Splitting aMid the Night

Midnight had warned her, but to no avail. Sparkle had tried to stay attentive all the way through History of Harmony. It had to be the stress and nervosity flowing through her untrained mind. Of course. Moving to another town was exhausting for anypony, and she had apparently had to pick up school again very shortly after. Maybe it was Mr. Sandhicc's influence after all. He was said to have a lulling effect on everybody who happened to stay during his lessons. His classroom didn't help that. With the wood covering all the walls and the ground and the half-veiled windows on one side that let in the Sun's blessed warmth, it was indeed very cozy.

Midnight's class couldn't confirm or bust that myth. Nopony had managed to stay attentive enough to gather data. Perhaps it was a combination of the two. Either way, there she was. Sparkle looked so peaceful asleep. She looked even a bit... cute? Midnight had to get off these thoughts. The unicorn next to her was not a young filly anymore, she was a mare of almost her age. But for some reason, Midnight couldn't help but look at her as half her size. She could wake Sparkle up, but Midnight let her have a nap. Nopony noticed that one more pony was even less attentive than usual.

Also, she could closely examinate her without looking awkward that way. Her mane had a small strip of darker pink in it which looked rather catchy. The skin under her eyes told that Sparkle was recovering from a period of lacking sleep. Obviously, she had just moved. That took its toll. Even though it was obviously nothing compared to what Midnight had been through, that pony clearly had some history. There were minor imperfections all over her face. Midnight wondered for a second if it was normal for a pony that wanted to or maybe should become a nurse to see such things on a friend. Perhaps she was just observative.

Perhaps she was into Sparkle. No, of course Midnight wasn't. What a silly thought of her. First, she'd finish school, pick up work somewhere in a nice little earth pony town, then find herself a loving stallion when she decided it was time. If she would give in to her weaknesses at all. Nevertheless, there was nothing but guardian instinct between her and Sparkle. There couldn't be. Not yet, and not with another mare. Not with Sparkle.

Then again, why couldn't Midnight stop thinking about Sparkle's cute little mane strip? This required patience. Patience and slow investigation. Midnight was good at that. She might not look like it, but Midnight could stay in one place for hours, observing the situation and waiting for the right time to act. There was no need for rushed actions. If she would only stay patient, everything would sort out. In time. She was not attracted towards Sparkle in any way. This was only a joke, played on her by her own body. By Noon.

"Hey 'Night, snoozing off again?"

Midnight was grateful for this interruption. Even with her determination to learn everything about the universe she could, there were still thoughts she didn't want to have. That included those with Sparkle in them. She was not in love. She was currently out with her friends. At last. Not to say she didn't enjoy Sparkle's company, for one reason or another, but sometimes, she needed some time to think. The cute unicorn would only misdirect her on those matters. Those that included her.

"No, of course not. What does it look like? I'm bored. Every time, we buy some fresh cider, then go to some park where we drink it while talking about nonsense." Midnight inspected the bottle in her telekinetic grasp. It was still half full.

"Who said it's nonsense? That's serious stuff we're philosophing about!" V said as he waved his horn in a wide circle encasing the whole group from his viewpoint.

"Okay, not nonsense, but irrelevant. I mean, what have we been talking about in the last half hour that's actually important to anypony?"

"Erm... Not so much. Usual friday night stuff. But there's some gems here too. Didn't you hear that Little Zeddie got himself a filly? That's kinda interesting."

Zeddie. Fillyfriend. That was not such a big surprise. After all, he was just ridiculously photogenic. He could charm anyone he pleased, mare, stallion or otherwise. He wasn't at Midnight's level, of course. Emotionally. He still hadn't grasped the futility of it all. No, Midnight wouldn't go through all of that. She didn't need to. Most of the time. Midnight blushed as she thought of the exceptions.

"Heh, sad that you missed your opportunity and he's taken now?"

If looks could kill, V would be a pile of meat three times over.

"As I was saying. I mean, I enjoy my time with all of you, but in the end, what's the point? It doesn't even matter. One thing. It doesn't matter how hard you try. Time is a valuable thing. Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings. Watch it count down 'til the end of the day. We're wasting time here we could be using productively, by studying, for example. We wasted it all."

"Uh, deep. And somewhat hurtful. I'll just blame this on nervosity from the finals coming soon."

Midnight drank a little from her bottle. "Mh, yes, please. Don't want you to think I'm being mean to my friends."

Tried so hard. Got so far. Things aren't what they were before. Wouldn't even recognise me any more. Not that you knew me back then.

Just what I was thinking. Hey, you're getting better at keeping quiet when I'm busy. How about you work on extending that time period, like, until I'm busy again

Watch you go into madness. And I'm not even doing anything about it. Remember all the times you've fought with me? Arguing with oneself is a serious condition.

I'm not going mad. You are driving me there.

Sure am, sweet princess. Look right. Right. Would you kindly look right already or do I have to do it myself?

Midnight decided to follow her inner demon's bidding. Turning her head, she spotted the tower clock, which appeared to have been Noon's goal.

