The following day started out like most before it. Kindle would get up, brush her mane and tail, head out and into town to grab breakfast before walking around aimlessly to try and locate the stallion she was looking for. It was already the day after Hearths Warming, and many of the residents of Ponyville who had taken the chance to visit family out of town, were now heading back home. The train station was very busy as there would be a train pulling in almost every other hour to let ponies off of it.

Kindle had spoken with several ponies in town who stated that they had seen the dark Alicorn along with a group of other ponies, leave Ponyville a couple of days prior. She could only guess that they had traveled out of town to see family and friends as well. After making her way to the train station she sat idly inside the station, watching the trains come and go as she awaited the arrival of the Alicorn along with his friends. After sitting there for around four hours, another train arrived to let ponies off and head back home. To Kindle's delight, she saw the dark Alicorn step off of the train, along with a gaggle of mares and two fillies.

"There is no way he has two fillies." She gawked for a moment before seeing the stallion pick up the two fillies and place them onto his back, a smile never leaving his face. "Then again, I could be wrong." She hesitated for a moment, thinking of whether or not to step out of the inside of the station to say hi to him. But she was feeling conflicted. She new that he was her friend, but what would happen if she just showed up out of nowhere to say hi to him when he had six mares around him already. Were they all his mares? Or were they his friends as well? Maybe even both! She was mulling over all of the possibilities that she failed to notice that he had stopped just inside the station once he saw her.

"Hey Kindle! You ok?" The voice of the dark Alicorn spoke up causing her to snap to attention.

"OH! Um, Hi Midnight." She smiled sheepishly seeing the rest of the mare having stopped to see this new mare that Midnight apparently knew.

"What are you doing in Ponyville? I thought you and your team were to busy working on your project to take a vacation." He chuckled to the fire red mare before him.

"Well, we had a breakthrough with two of the members, so Steel gave us a week off to have some fun. I thought I might pay a friend a visit to see how he was doing." She smiled nervously toward him upon seeing the other mares who had stopped along with him to see who she was.

"Well that is wonderful news. I'm happy for you and your team. You did say that you've been working on that project for over a year now correct?" He asked seeing her nod. "Well then it was about time that you had some success in getting some results. Congrats doll." He beamed.

Kindle blushed a little beneath her coat upon hearing those words from the stallion. She stopped however as she noticed everypony pant slightly.

"Is it just me or did it get rather warm in here rather quickly?" Rarity asked as she attempted to fan herself with a flier that she had pulled from a nearby board.

Kindle gulped for a moment as her horn lit up for a second to recast her heat shield around herself to keep her new temperature from being detected. The group smiled as the heat vanished and was replaced by the stale air of the inside of the train station.

"Were you leaving Ponyville? Or were you waiting for somepony?" Midnight asked the fire red unicorn.

"I was actually waiting on you to return. A few ponies said that you had left for Canterlot the other day and was going to return today. I just thought I would stop by and see how you were doing." She smiled nervously seeing several of the mares near him giving her a scrutinizing look.

"Well now, that's a surprise, but not an unwelcome one." He chuckled. "Oh, You have yet to me my friends and my fiance's." He smiled as he stepped to the side as he introduced each of the mares that was with him along with the two fillies that were on his back and a small purple dragon.

Rarity gave a smile as she stepped forward. "It's so nice to meet one of my stallions many friends. What pray tell brought you to Ponyville though? Surely you didn't just stop by to pay our darling stallion a surprise visit, did you?" She asked but stopped as she saw the sheepish smile spreading across Kindles face.

"Well, you could say that." Kindle giggled but stopped as she received several stares from the group, including a couple of nasty glares. "Don't worry though, he is just a friend is all. I........ don't have any family to visit during this time of the year." She pouted a little looking away, but was suddenly swept up in a hug by the group.

"Then you'll just have to be a part of our family." Pinkie smiled widely at her, the rest nodding or agreeing as well.

"I don't want to impose." Kindle said as she wiggled slightly within the group.

"Nonsense, If you have no family to call your own, then you are more than welcome to spend some time with us." Rarity beamed at her.

"Absolutely. I know how hard it is when you can't visit family during the holidays, my brother is married to princess Cadence, and my mother and father tend to disappear during this time of year. So I take time to spend it with my stallion and my friends." Twilight smiled to them all.

"Th- thank you all, I honestly don't know what to say." Kindle said with a soft smile.

"Then don't say ah thang sugarcube. Jes enjoy your time with your friends." Applejack chuckled as she pulled the unicorn from the group. "Now how'bout we get home so we can unpack. Ya'll'er welcome teh spend the night at the farm if'n ya want. It's my night teh have this'n over anyway." AJ chuckled again as she winked to the Alicorn.

"Thank you, but, how can you just up and trust me like that?" Kindle asked giving her a peculiar glance.

"Well, ya'll er friends with Night, an ya don't seem teh have any ill intent. Unless o'course ya plan teh try an steal'im away from us. Then there'll be a problem." AJ smirked giving a chuckle. "Seeing as ya seem like ah nice pony though, ah don't think we should worry none. Side's, we got this'n here pegged. He ain't goin teh stray anytime soon." She laughed as she gave the Alicorn a playful shove.

"Yea, yea, I can't go out with any more mares now that I'm getting married. I have four lovely ladies that can put up with my antics, why should I ask for more?" Midnight laughed as he got another shove from Twilight.

The group began to walk toward town as they continued to talk.

