Midnight had arrived at the castle in a flash of light from teleporting. After a few minutes of asking where the princess was, he had located her in her quarters. As he slowly made his way in he noticed Celestia placing Starlight down for the night in his crib. He may have been growing quickly, but he was still a foal after all.

"Hey Tia." Midnight whispered as he came up to her side next to the crib. Both of them looking down to their foal.

"He has been sleeping so soundly as of late. I wish it were as easy for me to sleep so at ease." Celestia sighed as they pulled away from the crib and heading over to her bed.

"I take it the promise of war is keeping you up at night." Midnight said as he watched his lady climb into bed, he pulling the covers up and onto her.

"It has sadly. I have not been at war in so long that the news has been far more disturbing than in previous times. Sleep has eluded me since your departure in the days prior. How was your mission by the way? Did you succeed?" She asked as she snuggled into her pillows while looking to Midnight.

"I am happy to say that it was a success. With some odd results in the end. But still, a success none the less." He chuckled softly.

"Then please, tell me of the story at a later time. It feels as if a weight has lifted from my shoulders hearing that the griffon nation is no longer in disarray, and I thank you for your help in the matter." Celestia smiled as she gave a large yawn.

"Well now, that was rather strange." Midnight chuckled to her seeing her yawn.

"Oh please, you have yet to face the unrestrained wrath that is your bride to be." Celestia giggled.

"So I take it your prepared to dutch oven me when we are sleeping together after being married?" He smirked only to see her look of confusion.

"Dutch oven?" She asked before Midnight leaned down and whispered what it was in her ear.

Upon hearing what a dutch oven was she covered her mouth, leaping from the bed and galloping to the balcony taking flight, Midnight close behind her. Once she had made it several hundred yards away she fell onto a cloud and erupted in laughter as tears streamed down her face. Midnight landed next to her as she was holding her sides from laughing so hard. Each chuckle causing her wings to spasm and her ethereal mane and tail to literally throb and convulse with her.

Midnight took a seat grinning like a bandit until she had slowly pulled herself back in control. She took several deep shuddering breaths as sh sat up looking at Midnight through tear stained eyes.

"First of all, if you ever tell me something that funny again while our foal is asleep in the same room, I will personally throw you into the dungeon for the night." She chuckled.

"Does it involve whips and chains? Because I'm all for that." He smirked for a second as they both burst into laughter once again.

"When am I going to learn that no matter what I say, you are going to have some retort that I have never heard of in all my years." She laughed.

"Hopefully never, I still have quite a few remarks I would love to tell you during our more public events." He laughed back.

"Well then, for the time being please refrain from such humor. We do not want to have little Star up all night from such outbursts like I just experienced."

"Not a problem love." He smiled as they flew quietly back into her quarters, she returning to bed and being tucked in by Midnight.

Celestia lay there quietly as she watched Midnight's glowing mane casting a dancing glow around the room. His presence already making the evening feeling more soothing to her.

"Midnight......." Celestia trailed off looking up to him. Midnight smiled down to her, asking what she needed without even uttering a single word.

"Thank you, for everything you've done." She gave a small yawn as she closed her eyes, letting her dreams take her as he leaned down and gave her forehead a gentle kiss.

"Your welcome love............." He trailed off as he headed to the balcony, closing the large glass doors behind him before taking flight. "Even though it isn't everything I could have done." He sighed as he flew from the castle and vanished in a small flash of light.

Midnight appeared back in the library through a stealth teleport. He slowly turned himself invisible as he trotted quietly into Twilight's study to see he still reading quietly behind her desk. He leaned up behind her, placing his mouth just next to her ear as he spoke.

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings sugar."

Twilight let our a shriek as she bolted from her spot to across her desk and into a pile of books. She turned around staring around her desk to see who or what had snuck up on her. She stopped though as she heard a soft chuckle then glared at the Alicorn as he turned himself visible once again.

"MIDNIGHT! How many times do I..........." She stopped as Midnight pulled her to him via magic, Midnight wrapping his wings around her as he looked down and into her eyes.

"Now now, don't berate me just when I get the chance to come back and make amends." He smiled lovingly to her.

"Uh huh, As much as I would like for you to make amends, tonight is Rarity's night with you, and I do NOT want to listen to her complain to me for keeping you from her." She smirked as she pushed him away.

"Awwwww, not even a kiss g'bye?" He asked as he fell over in front of her. Pouting his lip out and giving big adorable eyes toward her.

Twilight gave a sigh as she leaned down and gave him a kiss, then squeaked out as she was pulled to him once again as Midnight wrapped himself around the little unicorn.

