Chapters "Oh my..." the lavender unicorn gasped, lying in her bed deep in the night. "I should definitely talk to Rarity about this."
The borrowed book she had been reading explained her feelings of the past time.
It began when she got an informal letter from Princess Celestia, explaining a rather embarassing situation.
"My faithful student Twilight Sparkle,
It has come to my attention that, despite your state of my personal student, you must take the final examination of my School for Gifted Unicorns.
I am confident in your abilities. Thus, you have been scheduled for the next examination period, which means that you will be taking it in two and a half months from now.
As you may know, the next two weeks are scheduled as holidays in said school. In order to know what to expect, you are to join the current final class after the holidays.
Princess Celestia."
It was not that this would terribly stress her. At least not more than going after her usual life did. But there was this strange sensation she could not explain.
At first, she blamed it on that she hadn't eaten very well the last days. However, after eating until she could not continue, she had to admit that the unknown feeling most likely was not hunger.
It bothered her more than she wanted it to. While at first life was normal for the unicorn, she started to experience trouble sleeping.
When Fluttershy noticed the circles around Twilight's eyes, she had insisted on borrowing her some books to relax.
"But what is the subject of those books?" Twilight attempted to argue. She would never accept her friends having any trouble for her, at least not without working for it.
"Hush. Those books are not about learning, they're to help you relax after a long day," Fluttershy instantly refused any resistance. "You look like you're terribly stressed by that big exam. Give them a read, please?"
Twilight had to accept them. Reading through the first, she had to admit that they were not that bad, and not having to learn what she had read did make them a good bed lecture.
The books did not have much impact though. They did help Twilight get one or two hours more sleep a day, but it was not what she had expected.
What was especially weird about them was that an awful lot of them didn't even include stallions, despite being a more romantic type of book.
Twilight did not mind much. Until she came across a very certain book containing multiple shorter stories, one of them being about a mare going on with her day until realizing she would never see her marefriend again.
She cried.
The story was not written very dramatically, but reading it gave Twilight a shock of emotion. She was forced to remember the many beloved she had already lost in her life. She felt the emotions she had felt over their graves.
And as if she was a scryer, she also felt the losses of her future. Some that she had to expect, some ridiculous accidents causing the death of her perfectly healthy friends, but also another, much more intense.
In her vision, she saw herself kneeling over the grave of some mare that she did not yet know, but for some reason had very strong feelings for.
It had only been her imagination. At least she hoped so.
She tried to shrug it off and continue reading, but the shock rendered her unable to continue reading, even out of another book. The letters would just blur before her eyes.
So, she used this time of emotional upheaval to meditate about her life. Her feelings. A train of thought she only half wanted to do, but was forced to by her own mind.
It was then when she realized there was a hole in her heart, but knew nopony to fill it. She needed somepony to love.
She also noticed how she had repressed her true feelings most of the time to favor study. She did have friends, but also much more under her lavender pelt that nobody knew about.
And how none of that would change in the next time, due to her approaching examinations.
Eventually, she could stop and fall asleep. But she had a pretty bad nightmare and awoke little relaxed.
Right the next day, she seeked out a well known white unicorn.
"Oh, you've come to take measure?" Rarity asked.
"N... oh right. I suppose we could do that as well. I came to talk, but it might take a while, so why not?" Twilight responded. She had forgotten the dress she had tasked Rarity to make.
"Well alright then, come in."
"What did you want to talk to me about?" The stylist asked while measuring out her fellow unicorn and copying the amounts she measured to a prefabricated grid on her noteblock.
"Well, I've read through some of the books Fluttershy gave me to help me relax..." Twilight shily responded, earning a glance from the other unicorn.
"I know what you're talking about, darling. I think I may have read those books before."
"It did not quite work out. In fact, I had a small... outburst last night."
"Huh?" The white unicorn asked, not looking up from the noteblock.
"I found that terrible story where one mare finds out about her marefriend's death the hard way..." Twilight explained, "and it caused something in me. I could see them, Rarity! The ponies who have left me the same way the marefriend did in the story! Um, not so much see as relive the moments of biggest grief I had after their deaths. I felt like they had all just died yesterday."
"Oh..."
"And the worst thing was, it did not end there. I could also feel what it would be like if I lost my current and future friends. You, for instance. It was like a vision. As if losing every individual one of you wasn't bad enough, I felt...another pony. One I have not met yet, but the pain of her loss was stronger than what I felt for you all combined. No... no offense."
"What a horror!"
"I know. But after the vision, I was practically forced by my mind to recollect my past life, and what place my emotions took. Then I noticed how I had lived just for studying, almost. Since then, I feel a clear double of what I did before. And I noticed a terrible absence in my life. Can you think of what I am missing?"
"An encyclopedia of life, the universe and everything?" The designer teased, only earning an annoyed look from her lavender coated friend. "Sorry."
"Love. I know this might be a bit of a surprise, but I can't think of another pony that I could talk about this to than you."
"You're not trying to flirt, are you?"
"What? No! I've just noticed that I have never been with another pony to share my feelings with. I mean, I've got you five, but Applejack and Rainbow Dash are already in a relationship, Pinkie's... Pinkie, you're not...my type and I don't think I want to be more than friends with Fluttershy either."
"So you're saying you need a partner?"
"Yes and no. I want to experience the magic of love first-hand. But I'm not ready to bind myself to any stallion, or mare. I'm in love with somepony I'm not sure even exists."
"I am impressed. But why don't you just go into the world if you're so lonely then?"
"That's the second problem. I can't do anything about my current problems because the final examination in magic is drawing near. I did tell you about that, right?" Twilight asked, earning a confirming nod.
"It will all come in time, I think. Sorry I can't give you more advice about the situation. But while you're here, how big and heavy are you again?"
"I'm..." The lavender unicorn began, but could not finish her sentence from surprise. Rarity seemed to just remember her values, anyway.
"Ah, yes. Now, would you mind helping me with an order from Applejack? She's too busy to come personally, but you're about the same size as her. I'm afraid I must have forgotten her dimensions..."
"Of course!" Twilight said, posing while Rarity fit a surprising amount of white cloth around her. It did not take long for her to put two and two together.
"Am I invited?" She asked outright, taking Rarity by surprise.
"O... of course. At least, according to what she said until now."
While the advice Rarity gave her hadn't been too helpful, Twilight found herself more relaxed after her talk, possibly because she simply had needed to talk those feelings off her chest.
When she went to bed that day, she managed to find a dark, dreamless sleep fairly quickly, allowing her to catch up to the sleep she lost before. She was still in the same situation, but at least she had been able to talk about it.
The next day, Spike woke her up. She found herself in a fetal position on her side, body stiff like she had not moved all night, and incredibly refreshed. A look out the window took away some of that feeling though.
Celestia's sun was already past her peak.
Twilight didn't feel too stressed out by it. Unless somepony needed the wisdom of her library, which happened rarely, she was the only one reading from her books anyway. Consequently, she hadn't missed out on any business that Spike couldn't handle by himself.
In fact, when she took Spike out for lunch, or breakfast in her case, she decided that she could take the day off from study easily. Not that she could have studied anyway, with the thoughts of the past day still going through her mind.
She awoke after another night of dreamless sleep.
Only that this time, she did not feel so relaxed. She only just began to notice the world around her slowly. Unfinished thoughts danced through her mind like Parasprites.
Slowly, she drew lines between the individual Parasprites. She was the unicorn Twilight Sparkle, lying in her bed in Ponyville's library. Her face was warm, like the sun had shone on it for hours.
Which it had!
Twilight's eyes opened in shock. Once again, she had slept in a tiny bit, but this time nobody was there to wake her up. Once again, the sun was high already, but not at its peak, at least.
It was then when she noticed there WAS somepony to wake her up, knocking on the door impatiently.
Twilight rushed down to open it, making a light blue pegasus tremble from knocking onto a door that was no longer there.
"Oh hi Rainbow Dash! Why are you visiting me today?" She asked, unable to surpress a hint of annoyance at being robbed of two hours of sleep.
"I'm not coming at a bad time, right? 'Cause, I might have overdone my last morning nap..." Rainbow Dash responded, picking up the unwanted tone in Twilight's voice.
"Oh, not at all. Why don't you come in? You look like you have something important to tell me."
"Well, yeah," the pegasus began while following her friend into the library, "you know, I and Applejack have known each other for some time..."
"It's hard not to notice. How long have you been together now? I keep losing track."
The pegasus' wings unfolded a little. "Ever since she admitted me her love, two and a half months or something ago. And now there's a special... occasion I'd like your presence at."
Twilight felt the tension in her body rising. Was she really?
"Well, I proposed to Applejack... and we've scheduled it to be soon after Winter Wrap Up."
The lavender pony did some quick calculations. "So that'd be... directly after my final exam! Did you plan it like that so that I wouldn't be hindered at study?"
Rainbow Dash blushed slightly. "Wait, what are you talking about?"
"I didn't tell you? Sorry! You see, I have to take the finishing exam at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and it's in about two months from now."
"You're gonna ace them anyway, aren't you?"
"Aw Dash..." Twilight replied, but did not object to the compliment.
"Well, actually, it's because we both would be too busy before. But if it doesn't conflict with you, that's even better!" She explained with an honesty worthy of Applejack herself.
"So, back to the subject. Are you just inviting everypony that way, three months ahead, or is there something special you have in mind for me?"
"Indeed I do! If, you would like..." the pegasus squirmed, still having a blush on her face, which seemed to intensify a little. "I suggested, and AJ approves, that you'd be the ring bearer."
That had been two weeks ago now. In the meantime, Twilight had started going back to class and living in Canterlot. To make up for the loss of her library, Celestia had given her one of the better rooms in the castle and allowed her use of the royal library.
"You might want to dye your hair magically and start wearing dresses to cover up your Cutie Mark. Any unicorn the rank of a teacher or higher will see through the spell, but it should save you the trouble of being recognised by your class mates."
"Right, Princess."
"Fine, I'll be off then. Don't be afraid to contact any of the staff, including me, when you encounter any problems."
"Uh... Princess? One more thing," Twilight had asked her mentor after setting up her room. "Don't you think I'd stand out? I mean, the rest of the class's only little younger than me, but I'd still be clearly the oldest pony."
"Are you afraid of them thinking you were forced to repeat class once too often?"
Twilight didn't answer, keeping her head down. Despite her efforts to keep herself under control, the unicorn could feel her face heating up.
