The piercing light of the lazy morning sun beamed through the small gap of the curtains and into Midnight's dark room. The light was subtle - almost faint, but compared to the dark void that was Midnight's bedroom, the sun might as well have been just outside, peeking in through the windows. Unfortunately, one tired soul was caught in the crossfire of light and dark. A sleeping form, tangled in a mashup of fur and skin, stirred ever so slightly. One eye begrudgingly opened to see the source of its torment, and a lazy groan filled the air.

"Millions of miles away... and perfect aim... Dammit, Tia..." David complained.

A furry body, wrapped tightly around David's torso, stirred as well.

"Mmm? Is too early... Go back to bed..." Midnight's tired voice filled the air.

"I want to, but this ray of light is just burning into my retinas... and it's ruining my plans to cuddle with you for the next twelve hours." David said, his voice turning mischievous.

Midnight raised her head off of David's chest. The blanket slowly slipped off her ears as she looked up at him.

"Well then... We have no choice... The sun must die." She said, her tone taking a serious edge.

She held David's gaze for only a few moments more before a wide smile broke her serious demeanor. David's grin quickly grew to match Midnight's as he gently grabbed her shoulders and pulled her closer. He planted a small kiss on her muzzle, earning a happy sigh from the graphite mare. Midnight leaned forward, resting her head on David's throat while he happily wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"I... I can't believe we did that last night... It almost feels too good to be true." Midnight said in disbelief.

"Yeah... It's still kinda sinking in... Mid, a-are we..." David started.

"If you're going to ask if we're in a relationship now, then the answer is a definite yes." Midnight answered.

"Hehe, yeah... I guess that does kinda answer the question. So... what do you want to do today?"

"Well... If I'm being honest, I don't know. Right now, all I want to do is stay right here." Midnight said, nuzzling David's neck.

David smiled and stroked his fingers through Midnight's mane, earning another happy sigh from her.

"Well, how about that? I want the same exact thing."

There was a long pause before either of them spoke again. They were both content to simply lay in each other's embrace, without a care for the rest of the world around them.

"Hey David?" Midnight asked.

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad I found you."

"Me too... I must be the luckiest guy in the galaxy." David said, smiling warmly.

A bashful smile forced its way onto Midnight's lips and she hugged David tightly.

"And I must be the luckiest mare in the galaxy too." She said, planting a kiss on his neck.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love your eyes?" David asked, nonchalantly.

"I don't think so, but by all means, tell me. I love the attention." Midnight replied, lifting her head off of David's neck to look him in the eyes.

"Well, I'm no poet, but I think you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. Even more gorgeous than Celestia's." David said, punctuating his compliment with a kiss.

"Aww... You're so sweet, big guy. But come on, I'm not that pretty. I'm actually pretty dull to most stallions. What with my dark coat and mane and all." Midnight said dismissively.

"You wanna know what I think? I think your coat is the softest, fuzziest, most gorgeous coat I've ever seen or felt. Your mane and tail are so beautiful. I've seen them all done up and brushed, and even without doing that, they shine like they're made of obsidian, or ebony. Who else can say that? Plus, I've always had a thing for girls with black hair, hehe... Midnight, you are beautiful. I'm not even a pony and I can see that." David said firmly.

Midnight fought the growing blush on her cheeks at David's compliments.

"Y-you silly filly. You keep that up and Princess Celestia is gonna get jealous." She said, hiding her ever reddening face from David.

"Well it's the honest truth, and I think even Tia would agree with me there. She's even told me that she thinks you have a beautiful and rare coat."

"Really?" Midnight asked, incredulously.

"Really really." David happily answered.

Midnight smiled warmly and nuzzled her head against David's chest.

"So... Since we're both up, what do you want to do now?" Midnight asked.

"Well, like I said, I was gonna stay here with you today, unless you want to do something else." David replied.

"Well... I would like to talk about our relationship a bit."

"What about it?"

"Well, since we're in a relationship now, I guess I just wanted to know how it's going to work... Like, are there any human customs that I should be aware of when it comes to dating? I mean, you know most of how pony relationships work by now." Midnight explained.