"Four mare's? So who all here is getting married to you then?" Kindle asked as she looked through the group.

"Well, Rarity was the first one I asked." He said as Rarity beamed happily at him. "Then Twilight." He chuckled seeing her nudge him again. "Then Applejack." He laughed as he gave her a playful nudge.

"But that's only three, you said you had four." Kindle asked as he looked to the others within the group.

"Well, the fourth would be Princess Celestia." He chuckled seeing Kindle gawk at him. "As you know, she stays in Canterlot. So having her come to visit Ponyville isn't an easy task during this time of the season."

"That is............ just............... whoa." Kindle stuttered as she mulled over the relationship that Midnight was in.

'So he is getting married to Twilight Sparkle, the prodigy of Celestia herself. Rarity, a fashion designer. Applejack, one of the biggest pioneer's in Equestria for the food industry. And then to Princess Celestia?! Either this Alicorn is incredibly lucky, or completely insane to have done this.' Kindle thought as they continued walking through town. Making stops at several places until all that was left of the group was herself, Applejack, Applebloom, and Midnight, as they headed toward Sweet Apple Acres.

Upon arriving at the farm house, the small group was greeted by a large red earth stallion and an elder light green mare. The group spent a couple of minutes talking and exchanging hugs as they all headed inside. Introductions were made yet again between Kindle and the rest of the Apple family as they sat down at the kitchen table to have an early dinner.

"So yer just a friend from the big city eh?" Granny Smith piped up giving a soft smile.

"Yea, Midnight visited my team a few months back to check on a rumor about another human. That other human is my friend and co-worker. So we managed to get together and become friends." Kindle smiled over to the stallion.

"How is Samantha doing? I haven't been able to visit again due to so much going on here. With all of the wedding plans, and the holidays zipping by. You could say that I've been as busy as Celestia just trying to keep up." Midnight chuckled.

"Ya'll er gonna have teh take a break eventually brother. Ah think new years'd be a good opportunity teh do jes that." Big Macintosh chuckled toward the Alicorn.

"That does sound good, I know Pinkie will be throwing a party again like always, and I'm sure we could grab a couple of barrels of cider to help with the celebration. It's only a couple more days away anyway. Why not join us Kindle? I'm sure you can take a few extra days to celebrate the new year with us can't you?" Midnight asked giving her a wink.

"I would love to, if that's ok with your friends that is." She smiled nervously toward AJ.

"Sugarcube, yer as much of a friend to us as that big lug sitting across from ya. Yer more than welcome to join our lil festivities." AJ chuckled toward Kindle.

"I would be honored to join everypony this year." She smiled seeing them all smile to her.

After dinner had been eaten and the dishes washed by the dark Alicorn, the group headed into the living room to sit in front of the roaring fireplace as it warmed the room. Kindle took this opportunity to sit close to the fire and release part of her magical field so that she could enjoy the moment by not worrying about her loosing to much magic while keeping herself from burning down the entire house. Kindle sat quietly starring into the fireplace as AJ pressed up against Midnight on the couch. Big Macintosh and Applebloom were playing checkers on the floor while Granny Smith was asleep in her rocking chair near the fireplace.

After a short time they began to file toward their bedrooms, Kindle being shown to the guest bedroom while AJ and Midnight went into her room for the night. Upon laying down and casting several spells onto the room to prevent herself from causing a fire while she slept, she glanced out the window to gaze at the stars that filled the sky. After a few minutes she pulled herself from her bed and headed over to the window, opening it and laying her head onto the window seal to look at the brightly lit, star filled sky.

"It's so beautiful out here compared to the city, and so peaceful. I can see so many stars that I feel like............ like......." She trailed off as Midnight spoke up.

"Like you could fall into the sea of stars and get lost in them?" He smiled from his window next door. Kindle looking over to see him gazing toward the sky.

"Y-yea........" She trailed off.

After a few minutes, she pulled her head back into her room with a sigh. Closing the window and heading back to her bed, but stopped as a knock came from her door. "Come in." She said as she noticed the orange glow from Midnight's mane before he even entered.

"Hey, need somepony to talk to?" He asked as he came into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Not really.........." She trailed off as her horn lit up to quickly cast her shield spell onto herself once again. Midnight not really paying attention to the sudden use of magic as he took a seat next to her bed, looking to the floor.

"You know I'm your friend right? You can talk to me about anything." He smiled over to her seeing her lay her ears back slightly in a blush.

"I know, but it's not something I can freely talk about." She sighed as she sat down facing away from him and looking out the window toward the star filled sky.

"Still though, if you ever feel you need somepony to talk to, you can speak to me, or any of those that you've met today. I'm sure they can help you out if you just ask." He said as he trailed off before starting again.

"What was the real reason you came to Ponyville?" He asked as he watched her tense up at the question.

"I...... can't say." She sighed. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's that I can't." She growled to herself as she flopped backwards onto her bed.

"Well, in any case, I'll be here in case you ever feel the need to tell me whats on your mind. You are my friend after all, and that's what friends do for each other. They are there for each other when they need them." He smiled as he stood up and looked down to her as she looked away blushing.

"Thank you............ " She said softly as she slowly curled up in her covers, Midnight taking his leave from the room and closing the door quietly behind him.

Kindle lay there quietly as she mulled over what she had gone through that day, and the new friends she had made in the process. In time she knew she would have to fight them all, and when that moment arrived, could she really do that? Or would she go against her other friends and co-workers to help save Equestria, and the world.