"Don't be ashamed. In fact, you just reminded me of something I would otherwise have forgotten." After saying this, the alicorn lit up her horn, touching her surprised student with it briefly.
The feeling Twilight got from it was beyond what she could ever have imagined. She could feel her body aging, backwards!
After the spell had finished, Twilight stood up fully again and adressed Princess Celestia, who was standing over her, smiling, "Wow. Did you... rejuvenate me?"
"If only it was this easy. A pony's growth is a force too powerful to be truly altered by any magic. The spell will fade not so long after you finish your exam and, once again, trained unicorns will see through it."
"Thank you, Princess, for all of this," She whispered. Her mentor had already flown off the balcony, though.
Twilight Sparkle was a new pony.
"Hey, Sparkle! You are still awake, right?"
The call from her friend made the sleepy pony snap out of the memories that had temporarily taken her mind out of reality.
"Uh? Yes, yes."
"Good. 'Cause I don't know if I'm casting this spell here right. Mind to take a look?"
Twilight (currently under the cover name of Sparkle) watched as Midnight performed a spell well known to her, used to teleport short distances.
Even though she had barely finished her first month and dove right into a finals class at school, she had already found new friends, who appreciated somepony with her magical talent.
Especially Midnight, she thought, as said pony teleported around her faster and faster. But she couldn't explain her increased attraction, she hadn't ever met that pony before and certainly didn't feel romantically attracted to her, either.
So she just shook it off and became satisfied with the two of them being best friends.
"I think you're casting that right. At least, I always did it that way." 'Sparkle' said, pushing a strand of her night blue mane aside.
"I guess you're right..." The pink maned pony stopped, the force of the canceled spell dizzying her. "Ngh," Midnight sighed, tipping over to lie on the floor.
Of course, Midnight's pink mane didn't fool Twilight. She, her mind still in the state of her older self, saw clearly through the spell her friend had used to dye a wonderful blue mane pink. The same she had used.
At that time, Twilight wondered whether her friend could see through HER spell, seeing her purple mane the way it really was. If she could, she surely did hide it well. Out of politeness, trying not to discourage Twilight for using such a weak spell, perhaps.
The thought brought a smile to Twilight's face.
"Oy, Sparkle! What's so funny?" The floor suddenly asked.
"That's...nothing. Just thinking about something back at home," She lied.
"Well, mind lending a hoof?" Midnight asked, stretching all four legs in the sky, lying on her back.
Twilight just chuckled and lifted her back onto her hooves with a levitation spell.
"You sure are a powerful magician, aren't you?" Midnight reacted to the spell Twilight had subconsciously used out of habit. "I'm sure you could take on an Ursa on your own, like that!"
The way her friend joked about a feat she had already achieved made Twilight both put out a short laugh and blush slightly.
"By the way, what's the time?"
Twilight took a look at the clock in Midnight's room, the result of which slightly shocked her. But, determined to keep up Midnight's mood, she answered with a joke. "Purple pony. Almost."
"Uh?" Midnight whirled around, looking at the clock herself. "Oh you..."
"Right. I think it's time for us both to get some sleep." Twilight said. Consequently, she rose, stretched her legs and went to the door.
Midnight rushed to her side to bid her farewell. "Suppose so. To be honest, I'm a little jealous of you. You're gonna ace the exams anyway, even without sleeping for a whole week, right?"
Amused by how Midnight kept guessing parts of her past right without wanting to, Twilight laughed at her. "It's half talent and half training, dear. You can surely catch up to me someday!"
Twilight 'Sparkle' Sparkle went back to her room in the tower. She was happy. Preparing for the exams, despite her talents, was keeping her busy enough so that she didn't have to think about the talk she had had with Rarity six weeks ago.
She slept soundly and quickly.
Twilight Sparkle found herself in a warm, comfortable place. Looking around, she saw grass with flowers in it, a tree with a swingset, standing on a hill, a small river flowing underneath, the sun shining on her coat.
This place was fabulous!
"Isn't it?" An unknown voice called behind her.
"Who..." Twilight whirled around. She quickly paused upon seeing that her mane was still the light blue she had enchanted it to be. Then, she spotted the owner of the voice. A silver mare, looking at her, "What is this place?"
"It's... you. Your imagination. Or maybe it's real. Maybe I am real. Or am I a figment of your imagination, awakened through dire need? Maybe this is a vision of the future. Who knows? You don't, and thus I don't either."
"Who are you?" Twilight instinctively reached up to play with her mane, missing it by a hoof. She remembered the style she had it in now, and how it was different from the usual.
"Come on. Small hint: I am a part of you. That doesn't mean I can't be real. Did you know your family has always contained famous scryers?" She answered, shaking her golden mane, revealing a jeweled necklace Cutie Mark.
"Are you... her?" The bold question stroke both the unicorn and the golden pegasus with surprise.
Twilight had not used this word with that certain meaning in months. The pegasus searched her - Twilight's - mind for a second, then answered. "That could be. I had almost believed you would have forgotten about ME since the talk with Rarity.
"No! You've always been in my heart, and now, if I am not completely crazy, I finally know how you will look like! Or am I crazy, talking to myself, in a way?"
"Why don't you find out?" Twilight suddenly found herself embraced in a deep hug and, after her surprise worn off, in a passionate kiss.
It was her. She knew it.
"And you can't tell me your name?" Twilight asked while the pegasus was pushing her on the swing.
Sighing, her new marefriend explained it again, "You still don't get it? I am but a projection of the mare you will meet in the future. This is your way of dealing with a vision of you seeing her and falling in love."
"Sorry..."
"Need not be. This is a rare gift, and will take time to get used to, if you ever will. So why don't you enjoy the rest of the time you're together with her, but don't take it for granted she will react the same way I do. You have not seen her full personality."
She had stopped pushing Twilight. Instead, she felt a gentle nuzzle in her neck.
"Oh you!"
"That's the real world calling. We will meet again with the second vision... or after you meet her."
"But..."
Twilight's perception slowly came back into the real world. She felt the touch again.
She laid on her stomach, stretched into her bed, in her temporary room in Canterlot.
"Wake up, 'Sparkle'!"
"Ye, I'm... You?!" Twilight nearly screamed at her parents.
"Good morning darling!" Her father greeted her, peeking from behind her mother, who just continued to nuzzle her.
"But why are you here? Is it already?"
"It is. Today, you'll have your exam and finally become a proper unicorn! Well, one that finished school, at least."
"How..."
Her mother interrupted the sentence forming in Twilight. "Why, Celestia told us everything of course. Would you really think we'd miss out on such an opportunity? By the way, you look just like when you left us."
"Well, you know, careful living, regular spa visits... and a bit of magic." She whispered the last part.
"Oh dear, we're just messing with you. We know you're enchanted to blend in. But I must say, that kind of blue really fits you."
Twilight blushed slightly, realizing that Celestia would have included that in her report. In her defense, it was still fairly early.
"Why do you have this fancy room up here anyway? You know that you could always just come live with us?"
"I..." Twilight wondered about this question herself for a moment. Why had Celestia insisted on putting her here instead of in her parents' house? "I suppose it's kind of a 'royal guest' thingy."
"Whatever. Say, your exam are scheduled in the afternoon. How about spending the day with your family?"
"I'd love to. But, let me..." Twilight said as she dropped the spell keeping her mane blue. "Better."
"So, before we woke you up, there was a giant smile all across your face. Did you dream about your marefriend?"
"DAD!" Twilight successfully repressed a slight blush. Bad enough that Midnight had a habit of guessing her past, did her parents have to start that, too?
"Just messin' with you." He smiled over the meal his wife had prepared for the three of them. "But seriously now, how does my daughter do as a librarian down in the village?"
"Pretty nice. Most the earth ponies are not that literate, but when they need a book, I have it!" She replied, with joy about her job clearly in her voice.
"Good thing you're getting paid for being there and not per book, right?"
"Suppose so."
This was it. She could do it. When it was her turn, Twilight paused before the door for a second, looking back around. To her right, Midnight slipped into her room. Behind Twilight, her parents were smiling and gesturing her to enter.
"Alright, Sparkle, you CAN do this. Now go in there and show them!" She whispered to herself.
She entered the room, and was instantly reminded of her entry exam. She looked to her right and saw the very same examiners that had been there years ago. Blushing, she wondered if they might remembered her. Celestia probably had made sure that they did.
"Miss Twilight Sparkle. Welcome. While what you pulled off at your entry exam would classify you enough, we have to follow routines. Have a seat." The pony indicated a small cloud hovering in the room. Twilight was instantly reminded of her dream.
"Of... course." She could feel the unjustified nervosity in her voice, casting a quick cloudwalking spell on herself and hopping onto the cloud. The examiners made a small note, probably about her using a cloud walking spell without being told to.
The next half hour, she had to perform all kinds of spells a unicorn might need in it's life. Levitation, teleportation, detecting certain objects, for example.
"Very well. I don't think we have to cover Illusion, do we?"
Twilight quickly wondered what the examiner could mean by that. Then, she saw a blue stripe before her eyes, and was reminded of that she had already used Illusion the past few months.
"Now, in the end of an exam, unicorns may perform a spell they deem special. Do you have anything to impress us with?"
Twilight quickly searched for a fitting spell, then nodded.
While she was casting, one of the examiners whispered to the other, "Invisibility? Well, already casting a weak one of those is a feat for her stage of training!"
As Twilight finished the spell, she was gone. Not even the trained eyes of the examiners could still detect any movement, like a cheap camouflage spell would have, nor could they hear footsteps.
She was both completely invisible and silent.
"Boo!" She suddenly popped up from behind them, making the other unicorns jump. She had dropped the spell and giggled at their reaction.
After they had settled again, they asked Twilight where she had gotten that spell. "I don't know, honestly. I just know it from somewhere."
"Are you sure you didn't read it from a note scribbled into a book in the royal library?" There suddenly was another voice. It was Princess Luna, who had been watching Twilight's performance using the very same spell.
"I... You..."
"Aw, don't you apologise. I would have been disappointed if you had not learnt at least one spell from me, too. Do you know how I named it, after creating it to prank Celestia more than a thousand years ago?"
"You made it?"
"Of course I did. It's Night's Embrace. Designed to remove a pony from the perception of anypony else. But, next time you find a spell like that, ask Celestia about it, alright? Unknown magic can do terrible things."