"Well, except for the herd thing, I think I have a pretty good grasp of pony relationships. Hmm, let me think. Well, where I come from, on a typical date, the man will buy his girl flowers or chocolate, or something else. He'll take her to dinner, and so on and so forth leading into what we did last night. We pretty much skipped like seven steps." David responded with a chuckle.

"Oh... Is that bad?" Midnight asked curiously.

"No. Not since we were best friends before we did that. We pretty much did steps one through at least four. A few times."

"Oh, whew. Okay. Well, anyways, that's strange. Your dating customs are pretty much the exact same as ours, only the genders are reversed. Here, it's usually the mare that will ask the stallion out and do things to impress him and get his attention." Midnight replied.

"You know, I never understood that. Why do you guys do it that way? I thought that since the stallions are so much bigger that they'd be the ones to initiate."

"Well, it's just a numbers thing. When the female population outnumbers the male population six to one, we mares need any stallion we can get. That's also why herds are so common. If every single stallion was taken, that would still leave more than three quarters of our population without a mate." Midnight explained.

"Okay, that actually makes a lot more sense now. You don't want a herd, do you?" David asked cautiously.

"And share you with some other mare? I think not." Midnight answered, turning her nose up.

David laughed.

"Well, good. Because I don't think I could deal with that. I don't think I could be with more than one person at a time."

"I'm glad to hear it. That means I get you all. To. My. Self." Midnight proclaimed, punctuating each sentence with a kiss.

David and Midnight shared a tender smile before Midnight nuzzled her head back against his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and lightly squeezed her closer.

Eventually, the morning light faded away, and dark clouds filled the air. David noticed the apparent darkening of the room and turned his head to look through the small slit between the curtains. He gently nudged Midnight with his hand, earning an inquisitive 'hmm?' from the unicorn.

"Is it just me, or did it get dark all of a sudden?" David asked.

Midnight lifted her head away from David's neck and looked to the window. She tilted her head to the side and rose off of David's body. She gently hopped off of the bed and walked to the curtains. With an effortless swipe, the curtains slid open, and the white world outside assaulted both Midnight and David's eyes.

The ground outside was already covered in a thin layer of snow, and more fell as the two pairs of eyes stared out in awe.

"Woah..." David breathlessly whispered.

"Looks like we finally got that snow everypony keeps talking about." Midnight happily observed.

"I've never seen snow before... How about that?" David thought out loud.

Midnight nearly fell over from the force of how hard she turned her head to face him.

"What!? You've never seen snow?!"

"No. Where I grew up, it didn't snow, and I never saw it in person. It's really cool though. I thought I told you that." David answered.

"W-I... Y-you, b-but... No, you never said that! Okay, we are going to get cleaned up, and then, we're gonna have some fun in the snow. For you to go your whole life without even seeing snow in all its glory, that's criminal." Midnight said, resolutely.

Midnight headed to the bathroom before David could utter a word of protest. Within thirty seconds the sound of running water filled the air and steam could be seen filling the bathroom.

"Guess I'll go shower downstairs then!" David called out to Midnight as he made he way to the stairs.

"Oh no you don't!" Midnight called back as her horn lit up.

"Wh-" David began, only to be stopped by the force of Midnight's magic pulling him back towards the shower.

"Uh... Okay..." David said as he was literally dragged into the bathroom.

"You're gonna hop in here with me and help me clean my fur and tail, big guy." Midnight said with a wink.

David raised a finger to protest, but quickly put it down.

"You know what, that's fair." He admitted.

Midnight hopped into the warm water and let out a happy sigh as it soaked into her coat and slicked her mane back. David awkwardly shuffled in behind her and caught the stray water droplets as they ricocheted off of Midnight's coat.

"Uh... These showers are not meant for a pony and a human..." David said to no one in particular.

Midnight turned her head to face David.

"Hmm. Okay, I have an idea." She said as she turned completely around.

"Here, sit down right there." Midnight said as she pointed to the spot in the shower directly between them.

David did as ordered and sat down cross legged in front of Midnight. She quickly hopped into his lap and planted a kiss on his unsuspecting lips. David happily returned the kiss after he recovered from the surprise. Their lips separated after a short time and Midnight used her magic to aim the shower head at their bodies.

