Rainbow gulped with trepidation as she stared at the angry looking Orthros. The two headed beast managed to bite through one of the chains holding it in place, its jagged teeth looking even sharper afterwards. Menacing growls were emitted from both heads and it looked as though the first pony to approach it would wind up like the chain. So Fluttershy calmly walking up to the beast had Rainbow and Soarin biting their hooves with fear. As the fearsome dog leered down at the meek pegasus before him, its teeth started to gnash and it raised itself to strike....!

...only for a small soft yellow hoof to reach up and scratch one of its chins. Immediately the dangerous animal started panting with joy and rolled onto its back for a belly rub.

Rainbow stood there blinking in shock while Soarin’s jaw dropped to the ground, as Fluttershy started cooing “Yes such a good two-headed boy, yes you are, yes you are.”

As the two winged ponies just stared at their animal-loving friend, the heard some faint yelling from within the tent behind the Orthros, and moments later the owner, a grey stallion with a scar over his eye and a gruff attitude, emerged and approached them. The leather (yes, real leather) armor he wore on his back concealed his cutie-mark. Deciding that getting down to business was better than continuing to stare at the bizarre sight of a giant two headed mutt getting a belly rub, Rainbow gave her head a shake and narrowed her eyes.

“Okay, I can see you’re busy so I’ll give it to you straight.”

She reached into her mane to retrieve the battered old horseshoe she had brought for trade. Soarin and Fluttershy just winced at the sight of it, already getting a bad feeling. This of course did nothing to deter Rainbow.

“I need to trade this horseshoe for…” she looked over behind the stallion to the Orthros, which had decided belly rub time was over, and was now scratching one of its head behind the ear, “…that.”

The owner took one look at the rusty old horseshoe, turned back to his Orthros, then gave Rainbow the most blank stare she had seen since Twilight before her morning coffee. “Nope.”

It took a second to register for Rainbow before she gave a sad grumble and lowered her head. Fluttershy and Soarin immediately felt bad. Soarin gently wrapped a wing around Rainbow for comfort.

She said nothing to this, but her slight lean let him know the gesture was appreciated. However before any words could be said, a growling and crunching noise drew their attention back to the Orthros. In the few seconds since they had last observed it, the beast had managed to get ahold of an old pole with a lantern attached at the end and was swinging it about like a chew toy.

“Down boy, watch out for the lamp!”

The owner just cringed as the lantern flew from the end of the pole and smashed on the ground. He gave the dog a sharp glare, but the animal just kept swinging the pole, quite happy with its new activity.

Sighing the stallion trotted over to the lamp remains to examine them, but as he suspected, it was beyond repair. He turned his gaze up to the three pegasi still waiting by his prized hound.

“…Well, I could use another lamp.”

Immediately, Dash’s face lit up and she flapped her wings with joy. Beside her Fluttershy looked surprised and a little nervous, while Soarin just seemed to go over in his head exactly how out of hoof things were about to get.

Because they always did.

“Pleasure trading with ya, Your Majesty,” an earth pony stallion said, pleased by the ship’s wheel he’d just gotten in exchange for his Saddle Arabian dagger.
“My dad’s just gonna love this wheel for his mariner collection!”

“And this dagger will fit in nicely with my weapons collection,” Midnight smiled as he held the dagger in his aura. He then contained it within a bubble of turquoise energy, and tapped the top with his hoof, causing the bubble to vanish into thin air, taking the dagger with it.

“Where’d it go?” the trader asked.

“Somewhere only I can get it,” Midnight chuckled before continuing his way, leaving the trader perplexed.

Passing the stands and stalls, Midnight continued to browse for anything he wanted or anything he thought his friends might like. Being here at the Traders Exchange without having to go about in his cloak was a real breath of fresh air for him. Especially since the last time he came to the Exchange was so long ago.

With his parents.

“Midnight?”

Being addressed by his name rather than his royal title snapped Midnight out of it as the familiar voice called again, “Midnight Blaze?!”

Midnight looked ahead to his left and gasped!

“Stellar Eclipse!!”

Stellar Eclipse was a pegasus stallion with a coat a light brown like chocolate milk, his mane was black with a purple highlight, and his cutie-mark was a stylized purple and magenta sun symbol. But his most distinctive feature was the wheelchair cart strapped to his barrel, suspending his hind legs in order for him to walk.

