Chapters "There we are!" the filly chimed as she hopped out of the train. On this day, she could leave her fears and doubts behind as well as her parents. She was fairly certain that nopony had expected her to carry the heavy bag anyway when it was nearly her own size. In fact, if it wasn't as stuffed with boring supplies, perhaps she could fit inside to nap while still moving. She made a mental note to try it as soon as possible.
"I don't like that look, young Daylight." At long last, her parents had caught up with her. Together, they once again set off, though she did her best not to run ahead. Not that she was afraid of crowds like the one in front of them of course. She was just eager to follow orders. "Tell me, then. About what are you dreaming now? I have carried you around long enough before you were born, if that's what you're thinking."
"I'm not sure on what I should comment, her blooming fantasy or your ability to guess it each time." As they bent into the sunbathed street, her parents surrounded her. They knew of her need for safety. "Then again, she is your daughter, Midnight. Don't get why you're so opposed to it, though. What's the worst that could happen? Didn't you use to do it all the time?"
"Oh, let me think of what happened just since we met." Midnight raised a hoof, drawing into the air while counting up just too loud to be silent. "Quadruple fracture spread across three legs, endless collisions, killing patients, near death, getting pregnant, some of it at the same time. That's what it did to me." She nudged Daylight in the side as she brought her hoof back down. "Stay with us, squirt, you don't want to imagine that. Twilight, the point is, even if you're willing to ignore her absence, where does it end? Do you want her to become a writer and spend her life with love stories featuring the handsome colt living just down the street from the bushhouse in which lives the main protagonist, who just so happens to share her looks, attitude, memories, and personality, except for the property that it's also a stallion? That's about the only thing I see when I read that kind of pony's works. Daylight, write along, life tip incoming. Face your issues instead of directing them to where you're only wasting time and energy."
Twilight laid a leg around Daylight, lightly pulling them together. "Now you've upset her. I don't suppose the next bit will do much for her mood."
"Well, I'm a medic, I'm not much for lying." When Midnight extended her own leg, a war broke out over comforting Daylight. Fortunately, it was broken through a kiss and moving closer together seconds later.
In truth, Daylight wasn't upset in the slightest, not when she could take the opportunity to learn more. "Mommy Twilight said you were very good friends with a writer once."
"Did she? Two of them, in fact, a colt and another filly. However, at that time I officially was not into fillies, and he was into her, so drive those thoughts out of your head, whatever she told you." Midnight glared over at Twilight with the most sinister expression she could manage in the face of her love. "Great love story with a friend to support them during arguments, don't you think? So did I. But the filly, she's worm food now. Blame me for distrusting ponies whose only talent is the inability to accept the world that is. Ah, screw it, I know you just want this. Come here, gold piece." The soft glow of Midnight's magic enveloped Daylight, bringing her onto Midnight's back. "Still light as a feather. Got to feed you more candy." Midnight made a strong step to the side, as if somepony had just rammed her in the flank. "Oh come on, Sparkle, I'm a medic, not a dentist. Is anypony watching where we're going, anyway?"
"Really? Neither of you noticed the market we've been passing for the last five minutes? The crowds of ponies bustling around stands that are literally five feet away from you? The glaring sun hanging just between the buildings, casting warmth onto everything in sight? Speaking of which, we really should get into some shade. Which is convenient since we've arrived right now. You two are still insufferable at times." The street ended before them, splitting into two orthogonal paths running along the beachline. A low wall protected the edge as there was still a significant drop between it and the sea. Lamp posts lining the wall would make sure to show the border in darkness, as well as to produce an aura of ungraspable romance. Considering that it was still high summer, few ponies were enjoying the beach itself; Though it could also have helped that they had come on a Thursday afternoon. "Let's get down to business, then. Set up some towels and get out of the sun. Especially you, Midnight, blue mane plus purple coat equal a lot of absorbed sun."