Warm water quickly collided with David's skin and he sagged his shoulders slightly as the heat worked its way into his body.

"There we go... Much better." He happily said.

"Yep... Maybe I'll get a bigger shower in the future. That does not look comfortable for your legs." Midnight said.

"It's alright, just a little tight in here is all." David admitted.

"We'll make this quick then. We'll have to plan out future shower cuddles." Midnight said with a giggle.

"How about a bath? As long as we're not dirty when we get in, it'd be super relaxing."

"That sounds like a fantastic idea." Midnight replied. "Now, get to scrubbing! Hot water helps, but my fur isn't going to clean itself." She teased.

David broke a wide smile.

"Yes ma'am."

---

David walked down the stairs from Midnight's room to find the front door still open from the previous night. An ice cold breeze crept in through the open doorway and a small amount of snow had found its way onto the hardwood floor.

"Shit... Guess we didn't close the door last night..." David thought aloud.

David quickly made his way down the stairs and closed the door with a shiver. He made way for his room and found his dresser full of winter clothes Midnight had helped him pick out over the last two months.

David quickly dressed himself in his winter apparel. He threw on a pair of thick pants and wool socks before slipping on a thick orange jacket. He tied his shoes and threw on a black beanie before taking a minute to look at his appearance in the mirror.

"Mid, why did you have to get me the orange one? We're just going out to play in the snow, not going on an arctic expedition." David thought to himself.

David took one last moment to ensure he had everything and stepped out of the room to meet Midnight. She trotted down the stairs as David closed his door.

"Hey, David?" Midnight called out.

"Yeah?"

"Did we close the door last night? There's snow on the floor."

"Really? Hmm... Maybe it came in under the door?" David called back.

"That's weird... I guess I'll have to get that seal checked. Anyways, you ready to go?" Midnight asked as David rounded the corner into the entryway.

David's eyes fell on the graphite mare in her winter apparel. She wore four black booties that fit snugly around her hooves as well as a black scarf that was tightly wrapped around her neck. Lastly, she wore a dark blue beanie with extensions to cover her ears and two fuzzy pull-cords dangling on either side of her neck. A small chuckle forced its way out of David as he took in her appearance.

"What?" Midnight asked.

"You are literally the cutest thing in the universe." David said through a wide smile.

Midnight blushed and turned away from David.

"You're sweet, big guy." She replied with an equally wide smile. "Now come on! You're going to love the snow."

With that, Midnight opened the door and trotted outside with David close behind. The frigid blast of cold air hit both of them like a truck, but their spirits only rose as it blew over them. Midnight trotted out a little ways from the house before turning around and watching David as he took his first steps into the white powder. David slowly stepped into the snow and watched as it compacted under his feet.

He took a moment to remove his glove and grab a handful of snow. The ice cold sensation brought a genuine smile to his face as the snow slowly started to melt in his grasp. After a moment, he looked up at the sky to see the seemingly infinite snowflakes as they gently drifted down to the ground.

"Wow..." David breathlessly whispered.

Midnight watched David with growing excitement. Her smile nearly doubled in size as David's face adorned a look of wonder.

"Oh my gosh, he's adorable..." Midnight quietly declared.

After a few moments of simply taking in the outside world, David's attention was pulled to Midnight as she waved him over. He happily covered the distance between them, and hugged Midnight tightly upon reaching her.

"So, what do you think?" Midnight asked, almost more excited than David was.

"It's beautiful... I can't believe I've never seen it before." David said incredulously.

"You have no idea how happy I am that I get to share this with you." Midnight said through a wide smile.

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me." David whispered as he held Midnight even closer.

Midnight felt a tug on her heartstrings, and her lips trembled at David's words. She leaned forward and kissed him. David returned the gesture in kind, and for a moment, the outside world was gone, and the only things that seemed to exist were a pony and her human. Time stood still, and in that moment, they both felt complete.

Sadly, all good things must end, and their kiss broke, albeit regrettably. Midnight slowly retracted from David, and sat on her haunches. David kneeled down beside her and happily smiled. Midnight returned a warm smile before speaking again.

