private A Cultural Exchange 1x1 with DwhitetheGamer

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Illiad Easle, 

 

Copper chuckled again.  "Well, I guess you could say that.  I guess I'm a little concerned with what ponies and other creatures see."

 

He looked out the window just like Midnight did, and said, "I think I clocked in about 16-18 minutes in the Friendship Express.  This train's moving a bit slower, so it'll take longer to get back to Ponyville."

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@,

 

Midnight took a closer look out the window, "Given we're passing the Everfree forest now, it shouldn't take us too much longer to arrive at the Ponyville station. I wouldn't be surprised if we arrived in the next few minutes actually." 

 

Midnight turned back to Copper, "So, any plans for when we get back in to Ponyville?"

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Illiad Easle, 

 

Copper shrugged.  "No plans, actually, at least that come to mind."

 

The train slowed to a stop minutes later at the Ponyville Station.  The two got off of the train and into the station when Copper said, I actually think that we should talk to Daring again, just to see how she is.  That is, if you don't have any plans in Ponyville."

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@,

 

Midnight shrugged a bit dismissively, he was hardly keen on talking to the deserter again, but if Copper wanted to he would be fine to. "My only plans are to spend time with you like you did with me at Archback. I'll follow along with whatever you want to do." 

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Illiad Easle, 

 

Copper caught the true meaning behind Midnight's words.  The older stallion didn't want to talk with Daring after the incident, and it felt like she lost him.  He said to Midnight, "If you don't want to talk to Daring, then that's fine, Midnight.  We can do it tomorrow, if you wish.  We'll do it when you feel like you're ready to talk to her."

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@,

 

Midnight cast a sidelong skeptical glance at Copper. "I don't know where you got that I didn't want to talk to her. I have certainly not said or implied anything to that effect. I usually say what I mean Copper, if you try to read deeper into what I say than you'll come up with something completely different from what I intended." 

Edited May 11, 2016 by Illiad Easle

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Illiad Easle, 

 

Copper tried to think of the real meaning of Midnight's words.  His thought process was slower than what Midnight would want. the words then came to him.  "I know what you mean, Midnight, but your expression, your shrug, actually, told me that you didn't really want to talk to her, since she deserted her own sister.  You don't want to talk to anyone who would hurt and abandon their own family, don't you?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@,

 

Midnight shrugged, it was a fair enough point. "Those who value the lives of others but little, deserve to have their lives valued in the same measure. That was our mantra against the slavers and slave owners centuries ago. Similarly, those that would beat and abandon their own family, their closest friends, deserve to be abandoned themselves. In short, you deserve to have done to you what you do to others. I am presently not fond of Daring right now, Ditzy may have forgiven her, but I haven't." 

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Illiad Easle, 

 

Copper nodded.  Midnight had made a fair point, but, "That doesn't work anymore in today's life, as you're probably aware.  Friendships matter here in Equestria, and Twilight and her friends are going to see to it that it gets preserved.  To be fair, I don't think it was intentional that she would hurt her own sister.  It was at the heat of the moment, and they were both in love with the same Saddle Arabian.  So it may have been the fact that they were in love that led Daring to do what she did.  Ditzy may have been in the wrong for fighting Daring as well.  Neither of us know because we weren't there to witness it.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@,

 

Midnight narrowed his eyes slightly. "As intentional as it may or may not have been, she still abandoned her sister after the fact. Left her for years, almost a decade now by my count. That doesn't sound like an accident to me. Then writing Ditzy out of the stories she sold for a profit? Not turning over a single bit of the profits to Ditzy to help her raise her child? That doesn't sound apologetic to me."

 

He turned back to look where they were going. "I don't buy this sudden change of heart. I think Daring has some ulterior motive for her sudden return. The relationship of Ditzy and Daring could hardly be considered a friendship to be preserved, their relationship was completely ended when Daring abandoned her." 

 

"The short of it? If it really were an accident, why didn't Daring stay?"

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Illiad Easle, 

 

Copper nodded, seeing the meaning of Midnight's words.  By now, he was getting used to the older stallion being frank, but he still hated himself after each time it happened  He smacked himself across the face, then said to Midnight.  "You make a fair point, as always.  Remind me to smack myself every time I make a stupid comment like I did.  I'm getting sick of my own faults right now, and I'm trying to make myself better for you."

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@,

 

Midnight looked quite surprised at Copper's comments, "There's no need to harm yourself for making a mistake. This hardly matters from a wider viewpoint anyway. Just keep making an effort to be better and that's all anyone can really expect from you. Don't make yourself better for my sake, make yourself better for your own sake. If you do it for me, then you'll stop once I'm gone, but if you do it for you then you'll do it forever." 

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Illiad Easle, 

 

Copper found the meaning of Midnight's words and his eyes kind of gave out a sparkling effect as they widened.  Not much, but it would still be noticed.  He nodded at the older stallion and said,.  "Alright, Midnight.  I'll change for me."

 

He sighed.  He looked around, as they were still in the train station.  He looked at Midnight.  "Now, is there anything you'd like for me to do tomorrow morning?  I did plan on warming up some of your meat that you had this morning, but I didn't want to wake you, because you kind of need the sleep, considering how hard you've worked in Archback."