"Like you were any better off," said Midnight, still carrying Daylight as she was entranced by her first sight of the sea. "Wait, you're probably abusing your magic again, aren't you." The only response Twilight gave was the edge of a smile as she unpacked the bag, turned away. "Did you know that no true great mages in history have ever procreated since all of them were too nerdy to pursue love? Up until you, of course." The smile faded, replaced by a hint of pink in the same spot. "Imagine what our little Daylight might do. Back to the point, while we're being racist already, she should be able to run around in the sun all day long. I don't expect neither a white coat nor a golden mane to catch much sun." Now that their towels were spread out, she set Daylight down onto one of them. "I'm still seeing to you drinking enough."
"Even with consequences, I think Equestria would be a better place if I learned to replace all spiders with hamsters." Daylight shook her head back into reality. There was too much to explore, from the rhythm of the waves to the song of the gulls overhead. She could not spend too much time thinking. "That's possible, right?"
"Turn snakes too while you're at it." Midnight laid back on her towel, showing no intentions of rising within the next month. "I think there's a few laws of physics preventing it. Though, when you're Sparkle, physics are but a formality. Case in point, she managed to carry a sunshade, five towels, and a basket of supplies in a single bag. Maybe you'll do similiar things in your time."
"Those that say impossible simply neglect the means that are there," said Twilight, looking out towards the horizon. As she stood there, her gaze seemed not to go to the waves but through them, staring at something Daylight couldn't see. Due to that, Daylight decided that she was officially bored. "Let's leave the lazy mare to herself then. Have you ever been at the sea before?"
"Of course not! Let's go!" Now that there was nothing holding her back, Daylight couldn't wait to meet the water. Thus, she ran as fast as she could, at least until she made her first step off the secure boards and into actual sand. Only a quick spell prevented her from diving right in. "Thanks. What is this fiendish invention?"
"It's alright, just move slowly and watch your step for once." Twilight offered her a hoof to take for stability. Daylight was too proud for it though, at least until she had tripped and almost fallen again. "Almost there. Watch out, it's probably colder than you expect."
There it was at last. After a whole day spent in anticipation since they had planned the trip, the sea stretched out before her. There was no land in sight, none of the woes that it would carry. Through the infinite shifting of the waves, it all sunk deep below, lost and forgotten. No clouds dared move above it. Even the sun kept its distance away in the skies. Daylight made a step forward, feeling the water splash against her hoof. It wasn't cold as much as it matched her own rushing blood. Another wave licking at her was all it took to yank her mind away. This was her destiny, she knew it. One day, she would sail those waters. She would buy her own ship with no crew, perhaps one other at most. Together, they'd conquer borders set by those afraid to break them. It all felt too real already. Already she could see the times of nightfall, both in port and out in the open. She could smell the freshening breeze, see her crew member's features as shown by the bleak candle light.
Before she could get too far into it though, a scream tore her back into reality. As soon as she had arrived, a groan followed from behind. "Squirt! You're needed!"
"There you are. Look at this one." Midnight stood towering over a steel gray pegasus colt. At first glance, he looked fine to Daylight. His head had given in to the sun's glow, eyes clenched shut while whispering what she assumed to be sweet nothings. Only when he turned could she see his wing stand off at an unnerving angle. A tiny red trickle permeated it, sticking together feathers on its way. "I have no idea how this happened, but here we are. Maybe I could have prevented it, considering I was literally two feet away." Midnight nudged the injured wing, eliciting a breathless moan. "Either way, it doesn't look like the actual bone is hurt. Be quiet, little wuss, that'd hurt more. You ever tried giving birth?" In response, the colt rolled onto his stomach, curling up while exposing the wound. "Ah yes, business time. Well lucky you, because I'm kind of a doctor and this is sort of my assistant. Daylight, suggestions on what you should do?"
"Erm, stem the bleeding, bandage the wound, send off to better equipped ponies?" Daylight did her best to clean the sand off of her hooves. She had seen Midnight work before, but never actually contributed more than simple assistance. "Do we have a medkit here?"