Midnight, Midnight, you should get to bed. While I'm on it, do you have any wish for your dreams tonight? I have found this wonderful reservoire of memories... A week after, to be exact. I'm sure you remember. How about that?

Try and I'll kill you.

Delay's the word you're looking for. Wouldn't dare to. The death threat is getting old.

Only because you're more useful than annoying.

Or maybe you only imagined having me gone all the time.

Stop such thoughts. You are draining MY mind's power with them. You were definitely gone, I'm sure of that. Better that way. I can only study things I have some distance to observe them from to.

So you're thankful that I am here now?

I'd be more thankful if you weren't. Can't I push you out just a little bit? Like, to remove pain?

Was I to know, you were. Time for an experiment, no? Wait, stop, I do not want that.

Too late. Here goes. Midnight checked around her. V was back with the rest of the group and had left her behind on the bench.

She concentrated. Focused. Her breathing became slow and deep. She focused on that. With every inhale, they entered her. Nitrogen. Oxygendihydrate. Oxygen. Neon and other trace gases. Cool and pure from the very top of Canterlot mountain. Those molecules were the those that everything else was made of. That she was made of. The cosmos entered her with every breath and was already present at the same time. With every exhale, those molecules left her again. In essence, a part of her was leaving Midnight. She opened her eyes. She felt nothing. It was night. She should go to sleep. Midnight got up, said goodbye to her friends, and walked towards her home.

Don't think I'm gone, petty princess.

Missed an 'r'

Blood.

Midnight hated bleeding. Not because it was painful. She was far above feeling pain if she didn't want to. Not because of memories linked to it. Not because she was afraid of death. Midnight would embrace Death whenever he would come for her. But because it reminded her of what she was in. A mortal shell, lasting only for so many years before erasing its own existence and all it had done. A breeding machine, designed to mix its genes with another of the kind to hopefully create a better being after hundreds of thousands of attempts.

An imperfection. Also, bleeding made a mess. Midnight brought up a sheet of paper to catch what was leaking from her hoof out of lack of a better item for the job. The liquid just wouldn't stop running. Cauterising herself as she had done with V was too dangerous, though. Sparkle walked up to the unicorn standing on three legs in the hallway.

"Come on Midnight, we don't want to be l... oh. You should get that bandaged."

"Nah. I don't know if you've found out in those short two weeks, but I am talented for nurse... ery. Hence the flank. I'm telling you, kid, this doesn't need anything. Will stop in just a second. Any second now. There."

"Wait, isn't your special talent teleportation?"

"It is. Yeah, it's like, a double kind of thing."

"Ooooh, a double cutie mark! Those are super rare, especially with talents that don't go into the same category. Did you know there's some discussions going on whether cutie marks are actually predestined or are created when somepony shows great talent in a tricky situation?"

"Doesn't that mean the same?" Midnight started walking again, stepping onto the edge of her hoof to avoid the wound.

"Not necessarily. You see, some ponies get their marks in something they had never done before, even though they were so skilled at another activity everypony thought they'd get their marks in that. It all depends on the situation they got them in. If I may ask, how did you get yours?"

"I was really young. Like, two years before entering this school young. I had to run, but had no more energy. So I had to teleport myself."

"Wow. You pulled off self teleportation at such an age?"

"Kind of. I did it successfully, and it brought me forward. Two inches. My body was simply not powerful enough for such magic yet. That wasn't far enough to save her."

Midnight's voice remained calm and steady. Sparkle had some trouble deciding if she was lying or not.

"Her? Who's that?"

"I'm getting to that, kid. Now, in the time I tried to teleport, I had managed to catch some breath, so I quickly came to Mother's side. I was too late, though. I was advanced in the arts of medical care, but it didn't help."

Sparkle would have complained about Midnight exaggerating their age difference again, but this seemed serious.

"You mean..."

"So much blood. As I was crying over her, my awesome rump decided it was the time to get a mark. Teleportation, because I had performed a task seemingly impossible for fillies my age, even if the spell was ever so weak. Nurse... Stuff, because I did care well for her. It just wasn't enough. How cynical of myself."

"I... I'm sorry I even asked."

"I'm over it. Somewhat. What's your story?"

It was Midnight's turn for awkwardness. Sparkle's expression suddenly jumped from sorry to somewhat displeased as she waved her head back towards her flank, covered in fabric.

"Oh right. Let's hope for an interesting story you can tell me someday."

"If 'someday' is before our graduation."

"Eh, Sparkle, why so pessimistic? We'll stay in contact, of course. Because we're friends, right? Erm, is it just me or are we taking an awfully long time to get to class?"

Sparkle seemed amazed at Midnight declaring them friends. She certainly hadn't expected that. With Midnight treating her like a foal, even subconsciously so, she would probably have been the one to call the two of them friends, followed by awkwardness from Midnight at her foalish behaviour. She looked behind them. "Friends... Wait, you're right. We've passed the room. Mare, how long is this hallway?"