...and, oddly enough, running a stand where his goods were several Discord-shaped lamps!

“I can’t believe it!” Midnight came over, smiling as he held out a hoof to an old friend, Stellar smiling and bro-hoofing him. “It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah it has,” Stellar agreed. “I gotta say, I was surprised to hear you came out.”

“Har-har,” Midnight responded, seeing the cheeky look on Stellar’s face but knowing what he actually meant. “Yes, here I am, Prince Midnight Blaze! Just like dear ol’ Auntie Celestia always wanted.”

“You’re still butting heads with her?” Stellar chuckled, not at all surprised to see that about Midnight had not changed.

Midnight sighed, “Well, things are… kinda better. What about you? How’s life been treating you these days?”

“Well, it could be worse,” Stellar shrugged as he lifted his wing, letting the sun reflect off the frame of his wheelchair cart. “Still strapped into this piece of hardware, but it does its job.”

Midnight looked at the cart sadly, “You should have gotten to fulfill your dream…”

Stellar gave Midnight an appreciative smile, “Oh c’mon, Midnight, don’t be like that. If I wasted all my time moping about what I’ll never have I’d miss out on what I do have and still can. Life has its ups and downs, but ya gotta appreciate life and live it the best you can regardless of your circumstances!”

“Heh, same old Stellar,” Midnight chuckled while shaking his head, “still looking on the bright side of things.”

“Well, somepony’s gotta,” Stellar retorted, spurring a chuckle between the two old friends. “So tell me what’s been going on with you lately. How’s royalty suiting ya?”

“Well, it has its own ups and downs, I’ll tell you that. As well as some annoyances,” Midnight admitted. “For one thing, being set up on a pedestal and being treated as something other than a pony… but then there are a few perks here and there.

“Either way, it feels so much better to be working out and about rather than lurking in somepony’s shadow.”

“So I take it the Brotherhood’s disbanded?” Stellar asked, curiously.

“No, it’s still active, or… semi-active,” Midnight thought for a moment before shrugging, “Really, I would consider it on a hiatus or something.”

“Easing back into civvy life, huh?” Stellar smiled, glad that his old friend was no longer so steeped into all that cloak n’ dagger business.

“You could say that,” Midnight nodded before looking at Stellar’s stand. “Stellar, I gotta ask… What’s with all the Discord-shaped lamps?!”

“Now there’s a story ya gotta hear,” Stellar chuckled at a memory.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, it’s a long story,” Stellar paused before admitting, “and a dirty one.”

“Oh I see-” Midnight was suddenly cut off by some distant shouting and crashing. “What in Tartarus is going on over there?!”

“Sounds like some kind of crazy chase sequence going on,” Stellar commented (and having no idea how right he was).

“I better look into this,” Midnight sighed before shaking Stellar’s hoof. “It was good to see you again, Stellar.”

“You as well… Your Majesty!” Stellar teased, causing Midnight to playfully punch Stellar in the shoulder before hurrying off. Stellar turned around to look at some of his goods when he heard somepony.

“A whole stand filled with Discord-shaped lamps?!”

“Either Eris was just here or somepony has a really weird taste in art.”

“They really do have everything at the Traders Exchange.”

Stellar turned around to see Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and Fluttershy, Rainbow hurrying up to him.

“Will you trade a lamp for my horseshoe, so I can trade it for an Orthros and get my book?”

Is she serious? Stellar thought incredulously before immediately replying, “No.”

Seeing the disappointed looks on their faces, Stellar then considered and offered, “But I’d trade it for an antique chicken.”

“Great!” Rainbow’s face lit up before it twisted into confusion, “What’s an antique chicken?”

In another part of the Traders Exchange, some teenage fillies were complimenting some clothes they were looking at when-

*WHOOSH/SPINNNN*

“WhoaOOOAAooaaOOA!!!” the fillies were sent for a spin, the dresses and scarves they’d been looking at wrapping them up when a white unicorn and dark gray pegasus ran past them-

*WHOOSH/SPINNNNN*

“EeyAUUaauAAAUUGH!!” the fillies yelped as they span again, and when they shook off the dizziness, they looked to see each of them was wearing a very lovely ensemble made up of the clothes they’d been admiring.

“Oh I just love that look!” “Nah. you look way cuter!” “Is the hat too much? Be honest!” “Are you kidding? It is sooo you!”