"I think it's safe to say that you're the best part of my life too."

"Well then I must be doing something right." David responded.

David and Midnight sat together for a minute and enjoyed the beauty of the white world around them.

"So... wanna make a snowpony?" Midnight asked.

"Hell yeah." David answered.

"Well... I think it kinda looks like a pony..." David said as he turned his head to the side to better see the snowpony.

"David... No it doesn't..." Midnight replied, tilting her head even further to the side.

The snowpony in question sat about three feet tall. It's legs were at least four times as thick as a normal pony's legs, and its back was flat like a plateau. The head was a crudely shaped ball and the eyes were two differently sized rocks that weren't even level with each other.

David and Midnight stared at their abomination for a long time before either of them found the words.

"I blame you." Midnight said, her eyes still locked on the abomination they made.

"Hey, I'm not a pony. If this were a snowMAN, it would have been easy." David said matter-of-factly.

"I'm not the one who can't tell the difference between a large rock and a small rock." Midnight said defensively.

"There were no other rocks!" David countered.

"I found ten more over there." Midnight replied, pointing towards the woods.

"Well if you wanted the rocks to be perfect, then maybe you should have went and got them." David said.

"You volunteered!" Midnight accused.

"Because you said you had the body and he-" David started before a snowball collided with his face.

David took a second to recover from the icy snow now covering his face before quickly wiping it off. His gaze fell onto Midnight as she was already levitating more snowballs. She wore a wicked grin on her face as she stared back into David's eyes.

"I'll warn you, Midnight... The last person to throw a snowball at me... is still buried to this day..." David said, scooping snow into his hands.

Midnight tilted her head to the side and dropped the snowball she had formed in her magic.

"Wait, I thought you said you ne-" Midnight started before David landed a hit right on her muzzle.

"Rule number one of a proper snowball fight, never let your guard down." David said with an evil grin.

"...Uh oh..." Midnight whispered as David charged at her.

Midnight bolted away from David as he launched snowball after snowball at her. His aim was poor, and Midnight effortlessly dodged his attacks as she pelted him over and over with magically fired snow. David would not be deterred, however, and pushed through the icy bullets as he charged after the devious unicorn. The soft crunch of the snow under their feet and hooves could barely be heard over Midnight's giggles.

David chased Midnight completely around the house several times over while more and more snow clung to his jacket. At the rate that he was being hit, it might as well have been a big orange target. Still, he pursued, growing ever closer to his goal. Both of them were breathing heavily as the rounded the corner into the front yard again, and David finally got his opportunity.

A small patch of ice formed on the road was all it took for Midnight to slip and lose her balance. After taking a second to right herself, she began to gallop again, but it was already too late. Two glove-wrapped hands found their marks on Midnight's barrel, and all she could do was let out a barely audible yelp as David tackled her into the snow.

They rolled about in the snow for a second until David finally stabilized on top of Midnight. Her breathless laughs filled the air, and her hot breath warmed David's otherwise cold face. David allowed himself a moment to catch his breath after the chase, before staring down his prey. Midnight's mouth curled up into a sheepish smile as her breathing returned to normal, and a moment passed before David leaned down and kissed her.

They held the kiss for what felt like forever. Midnight wrapped her forelegs around David's neck and pulled him closer. She tilted her head slightly to the side to give him better access and David happily took the opportunity. Their tongues met in a slow dance, both willing to let the other explore and taste their partner. The electrifying feeling of passion coursed through both of their bodies, and before long, David was weak in the knees and lazily laying on top of Midnight.

Finally, the cold air forced them to break the kiss, and sadly, they parted lips. A thin strand of saliva dangled between them for a moment longer, before being lost to the wind.

"Hehe... It sure is cold out here... Big guy..." Midnight said with a shiver

"Wanna go inside and warm up?" David replied as he lifted himself off of Midnight.

"Sounds like a fantastic idea. I can make hot chocolate if you want."

"As if I hadn't fallen for you enough, you go and offer hot chocolate? That sounds amazing." David said with a smile.

"Only the best for you, big guy." Midnight said with a small blush.