"Ugh, Midnight. Do you seriously, hehehe, NO! hahaha STOP IT! HEHEHEEE, QUIT IT! *Snort* Don't make me BWAAAAHAHAHA Bite you!" She began to laugh as Midnight began to nibble on her ticklish spots along her sides. After a minute of torture she finally managed to free herself by teleporting away.

"Awwwww, can't I have a little fun?" He pouted as he trotted playfully toward her again. Twilight lowering her stance as her horn glowed.

"Go play with Rarity tonight. I'll think of a few ways you can 'play' with me when its your night with me next week. Until then, keep your little tickle torture sessions to the others." She giggled.

"Ugh, fine. Spoil sport." He smirked, giving her a quick kiss before heading to the door. "You know Twi...." He smiled as he turned back to her. "You're probably the only mare in the world that I find a challenge, and that makes my heart race." He smiled giving her a wink as he stepped through the front of the library and took flight.

Twilight sat there looking at the door as her whole body erupted into a bright crimson, her heart racing at what she had just heard. "Well then............ I guess that puts me at the top of the list." She giggled before heading to bed.

Landing outside of the boutique, Midnight made his way inside through the front upon seeing the lights still on through the window. As he came inside, the bell signaled his entrance but was never answered by the singsong voice of his ivory love. It was already nightfall, so seeing the lights still on in the boutique seemed a little off. Upon making it into Rarity's workroom however, showed him exactly what was amiss.

Rarity lay sound asleep across her workbench. The remains of a dress to be finished in time laying still attached to the sewing machine before her. Midnight gave a chuckling sigh as he slowly picked her up and carried her to bed.

"You work way to much love. You need a vacation." He spoke softly as he had made it upstairs, placing her into her bed.

"Uncle Midnight?" Sweetiebelle's voice came from the door. Midnight turned to see her giving a little yawn while rubbing her eyes with her foreleg.

"Hey there." He chuckled softly after tucking Rarity in and making his way to her, picking her up and placing her onto his back. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Sorry, but I heard the bell ring downstairs. I thought Rarity closed the shop up hours ago. She always holds the bell if she has friends come in late." She yawned again as she nuzzled the back of her Midnight's neck.

"Ah, I see. How about we go lock up shop then and get you some hot cocoa? I''m sure it'll help you get back to sleep." He smiled back to her seeing her nod.

As the two ponies made their way downstairs, Midnight watched Sweetie lock the door and check it before making his way into the kitchen to fix a cup of hot cocoa for her.

"I haven't seen you or the other crusaders in about a week. What have you three been up to?" He smiled as the water heated quickly before he poured some into a cup, then hoofing it to Sweetiebelle as she began to mix her own amount of cocoa in it.

"We've been helping other fillies and colt's to get their cutiemarks. We already managed to get two of them out of the fifteen we have in the club now." Sweetie beamed sleepily before taking a gulp of her steaming drink.

"Fifteen, that's a lot of crusaders. Can your little clubhouse hold all of them?" He smiled seeing her yawn again.

"Yea, but we could use some more room for future members. Plus we are getting bigger since we are growing up." She giggled.

Midnight smiled seeing that Sweetiebelle was right. He had failed to notice in the past, but she had grown quite a bit in the past few months. Maybe she had hit her growth spurt or something, but she was definitely getting taller.

"I think I could help you girls out if you want. Just let me know what you need done to the clubhouse and I can fix it." He smiled to her but stopped as he looked down to the sleeping filly laying silently onto the table. The cup of cocoa still in her hooves and steaming. He gave a soft chuckle as he picked her up gently with his magic before placing the cup into the sink. Walking slowly and quietly he made his way upstairs once again and placed the sleeping filly into her bed for the night. He turned back to the door to see Rarity leaning against the frame.

"I thought I heard somepony downstairs a minute ago." She smiled as she pulled away from the door and nodded down the hall. Midnight followed her to her bedroom and quickly climbed in beside her. The two laying there looking at each other as they spoke.

"You've been gone for a few days darling. Twilight mentioned that the princess asked you to come to the castle in an urgent letter. Was it something bad?" She asked giving a soft yawn.

"Not really, but I would rather speak about it tomorrow when we're both awake." He smiled as he pulled her close.

"I guess I can wait. But I think you should spend the day with Twilight tomorrow, she seemed rather downtrodden from you having missed your time with her this week." She giggled softly.

"Yea, she seemed upset enough to throw a book at me." He laughed.

"Then you do that, go stay with her tomorrow night. I will be fine here." She smiled up to him before giving him a quick kiss.

"Thanks doll. I'm sure Twi will appreciate it." He said as he snuggled her close. The two lay there quietly as the sound of falling snow loomed all around them. Sleep taking them as the night went on.