"I will, Princess."
She sat in a fine restaurant somewhere in Canterlot. Her parents had insisted on inviting her there to celebrate the way she had performed EVERY spell even better than requested.
"But why are there eight seats? We're only three right now..."
"Yes, right now. But how about we first welcome the rest of our guests?"
As if on cue, the five ponies Twilight had become such good friends with in Ponyville came into the restaurant, sitting down to her table.
"What the hay are you doing here?"
"Sheez, Twi', we couldn't let you celebrate all on yer own! Besides, ye've been away from Ponyville longer than ye might think."
"We've been missing you. Before I could get done with your dress, you had already been gone."
"And this calls for a PARTY!" Pinkie blew into a horn, from which mysteriously confetti and streamers materialized and got stuck in her mane.
"Um, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to your mane? Was the stress so bad?"
Twilight quickly looked up, spotting the blue color she was so used for it to have. "Oh, that's...fashion?" She explained her disguise and quickly dropped the spell.
"Nice. But why didn't you use the most awesome color of all?" The pegasus struck a pose.
"Since when is a rainbow a color?" The lavender unicorn responded, making everypony laugh.
"Sweetheart, why are those two ponies snuggling up like that?" The father asked his daughter.
"What do you think?"
"Oh..."
It was then when Twilight truly remembered her life outside of Canterlot. And all of her memories came crashing onto her mind.
"Hey, Sparkle!" That call took Twilight by surprise, since she was already back in her old looks (including lifting the spell cast on her by Celestia) and walking out of the restaurant together with her friends and family.
"Wuh...Midnight! How did you know how I really look?"
"Spell detection, of course. We had that right before the holidays. Didn't you study it?"
Truth to be told, Twilight had never heard of an active means of detecting cast spells. She had always taken it for granted that, depending on the strength of a spell, you could only sense them, and that it took a strong unicorn to do that already.
"Who's that, Twilight?"
"Oh, Midnight's a class mate of mine. Or was, rather." After a quick thought, Twilight adressed her newest friend. "So, now you know my real self. In case you didn't hear the tales, us six are also the bearers of the Elements of Harmony."
"You mean, you're the ones that defeated Nightmare Moon?" Midnight asked with a small gasp. The ponies behind Twilight gave her sounds of confirmation. All except Fluttershy, giving her well-known shy smile.
"Yeah. So, while you're here, how did your exam go?"
"Not bad. I thought I'd fail, but then the thought of you inspired me." Midnight admitted, blushing. "You aced yours, of course?"
"Over the scale!" Twilight grinned.
"Alright now, it's late, I demand that you stay at your parents' house. You can go home to Ponyville tomorrow alright, but accept our custody for the night."
Twilight knew better than arguing. She did have a room better than anything her parents could offer her awaiting her return, but she just wanted to spend time with her family that day.
All of the others were already gone. Fluttershy had directly flown back to her cottage, Rarity stayed at her own family's house, Pinkie had simply disappeared and Applejack, after asking a cloud walking spell from Twilight, had been carried off by Rainbow Dash to her cloud house.
When they reached the home of her childhood, Twilight had to admit that her old room was even better than her guest's room in the castle.
It was exactly like it had been the day of her departure. Except for that her bed had mysteriously grown to fit her body.
Twilight saw her.
"Glimmer?" The question once again shocked both parts of the unicorn.
"If you say I am..."
"That was awfully quick."
"Well, what can I say, seeing the future is apparently another of your talents. Since it's magic and so on."
"But why didn't I receive any visions before?"
"You never asked. Or you never did. Neither of us know if it's not just your fantasy, remember. Don't take me for a guaranteed image of how Glimmer - if that's HER name - will look."
"As if I cared..." The unicorn breathed, this time directly jumping into her love's forelegs and embracing into a deep kiss.
It lasted. When Twilight finally broke it, she wondered if there was a bigger purpose to Glimmer's visit, and quickly asked the image said question.
"Huh? What do you expect me to say? That the world will end tomorrow?"
"No, but... When will I meet the real you?"
"Ask yourself. If I was to know it, so are you."
With those words, the dream world began to fade again. Twilight found herself in her old bedroom, where she had spent the night with her parents. She remembered.
Although she also did feel a warmth both around her face and near her Cutie Mark. Looking around, she saw that she had apparently turned many times in her sleep.
Looking back to her dreams of the last two days which she somehow remembered perfectly, she found the explanation for all of her observations.
As she looked out the window, she saw the sun Celestia had only recently raised from the horizon. In Ponyville, she'd have gone back to bed now, but her parents had a habit of rising early, and she didn't want to miss any minute with them.
When she went down for breakfast, she saw her parents sitting at the kitchen table, along with...
"Princess Celestia!"
"Greetings, my faithful student! I came to congratulate you on your 105% at the finish exam. And because the coffee your mother makes is simply delicious." The last sentence she murmured, so that only the pony it was meant for could pick it up.
"That's our Twilight. Perfect is not good enough for you, is it?"
"You heard?" Twilight was instantly reminded of the words the second princess had directed at her, intensifying the blush she already had on her face. She lowered her head in hope for nopony to see it.
"Indeed. And I must say, I didn't expect even you to be able to cast my sister's spell successfully. Your talent never ceases to amaze me."
Later that day, Twilight levitated her bags into the carriage Celestia had insisted she used and was about to take off, when she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"Miss Sparkle, you're not going to leave without saying goodbye, are you?" She turned around, looking for the owner of the voice. It was Midnight calling for her.
Even after seeing the real self of her gifted friend, Midnight had insisted on calling her Sparkle.
"Er... to be honest, I forgot."
"Well, then I've got good news. I went to Celestia and she got me a job in Ponyville, near you!"
"Awesome. That village really could use more sophisticated ponies like you..." she joked, making both of them laugh.
"Well, still space in that carriage of yours?"
"Don't you want to pack?"
"I already did!" Midnight said and lowered the intensity of her invisibility spell.
Twilight could see the shimmer of two saddlebags on the pony's back, hidden to save Midnight the shame if Twilight wouldn't take her along. "Hop on then!"
Midnight joyfully obliged.
"Aw, horseapples!"
Twilight awoke, only to find that her symptoms had gone worse.
"How's my personal little patient doing?"
"Feeling better. Don't you have anypony else to care for?" Twilight hated lying, but she really wanted to get back to her normal life.
"Nope. All of Ponyville's healthy. Well... Except for you. Don't worry about me, the Nurse can handle herself with anything that could come up." As she turned, Twilight couldn't resist coughing hard. "And that's why I'm staying with you."
Twilight felt embarassed that the simplest flu was something she couldn't fix herself with her magic. But then her thinking was interrupted by somepony knocking onto the library's door. Instictively, she got up and want to open it, but Midnight was faster than her.
"Oh, um, hello, Midnight..." Fluttershy, despite knowing Midnight for two weeks now, was still in her careful, low voice and behaviour for people she didn't know well enough yet. "I'm just looking for a guide on treating sick animals. Angel's developed a cough and I'm not sure which herbs to use."
Twilight's raspy voice came from within the library, where she was standing in the main room, trying to speak. "That's Disease and Cure for the Smallest Creatures. It's..."
"Right over here." Midnight really did know the library well for only having been there two days now, treating Twilight. Almost a little too well. Twilight still wasn't used to her doing all of the work.
Fluttershy was about to leave, the book in her saddlebags. As she had just walked out through the door, a loud sneeze reminded her of something. "Oh, and, I have some herbs for Twilight. Just drink their extract like tea."
"I'm sure she'll appreciate it. If she finally accepts being sick!" The healthy one of the unicorns said when accepting the herbs.
"Can't I at least continue studying?"
"Aw, fine. But you have to drink Fluttershy's tea." Midnight made a tradeoff, knowing very well that Twilight would never miss out on reading books about anything.
Twilight attempted to bring down the book she had last read from the shelf magically, but was caught coughing midway, the book dropping to the floor.
"I hate this! Why does this have to be one of the few things magic CAN'T fix?"
Midnight just shook her head and grabbed a matress, a blanket, the book Twilight dropped, a cup and the tea pot with the herb extract in it magically, neatly arranging them for Twilight to lie on the floor reading. She wasn't going to get her back into bed anyway, so she didn't try.
Her magical powers had really started to bloom from living in Ponyville, the sick unicorn thought. But then a question she had long meant to ask her friend came into her mind, interrupting her search for possible reasons for Midnight's increasing powers.
"You're a nurse. What would you use your magic for, anyway?"
"Levitation. Some teleportation, too." Midnight briefly stated from under her blue mane. "For dealing with patients like you where not even three ponies would be quick enough."
"Ah, sorry. I'm just frustrated about, like, not being able to work?" Twilight apologised, seeing her friend's face brighten.
"Accepted. You're running out of supplies, by the way. Since you're not by far able to get some yourself, I suppose I'll better go shopping now, right?"
"If you'd like..." Twilight answered, already half dug into her book.
After Midnight had left the building, Twilight noticed how empty her house was. Spike was, in lack of a better replacement, serving as the royal mailmaster after Celestia's dragon became too ill to work. He'd be gone for some time now, she thought.
After buying the groceries needed, Midnight walked back home, and noticed she was passing Sugarcube Corner. Why not, she thought.
"Oh hey Midnight! How's Twilight doing?"
"Not so well. But she should be back on track end of the week."
Pinkie Pie's mind drifted off, trying to find the perfect date for a 'Congratulations for getting healthy'-party. The fact that she was currently the cashier in the bakery brought her back into reality. "So, what can I get you?"
"I'll have two of Twilight's favorite cupcake sort, please."
"Coming right up!" Pinkie thought what cupcake sort might be Twilight's favorite, as she usually ate them all with the same delight. In the end, she settled for citron.
When she came back into the library, Midnight saw her patient sleeping soundly with her face laying on the book she had been reading. A closer inspection of the herbs Fluttershy had brought led to the simple explanation.
"Blue Thistle! Enough to send a healthy pony sleeping..." She quietly said to herself, unpacking her saddlebags.
As peacefully as she looked, Twilight didn't find her involuntary nap very relaxing. All she could remember was three moments - or was it hours? - of different states of her mind, connected by a burning pain.
When her personal nurse woke her up, Twilight only groaned at first. The pain that had tortured her through her sleep was beginning to take shape.
"Ungh..." Her sore throat made it hard to speak. "How long have I been sleeping now?"