Midnight rose to her hooves with a helping hand from David. He quickly brushed some snow off of her coat before she used her magic to brush the excess snow off his jacket. They both turned and walked back into the house, making sure to close the door this time. David and Midnight quickly removed their excess clothes and boots and made for the kitchen.

"Hey, we have firewood, right? Hot cocoa by the fire sounds freakin' awesome." David commented.

"There should be a few logs in the cabinet next to the fireplace. If you wanna make that, I'll get started in here." Midnight responded from the kitchen.

"On it."

David set about with starting the fire while Midnight started making the hot chocolate, and soon the smell of freshly brewed drinks filled the room. Midnight added a few marshmallows to each, making sure to add extra to her own, before levitating them beside her and heading into the living room.

She entered the room to find David setting the logs ablaze. The crackling of the fire and the smell of burning wood quickly filled the room, with the radiant warmth of the fire not far behind. She gently tapped his leg and levitated his hot chocolate into his waiting hand. David took a gentle sip and sighed happily as the sweet taste filled his senses. He smiled warmly at Midnight before sitting down on the couch and patting the seat to his side.

Midnight happily hopped onto the couch and laid down on top of David. She rested herself on his lap, and took a lazy sip from her hot chocolate. A happy smile plastered itself on her face as she laid further into David's lap and the warmth emanating from his body.

David brought his free hand down to Midnight's ears and lightly scratched at the fuzzy extremities. They twitched slightly at the touch, but stayed firm once Midnight let out a happy coo of encouragement.

"Right... There... That's the spot..." Midnight said, her mind drowning in ecstasy. "You need to scratch my ears more often..."

"I would love nothing more than to scratch your ears for as long as you want." David said through a wide smile.

"Don't tempt me... I'll hold you to that."

"And I would be okay with it."

After a couple of hours, the final snowflakes had fallen and a few inches of snow now covered the outside world in a brilliant white hue. Finally, the world had come to rest, and the only thing that dared move in that perfect scene was the tips of the trees as the gentle winter wind blew over them. Even Midnight's house, and all its inhabitants were quiet and peaceful.

David was laid on his back on the couch with Midnight happily laying on his chest. She managed to wrap all four of her hooves around David's form in some way or another, and every few minutes, she would ensure he was still awake to scratch her ears by planting a small kiss on his nose or lips. Each time she did so, a small smile found its way onto David's face, and he scratched Midnight's ears in thanks. The outside world was meaningless to them now. The only thing that mattered was that they had each other.

"If I had known that you would be this affectionate, I would have told you that I liked you a lot sooner." David said in response to another kiss from Midnight.

"If I had known that you felt the same way, I would have told you a long time ago too." Midnight said.

"You can thank Tia for that. She gave me the confidence to finally tell you. The funny thing, is that you were the first mare I even considered. I guess... deep down... I kinda always knew I'd end up falling for you."

"Aww, thanks, big guy. Well, believe it or not, you're the first human I've ever fallen for." Midnight teased.

David responded by placing another loving kiss on Midnight's lips. She smiled from the affection and leaned forward to keep David from breaking the kiss. Before long, yet another slow dance of their tongues was brought about, and time seemed to slow to a crawl. Reluctantly, they broke the kiss, both wearing dopey smiles.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I thought you'd be grossed out with me for liking you?" David asked.

"I think I felt the same way. I've never been so happy to be so wrong before." Midnight responded. "I'll be honest, it's been hard to keep my feelings to myself these last couple of months."

"Well, now you don't have to worry about that anymore."

David scratched the inside of Midnight's ear, earning a happy sigh and nuzzle from the unicorn. From David's angle, the turquoise corners of Midnight's cutie mark briefly appeared in his vision as she nuzzled her head further against his throat.

"Hey, Mid?" David asked.

"Hmm?"

"Why did you join the royal guard in the first place? I mean, your cutie mark is a shooting star, not anything medical related. I figured you would have gone into astronomy or something like that." David remarked.

"Well... Not everypony can make a living off their talent. I did try to follow my goals and be an astronomer, heh, I even had dreams of being the first pony to leave the planet on her own free will..." Midnight sighed. "But the job market for that field and others like it is so small and already saturated as it is, that I couldn't find work."