Meanwhile, the gray pegasus who’d made off with Applejack and Rarity’s goods was huffing as he hurried to get away.

“HEY!”

He peered over his shoulder and saw Blueblood and Thunderlane in hot pursuit, the unicorn prince ordering, “Stop in the name of the law!”

“Catch me if you can, Prince Charmless!” the thief retorted as he ran into the Exchange’s busy central area, intending to lose his pursuers through the crowds of trading ponies.

The thief leapt over several ponies, pushed a stallion aside, heaved his stolen goods over a wagon under which he slid, and caught the goods on the other side with uncanny precision, and continued to run. All the while, Blueblood, being the polite sort, kept trying to get by while also saying ‘excuse me, pardon me’ whereas Thunderlane lost his patience and flew up to get a better vantage point.

His pegasus eyes served him well as he spotted the thief making towards a line of ponies all looking to get a bite at a burger stand.

“Blueblood! He’s headed for the burger stand, hurry up!” Thunderlane flew after the thief, without waiting.

“Wha- Thunderlane! Wait!” Blueblood found his path blocked by a river of ponies going to and fro, many of them carrying their own goods, which made the road seem more and more like a wall. Groaning, Blueblood concentrated, and Flashed to the other side, glad to have had those lessons in teleportation.
“I’m right behind you!”

The Thief’s keen hearing told him his pursuers were both starting to catch up, so he knew he had to lose them somehow. However, as he’d taken a moment in thought he hadn’t noticed the pony ahead. A split-second realization forced him to react and he shoved the pony aside and continued to run.

“Ow!” the pony grabbed his fetlock after stumbling. “Oh, how am I gonna help at the burger stand with a busted fetlock?”

“We’ll get him!” Thunderlane promised as he zoomed overhead.

Blueblood paused a moment, saying, “You should have somepony take a look at that. Now if you’ll excuse me, my friend and I have a thieving rat to catch!”

“Uh, go get him?” the pony watched, confused, as Blueblood hurried off.

Sidestepping a few ponies, Blueblood noticed Thunderlane had landed and was looking around as the unicorn caught up.
“Please tell me he didn’t get away!”

“No way,” Thunderlane was on red alert as he scanned the ponies and stands and tents, looking for that scoundrel.
“He’s around here somewhere. I lost track of him for a few moments coming this way but he has to be here.”

“With those stolen goods weighing him down he couldn’t have flown off,” Blueblood agreed as he joined Thunderlane in looking.

“Gave those two yutzes the slip, yes I did.”

That smug voice quickly caught Thunderlane and Blueblood’s attention, and they looked to see somepony pulling a wagon full of goods. When the wagon passed them by… there was the thief, lounging in the back, using Applejack and Rarity’s bags of goods like pillows, and looking way too pleased with himself.

“Yessiree, another successful grab n’ go, if I do say so myself,” the thief chuckled, his eyes closed as he was far too relaxed to realize he’d been spotted. “And I do!”

*CLUNK*

“Huh?!” The thief sat up, and almost had a hernia when he saw Blueblood glaring at him, and a shadow falling over him made him look up to see the angry eyes of Thunderlane.
“Uh… heh-heh, gentlecolts! I was just… taking-my-leave-see-ya!”

The thief threw the bags into Thunderlane and Blueblood’s faces, deciding to cut his losses, and flew off.

“Blue, take care of the goods!” Thunderlane tossed the bag he’d gotten to Blueblood, who just barely managed to catch it in his aura. “This guy’s mine!”

Thunderlane gave a mighty flap and launched himself after the thief, who decided to fly low in another attempt to throw his pursuers off his trail by flying through the Exchange.

He knows flying skyward will just make him easier to follow! Thunderlane thought as he carefully weaved through the many ponies, tents, and stands, saying things like, “Excuse me! Pardon me! Coming through! Heads up!”

The thief was not so courteous as he deliberately knocked over a stand here and a tent there, hoping Thunderlane would be waylaid. He only succeeded in causing collateral damage, making ponies yell, in surprise or anger.

Finally, they neared the edge of the Exchange, and the thief knew that the time to escape was now. He had to lose Thunderlane!