"Few hours. I found you like that when I came back from shopping." Midnight tried to feign a tone of surprise at her discovery, but couldn't completely hide that it was what she had tried to accomplish with making her friend so comfortable. "How are you feeling?"
"Part of me's better, but you can probably guess my new problem."
Indeed she could. Luckily, Midnight's study had brought her to expect it, so she had collected some soothing herbs. "Chew those. They should help."
Twilight had tried to stand up from her stomach, but a wave of pain sent her right back onto the matress, lying on her back with all four of her legs stretched into the air. "Awesome!"
Midnight just chuckled and stepped over to Twilight, putting the bushel down next to her and readjusting the blanket.
"You want some?"
"No thanks. I don't think my stomach could handle it..." Twilight declined the meal Midnight had cooked for the two of them. She was confirmed by a grumble, followed by a sudden wave of pain. At least the pain in her throat had lessened.
It didn't stop her coughing, though.
"You really should get to bed soon."
She was right. As Midnight cleaned up the library from her influence of the day, the walking misery in form of an unicorn trotted upwards into her bedroom. Twilight couldn't help but wonder why Midnight was going through so much effort to bring her back to health.
Sure, she was a nurse and her friend, but she was basically living together with Twilight during the day. She didn't want to think about that, though. The second she stepped into the bedroom, she only wanted to jump onto her bed and sleep.
Before she went home for the day, Midnight checked back on her patient one last time, finding her in deep sleep, not even tucked in properly. After fixing that problem, Midnight briefly kissed her on the forehead and mumbled, "I love you." A little shocked by what she had said, she turned and quickly went out of the house without making a noise.
Twilight awoke alone.
She wondered where Midnight might be, but there was only one place she'd find her dark blue mane if not in the library. Much to Twilight's appreciation, she found that her symptoms had lessened in comparison to the day before.
She felt confident that she'd be strong enough to start going back to her normal routine without many problems.
When she reached Ponyville's clinic, or more accurately, the house filled with a dozen beds and a nurse's office, Twilight peeked into the main room first to scout the situation.
Almost all beds were taken with ponies squirming around in them. The Nurse ran from bed to bed, doing various duties. Midnight was nowhere to be seen, however.
Twilight decided to slip in.
"Oh, not another pony needing treatment! Alright, focus. What's wrong, dear? Are you missing anything?" The nurse pony's voice shifted through various tones in a surprising amount of time.
"I'm fine, thank you..." Twilight's stomach reminded her of the opposite, but she remained strong. "I'm missing somepony though. Do you know where your assistant is? I'd like to talk to her."
"The unicorn? I think she went to the back of the house to grab more supplies... Uh?"
Twilight was about to ask what the earth pony had noticed, when she heard something herself.
"Looking for me?"
The unexpected voice behind her made Twilight jump. Turning around, she saw an unicorn slowly fade into visibility.
She should have seen that coming. Midnight had freshly graduated, after all.
"Sorry for not being there to welcome you to the day, Sparkle. If you feel you need more care, you're welcome to take one." Midnight teased Twilight with a grin she had learned to love and hate, indicating a free bed.
"I'm fine!" A sudden headache forced Twilight to bend in pain, as if to correct her. "Although I have to admit it's still getting the best of me..."
"Well, let's get to work. There has been a sudden breakout in Ponyville and us two are rather busy. What can I help you with?"
Twilight was about the answer, a short cough swallowing her sentence. The Nurse pushed her into her office, "Not to interrupt you, but those ponies are off bad enough by themselves. Why don't you talk... over there?"
Midnight knew there was no arguing with the Nurse. So she simply opened the door to the office and followed them inside.
She sighed, annoyed from the Nurse's behaviour, but glad for some privacy. Twilight looked like she felt the same.
"At last. Now, what brings my patient here in such a state?"
Twilight attempted to remember what she had wanted to talk to Midnight about. Her eyes widened when she realised there was nothing and tried to quickly make up an excuse.
Midnight misread the signs and began a sentence of her own.
"Listen, about last night..."
It was done. She had forgotten that Twilight had already been asleep when she did what she did. Midnight panicked a little.
"Huh? What about last night?" Twilight searched her memory, trying to find out what had happened then. Either she couldn't remember due to her disease, or...
"Nothing. I should stop interrupting you." Midnight's best bet now was to force Twilight's subject and hope she could make her crush forget what had slipped out of her.
Twilight decided against pushing the subject further. A vague idea of what could have happened dawned in her head.
Gaining courage from what she believed had happened, Celestia's personal student wanted to tell the truth that had just appeared in her head. What was the worst thing that could happen? Apart from losing her as a friend foreeveerr.
Twilight gulped and finally began the sentence both ponies wanted to shout out. "I just realised, whenever I wake up, my first impulse is to get to you, to hear your voice. Gosh, this sounds stupid... I think I love you!"
Shocked at what had just come out of her, Twilight held her mouth shut with both her forehooves. As if in a cartoon, she realised that she'd need those for support, and tumbled downwards to the floor, tears dripping out of her eyes.
This was it. Midnight would never want to be with her after this confession. She had ruined everything. The stream of tears from her shut eyes intensified.
Somepony pulled her up. Twilight opened her eyes, able to make out a blur of purple and blue in front of her. If her eyes hadn't been so filled with tears, Twilight could have seen the occasional tear running down Midnight's cheeks.
Before Twilight could do as much as open her mouth, Midnight pulled her close into a constricting embrace.
After Midnight broke the embrace, Twilight stumbled backwards. The pain she had previously suppressed with either willpower or the adrenaline that came from her 'talk' with Midnight came back all at once. The unprepared unicorn nearly passed out.
"Midnight, dear, where are you? I need you!" The Nurse came into her office, unaware of what had just happened.
"Coming!" Midnight set off towards the door. Twilight turned and was about to follow her friend, when she briefly lost balance due to another wave of pain. She was mentally prepared, but it was still intense.
"No offense, but you look terrible. Are you sure you don't want to stay?"
Twilight realised she was worse than she had thought. She could barely hold the liquid in her nostrils. Her legs were wobbly and could barely hold her. Her sore throat was clearly audible in her voice and she regularly lost her voice halfway through a sentence.
Not to mention her stomach or head, both of which were dampening her mental capabilities with pain.
Midnight beat her to answering. "Don't try Nurse, this pony wouldn't accept help if she'd be lying in the mud from pain."
She adressed Twilight. "We'll talk more later. Don't stay on your hooves all the time. Have plenty of liquid. There should be some leftover 'tea'. Drink it." Her horn glowed. "Finish this one." She prepared a teleportation spell to Twilight's home, passing it over for her friend to execute the last portion.
"For your information, I know those herbs Fluttershy brought." Twilight said.
"I know you do. That's why you have to drink the rest."
After the sick unicorn had teleported away, Midnight finally turned back to the main room and went to assist the Nurse in patient care. "Before you ask; Blue Thistle."
"Ah, yes. A very good cure for such cases. Especially when the pony tries to refuse treatment. A very good cure indeed."
After a busy day of handling a small epidemy, Midnight technically didn't want to treat any more sick ponies. But this was different. Despite Twilight's state and her official motive for the visit, she didn't come to her patient, but to her marefriend.
Like earlier that day, Twilight was asleep when Midnight came in, an open book lying near her, together with a tea set. Only this time, the librarian had preferred sleeping in her bed, instead of lying in the main room where the matress was still lying, closer to the books but less comfortable.
Midnight didn't want to wake her up. So she just brought up the matress and blanket from below and laid down onto the floor, next to her love.
The sound of Twilight's breathing made her feel incredibly comfortable. This was all she wanted. She turned to lie on her side and fell asleep seconds later, after catching a final glimpse of the unicorn.
"Oh no. Not this place again." Twlight found herself on the same hill she had dreamt of when receiving the last visions.
"What? Not happy to see me?" Glimmer had once again shown her face. "I know what we're thinking. Midnight now took my place didn't she?" There was a hint of disappointment in her voice. Once Twilight's biggest desire, the pegasus had to make room in her heart to let in a certain unicorn.
"You waited too long to show up, I guess. Sorry."
"Did you ever love me?"
"I still do! It's just that... I still don't know if you even exist and Midnight came first to claim my heart." Tears ran down her hot cheeks. "I'm sorry..."
"Now, don't you cry in front of your love, will you?"
"Uh?"
"Smartest pony in Equestria and doesn't know her own mind. You're lovely."
"Get out of my mind!" Twilight closed her eyes and turned away. She only wanted to escape the situation.
"I AM your mind, Sparkle."
Hearing herself call her that way made Twilight pause, but she remained resolute, her back turned, tears still running.
She stopped when the other pony suddenly drew her in for a kiss. She tried to resist, but when she opened her eyes, she had no option but to accept.
In front of her was no longer the pegasus animated by a future vision, but Midnight herself.
"How is this possible again?"
"Well, according to some legends we studied in Equestrian history, this is something like a common subconscious. You created it when you needed a place for Glimmer to materialise, an environment that you could recreate."
"So it's magic?"
"Yes. But an ancient one. This is an open environment to accept influences like visions, but also the spirits of ponies closely linked to you..."
"You are the real Midnight, right? What number am I thinking of?"
"Two and a half." She watched with delight as her friend's jaw dropped. "What? I've always been good at guessing your intentions, you know that."
Twilight simply knew it was her.
"So, what did you want to tell me?"
Midnight giggled and repeated her signs of affection from the night before to Twilight, only this time on a conscious unicorn.
Author's note: Italics mean that those words are spoken by Glimmer.
"Horseapples!" Twilight could do nothing but shout out in frustration. Waking up next to and spending the morning with the pony she loved had been wonderful, but when Midnight needed to go to work, everything begun to get worse.
She had insisted on accompanying her to the clinic. After grabbing her coinpurse from her bedroom, Twilight had lost balance on top of the stairs, thanks to a remainder of the disease that she was finally recovering from.
As if falling from such a height wouldn't have been enough, there was a book lying on the bottom of the stairs, practically waiting to crack her hoof. She had been so used to Spike or Midnight cleaning up her books that she didn't bother putting it back.
"Hold still, or I'll mess it up." Midnight was magically examining the foreleg. "It's nothing serious... but you need it bandaged anyway."
Due to Twilight's dislike of Earth Pony methods, there was not near the medical supplies needed.