David gently rubbed Midnight's back with his hand, encouraging her to continue.

"I graduated school and went on my way, trying to find work, but after a year of constantly getting rejected, I ran out of options. I felt like a bum, living off my parents while I constantly got rejected over and over..."

"Hey, you're not a bum. I told you before that you're the strongest pony I know, and I know Celestia. That should tell you something." David said, the honesty in his tone warming Midnight's heart.

"Hehe, thanks, David. Well, I guess after a year of that, and no money to go back to school to study something else, I decided the guard was the only thing I could really do. I made the decision one day, and the next week I was off to boot camp. That's where I became a medic and, well... you know the rest." Midnight finished, a slight sadness present in her voice.

"Why didn't you ever talk about it?" David asked, gently.

"Well, I never even got my hoof in the door. There just wasn't anything to talk about, besides, it was almost six years ago."

David pulled her slightly closer and kissed her warmly.

"I'm sorry you didn't get the opportunity you deserved. You would have made a great astronomer." David comforted.

"Thank you... But it's not all bad. If I hadn't ended up a medic, I wouldn't have ever met you. I probably would have ended up in Manehatten or Las Pegasus. All things considered... I'm glad things went the way they did. I wouldn't have you otherwise." Midnight said through a warm smile.

"Well, if that's how you feel, then I feel the exact same way. I mean, if you ended up in Manehatten, I would have died on that mountain." David said with a grin.

"And Equestria would be all the lesser for it."

"Thank you..." David said before planting another kiss on Midnight's muzzle.

David and Midnight shared a quiet moment. The warmth of their slow breaths mingled in the air between them and heated their faces their bodies warmed each other. The crackling fire was nearing its end, and the sun now soared high in the sky. The small fire's radiant heat was nearly gone, and the fire itself was down to its last legs. With their fuel gone, the last flickering flames died out, and just the red hot embers remained.

The house was quiet and calm. Midnight and David laid together in each others arms and the outside world seemed to just fade away. The only reminder of the cold outside world was the occasional breeze that blew against the windows and carried some free snow along with it. That is, until a bright white light appeared above David and Midnight, and a loud pop startled them from their love-induced daydreaming.

Both David and Midnight looked up at the source of light and noise to find only a small scroll falling through the air. It landed on Midnight's back with a quiet *plop*, and with a quick burst of magic, Midnight levitated it into the air in front of them. Celestia's crest was clearly displayed on the scroll, with David's name elegantly written underneath in cursive.

"It's from the Princess, for you." Midnight said as she levitated the scroll to David's hands and rolled onto her back to read the letter with him.

"I wonder what she wants." David thought aloud as he opened the scroll.

David, I have some news that I think you'll be very interested to hear, concerning our last conversation. Please, come to the castle at your earliest convenience. I look forward to seeing you again. I'm sure you'll find this development, quite exciting.

"Well, it sounds like she has some good news for you. We should go see her. Oh! We could tell her about us too!" Midnight said, excitement filling her voice.

"Sounds good to me. If I know her, she'll be off the walls when she hears about us." David replied with a smile.

"What did you guys talk about last time? That seems to be what this is about." Midnight questioned.

"Well... She kinda... gave me some advice. Honestly I don't think I would have had the courage to tell you how I felt if it wasn't for her." David explained.

"Hmm... Alright. But we have to tell Princess Luna and Cadence too if we see them." Midnight said, thoughtfully.

"Sure, but any particular reason?"

"Cause' they pretty much did for me what Princess Celestia did for you. Without them I probably would've been too scared to tell you how I felt." Midnight said with a light chuckle.

"Wait, were they all playing matchmaker with us? Tia you snake in the grass..." David said with a smile.

"Well, either way, I'm really, really glad they did."

"Me too... Let's go tell them the good news." David replied.

"Sure, but then we're coming right back here, and continuing last night." Midnight said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"You know me so well. I was just gonna say that." David said with a grin.

They shared one more kiss before Midnight hopped off the couch with David close behind. They got their winter apparel and headed to the door. After braving the initial chill once again, they made way for Canterlot.