Reaching into his hoodie, he pulled out a ball and tossed it over his head. Thunderlane saw it but was flying too fast to-

*POOFLOOM/COUGH COUGH COUGH*

“YOW!” Thunderlane was sent for a nasty tumble, head over tail, as he somersaulted onto the ground, having been blinded by some kind of dust or powder that had exploded out of the ball the thief had thrown.

He finally stopped rolling, coming to a groaning halt in the dirt as he coughed some more, trying to clear his throat.

“Thunderlane!”

Thunderlane carefully creaked open his eyes, hoping whatever that dust was, it hadn’t blinded him but he was glad to see Blueblood hurry up, the bags levitating in his aura, as the concerned unicorn came over and helped his friend up, brushing off his coat.

“Thunder, are you alright?” Blueblood panted, satisfied there seemed to be nothing broken.

“Fine, but- That jerk… hit me with something!” Thunderlane wheezed.

At that moment, they heard a strange echoing whoosh, Blueblood felt his horn tingle whereas Thunderlane felt his feathers ruffle. They looked ahead and gasped to see the thief standing before what looked to be a door of light shaped like a giant keyhole.

He stowed something he had in his hoof back into his hoodie, gave Thunderlane and Blueblood a smug glance and scoffed as he walked through the door of light, which vanished a moment after he stepped through.

Thunderlane and Blueblood gaped at the spot where the thief had stood, uncertain what had just happened except of one thing.

Thunderlane sighed, “He got away…”

“Well, at the very least we recovered Rarity and Applejack’s things,” Blueblood offered in consolation. “But I wonder; who was that rogue? And how did he make that… that door? Portal?”

“I dunno, but if I ever see him again…!” Thunderlane growled in vexation but he took a cue from Twilight and took a deep breath while placing his hoof over his chest, and then exhaling.
“Let’s get back to the girls and just try to enjoy the rest of the Exchange.”

“I’m for that,” Blueblood agreed, knowing there was no point ruing it further.

But even as the two friends started looking for their girls, they wondered, who was that thief? How did he escape? Would they ever encounter him again?

Big Mac chewed his wheat stem and gave the vet kit a good looking over. While all the others had come to the Traders Exchange for a fun day and to maybe find themselves something fun to trade for, Big Mac had a mission to follow.

He was gonna get his `Shy a gift.

He’d noticed at home that while his lovely pegasus certainly loved living with him, it was still an adjustment for her to get up early and have to travel to her old cottage to help her animals. A lot of them were early morning critters, and with the distance now, she sometimes had to get up even earlier to be there to help them.

While Mac knew she didn’t mind getting up early, he felt put out that she had to make the sacrifice, while he was still right next to his family orchard. So Big Mac had decided to do something nice for his wonderful wife to show he appreciated her sacrifice so they could live together.

Unfortunately, Big Mac’s examination of the kit in front of him was interrupted by the biggest hindrance to his gift search.

“HeyMacquickcomeoverhereandcheckthisouthowcoolisthisyoushouldlookoverhererightnow!”

Cheese Sandwich.

Since the moment Big Mac had started his search, Cheese had been following him about the whole time. Every time Big Mac saw something he thought his `Shy might like, Cheese would swoop in, mouth moving faster than a sonic rainboom, and immediately drag him away to see some random bauble or odd animals or in one instance, to look at slightly discolored tree leaf.

Mac wasn’t sure why Cheese seemed so over excited or so intent on stopping him searching for the perfect gift, but it was really starting to irritate him.

He felt Cheese’s hoof wrap around him and whisk him away from the vet kit (and the discouraged looking mare who had been eyeing him hopefully for a trade) to another stall where a mare and stallion were juggling a set of sharp looking knives with great skill.

While Mac definitely thought the sight was impressive, he wanted to get back on track.

“Tha’s definitely a talented performance Cheese but Ah really wanna…”

“Hey lookie there, we should definitely get something to eat!”

Cheese zipped over to a food stall selling various snacks and started eyeing them all searching for the right choice.

*GROWL*

With his belly agreeing with the party pony, Big Mac gave a sigh, “Well, Ah guess `Shy can wait until after a carrot dog an’ a caramel apple.”

Because of his creator, Sylvain-Nicholas LeVasseur-Portelance, Stellar Eclipse is a character in the show I kind of hold sacred. So, in honor of them both, I decided to give Stellar a place in my head-canon where he has a close history with my OC Midnight Blaze