Splitting aMid the Night

"Ugh, let's go. We're already way late on our date. To study, I mean. At my house"

"You mean, we can just leave on the case? Shouldn't we stay or something?" Sparkle asked with a concerned face.

"What for? I've done my best for her, she's in better care now, we told them what we know about her... I'm not exactly lucky with that stuff, you know? That's not the first pony I carried into this clinic."

Midnight had to admit, she had stayed around for a bit longer than necessary every time, and this was no exception. But what did she matter now anymore? The pony in charge of Colgate took a moment to talk to them. "Hey Midnight, want a stamp on the hoof so you can easily come back in when you've saved another life?"

"Yeah yeah. I get it. I don't know what's the deal with me either. They just keep dropping half dead at my hooves."

"I'm not blaming you, no, not at all. They may be only a statistic to you, but believe me, everypony who knows one of those you... ran into... is eternally grateful."

"Should come back when they got me a gift basket. Heh, just kidding. Yeah, I know how that'd feel for them... But if you'd excuse us, Sparkle and me were trying to have a nice evening when Colgate happened to need me."

"Won't stop you. But, remember. I've educated you a few times, I know you. Don't just shrug them off as accidents, Midnight. Every time you prove your talents, you make one friend for their life and a dozen more forever in your debt."

Midnight said her goodbye and left. Sparkle followed her out of the clinic.

"You mean, you've done stuff like that before?" Sparkle asked right as she had caught up to Midnight.

"Once or twice... Or maybe more than half a dozen times already. It's what I do best, hence the flank. So far, I've only lost one patient."

Sparkle opened her mouth, but then seemed to answer her own question and shut it again in awkwardness for even thinking about asking that.

"Yeah. So, at last, we can start our evening together. I hope you're not mad that I won't be able to offer you anything fancy, but I'm not exactly a good cook and it IS late."

Sparkle suppressed a giggle. "Anything you ma... I mean, have for me is fine. Can hardly be worse than what I make for myself all the time."

Had Midnight been just a bit more attentive, she'd have noticed the paradox Sparkle had just said. But she wasn't. All of her power went into leading her friend home and keeping her mind clean of thoughts she didn't want to have.

Just why does that kiddo have to be so cute...

They had been productive. At least, while there weren't certain body parts of the younger unicorn hypnotising Midnight and denying her any concentration. This was a cruel joke from Noon. Midnight could feel it. At the very least, she could feel something, and that already showed her demon's presence by itself. She had given them both a small break for taking a small breath.

Sparkle had gone out to walk a few steps outside of the house. Midnight preferred opening her window and relaxing in her room. The moon was the only object providing her with light as she had temporarily shut off all other sources. She preferred the natural approach. They could have used the living room to have more space, but it just felt better to do it in upstairs. Eventually, all of her school books ended up there anyway. There was no point in going against the flow of entropy. Midnight appreciated the pause. Even if it was more the break from being alone with Sparkle she needed.

She heard the door downstairs. Five minutes were just such a short timespan. She'd need at least twenty seconds to walk through the house. Midnight closed her eyes as she was still lying flat on her bed and repeated her breathing ritual again to keep a clear mind the rest of the evening. Sparkle entered her room. Midnight jumped to her feet.

"Enjoyed yourself out there?"

"Totally. It's such a nice night out there, the weather ponies have outdone themselves again. I can't wait to come back to seeing Rainbow Dash and the others again."

"Uh, who?"

"Rainbow Dash! Like, best young flier, one of Ponyville's weather ponies, just a slight case of hubris. I'm pretty sure you must have seen the rainbow she created out of joy about one and a half months ago."

"Which others? Why come back... If I didn't know any better, I'd say you haven't really moved to Canterlot at all. Would you like to tell your Class Mate Best Friend Forever something? I mean, I'm nopony to pry, but why would you lie about that?"

"Well, straight out, I'm from Canterlot. Originally. Like ninety percent of all unicorns in this region. But I moved to Ponyville when I was a filly. And, well, I somehow missed entirely that I have to do my finals, so here I am again. But I kinda miss my friends from back there. You'd like Ponyville. There are far less snobs there than here."