The city bustled with ponies as they prepared for the incoming Hearth's Warming Eve celebrations. Ponies decorated their houses and businesses while the fillies and colts played in the snow. Ponies were so busy, that they barely noticed Midnight and David as they made their way through the city. A few ponies gave a friendly wave, and some still shied away from him, but most of the ponies regarded David with an air of familiarity. A quiet nod or a friendly "Hi there!" were thrown David's way from many ponies, and it only made his spirits soar even higher.

"Nothing like a couple months ago, huh, Mid?" David asked with a grin.

"Not even close. I'm glad to see them finally warming up to you. Honestly it was stupid it even took them this long." Midnight said.

David and Midnight shared a quiet laugh while they made their way through the city. Before long they arrived at the main gate of the castle. Hearth's Warming reefs and decorations littered the structure, and the faint sound of carols filled the air. As David and Midnight approached the door, the guards regarded them with a curt nod, and allowed them through.

"Huh, I guess Storm isn't working today." David remarked.

"Why didn't you tell me about her before? I didn't meet her until I ran into her yesterday." Midnight questioned.

"Well, I don't know... I guess I forgot to. She's married though, so don't even worry about that if that's where you're going with this." David hastily pointed out.

"Hehe, good. Like I said. You're all mine, big guy." Midnight said with a seductive hint in her voice and a flick of her tail against David's leg.

"As long as you're mine too." David said warmly.

"Deal."

David and Midnight strolled through the heavily decorated castle and saw the many hundreds of ponies scurrying about, trying to get the last of the decorations set up for the annual Hearth's Warming party. As they made their way through the busy hallways, many ponies happily greeted them. David and Midnight returned their greetings for a while before arriving in the hallway leading to the throne room. It was surprisingly empty, though well decorated.

"They really like you here in the castle." Midnight noted as she walked past the many murals adorning the walls.

"What can I say? I'm kind of a big deal around here. They probably miss my shenanigans." David said with a shrug.

"What shenanigans?" Midnight asked with a raised eyebrow. "You barely left your room for the first week you were here."

"I have tons of shenanigans! Like, the time when I dropped that potted plant on that one guy, blueballs, or... blueboy? Something like that." David pointed out.

"BlueBlood. And David, you practically ran to Princess Celestia to tell her that it was an accident. A lot of the staff saw it happen too." Midnight said flatly.

"Well yeah, but that was part of my master plan. That guy was being a dick, so I made a little show of the 'accident'. Common misdirection. Tia never suspected a thing." David said proudly.

"Oh? And what did I never suspect exactly?" Celestia's motherly tone filled the air.

David nearly fell over from the speed at which he spun around to face the alabaster white alicorn. Midnight calmly bowed with a smirk while Celestia looked over David with an amused expression on her face.

"Uh... Nothing..." David said, unconvincingly.

"Hmm... Midnight, I don't suppose you would happen to know what it is that David is talking about, would you? Something about blue-balls?" Celestia asked with a knowing grin.

"I'm afraid not, Princess. I don't know the full story behind David and his 'blueballs'." Midnight snickered. "Although, David and I are here to speak with you regarding your letter." Midnight calmly explained before breaking into laughter. She was quickly joined by the Sun Princess.

David fought the ever growing blush on his face as Midnight and Celestia shared a laugh at his expense.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. In all seriousness though, we did come here to tell you some news too." David said, trying to change the subject.

"Hehe, ahem. Of course. I'm afraid Cadence and Twilight are both with the Sparkle family at the moment, but Luna is in the throne room. Please, follow me." Celestia said as she walked to the throne room doors.

Celestia wrapped her golden magic around the heavy door and pushed it open. As the door found its way to the other side of the wall, Celestia walked in, followed immediately by David and Midnight. Luna sat on her throne with a bored look on her face that immediately perked up once she saw Midnight and David.

"Ah, Midnight, David. It's good to see you two again. I hope you've been doing well since our last talk." Luna said, flashing Midnight a knowing look.

"We've been doing very well, Princess." Midnight said with a bow.