"Pft, new age stuff. Who needs that. You have been practicing that spell of yours, right?" She gently tapped Daylight on the tip of her horn. "This is medicine, no matter what the cutting psychopaths tell you. Care to try using it?"
"I don't know." Daylight's eyes shifted, trying to elude Midnight's gaze. Unfortunately, she found herself stuck on the hurt wing. With each twitch that brought forth another burst of blood, her stomach sunk further. "What if I screw up?"
"You could kill him. Alternatives include explosion, detonation, sudden and rapid displacement of inner organs to each other's location, liquification, and phyresis. You may also doom him to a flightless life. Magic is not for everyone; Consult your doctor before use." A rare chuckle came out of Midnight's direction. "Can't take that phrase seriously, not since I am that doctor. Don't worry though, none of that is your kind of magic. At worst, it could do nothing, in which case I'd have to take over. But considering who you are, this should be easy. Focus and direct."
Trying to suppress the images flooding her head, Daylight shut her eyes and concentrated. Soon enough, an orb of light pierced the darkness before her. She knew where to bring it. At her approach, a cluster of pasted feathers lit up. Nothing else mattered, nothing else existed. The orb melted into the wound at the slightest touch, filling in tissue and energy alike. With but a thought, she forced the wing back into shape. Her work was done. The world blinded her as she reopened her eyes, but the connection between them remained.
As Midnight bent down to ensure Daylight had mended the wound properly, a whistle from behind drew her attention. "Impressive. You're a white mage after all," said Twilight, having crept up on them while she had been distracted. "Who would have thought."
"Is that bad?" Daylight didn't want to have disappointed her parents, not when she had just managed some success.
"You come from a long line of unicorns who used white magic to heal and protect the innocent. It ended with me, but I suppose the seed of truth never breaks. A shame, in a way. I think the arcane ways far superior. Maybe it's connected with how little empathy I feel for the weak, compared to you." Finding their patient to be out of danger, Midnight rose up and came to her side. "Oh well. Anypony up for celebratory ice cream? Celebrating this as the first act in you curing everypony ever?"
"In celebration of that she managed not to kill her first patient?" Knowing the sand's intentions to consume Daylight, Twilight allowed her to ride out of harm's reach. The way to the beach kiosk wasn't very long, but she could never be too safe.
"Ask me again if I care about your teasing twenty years ago, Sparkle." A moment of silence followed. Within it, Midnight's eyes were neither here nor there. Rather, they were focused on a point beyond recognition, one within herself. "To the day twenty years, actually. What a weird, unplannable coincidence. Perhaps we happened to go on this day so that I could spend time with you two rather than family who can't get over her death. Nah, the first option."
"Reminds me, did we actually tell her about her grandparents, or lack thereof? Might be some better ways than this to do it." Twilight looked over her shoulder, where Daylight was still standing with surprising security despite the bouncing of her mount. Her expression was unchanged.
"We can still do it as you please. Two, one..."
"But how could I do that without access to the secret stash of time spells?" Daylight briefly wondered how they had already gotten so far, but then decided her attention was better spent elsewhere. "I feel like there's a bit too many hurt ponies for me to treat all at once. Except maybe with an epic..."
"At least she is predictable. She'll be a great medic, I'm telling you." Once they arrived, Midnight stole Daylight and set her down on the ground between them. "What will it be, lil' Noon?"
"Um." Daylight gazed up at the endless list of offers. She could probably keep herself and a battailon of friends busy for decades calculating the available choices, but she knew she had to act fast. "Lemon, please."
"She is taking after you, Sparkle. I hope you know what you have done. Well then." Midnight drew a few coins seemingly out of thin air and laid them onto the counter. "Two lemon and one chocolate."