"That was direct. Imagine if we had gone through days, maybe more, of me trying to get the truth out of you."

"I know, right?"

Midnight shouldn't have expected so much from her friend. She was still fairly young. Ponies like her needed sleep. But Midnight didn't let her get away with it that easily.

"Hey, Sparkle! You're still awake, right?"

She was, even if just by so little. Midnight could see that, even though she was trying to hide it.

"Uh? Yes, yes."

"Good. 'Cause I don't know if I'm casting this spell here right. Mind to take a look?"

It was a simple teleportation spell. Of course Midnight was doing it right. It was part of her special talent. But she wanted to force Sparkle to focus and stay awake. Midnight teleported in short bursts, maybe three feet at a time, in a circle around her friend.

"I think you're casting that right. At least, that's how I always did."

"I guess you're right..." Midnight stopped her streak. Only as it was too late she remembered about magic inertia. Her surroundings were prepared to take her another step ahead, and thus were fairly displeased when she didn't ask them to do so anymore.

She lost balance due to the force pushing into her. "Ngh." She sighed, tipping over to lie on the floor. One of the books they had left lying around drove its sharp edge deep into Midnight's side. She ignored it. Sparkle suddenly started smiling.

"Oy, Sparkle! What's so funny?"

"That's... nothing. Just thinking back of home."

"Well, mind lending a hoof?" Midnight stretched all four of her legs upwards like a bug lying on its back.

What response she got was surprising to Midnight. Instead of getting up from her adorable little rump to help her, Sparkle just enwrapped her in an aura which she knew was unicorn magic and lifted her back to her hooves like that.

"You sure are a powerful magician, aren't you? I'm sure you could take on an Ursa on your own like that."

This overstatement appeared to amuse Sparkle.

"By the way, what's the time?" Midnight asked as she looked out the window to investigate a something that had drawn her attention.

"Purple pony. Almost."

"Uh?" Midnight whirled around to look at the clock herself. "Oh you..."

"Right. I think it's time we both get some sleep."

"So, we got through quite some stuff. I'll be honest, I didn't expect that from you, even though you teach me daily that good talent and a nice personality can indeed be in the same pony. I think we'll be able to finish on the second time. We agreed on Sunday... Two in the afternoon? Is that alright with you?"

"Fine to me."

"You know, they said that they have some great weather scheduled for then. Why don't we go out to the park or something? And if they don't get the sun out, you go get your pegasus friend and MAKE HER DO IT." Midnight said with a grin to indicate she wasn't THAT serious.

"She'll do it in ten seconds flat for us. Sunday at two it is. I'll come back here so you can lead me wherever you want to go. Have a nice time until then!"

With that, Sparkle left. All that remained with Midnight was the night sky, barely brightening up the darkness around her. As if competing with the Moon's smooth glow about who could light up the night around Midnight, a lit candle pushed itself into her view from the ground as she stared at the filly walking away.

She once more looked down to the object it was meant to illuminate. The picture. The same old picture put up on the doorstep of Midnight's home, giving one last reminder of Daylight when she was long gone already.

Of course, Noon was still there, as much as Midnight wished she wasn't.

Oooh, how cute. Lil' princess went on her first date and didn't even get a kiss out of it.

If that's all you can contribute, get out of my mind.

But why should I? It's been such a delicious spectacle. I have to agree, that filly does have a nice flank. I know you'll blame me, but let me tell you that... I didn't do anything about that tonight. How does that make you feel?

Blank. As always.

I'll get you one day. But for now, I'll leave you to your own doubts.

Noon didn't say anything more, but drew little hearts encasing 'M+S' into the darkness wherever Midnight wasn't looking.

You are lying, as always. Even if you aren't... Am I in that phase already? Curses upon this mortal shell! Just the body, not the mind. Oh, Celestia, don't make me a filly fooler. Not for me. For Sparkle's sake. She deserves better. She deserves a stallion with powerful magic that'll just break her heart and abandon her if she coughs at the wrong time because he thinks he's better. Well... maybe stallions in Ponyville are different. Or maybe she does deserve a true, honest soul.

Midnight didn't dare add 'Like me' to that statement, but in her heart, she knew she wanted to.