"Fine then, I'll bandage it at the clinic. Good thing I chose to do this, right?"
"Just get me there!" Twilight snapped. She did not want to be rude, but her hoof made her only desire to get help as soon as possible.
"I know how you're feeling. Alright, hang on tight!" Midnight chose a teleportation spell for speed.
After a flash of light, they were back at the clinic were they had met just the day before.
Midnight galloped inside, practically carrying the other unicorn. She dropped her at the examination table, past the surprised nurse mare. After Twilight was seated, she turned to the Nurse.
"Morning. Don't mind her, she just needs a small bandage. Fell down onto a book. Cracked up her hoof."
Any other pony would continue staring in surprise. The Nurse, knowing her assistant, just nodded and brought in the materials needed.
"There. Now, don't stand on it for three days and come back daily. Actually... I'd like for somepony to watch over you. But who?"
"Applejack's on honeymoon, so is Rainbow Dash, Rarity's busy working on a special order from Canterlot."
"What about that other pegasus friend of yours? Fluttershy? I've heard she's got some medical knowledge too."
"With animals, yeah..." But Twilight knew she had already lost, her friend cared about her way too much to not place her at a pony capable of emergency aid.
"But of course you can stay! Come in, make yourself comfortable, and if you get bored, you can always help me with the animals... if you feel like it."
"Settled then. See you tomorrow for renewing the bandages!" Midnight said, setting off back towards Ponyville.
Despite her annoyance at being essentially disabled for yet longer, Twilight spent a nice day at Fluttershy's cottage. Mostly because she could finally use her magic again without messing up completely.
"And you're really sure you don't want to stay for the night?"
"Sorry, no. But I'll be right back tomorrow."
Twilight had already half finished the teleportation spell bringing her back to her library when the pegasus suddenly interrupted her. Magic did not like being conjured without finishing, so she nearly flew off the couch.
"Oh, um, sorry, I just remembered, I'll have relatives over the next two days. I think you'd be better off with another pony."
"That's okay. I'll just... Pinkie Pie. Exactly, I'll help her. See you in three days, then."
The next day, Twilight headed to Sugarcube Corner after having new bandages applied.
"Oh hey Twilight! What's with that super seriousity bandage stuff? Don't you tell me you broke your hoof broken and can't walk FOREEVEEER?" The pink pony's mood visibly dropped.
"I..."
"Oh, you should see that look on your face. Midnight there filled me in on everything. I'm sure we'll have much fun together today again! Oh! Do you want a private Get Well-party?"
"I'd appreciate it if not, but thanks for the offer."
"Not now, huh? Oooh, I get it, dancing's no fun if you can't step on that one foot of yours. We'll do it when it's healed, alright?"
Twilight chuckled and headed inside, carefully balanced out to put as little of her weight on the injured hoof as possible.
The Cakes were not at home, so Pinkie regularly bounced from the kitchen to the counter to serve the occasional customer. Twilight was lying on a big pillow in the kitchen, making time pass by talking to Pinkie and helping the same pony with telekinesis.
She considered telling her about the thing with Midnight, but decided that there were better ways to keep it a secret between friends than telling the pink mare.
She did hint things however, both sub- and consciously. Keeping things just out of reach for Pinkie's mind was almost as amusing as spending the day under her watch. Twilight's mood dropped rapidly when a particular customer placed a special order.
"Twenty dozen muffins? By tomorrow evening?"
"Looks like there's a pretty big family reunion coming up for Ditzy. So we'd getter get baking!"
When it was time for Twilight to go back home to rest, Pinkie approached her with an unsure walk.
"Oh, let me guess. We've made so little progress today that you have to work all day tomorrow and don't have time for my occasional needs?" Twilight had to admit that, while she was helping the earth pony a great deal with her magic, she wasn't entirely healthy yet and sometimes needed a little attention, unable to walk herself.
"Did you grow a Twilight Sense? Oh, that'd be sooo awesome! What combination told you?"
"With the bad luck I had to live with recently, I figured something like that had to happen." Twilight sighed. But there was the voice of a small pegasus in the edge of her mind, unable to be tracked close enough to burn it out of her brain safely.
Liar.
Glimmer did not speak much, but she annoyed Twilight the more.
Why would you leave such a gift to rot?
Twilight knew now what the pegasus stood for. It was not her future love, but a vessel for the glimpses of the future Twilight couldn't escape.
As of recently, she had also promoted herself to Twilight's conscience. But as much as her host hated to listen to her(self?), Twilight had to admit that there was a use in knowing the future.
She had seen a moment of the next day, too quick to analyse, but there was one message Twilight took from it. She was not at Sugarcube Corner that day.
As harmless as the visions were for the moment, Twilight had a feeling she might see something terrible and make it happen trying to prevent it. Like in those books she gave up reading long ago.
Since she didn't have a way to differentiate the two from each other, Twilight was especially afraid of mistaking a figment of her imagination for a real vision. She made a mental note to ask Celestia about this.
Why don't you just tell your mental secretary? I can remember anything, and if I don't, you won't notice!
Twilight hated her. Not only did Glimmer live in her mind without ever asking, but she also had to make terrible jokes.
Asking old Celly about how to remove an imaginary friend is not nice!
The response to her most recent letter came while Twilight was relaxing at Rarity's, sent using a very well known dragon's flame. The designer had fortunately finished her order early and thus could help Twilight if anything would happen.
She wasn't Twilight's first choice, but her only at the moment.
"My faithful student Twilight Sparkle,
Your talents never cease to amaze me. Clairvoyance is a gift so rare it was thought to be extinct hundreds of years ago.
Do not be afraid to use it, as only that way you will be able to control and recognise it.
I bet it has already manifested in your mind. What form has it taken?
As much as you probably dislike your new advisor already, you must listen to him or her. That's only a part of your mind and would never want to do you any bad.
Over time, you'll grow to know and like this ability.
PS: Luna asked me to remind you that a pony, especially of your condition, should use her night for rest and nothing else.
Princess Celestia"
Twilight had with no word mentioned her current streak of bad luck to Celestia, but she should have expected her mentor to know.
Do you think she knows about you and that cute little nurse, too?
"Shut up." Twilight murmured those words involuntarily, making Rarity's head come up from the design she had been bent over.
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Just... thinking about that letter from the Princess."
"Ah, don't worry about that. By the way, you didn't really go out dressed like THAT, did you?"
At least Twilight now had designer clothing for when she was sick and had to stay at home.
You can't blame friends for doing what they love and master, even if you actively asked them not to, now can you?
"Don't advisors normally talk when asked?" Twilight whispered to herself, alone at home.
But you never do, sweet. That's why you must sometimes help yourself.
Was that pegasus really Twilight's way of taking faint notions of the future? Was it really a part of her? If so, was she sometimes so cynical herself?
Don't worry. You hide it well under a barrier of studying and friendship and all that.
"If you're a part of my mind, how come you know stuff that I don't and behave so... differently?"
Ok. Explanation time. See, reading that story back then has uncovered a talent you never knew you had. Me. Or, more accurately, you're an antenna now, constantly receiving images and thoughts from what will happen.
"And you are supposed to tell me what's relevant so I can remember what's real yet?"
Right. You read those old books from your ancestors, didn't you. And the personality... well, that is who you really are. For some reason, you started to repress any anger or distrust you ever felt in your childhood. Do you want me to help you remember why?
Glimmer didn't have to. Twilight darkly remembered something with a close relative of her trusting nopony and starting an outright revolution against Celestia. That revolution was quickly repressed, for the better of all. She had resisted arrest.
Yes. That must have impressed you so much, you wanted to prevent becoming like that at all cost. But deep in your heart, you know I am you.
"So... You've mentioned that one night. Whose grave was it? When will it be?"
You know as much as I do. It's none of your close friends... even including that nurse. As far as we know.
"Could you stop calling her 'that nurse'? I know I hate doctors, but I love Midnight!"
Don't we both?
"Ngh. My head hurts enough already, I don't need you to make it worse."
Indeed. You should rest now, I can't keep up my work if we're sleep-deprived.
At least Glimmer couldn't appear in Twilight's dreams anymore. The unicorn only dreamt of her object of biggest desire, which was a place Midnight had taken over.
Twilight was back on the examination table, lying flat on her stomach, one hoof stretched out. Her marefriend was examining it.
"Coming along nicely. Now, this might burn, so brace yourself."
Twilight did not expect what came. She was adept in repressing pain in order to work, but that was over the limits, even with all her focus on it.
The spell Midnight cast to mend her hoof made it feel like it would be submerged in lava. Twilight felt her senses dim as a reaction and nearly cried out, but before she could, the nurse was finished.
"You never see it coming. Good news is, I managed to get it correctly healed first try."
"Why didn't you do this the day I broke it?"
"Blood vessels and nerves, that's why. Nopony knows how they'd have to be connected, and even if I knew, it'd take minutes to heal them because I'd have to do every one by itself. You wouldn't want that, would you?"
"I suppose..." Twilight tried to rise, but achieved nothing except for nearly falling off the table.
"Stay down. That spell's not exactly without side effects."
Twilight groaned as she watched her friend step out into the main room to see if the Nurse needed assistance.
Always there to help, never to hurt.
Twilight sighed. Of course she had to ruin that moment of finally being healthy again.
"You know, I've been making some progress on that brain altering spell I searched for. You better have something to tell me or I'll test it."
Charming as always. Good thing I know you haven't. But, as a matter of fact, there's something relevant. It was really hard to find under all of those frames of you eating or sleeping.
"What is it?"
Why don't you see for yourself?
Twilight's mind was filled with a single picture. She felt exhausted. Around her were apple trees ready for bucking. She felt enraged and tired in her hindlegs. Applejack was, strangely, not bucking with her, but lying in the grass.
"That's applebucking season. Looks like Applejack overworked herself again and needs our help. But why am I so mad at something? Is she exploiting our help?"
Twilight spoke much louder than she had wanted to.
I don't know. That's all you have. But I thought it was worth showing anyway. Oh, and good luck explaining.
Realisation dawned to Twilight as her mind returned into reality. Midnight had come back into the room, her jaw dropped.
"Okay... Don't worry, the spell may cause hallucinations by itself and you went through some pain there. I'm sure if you have plenty of rest, it'll go away."
"No! It's not like that! You see... I can see the future. Really! It's a gift thought extinct some centuries ago. One of the last known scryers was in my family."