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@,

 

Midnight shook his head, "No need to warm it, it's meant to be eaten as it is. It's dried so it stays edible longer than fresh, and thus it doesn't need to e cooked further to be enjoyed. I do appreciate you not trying to wake me up, I am told I can be a particularly heavy sleeper at times." 

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Illiad Easle, 

 

Copper nodded at the response given.  "Alright, then.  Just wondering."

 

They finally walked out of the train station and into Ponyville, where the sun was setting in the distance.  Copper yawned, it had been quite a long day.  "I'm ready to have some sleep.  Are you, Midnight?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@DwhitetheGamer,

 

Midnight shrugged, "Sure, I could sleep now. Travelling by train really does take a lot out of me." He looked to the setting sun and the rising moon in turn as they walked. "I'll need to be getting back to Archback soon, I can stay another day, maybe a second, but no longer." 

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Illiad Easle, 

 

Copper looked a little sad, knowing that Midnight was going to leave, but he understood why.  "I see.  You wanna take care of the Order, and you have work to do there.  It's a shame you have to leave so soon, but I understand."

 

"You're leaving tomorrow?"

 

It was Ditzy, who had left the Ponyville Hospital with her head bandaged up.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@DwhitetheGamer,

 

Midnight turned, and greeted Ditzy with a nod, "Perhaps, but I may stay another night depending on how tomorrow goes. You doing okay by the way? I'd be happy to stay a bit longer if you need help taking care of your foal for a bit."

 

Despite having no true children of his own, Midnight still had a strong fatherly instinct.

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Illiad Easle, 

 

Ditzy nodded at Midnight, saying, "I'll be fine.  The doctors said that I shouldn't do anything strenuous for a couple of weeks and that I need to rest before taking this bandage off.  Which reminds me, Daring talked to me for a while in the hospital."

 

Copper tilted his head.  "Oh?  What did she want here, anyway?"

 

Ditzy shrugged.  "She needed to be in Canterlot to begin with, something about a robbery in the history museum, and since she got here early, she figured to come and apologize to me.  She even offered me to join her on her future adventures."

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@DwhitetheGamer,

 

Midnight looked a bit skeptical, but shook it off, it seemed Daring was back to being her regular old brash self, head strong and self assured as always. "I hope she knows what she's getting into, she's hardly the adventuring mare she once was. It's good to hear you're doing well though, you really should come visit again, I'm sure the children would love to hear of your adventures since you last left and I would love to meet the foal I've secretly been helping you support all these years."

 

He adopted a sly look, "You didn't think that surprise box each year came from that Saddle Arabian did you?" 

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Illiad Easle, 

 

Ditzy nodded at Midnight.  "Yeah, I would like to visit one day, maybe when Copper decides to go back.  And I don't know, maybe that's the case."

 

She then gave Midnight a rather concerned look.  "Did you not hear what I said about Daring offering me to go with her on future adventures?"

 

Copper gave the question she expected Midnight to ask.  "What did you say to her?"

 

Ditzy sighed.  "I said no.  I told her that this is my home now, and I have a foal to raise, so I don't have time for adventures.  She understood, and she said that she wanted to meet the foal one day."

 

Speaking of which...

 

"Mommy!"  It was Dinky, who galloped to meet her mother and friends.  Ditzy smiled and picked her up.  "Hi, Dinky!  How's my little filly?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@DwhitetheGamer,

 

Midnight nodded, once again Ditzy was the one making the smart decisions of the pair, Daring would no doubt follow suite, though she had already been settled down for a while when she was writing the stories.

 

Midnight was surprised when he saw Dinky for the first time, the tabs he had kept on Ditzy were only so detailed as to say that her foal was still alive and well, they failed to mention that she was a unicorn. "A unicorn child? I must admit I'm surprised, I had honestly expected another pegasus. But you seem to have done a fine job raising her Ditzy, I'm proud." 

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Illiad Easle, 

 

Dinky kept hugging her mother, and Copper blushed with delight.  When they let go of each other, Ditzy pointed to Midnight and said, "This is Midnight Star, the one who has been helping me raise you, more or less."

 

Dinky blinked, and tilted her head in confusion.  Then she smiled and said, "Nice to meet you!"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@DwhitetheGamer

 

Midnight gave a slight, fatherly smile as he lowered his head and neck to be closer to Dinky's level. "It's nice to meet you too, I always wondered how you would turn out and I'm glad to say you've exceeded my expectations. I'm sure you make your mother a very proud mare."

 

He raised himself back up and looked at Ditzy, "My tabs neglected to mention race or gender, had I known I would have provided more specialized supplies. Though you seem to have done a fine job without."

 

He looked back to Dinky, "Have you started doing magic yet?"

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Illiad Easle, 

 

Ditzy smiled at Midnight.  "I know.  Copper had taught me how to raise my foal the right way.  You should be thanking him."

 

Copper blushed.  "It's no big deal.  I do what I gotta do."

 

Dinky shook her head at Midnight's question.  "No.  Not yet.  I wanna get some lessons from Princess Twilight, though."