Three individual glows carried one piece of ice cream each as they walked back to their set spot. With his injury cured, the colt had left, leaving only a tiny bloodstain on one of the towels. "Already back to sitting around?" moaned Daylight.
"Do fillies come with an implemented antimatter reactor or something? Anyway, I can only do this for you." Daylight lost her sense of weight, regaining it only when she was set down on top of the sunshade. Somehow, it even managed to support her weight. "Is that better?"
"That's irresponsible, Midnight. Do you want her to collapse?" A tiny cloud formed around the tip of Daylight's horn, giving her protection from the glaring sun. She noticed none of it, nor of the icky kiss happening below. Her mind was already on the waves, with them.
"The depths of a filly's mind, truly infinite."
"Maybe she's dreaming about her first love. Their first date, away from her own boat. Trotting through the forest, both already drenched by gentle rain encompassing them without either of them noticing. And how their lips finally would meet in an incredible kiss."
"Talk for yourself. My first attempt took it just far enough for the ditch to hurt. I'm fairly certain that she'd dead after all. Did you know that, lacking other characters, ponies like her will often fill their fantasies with camouflaged versions of those they do know?"
"I wonder how her dearest mare may look."
"I wonder how far off she'd jump if I was to startle her right now."
"Midnight, no. You don't do such things to your own filly, or anypony else's."
"Really? I could teleport her onto another sunscreen and she probably wouldn't notice. Or perhaps just a bit of illusion magic. That's always fun to be had."
"Why are you so mean? Show her a little mercy."
"The same mercy I was given? The mercy that allowed my own mother to see me grow up, to see me become more than ever before?"
"The mercy that let you become a good pony regardless."
"If only you knew. Besides, she stole all of the delicious ice cream she made me eat. You know how frustrating it is to know that all that goodness will be right back out of you in a few months? We need another, and you'll be carrying that one."
"The moment you're ready."
"Great, let's try right as soon as never. Speaking of the demon within." Midnight poked at Daylight from below, forcing her attention back into the present. "How are you doing up there? Since you haven't noticed, it's now evening down here in reality."
Daylight looked up. The sun barely still held itself in sight, lighting up the sky around it with fire brighter than rubies. Scraps of clouds formed the only shadows, stealing colour to show their own existence. "How much time has passed?" She hopped down into the sand with only a bit of magic helping her on the way.
"Enough to be about time to go home." Twilight closed the bag and flung it onto her back. "Say goodbye to the sea."
"That went quickly," said Daylight, latching into tandem with her favorite parent. "Did Mommy Twilight ask Celestia to lower the sun extra early today?" A realisation flooded Daylight's mind with explanations and conclusions so fast that she struggled to remain focused. "Or did she even do it herself?"
"I don't know, but that's entirely possible." Midnight shifted a glance over to Twilight, who gave back only a tired look. "Maybe she actually is a princess already, and is just hiding her wings below all that pudge. Ha, imagine that."
"That would be a blessing, wouldn't it." Twilight's eyes found the horizon as they walked away from the beach. While the sun still stood on one end of the sky, shadows encroached from the other. Daylight knew it wasn't going to be much longer until everything would be engulfed, especially with the tall buildings around them devouring even the remaining light. "To soar above what other ponies can even imagine."
Midnight prodded her in the side. "Still with us, squirt? Didn't expect you to miss such an opportunity. Well, speak for yourself, Sparkle. I think we are all far better off with magic."
"Why? I'd like to fly." Thanks to training and focus, Daylight managed to ignore the clouds calling to be her landing places in the sky.
"Magic can make wings. Wings can't confer the inherent grace that comes with even basic spells." A slight breeze out of multiple worlds cleared the hair out of Midnight's face. "I know what I choose. Besides, there's less to it than you think."
"I've used a winging spell on her in the past," said Twilight, coming comedically close to Daylight to prevent being overheard. "Fascinating results each time."