"Please, rise. It's just us here." Celestia said.

Midnight quickly rose to her hooves and found her place at David's side as Celestia made her way to her throne. After she was sitting next to her sister, she spoke again.

"So please, tell us - what is this good news you have?" Celestia asked.

"Well..." Midnight started. "I'm sure you both have a pretty good idea already. Considering how you two have been playing matchmaker with us for the last week." Midnight light heartily accused.

"Why, whatever do you mean, Midnight Shadow?" Luna asked, feigning insult. "We've only ever tried to direct you in the right path, for both your sakes."

"Indeed. We've helped you two along the way, but anything that happened between you while we were not their to directly intervene, well, that was your choice." Celestia added, an extremely smug smile on her face.

"Hmm... Now, I'm no expert, but it sounds to me like you two already know exactly what you caused." David said, sarcastically.

"It is as Midnight said. We do have a fair idea as to the news you wish to share with us." Luna said with a knowing smile.

"And we could not be happier for you both." Celestia finished.

David smiled.

"Then uh... We're together. Mid and I-" David started.

"We're dating now." Midnight finished for him.

They looked at each other and a soft smile graced their lips. After a tender moment, they turned their attention back to the princesses. Both Celestia and Luna flashed brilliant smiles and they quickly rose from their thrones and walked down to David and Midnight to congratulate them.

"I am so happy for you both. Truly, this is a fantastic day. Not just for you, but for Equestria as a whole. This proves love can come from anywhere. Cadence will be ecstatic." Celestia said while giving David and Midnight warm hugs.

"I could not be happier for you. Midnight Shadow, David, I wish you both the absolute best in your future together. If you two would allow it, I would happily add two stars to the night sky, just for you." Luna said warmly.

"Thank you both so much. I don't think we could have gotten here without you. As if I didn't have enough of a reason to look at the night sky, you've given me one more. Luna, that really means a lot." David replied.

"Yes... Thank you so much. Both of you. I could not be more honored, your highness's." Midnight said with a bow.

"Midnight, please, rise. I would be honored to give the two of you something to enjoy every night. It is why I love being the Princess of the Night." Luna said, honesty clear in her voice.

Midnight quickly rose and, albeit with much hesitation, hugged Luna. Luna was startled for a moment, but quickly returned the hug in earnest. David and Celestia both smiled as they watched the two dark mares, before Celestia nudged David with her wing and pulled him closer. She draped her wing over his shoulder, using it as a makeshift curtain and whispered into his ear.

"So, about my letter. I don't know if you've told Midnight yet, or want to tell her at all yet, but Twilight and I have found a spell that will turn you into a pony. It would require a considerable amount of transcribing, but there is a good chance that it will work, should you decide on it."

"Thank you. I'll have to think about it more, but I think that for right now, I'm happy just the way things are." David whispered back.

Celestia withdrew her wing from David and smiled.

"Very well then. I wish you and Midnight the very best, David. You both deserve it." Celestia said in a more normal voice.

"Thank you. You're the best, Tia." David said while giving Celestia another quick hug.

Midnight finally separated from Luna and walked over beside David.

"Thank you both. For everything. A pony couldn't ask for better princesses." Midnight said, warmly.

"Anything for our friends." Celestia said with a friendly smile.

"Well, we'd better get out of your hair. It looks like you guys have been pretty busy with all the holiday preparation." David said.

"Indeed, we have been rather busy lately, but you are always welcome to drop by whenever you want. We would love to see you on Hearth's Warming Eve, if you don't have plans already." Luna replied.

"I think we could drop by." Midnight said.

"Then we'll see you on Hearth's Warming Eve. I think you two are going to have a long and wonderful relationship. I can't wait to see you again." Celestia said with a warm smile.

"Thank you. We'll see you in a few days." David said as he and Midnight turned to leave.

Both Luna and Celestia waved their goodbyes to the new couple until they were out the door and out of sight.

"Shoot!" Celestia exclaimed.

"What?" Luna questioned.

"I owe Cadence twenty bits... I thought it was going to take at least another month."

Next Chapter: Chapter 14: Hearth's Warming Eve Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 39 Minutes