"Should have expected that. But why were you talking to yourself?"
"Well, I receive much more visions than I could use or handle. That's a known problem. So a part of my brain, receiving the visions, has split off into another personality. But it's not really another, it's more of my original personality."
"So now you've got a copy of yourself in your brain that tells you about what you really need to know?"
"Basically. But I wasn't always the pony I am now. So Glimmer's pretty sarcastic. She also promoted herself to my personal advisor."
"I think I understand. Must be pretty bad to disagree with yourself, huh?"
"You have no idea." I am the smarter of us two, listen to me! "No you're not."
"Uh?"
"Sorry. Glimmer has a pretty big ego. Sometimes I have to prove her wrong."
"Just where did she get that... Listen, I will make up for it!"
"What? You really don't have to apologise for that, you're somewhat right about it."
"No, I mean, what happened to you, and how I wasn't there to watch you."
"Oh, that's alright, I enjoy spending a day with my friends."
Didn't they teach you not to lie? "Didn't they teach you not to lie?" Both Glimmer and Midnight said at the same time. Twilight wasn't surprised. It was the nearly psychic Midnight, after all.
"Ok, so I hated being completely useless like that, but that's not your fault."
"I should have been there. I should have made sure my love is safe and happy. I should have..."
Midnight jumped towards her, a single tear running down her cheek. Twilight couldn't read her movements, but quickly found herself not caring, muzzle to muzzle with the other unicorn.
"I see."
"We're still in love, right?" Midnight tried to joke, but the drop her voice performed made it just sad.
"How could we ever not be?"
The waiter pony brought the unicorns their orders.
"Don't you think that's a little romantic?"
"Aw, nothing too romantic for our first proper date"
"First date? Not like we've been together for so long already now..."
It was no use. Midnight had insisted on coming here. Half Ponyville knew something was going on between those two unicorns anyway, so they didn't try to hide it anymore.
Hey, boss!
"You had to show up right now, didn't you. What's the matter?" Twilight could resist whispering, but Midnight recognised how she dropped into concentration, powerfully thinking to communicate with herself without saying the words out loud.
"Glimmer again, right?"
Twilight groaned. She still disliked her own mind, but at least it did a good job at filtering visions.
"Yes."
"Enjoy yourself." There was nothing to do about it if her marefriend received a relevant vision, and Midnight knew that.
The smile that slowly crept on her friend's face as she viewed the vision Glimmer had to show her made Midnight curious about what it could be.
After Twilight's eyes regained focus, Midnight couldn't hold back.
"What did you see?"
"Oh, nothing. Just... a glance of this year's Nightmare night. It will be wonderful."
"Alright then."
Liar.
Midnight had somehow managed to get the rest of the day off and spend it on a wonderful first date with Twilight. The vision the lavender unicorn had received had fulfilled on that same day.
Once again, she had slipped out of the bed while letting Twilight sleep and made breakfast.
Today would be special in more than one way, she thought. First, they'd call in craftsponies to erect a few walls, splitting off a small room where Spike would get a room for himself.
Second, Midnight would move in with Twilight! So far, they'd both been too shy to admit their relationship openly, let alone move together, but they'd do both today.
As the medical pony she was, Midnight knew that things were best handled quickly and painlessly. Thus, the two unicorns inspired a certain pink earth pony to do a 'Spring is finally here and Twilight and Midnight have something to say'-picnic.
"And you don't wanna tell me what you have to say?"
"If we did, you wouldn't need to come to the picnic. And you don't want to miss out on it, do you?"
The unicorns watched as Midnight's simple logic worked it's way through Pinkie's party focused mind. It took little more than the right triggers to outsmart her.
"Makes sense. Okie dokie, I'll see you there!" She happily bounced off.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash had finally returned from their honeymoon, so now the unicorns could get all of Twilight's friends at once. They figured that word would spread by itself from those five ponies.
They sat on the blanket. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had already arrived, but Fluttershy took her time. Pinkie Pie went to look if something was wrong at her cottage. While she was there, she could remind Rarity to come. That unicorn tended to get stuck in her work rather often.
All of a sudden, Applejack burst into laughter. Three ponies gave her confused looks.
"Aw, c'mon y'all. Ya don' think ya can hide somthin' like that from me, right?"
"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, Applejack." Twilight was the first to speak
"Y'all remind me so much of RD an' me jus' some months ago."
The two ponies to confess their love exchanged a look. There was no point arguing. Applejack would know if they lied, anyway.
"That's what you get for inviting a couple including the element of honesty to a confession picnic, I suppose." Midnight spoke out what they were both thinking.
"Aww, don' sweat it, now. Ya can still tell the others yourself, Ah promise."
"Honestly?" Rainbow Dash was hovering two meters above the rest, teasing her lifepartner.
"Bet yer pretty flank on it!"
After some time, Pinkie came back, followed by Fluttershy and Rarity.
"I'm sorry Twilight, I was feeding the animals and got just soo lost, I mean, their cute little ears and paws and..."
"We get the idea, dear. Now that we're assembled, shall we begin?"
Midnight had showed off a new trick to her friends, which included seemingly detaching her head and swapping it with another object. Her friend had played around with it since. She looked up to Twilight, expressing one question "Tell them?"
The look Twilight returned said just one thing perfectly. "Later."
"Eek!"
Fluttershy had spotted Twilight's toy. It did look rather bizarre. Both of the unicorns cooperated to dispel the illusion. After regaining the head that had never actually left Midnight's body, she quickly stood up to apologise to the pegasus.
"Sorry. Illusion magic can be pretty scary sometimes, right?"
Out of instinct, Fluttershy's wings were already extended, but she managed to calm down instead of fleeing since she was together with her best friends.
She gave an embarassed chuckle.
With the situation handled, everypony just settled down and started enjoying the picnic. When the basket was half empty, Twilight raised her voice to get the secret off her heart.
"Alright now, you're probably wondering why we're assembled here, apart from celebrating the work of the weather pegasi."
Pinkie interrupted her. "Oh! Oh! Does it have something to do with you and your new friend here?"
"Oh, for goodness'! Did everypony go psychic?"
The sudden outburst from Twilight made everyone go silent. As she realised that something with Midnight was simply the most likely thing, she calmed down and began her speech again.
"Erm, sorry. As a matter of fact, it DOES have something to do with Midnight. You see, when we first met, we were both nothing more than simple scholars, waiting to do their final exam. After we did that, we both noticed something more was going on between us than just helping each other study magic."
"When she found you in all of Canterlot, looking totally different from how she knew you?" Rainbow Dash remembered what had happened that special evening.
"Love always finds it's way, Dash."
Four jaws dropped simultaneously. Applejack and Rainbow Dash tried their best to feign surprise, but were outclassed by the reactions Twilight and her unknowing friends did. Twilight had not intended to say it this way and was shocked at how easily she had slipped something.
"That's..."
"I'm..."
"Yay!" Fluttershy was first to find an appropriate reaction, even if it was just her quiet cheer. She had been the one that borrowed Twilight those books, afterall.
"So now ya two are, like, 'fficially in love?" Applejack tried to break the ice. It appeared to work.
"Oh, you just NEED something better to put on. Do you really show Midnight your love like that? Meet me at the Boutique for..."
"A party! I mean, sure there's this picnic here, but that's not really a celebration worth of the occasion! I sure hope I still have those heart shaped balloons..." Pinkie had interrupted Rarity, the sentences flowing from her mouth in an instant.
Handled with endless grace as always.
"Didn't I say you should be quiet unless there's something to report for the better of both of us?" Twilight thought to herself. It still took some concentration, so the other ponies noticed.
"Er, Twi', what's wrong?"
Oh look, your friends are not as stupid as you'd think.
"Shut up! Midnight, would you?" Twilight thought the first sentence, then said the second out loud.
The lady gives one of her unimportant servants time with her. I am impressed.
"Vision or it didn't happen."
If you wish...
While Twilight had laid back down, eyes shut, Midnight took the task of explaining what was happening to the corious ponies.
"Now, this might look scary, but she's fine. You see, some ponies can see the future in short, uncontrollable bursts."
"Like my Pinkie sense?" The pink mare's tail twitched right after, making her look up, open her mouth to catch a dropping muffin, and call up into the sky, "Thanks Ditzy!"
"Kinda. When it happens, she feels like she'd be directly in the situation she's having a vision of. Now, that's some dangerous magic, so all scryers have a little somebody in their mind to help them sort through all of the glimpses so they can live their lives and differ visions from pure fantasy."
"So when she's all focused like that, it's talking to her?"
"Yes. As far as I know, it's a female pegasus that has named itself Glimmer."
Rarity's eyes widened. "Er, I think I have something to show Twilight later. Now that I think of it, are all visions that long?"
Six pairs of eyes turned to Twilight. She was still lying on her stomach, eyes shut. Midnight was first to make a move.
"Breathing... normal. Heart rate... around forty. She's fallen asleep."
Glimmer's plan went perfectly.
Exploiting that Twilight felt the way she did in the visions when she received them, the imaginary pegasus had shown her a vision of being in deep sleep. The unicorn hadn't been able to resist falling asleep in the real world as a reaction.
Now, she formed a fake vision of breaking up with Midnight, and made Twilight wake up into a dreamt picnic, modeled after what would be real.
Twilight, unaware of her plan, stood up, stretched her legs, and asked about Midnight's progress on explaining her little secret.
"Yup, she told us all about your little flaw. Don't worry Twilight, everypony has one!" Pinkie happily responded.
"I wouldn't necessarily call it flaw... unless you mean that useless pegasus that nests in my brain."
"I know, accepting a diagnosis is hard. But just try to let somepony help you, ok?"
Twilight was confused. Either her friends were pulling a prank on her, or...
"Glimmer, come out."
"What are you talking about?"
"Unless Discord has returned in the minute I was sleeping, that's not normal behaviour from my real friends. Make it easier for us both and unmask this dream, Glimmer."
*Author's note: For dramatic effect, add Hans Zimmer - Dream is Collapsing here*
"Fine."
Most of the ponies around her faded. Only Rainbow Dash remained, which turned into the pegasus Twilight hated so much.
"Good. Now, I don't know what you're trying to achieve anyway, but let me demonstrate something."
Her horn lit up, and after a flash of magic, the flowers around them were gone.
"Do you know what makes objects in a dream vanish permanently?"
