for lunch, went to a local park, bought souvenirs, and enjoyed the many things that make the Crystal Empire unique. Babs Seed even convinced Midnight Edge to visit the local spa. Their conversations during their date were light, nothing too serious or important, they just wanted to enjoy time together without worries or sad memories, they would have plenty of time for that in the future. A future they also avoided to mention, yet both knew what they wished for it.

At all times they were mistaken for siblings, with ponies commenting on how cute they were and how united their family could be. That was of course until Babs Seed intentionally shattered their view on them by kissing Midnight Edge. She did not revealed their relationship often, only with those ponies who annoyed her with their remarks, mostly mares expressing potential interest in Midnight Edge stating the possibility of him being as as good lover as he was as an older brother. The reactions were mostly of surprise, but not disgust as both expected. This was due to the different, and rather old, views held by the locals. The reactions of tourists however ranged from confusion to horror.

Babs Seed would not even think about it, but it was fortunate they never found any acquaintances in the city. That was not the best way for them to find out.

...

After a few hours enjoying their time together they headed toward the library, on their way they talked about how pleasant that date had been.

"I was not expecting to end up going to the spa. I am not that kind of guy." Midnight Edge spoke with a mirthful tone.

"But you loved it. And you would do anything for your “little sister”." The filly still found the situation humorous. "I loved to see their faces when I kissed you. A mare even fainted!"

"I am glad the crystal ponies did not mind. Otherwise we would have an unplanned meeting with Princess Cadence."

"Maybe we should meet her. She is the princess of love after all. She could help us!" Babs Seed imagined Princess Cadence may support them since she was probably the highest authority on love.

"Maybe. But I don't feel like having a formal meeting with royalty right now. I am not even sure she would like that stuff. I have heard a couple of rumors about the princesses and how much they dislike formalities and fancy stuff. I even heard the Grand Galloping Gala was intentionally sabotaged by Princess Celestia herself."

"Yeah. Applejack said the Gala was not that good the first time she went to it."

"I wonder why Princess Celestia never invited my siblings and I. If she wanted to sabotage a party she just had to invite the weirdest freaks around Canterlot."

"Are your siblings really that bad? I can't imagine that."

"Well, my brother is rather wild, he gets in trouble quite often. I sometimes wonder how he got hired at Cloudsdale's weather factory. And my sister, she is a bit awkward and short tempered. They are nice folks, but not precisely what you would expect at a fancy event. My brother even made it in a newspaper. The headline said “Local stallion causes rainstorm.”, he was kind of a troublemaker."

"I bet they aren't that bad. Those fancy Canterlot ponies consider anypony “too wild”."

"Maybe."

Just as they reached the library entrance, Twilight Sparkle walked out of the library.

"Did you find anything useful?" Midnight Edge inquired eager to know the results. Even though he knew the chances of finding anything were slim he did not discard the possibility of finding something.

"I could not find anything on atypical cutie marks. I don't think they have anything related. But I borrowed some books for later." She looked at her saddle bag with a smile on her face. "I think it was enough for today. Do you want to go somewhere?"

She was unaware of how long their “break” took and how much time they spent together. Probably she ignored how long she had been reading without taking any breaks at all. In fact she assumed they returned from time to time to the library to continue. She seemed so oblivious of Midnight Edge's plot it made both Midnight Edge and Babs Seed feel guilty.

...

Babs Seed and Twilight Sparkle went to meet Princess Cadence while Midnight Edge studied the properties of the different types of crystals found in the Crystal Empire. He was not only interested in knowing the crystals, but in comparing them to other crystal samples he collected from different places.

Deep inside both Twilight Sparkle and Babs Seed knew the true reason for Midnight Edge's reluctance to meet with the Princess of Love; He was not fond of royalty or formal events. The only reason he approached Twilight Sparkle was because they met before she became a princess, otherwise he would avoid all interaction with her. It was not that he disliked the Princesses that ruled Equestria, in fact he was loyal to them, what he disliked was the awkwardness he felt when interacting with royalty.

Heavy guarded buildings, servants, throne rooms; All those things felt wrong to Midnight Edge and knew they felt wrong for the most noble rulers. Why would they want to create such divides between their people and themselves when they were so fond of their subjects? It was not what they wanted most of the time, they were bound by tradition. Twilight Sparkle managed to keep guards away from her castle, and in fact she lived a rather humble life for a pony with such a lavish abode, that made Midnight Edge fond of meeting her within the confines of her royal library. He would find no such chance with the remaining rulers yet.

