Splitting aMid the Night

It was bright. Midnight took a moment to adjust to the blinding light. Though it took her vision, it was not uncomfortable; The glow wrapped her in warmth where the city of Canterlot was otherwise cool at best. Today was special. Every day should be with a royal rank like hers, even if it was only acquired and inherited, but none of them would trump this one. She would get to see a flight around the castle, carried by pegasi in a viewing capsule.

She snickered a little at the harness the pegasi had to fit into. They would hardly be able to fly, much less wizz around as they so loved. In many ways, this was a beautiful day coming.

The start was rough, but she had expected no different. Soon the spires of Canterlot were reduced from towering idol to low point of reference, when the ground was almost ouf of sight. The pegasi, and the capsule with them, raced through the very top of the city. They passed the Square of Time. Then a flyby of the royal palace. Then she heard the ropes snap. Midnight fell.

Well.

Why again would I keep you? When your only acts are sowing nightmares?

This was not my doing and you know it. Your mind has tendencies to create such dreams by itself. Get up, there is work to be done.

Bugger-all is there to do. It's holidays.

It is a matter of perspective. Yours is short. You should start with brushies.

But it hurts! And it involves getting up!

Thank the divinity for magic. And me.

Midnight slumped out of bed. The brush was as lazy as always until her spell came to motivate it for work. She was not sure which was more of a miracle; How much of a tangle her mane was after every night, or that it still had not strangulated her. Perhaps the mirror lied to her, making it look worse than it was. She pondered for a moment on whether that was actually possible. Judging by how it felt, she decided it was not. Soon after her mane curtain was restored.

You are not supposed to cheat! It is always foofy by itself!

Not full and airy enough. It took me long enough until I had this. Ten years.

Where you picked up magic of this kind, no one knows. Why you use it when you have no drive of vanity is a larger mystery yet.

Enough of this. It is time to start into the morning!

You are aware it is about half past eleven?

I can teleport in front of the house, directly past him, and appear to enter the house then. Credit where none is due.

A thought of a spell brought her outside. The air was heavy with moisture and depressing thoughts. Despite it, birds still sang in some parts unknown. The clouds just barely allowed seeing the lower parts of the land. A few rays of the sun managed it through to the villages below, whereas the sun was in clear sight from Canterlot. The high city had to retain some privileges, after all. In the clouds, she spotted a few dots; Two or three pegasi were darting between them.

The door proved little resistance. She could pick the lock with a bit of magic, but it was already open either way. As she entered, her father was indulged in a cup of coffee in the kitchen. "I made a promise to protect you," he said after putting the cup down. "Part of it is that I check on my sleeping princess each morning before I go down."

"Canterlot has beautiful sights in the morning." She took water from the kettle, prepared an individual bit of tea, then joined him at the table. "There was little time to have them."

"Certainly." He chipped a bit of dirt off of her hoof. "It has been a long time. You must be tired."

Do you not feel the pull of the infinite on you?

So this is how pain feels. I should lay off the candy. At least that much of it.

Pitiful.

It is suffering pure.

"Do you intend anything today?" He brought in her cup with the same spell that put his own away.

Knowing that the tea was too hot, instead she focused on opening the window blinds fully. The clouds had been dispersed and the sun fell in. The towers' rooftops sparkled as though it was still summer. At least her beverage gave her some of its warmth, as well as a taste of green. "Nothing of note."

"You have nowhere to go? Nobody to meet?" His magic cleaned some strands of her mane, groomed them, caressed her.

"No. Especially not now. It is still cold. Desolate. Alone." His spell broke with the earliest of her countermagic. He was not putting up any resistance, apparently.

Without magic, he took her into a physical embrace. She accepted it. "You are not alone. You never will be."

"I suppose not. My books will do." She rose and left the kitchen, the cup hovering besides her. As tempting as it was to teleport up the stairs, it would lead to spillage without question. For once, she actually had to climb them.

The labours of a physical existence.

I'll handle my labours when I get them.

Sooner than you may think.