"Nothing, as long as the dreamer has any memory of the object... you wouldn't!"
"Smart girl. At least you're doing something with the brain you're living in. I don't think I have to tell you what I'm just waiting to try that spell on."
"And give up the only incarnation of Clairvoyance that Equestria has seen for almost a milennium?"
"To make you shut up? Anytime."
While the pegasus was not technically alive, she still feared for her life, and decided she should better stop and get away with it.
"But I gotta know... How did you find out so quickly?"
"Whenever you do something, it's on resources of MY brain. Simple enough, I have found out where you live and can tune in to that location to find out what you're up to."
With that, Twilight ended the dream and woke up.
"She's stirring."
"Good mornin', Twi'. Had a nice lil' nap?"
"Ngh... I hate that pegasus. Put me down with a vision of sleep, then put me in a copy of this situation, but you were all acting as if Discord had returned..."
"My. But why would she do that?" Fluttershy was unvoluntarily reminded of how she had behaved after being hypnotised by Discord.
"No idea. But I think she won't try that again. Got her pretty intimidated."
"Did you drop her all the way from Cloudsdale and caught her no five meters above the ground?" Rainbow Dash's statement was meant as a joke, yet it caused Fluttershy to shrink from remembering how that felt. Only then it hadn't been Twilight, but a swarm of Butterflies to catch her.
"Put her in front of a mad dragon?"
"Threw a Parasprite in her home?"
"Girls, you may want to stop." Midnight's voice suddenly interrupted the swell of suggestions from the group. "I don't think Fluttershy could handle it if you continued."
The pegasus was cowering in the grass, hooves covering her face, quietly whimpering.
Everypony in the group felt guilty. As Applejack approached Fluttershy to calm her, Rainbow Dash unfolded her wings just in case her shy friend would just bolt off in shock and had to be caught.
"Hush. It's all good. Ah guess we all kinda forgot what you had to go through. Do you wanna talk about it?"
The pegasus looked up, revealing eyes filled with tears ready to flow down her cheeks.
"Oh, no, I just... lost control." She tried to force a smile, but squeezed out the tears in her eyes by doing so.
"I had no idea all of those things would be so hard on your mind. Please Fluttershy, repressing your fears and cowering down when they're brought up is not the way to deal with them."
She looked around, but all she saw were concerned faces on all of her friends, including Midnight.
"Alright. But this might take a while. I warned you."
To help ease up the situation, Midnight made seven bottles of Sasparilla float out of the basket and distribute among the ponies.
"To the new love." She whispered to Twilight, raising her bottle.
"To us."
The picnic hadn't run as nice as planned. Good thing about that was, Fluttershy now seemed a lot more stable, after three hours of talking about her past and fears.
It had taken much listening and reassuring, but eventually, all the problems she had repressed could be treated.
It was already dark when the couple returned to Ponyville's library.
"Strange. Why is this door not locked?" Twilight asked. Moments later, realisation started to dawn on her. "Spike!"
"What now, Sparkle?"
"My assistant! He should return from Canterlot today! Oh, I hope he isn't too mad I completely forgot about him." She rushed inside.
The baby dragon was busy sorting the books Twilight had just stuffed into the shelves where they seemed fit.
"Oh hey Twilight. Glad to see you at last."
"Spike, I'm so sorry..." She began, but Spike cut her off, staring at Midnight.
"Don't worry, I'm not mad. Soo, do I finally get my own room? Who's that pony over there? Wait... That medical Cutie Mark has nothing to say, right? She's not here for me, right?"
"Not really. Not yet, at least. But as soon as you cute little dragon develop the slightest cough, I'll be there." Midnight headed towards the kitchen to make everyone a warm drink.
"Why is she here, then? Twilight, I don't understand!"
"That's a long talk we must have, Spike."
For the situation he was thrown into, Spike took the news of his mistress' new love pretty well.
"That explains the big new bed..."
"Oh Spike, I'm so glad you understand."
"Yeah. I just wouldn't have thought it possible. I mean, sure, Applejack and Rainbow Dash always had a thing for each other, but you? I'd have expected Big Mac or something."
"You never know where love strikes."
"I need to think about that..." He went upstairs, into his new bedroom. "Erm, Twilight, where's my basket?" he called down.
"Oh, I didn't think you wanted to keep curling up in a basket like a dog, so you can sleep in my old bed."
"If you say so."
Spike vanished behind the door, leaving Midnight and Twilight seated at the table. A feature of the new walls the unicorns hadn't mentioned to him was that they were enchanted to be completely soundproof. Spike shouldn't be disturbed in his sleep by them that way.
They didn't talk. All that happened was that Midnight pulled her marefriend in for a deep kiss.
"What happens now?"
"Now? I have to go practice medicine." Midnight responded, pointing to the work plan on the wall. Her work was flexible and dependent mostly on Ponyville's health, but she had to work a general four days a week.
"Right. Well, see you for dinner, then."
"What are you going to do?"
"Rarity's currently not busy, so I'll go see what she has to show me."
"You be careful."
"You too."
"If you insist. But I have to warn you, this might not be easy on you."
"Oh, come on. What could you possibly have to show me that could be so terrible?"
"You'll see it when we're there." With that, the designer trotted out of her boutique, signaling for Twilight to follow.
"Don't ask and I won't answer. Aw, don't you worry, it's nothing like Rainbow Dash suddenly died or something."
"Why should it be..."
"Well, how did you say does that Glimmer pegasus inside you look again?"
"Silver to gray coat, golden mane, jewelry Cutie Mark. Why're you asking?"
"Just making sure."
Her pace quickened, avoiding any questions Twilight may have for her.
"There we are."
"Er, why exactly are we at the church?"
You don't want to come here. Curiosity killed the pegasus.
Out of curiosity, but also to disobey Glimmer, she headed inside the graveyard after Rarity.
"There."
Don't look, don't look! Quick, where's a nice and long vision to show you?
Twilight's eyes fell upon a tombstone with a jewelry necklace carved into it. It was tradition in Ponyville to carve a pony's Cutie Mark into their tombstone.
Upon closer inspection, she could read:
"Here lies the pegasus Glimmer
Her sacrifice saved many other
pegasi from her fate."
"You don't mean..."
"She was the first pegasus in this region to be hit by lightning. Plummeted downwards, unable to fly, and hit hard ground."
"No, she can't possibly have manifested inside me. Or could she?"
Twilight, unsure of everything, started to conjure a single flower to put on the grave.
Moon's Tear please.
"You have much explaining to do." Twilight thought.
Can we please get away from here? You wouldn't believe how it feels to look at your own grave.
Twilight arrived at the library, deep in thought.
Spike was not there. Most likely, he was trying to win Rarity's love again.
Lie down. I'll have to show you things to make you understand, so you'd best pretend you're napping or something in case somebody comes in.
Twilight laid on her bed, lying on her side, legs stretched out.
"So. First question: Are you real?" She didn't expect anybody to come in, so she didn't bother trying to keep quiet.
Are you? Faust once wrote... No wait, Faust WAS written... Anyway. I suppose you could call me real. I am not, as much as I'd like to claim it, a part of you.
"Then who ARE you?"
I am Glimmer. I know, right? You probably can't or don't want to remember, but I was there. I was the nurse that overlooked your birth. I babysit you for years after. Oh, what a delightful character you had.
The fragment of a memory stirred in Twilight's mind.
You weren't always easy to care for, no. And I think that's partially my fault. I believed you had to live to live, and some of that must have rubbed off on you. You were adventurous, curious, sometimes a little mean. Just like me.
"And then..."
And then I thought it would be a good idea to fly through a thunderstorm. Well, as a matter of fact, it IS dangerous. Warn that pegasus friend of yours. Hearing of how I died must have triggered something in you. You never again wanted to be like me, nor should anypony take such risks and cause such a loss to you ever again.
"Oh Glimmer! But even if that is all true, why are you here, inside me?"
Celestia didn't tell you, right? The gift of Clairvoyance is indeed something you need help to deal with. What she didn't tell you for whatever reason is that, no pony that has had it until now actually produced their own advisor, but had the spirit of a deceased pony they were awfully connected to do that.
The pegasus let out a small sigh.
You still don't believe me. How about you watch this?
Twilight's mind was flooded with images. She was young. There was so little she cared about. She looked up to the pegasus she adored so much. She was almost like a mother to her. Glimmer had promised her to take her flying that day, while her parents were off working.
That was when I sparked your love for flying.
Twilight was curled up on her bed, the pillow below her head wet from tears.
I think you can imagine when that was. After you regained control of yourself, you must have decided to just repress any memory of me. Don't you wonder why you can hardly remember any of your foalhood?
"I..." Talking about it had undone a barrier in Twilight's mind, and suddenly she could remember everything, an unpleasant number of memories containing Glimmer.
Good thing I took the time during your pegasus friend's incredibly boring parade of things she had done wrong to dig through your memories, eh?
"Why do you dislike them so much?"
Counter question: Why do you hate all but two medical ponies by default? They remind you of me, even if you hadn't realised it up until now. They remind you of losing somepony you loved so much.
"That doesn't really explain why you hate my friends."
Because I don't think they deserve you. Would they catch you out of free fall? Would they face a basilisc to protect you?
"They actually have done both of that already."
I see. Stick with your so called friends, but I'll be the one laughing when we're reunited because they ditched you.
Twilight wanted to stand up, but she couldn't. The emotional weight she had just discovered weighed heavier on her than she had expected it to.
"But why did you kidnap me at the picnic?"
I was trying to prepare you for the news you would inevitably discover one day. Think about how much easier it would be to accept who I am when you're already thinking of me as a trusted friend and not as an enemy. All the effort I made to seperate you from your friends were to bring you closer to me.
Twilight's breathing became deeper after the shallow bursts it had turned into when seeing Glimmer in her memories.
"Wanna be friends?"
The imagi-mare-y pegasus chuckled politely.
Sweet dreams, Twilight Sparkle. Know that I'm always watching over you.
With those words, Twilight drifted off into an afternoon nap. She had felt as tired as after staying up two days in a row.
The unity of past and future
Midnight came into her new home just before sunset.
She had expected to see her marefriend just waiting for her, but all that greeted her was an empty library.
It confused Midnight. The mare she loved was not a pony for sudden disappearances. She wasn't a napping pony either.
Her concerns were wiped when she galloped up into the bedroom and found Twilight peacefully asleep.