Midnight Edge took samples of every crystal he considered necessary, even taking samples from residences, the locals were more than willing to allow it once he mentioned it was for research. The only crystal he would not dare to take a sample from was the Crystal Heart. He knew that crystal kept the whole place safe, and even a scratch could upset the balance. After taking several samples, some of which actually became part of his personal collection of rare items, Midnight Edge stopped to rest. Hiding in an alley, away from any witness, he summoned a piece of beef jerky from his storage crystal, both brought from far away lands. The stallion took a bite of the chewy treat, it's strange savory taste stimulated his equine tongue, leaving a mix of pleasure and guilt in his mind. "Celestia, forgive me for being a bucking freak!" Midnight Edge spoke in a humorous tone. "I only regret I did not buy more of this thing. I am not going to eat sapient cows. But those primitive bovines... Prepare the grill!"

After his secret treat the mage walked out of the alley heading toward the royal palace. It was almost time to leave. As he approached the palace he saw a familiar yet unpleasant face on the reflection of a crystal, yet noticed none of the locals seemed to mind about the ominous entity. It looked a bit different, but it's eyes betrayed it "Do not move parasite!" Midnight Edge spoke ready to charge against the creature, he once fought one of them. "I have been waiting for my chance to finally slay the likes of you since the Canterlot invasion. Tell me why should I spare your life, filthy changeling!"

The locals reacted before Midnight Edge charged against the changeling. "Don't hurt him! He is our friend." The voices of the crystal ponies reached the ears of the mage before he unleashed his wrath upon the creature. "What do I hear? Tell me. Why do they call you friend?" The mage spoke surprised, yet it made sense, the changeling was not hiding it's form. The changeling spoke, shaking off the surprise of their first meeting.

"My name is Thorax. I decided to seek a new form of love, one that could feed the changelings without making us parasites, by feeding on the love ponies could feel for our true selves. Others have joined me"

Midnight Edge was surprised by the response yet it made sense to him. The changeling kept his true form, other ponies were not afraid of him, and he acted as if he was just one of the locals. "So, you are a deserter. My apologies. Ever since your species invaded Canterlot I expected to meet your kind on the battlefield again. But if your words are true I shall not fight you for the path you take is virtuous." Midnight Edge extended his hoof in a sign of friendship. "My name is Midnight Edge. I assume it is a pleasure to meet you then Thorax... Wait! Your name is Thorax?" All traces of solemnity left the stallion's tongue after he realized how strange the name was. "Do all changelings have names related to invertebrates and their bodies? Let me guess, you have a cousin named Proboscis."

Thorax did not feel discomfort about the question, he had noticed the strange naming pattern and actually wondered why ponies seemed to ignore it. "Actually that is my brother's name. Well, I have many brothers." Thorax responded in a cheerful tone. "Honestly, I should apologize too. I probably startled you since I have been following you for a while. I noticed something strange on you and felt curious, but I could not gather the courage to ask."

"Ask away then, we already had what could be considered the worst first meeting in the Crystal Empire since it's return."

"Well. I noticed the love you and that filly share. It was so strong. I have seen it before, but never in siblings. What are you two up to."

"Oh. That! We are not siblings, not even relatives. I guess it is really unusual to see a guy like me dating such a cute filly." Midnight Edge spoke holding back his laughter and then changed to a more serious, almost ominous tone. "But we are keeping it secret for now. I was actually heading to the royal palace to meet her there. Do you want to join?"

"Thanks. It would be nice. I could introduce you to some of my friends there."

"Hold on. Are you going to meet some friends over there too?"

"Well, that is where Princess Cadence lives."

"What the...! How did she befriend a changeling after Chrysalis tried to ruin wedding? You must tell me the whole story!"

Midnight Edge and Thorax headed toward the palace while the changeling told his story to a new potential friend.

Right when Midnight Edge and Thorax reached the palace Twilight Sparkle and Babs Seed came out of it. Twilight Sparkle greeted her changeling friend in surprise. "Hi Thorax! Midnight, you never mentioned you knew each other."

"To be honest, we just met." Midnight Edge replied. "I doubt there has been a worse first meeting in the whole Crystal Empire in years."

"Don't worry. The first time I made a friend in here the whole royal army was after me."

Babs Seed however did not feel so comfortable with a changeling around. She tried to not express discomfort since two ponies she trusted were acting calmly before what she knew as a threat from the news about Canterlot's invasion. Midnight Edge noticed her distrust and tried to calm her down.

"Can you believe I was about to slice this friendly dude in half? At first I found it hard to trust him, but he seems honest about his words, so it is all clear. If he does anything to betray my trust however... I do not take that lightly." It was evident by his words he was not trusting in the changeling completely, but he was willing to give him a chance.