Even though Daylight was hardly tired, she was lifted onto Midnight's back. "If you'd been there, you would have run from that deer too. Take that as a life lesson, cuddlebags. They're evil."
"I'll remember that." Looking up from within her mind, Daylight spotted the enormous hall towering above even the surrounding buildings. "Hey, there's the station already."
As they entered, Twilight dashed ahead to check the schedule, muttering something along the lines of "Blind fantasisers." Daylight didn't notice; She was busy admiring rays of light that fell in through the wide windows. An equine figure was stained into the largest one, though she could not make out who it was supposed to be, not with the sun directly behind it. It depicted a princess with a pure white coat and fiery red mane, unlike anypony she knew. More oddly, half of the picture was bathed in violet light without any visible change of glass colour. "And we just missed the train to Ponyville. Beautiful."
Midnight brought them to a map of Equestria. "Sparkle, why do we even bother with the train, anyway? We could just all teleport back. How is this way different than going between Ponyville and Canterlot?"
"They don't have stations like this one in Canterlot," said Daylight. Still the window fascinated her. Something was simply different about the trains' clouds when they wandered into the violet section.
"No, we don't." Twilight fell silent for a moment and studied the map. A reflection of the light coming from the window fell onto Canterlot's location, bathing the castle in its inexplicable glow. "Still, what do you intend to do? Travel across a distance of roughly seventy kilometers, one of us with a passenger, if possible without missing the mark or tearing ourselves apart?"
"Your point being? All that you really need to do is multiply the spell's current power supply index by the speed of magic while keeping an empty mind so that the Blind Eternities can't tear your mind and body apart. Simple."
"Fair enough. You're the doctor, I suppose." Before another word was spoken, Daylight felt the pull of magic surround and disperse her. In the brief moment that they remained within the flow of magic itself, she always thought to see a shadow bearing over them. However, reality welcomed them back before she could even realise it, much less hope to get a second glance.
Shadows melted back into the shapes of the Ponyville Library. They had arrived. "Who needs money for anything when you have seventy percent success rate magic?"
"Those interested in keeping their heads, maybe." Rather unlike her usual dust-sorting attitude, Twilight dropped the bag in the first corner she could find and slumped herself onto one of the sofas. "Speaking of which, I think it's definitely your turn to make dinner."
"Very well." Daylight was guided back to the ground at last. "Come along, little one. It's time to teach you how to feed yourself with no actual cooking skills whatsoever."
"Yaay!"
At last, Twilight could truly lay back. All of her worldly troubles and worries were left below as she had nothing between herself and the stars. In moments like that one, she knew it had been the right choice to install the platform that now carried her; Shrouded from sight by her tree's crown even in winter, unreachable except by magic, higher than all buildings around it. It was her personal sanctuary whether she needed isolation or just a good spot for stargazing. None knew of it other than she herself and the pony who just appeared in a flash of magic. "Took you long enough."
"Had to take care of a small emergency first." Midnight laid down beside her, advancing just too close for innocence. "She's a great cook, I'm telling you. Though she probably still belongs off land."
"I'm pretty sure the kitchen exploded." Feeling a light chill, Twilight forced them even closer together.
"Collateral damage." Midnight rolled onto her back and stretched out. A relaxing sigh accompanied the crackling of joints. "It's all in the past now."
"It was literally thirty minutes ago." Twilight's doubts fled as her eyes found the sky again. Canterlot was the only spot brighter still than the stars, bridging between two entirely different worlds. "Then again, what's the arguing. The town dreams gentle visions of summer." She laid her head into the infinite comfort of Midnight's stomach. "Tell me that story again. Of two ponies and the time where they walked on clouds without wings."
"Again? It's already getting cold out here." Midnight knew she stood no chance. Out of acceptance or pure reflex, she began stroking Twilight's mane. "Well. The story of the thousands of moments when any distance between them was too much."
"How they were wet throughout and out. And how neither of them even took note. Tell me exactly how it was."
"And those two were we..."