"How was your sleep, Sparkle?"
The unicorn slowly stirred. when she opened her eyes, she saw the smiling face of her love, bent over her. "How late is it?"
"Look." She pointed towards the window, where the sun just began to vanish behind the horizon.
"Oh my."
"Kind of. Why were you asleep, anyway? Did Glimmer trick you again?"
"She kind of did."
"Are you sure you don't want to get rid of her?"
Twilight decided to tell Midnight about what she had found out later. "Yes."
"Uh? Well, whatever. What do you want for dinner?"
"Whatever you want to make."
As Twilight slowly rose to follow her friend who had rushed downstairs, a memory came to her mind. Or, rather, the lack of one.
Neither of you bought supplies recently, did you?
"You tell me."
Oh really? You WANT me to search your mind for that?
Twilight already knew the answer, and so did Glimmer. But it couldn't hurt to give her a way to make herself useful inbetween visions, Twilight thought.
You do know that everything you think to 'yourself' automatically passes me, right? Well, off to work. As the foalies would say, Cutie Mark Crusaders memory librarian yay!
Indeed, hay sandwiches were all that Midnight had managed to scrape together. Neither of the unicorns minded that. The most important thing for them was eating their food together.
Their peaceful dinner was interrupted by Spike coming home.
"Sorry, Rarity held me for longer than I intended. Doesn't look like you needed me, anyway..."
Twilight had to admit that she hadn't expected the baby dragon. He had been kind of pushed out of her mind by what had happened to her that day. What to do now? The bag of hay was empty and there was not more than one slice of bread left.
Midnight caught Twilight's worried look, responded with a calming chuckle and levitated a third sandwich out of the fridge, stored to prevent it from becoming too dry. She also pulled out a bright red gem.
"For after you've finished."
Spike immediately began eating.
After a slight poke from her late friend, Twilight adressed her assistant.
"Spike, take a note. First thing to do tomorrow, go over to Sweet Apple Acres to restock on apples."
"You won't have to go all that way, Sparkle. Applejack should be on the market tomorrow."
"Fine then, visit Applejack's stand."
The baby dragon was so used to writing for his mistress that he easily scribbled the note while eating.
"Second, buy other groceries. Third..." She dropped into thinking for a second. "Get a flower bouquet for Glimmer."
Her words had the expected impact.
"You want to buy the pegasus inside your mind that you hate so much flowers?"
"I don't... hate her. I'll explain things when we're there."
Spike wasn't surprised too much by the news too much. Rarity had hinted something of severe impact on Twilight to him.
Well played, dear. Well played.
While Twilight had technically slept through half the day, she still found herself deep asleep before too long that night. Glimmer gave her a special treat.
In her dreams, Twilight could live through memories of happier times. Times before the storm.
Halfway through a particular memory where she watched Glimmer soar through the clouds for her joy, there was a crackle, as if she was watching a television with signal problems.
As much as she'd have liked for the disturbance to just go away, it stayed. Everything around her paused and she couldn't see anything clear any more.
"What's going on?" Twilight quickly grew from the foal size she was in the memory to her actual size.
A hatch opened in the air beside her. Glimmer looked out, seemingly standing on the ceiling, her head coming down to Twilight's level.
"It seems there's another barrier in place. It wasn't unlocked by the blast that opened the other memories with me." Glimmer beat on the edge of her hole, which made it spin around until it was the same orientation as the ground.
She looked up. "And I think I know why. I'm about to perform the same trick that killed me later. Do you really want me to work a way through this barrier? There's a reason you put it there, you know."
"I don't want to miss any minute with you. Not for now, at least."
"If you insist..."
Seeing her old friend dive through the cloud stung more than Twilight had expected, but it was nothing against the joy of being together with Glimmer.
Twilight woke up nearly simultaneously with the other inhabitants of the library. After breakfast, Midnight asked her love about her plans for the rest of the day.
"So, what do you want to do today, Sparkle?"
"First work off the checklist from yesterday. After that, I'm open for suggestions."
Midnight was about to head out of the building on her own, when Twilight called for her.
"Could we please do the first duties of the day all together? There's still something I want to show you, remember?"
"All you wish for, dear."
They went out to the market. There were so many ponies there that it was past lunchtime when they could finally drop all of what they'd bought at the library.
"Phew. How about we go to Sugarcube Corner for lunch?"
"Why not."
"Do you really have to share that cupcake? Like, I don't mind, but really?"
Spike's complaint achieved nothing but a smile from both unicorns.
After their lunch, the group headed to Lily's flower shop. Twilight acted a little undecisive, but had a very clear idea of how the bouquet should look in the end, as if somepony had advised her.
Twilight denied questions as she led her housemates to the graveyard. Upon arriving there and going through the rows of stones, she couldn't repress a tear.
"Twilight?" It was the first time since long that Midnight had used her first name. "What's wrong?"
Twilight simply pointed towards the matching grave.
"Here lies... Oh dear. But what does this have to do with you? It's a pegasus with the same name as your little problem, so what?"
Twilight laid the flowers down. "She's not just that. She's my oldest friend. She was like a mother to me when my biological mother couldn't. And now she has returned from the grave to guide me."
"You mean the pony that is buried here is now also inside your head?"
"And in my heart. I wasn't there when she flew through the storm, but simply hearing from it had a giant impact on me. I repressed all memories of her. Most of my foalhood was suddenly gone because it had this mare in it..."
"I had no idea there was such a burden on you."
"She was there from the beginning. Glimmer had watched over my birth. She was a nurse. Do you understand why I hate all but one medical ponies now, Midnight?"
"Subconscious memories of her. They hurt, but you don't know why."
"Now she's here to guide me, I suppose. And I've also got you. I love you, always."
"I know."
Courageous. I couldn't have done that. You're just whom I wanted you to grow up to be.
Halfway through the night, Twilight put aside the quill. Spike'd have been faster, but she wanted to personally write that letter.
"Dear Princess Celestia,
I have been fairly inactive for some time now and I apologise. I did learn a lot about friendship in the meantime though.
For simplicity and structure, I'll just start from the beginning. Back just when You had sent me that 'invitation' to do the finals, remember?
That letter had done something to me. I don't know fully understand it, but I was suddenly suffering from a fairly heavy insomnia.
But it also put me under stress. I have hardly been to Canterlot since You sent me here to Ponyville.
Even worse than that I was returning to a place I had not visited for more than one day at once for such a long time was the renewed need to prove myself.
I can't remember when the library became the only one that could teach me. And now I should know all that a fully educated unicorn would at their finals?
How could I be sure not to fail completely while not showing off with my talents? What if anypony had heard the tales of how I saved their sorry rumps twice, if not more often?
How would I survive the time without my friends?
Now, somehow, I managed to balance out talent and cover, which You provided for me. That solved the first two questions.
Before I could find an answer to the third one, a new problem came up, which called for the assistance of my friends more than ever, and I hate my body for bringing that up, even right then.
Right as I was trying to cope with the stress, I noticed a lack of emotional binding. I mean, I've got Spike, the other Elements, most of the ponies in Ponyville... Yet, I was missing someone.
Someone to bring all that troubled me to. Someone that would share my joy as well as my grief and my bed.
What an awesome problem to have right before more than two months of work far away from anything you really know, right?
Ironically, it was my friends' attempts to cure my insomnia that caused this. Well, they managed to get it away.
I think maybe some of the stuff from between Applejack and Rainbow Dash leaked over to me. Who knows. I know I don't.
I am rambling over tiny details. So let me move on to more relevant stuff.
I went to the School and did my finals. That sounds unnaturally short, but it about sums it up.
While I was there, I also discovered Glimmer in my mind, but she was nothing like what she really was. A figment of my imagination, animating the picture of a pegasus I had received through Clairvoyance with missing data.
I knew how she looked, but little else. What was missing was filled up with... Something. I am not sure where that sadistic personality came from. She claimed it was my own.
Maybe it was. I wouldn't know. What I did know was that she organised what visions of the future I received. I asked You about that topic already if I recall correctly. She refuses to sort my memory.
I met somepony else during my brief time at school that would also become very important to me.
Her name is Midnight and I am in love with her right now.
I can't help but feel that she has something dire to hide, but Midnight refuses to speak about it.
That solved the fourth problem, with the third automatically undoing itself as I could return to Ponyville.
Maybe I should be more direct. I've learned that, no matter the circumstances, one should always keep their eyes open and give everypony a chance, as even more than a wonderful friendship may come from that.
I could add that the help of friends is always in good will and that they can't be blamed for any problem that'd follow from it, but I already knew that since my first day in Ponyville.
So, in order. I returned to Ponyville where Midnight followed me to. As friends, back then. Although, looking back, she might have had a little crush on me already.
Things moved so quickly. I attended the wedding of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Right after, I got heavily sick with the seasonal pony flu.
I was the only one in all of Ponyville that did. Fortunately, I had made friends with Midnight, who had nothing to do in her occupation as a nurse, and thus cared for me almost all day. As a good friend would.
I got better soon, but not before rushing to the clinic in an ill haste and almost by accident admitting to Midnight that I had grown quite fond of her.
Glimmer changed in that time. At first, she was pushed out of my mind almost completely, and replaced by an image of Midnight, who was sometimes even Midnight herself through some kind of common subconscious thing.
Magic. Don't try to explain that.
But she returned. Glimmer was worse than before. Through something I named the Bleeding Effect, I felt exactly the same when she showed me a vision as I did in that vision.
As I received hundreds of bits of information daily, she could exploit that to put me to sleep with a sequence of me doing so.
I didn't understand her reasons.
Eventually, things cleared up. I was shown that, indeed, Glimmer had lived. She had been there for me since the beginning of my life. Like Princess Cadance, but earlier.
But before long, Glimmer was hit by a lightning bolt and fell to her doom while I was still watching. Good thing is, she proved that flying through thunderclouds IS dangerous. Bad thing is, she died.
She's telling me not to be so dry about her death right now.
So, I did what every filly would, I repressed and forgot about those things as soon as I could. But the memories were still there, and Glimmer showed them to me.
I understood. This was not an enemy at all, but an old friend, returning from the grave to assist me.
Funnily enough, what I wrote earlier about the lesson I had learned about friendship applies here too.
That's about what has happened to me since my last real letter. I have much more to tell You, but this is already much longer than I meant it to be. I don't want to waste Your time.
Your faithful student
Twilight Sparkle"