"Don't worry. He can be trusted. He is even friends with Cadence now. He earned it."

"Are you sure Twilight? He looks a bit scary." Babs Seed broke her silence expressing concern over their trust and quickly thought a way to make sure she was not being tricked by changelings. "Besides, how would he feed without pretending to be somepony else?"

"From the love I have earned from other ponies, if they love me the way I am I don't need to steal love anymore. There would be no need to pretend to be somepony else, for example my new friend here, if ponies love me the way I am. Of course I could not get as much love from you as he does but..."

"But that is just because you really admire me and you barely know him, am I right?" Midnight Edge interrupted his friend giving him a nervous stare which begged him to keep his mouth shut. His reaction also proved Babs Seed he was not a fake since Changelings wouldn't have known he tried to keep their relationship in secret. She could still read him like a book. "We have grown really close since she is my personal assistant. She has helped me understand cutie marks better than anypony since she was a former Cutie Mark Crusader." As he spoke nervously the mark on his flank changed slightly, the things he learned during the day, combined with the stress of the situations he experienced had an effect on it, it was small but easily noticed. "I never thought not fighting a changeling would have an effect on my cutie mark. I shall take notes immediately. We should leave soon. I am sorry we have to end this first meeting so soon."

"Don't worry Spike stays in touch with me. If you have anything to tell let him know." The changeling sounded really happy, then changed his tone to a more serious one, yet still keeping his light mood. "Somepony should check the train schedules." As soon as he spoke those words Twilight Sparkle reacted. "I will check, I am great managing schedules. We don't want to be late."

As she left Thorax approached Midnight Edge and looked at Babs Seed expecting her to come closer. "Good, she is gone. Spike was right, she can't resist a chance to organize something. I feel sorry for doing this but I had to talk to you two alone. I must ask, why do you keep your relationship in secret? The love you produce is driving me crazy already!"

"He doesn't wanna tell. I promised I would keep it shut until he feels fine with it."

"Look bro, I want to keep it low because... It is not common you see? I could get in trouble. She is younger than I am."

"I almost blew your cover then. It feels so weird. It is everywhere! Your love is so strong it feels like a wedding! That was what got me curious about you. I thought you were siblings and that seemed weird."

"Siblings? Everypony thinks that. I like to kiss him in front of them."

"But until I think it is safe Twilight Sparkle must not know. Don't tell Spike about it. Please."

"Fine, I won't tell him. But promise you will end this charade soon. It feels just wrong to see such a loving couple keeping it in secret. Now go. I don't want to go crazy."

...

It was already night as the train moved on it's way to Ponyville. Soon Babs Seed would be on a train back to Manehattan. Back to the daily grind, back to school, and back to a place where she would never see the stallion she loved, but neither her nor Midnight Edge would suffer about it. They were too busy figuring out how to stay in touch beyond mere letters and how to get closer to each other without obstructing their lives. That night Midnight Edge was looking at the skies waiting for an epiphany. Babs Seed, who had trouble sleeping went to see how he was doing.

"I knew you'd be awake. Can't sleep uh?"

"I have some thoughts in my mind." As he spoke a strange object flew in the distant sky. Almost going unnoticed. Midnight Edge caught a glimpse of the flying machine and it struck a chord in his heart. "Soon I will have to face my mistakes, my sister. I must talk to her. I was such a terrible brother."

"Well. After spending a whole afternoon with you I can tell you are not a bad brother. And you would make a great husband."

"Not now." Midnight Edge felt disturbed by the flying object which seemed to beckon him to an encounter he avoided for too long. "I don't feel confident enough to talk about that. We are not ready yet."

"Don't be silly. You're great. A mistake or two won't change that."

"We shall see sooner than I expected."

"How about one last kiss before I leave to Manehattan? It will be our last chance for a while."

Midnight edge remained silent and kissed Babs Seed. Expressing in a single silent kiss all the feelings he had in his heart, all the joy, pain, love, and worry, as well as other less notable emotions in one single kiss. The best kiss for the night, a kiss that told Babs Seed her loving stallion would be hoping to see her again.

The next day Midnight Edge was among the ponies who wished Babs Seed a good trip back home, masking his love for her with an expression which made him seem more like a mentor proud of her than a friend or a lover. Only Babs Seed could see past his serious frown, sensing his love and the sorrow for her departure, she spoke a few words for him as she boarded the train. – I will help you with that cutie mark thing soon. I promise. Don't do anything silly. And don't travel alone, it doesn't fit you.

From that moment and for a few more weeks they would remain in touch only through letters.

...