Splitting aMid the Night

Ah, what a wonderful day to do nothing but Sparkle. The Sun shines brightly, birds sing, and there are little pink hearts up in the sky. I... what

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Midnight watched with a note of disappointment as the bright nature around her literally melted into the usual darkness of her mind. It looked somewhat brighter this time around, although there naturally still was nothing around that could be seen with increased visibility.

Yeah, sorry, no reality for you right now. Princess, do you like me?

You've been worse before, I suppose

Thank you. Midnight, have you learned any telepathy while I was gone?

Do I have to remind you, of all, how far up that is? I've only seen Sparkle herself do it, what does that say about me

Oh, silly filly. Transcending matter, to visit thoughts which are not your own, it is not art. It is simply a matter of knowing where to look for the door. You'll be able to enter whatever environment your chosen has for themselves - pathetically boring, in your case - and enjoy yourself there. Then, once you're done, you retract your mind to your own imperfect husk, and come to that which is considered real by directly passing your own mind. In case you haven't realised, this is nothing but transferring one's essence, so our exploration of the Flow may come in handy.

A blazingly white dagger fell from the sky, shattering upon impact and projecting a frame which showed a star-filled sky between its halves.

How do you know all that

It happened to me. But my body, it's worm food now. So I'm stuck here. That's not too bad though, I've always wanted to transcend matter. What's important is that you can learn the secrets of it all. Come, I've opened a pathway to a mind where I've been before.

Whose? What guarantees that I'll get back

Midnight carefully trotted towards the edge of the doorway. There was no ground in sight to complement the sky visible through the portal, only a shooting star dashing seemingly randomly between the dots of light without ever burning out.

Ah, what is who but a silly word for distinguishing that which is essentially undivided. Well, it's no normal mind, that's set. Let's say that it is an interesting fella whose knowledge has use beyond your imagination. Also fairly comfortable as a place to hang out.

Midnight hesitated. Certainly she had formally left her own body before, but there was no reason to assume that her planeswalking was anything but vivid dreams. This felt different. Somehow, she knew that this was real, that she would be truly transcending matter, albeit for a limited time.

Oh, a word of warning. When you step through there, everything changes. Nothing will be the same again. See you on the other side.

A globule of light soared over Midnight's shoulder and directly into the portal. She shrugged and followed. At first, there was nothing, followed by her instantly losing all sense of self and blacking out.

Midnight awoke surrounded by darkness. There was no ground beneath her hooves, nor any other object to relate to. A night sky without comparison to any she'd seen in Equestria stretched out wherever she looked, with the spark still cascading back and forth between them. She struggled to try and move, but only succeeded in spinning in place. As if to add insult to injury, Noon glided towards her out of the nothingness with the grace of a trained pegasus in air.

"Welcome. What impression does this place wake in you?"

Midnight took her time to survey her surroundings before answering, "Calm. Order maybe. Kinda feels unnatural."

"Not chaos?" Noon floated around and grabbed Midnight's hooves to stop her movement. "I suppose you really wouldn't guess that. Anyway, behold, the chaotic mind."

"I'd have expected more of it," Midnight commented, eyes tracing the ball as it raced, always emitting a tiny flash whenever it contacted with one of the stars. "More stuff lying around randomly."

"You probably do expect so, but as pain can be flipped into personal gain, so can chaos be subsided to create more than order could. In a way, this being transcended thinking as we usually do and replaced it with something that requires a great mind - greater than yours - to handle, but simultaneously provides unexpected ways for any problem."

"So whom am I in? You didn't bring me into V, did you?"

"No. In fact, we're about on the edge of this reality. But, in the mind of someone who has meditated on the topic enough, the term of reality becomes as insignificant as that of time. So it's okay. You know how I always have helpful tips for you? Basically, those are not my own and this is where I get them."

"You're kidding me."

"Oh? Hey, look, there's a processed thought coming."

Indeed, the ball was headed straight for Midnight's position, though that was hard to make out due to that it didn't grow in size as expected. She caught it inbetween her forehooves, expecting sparks to shoot out or something. Instead, she was met with a cool, smooth surface. She didn't have too much time to fully inspect its composition however as quickly after a bright flash took presidence in front of her eyes and she was flooded with knowledge, rambling out bits which spilled over, "Task... disease... insanity... constant rule..."

She was relieved by a strong impulse into her back, knocking the orb out of her grasp. "Careful. There are secrets in here of which even one would be too much for a mind to bear, let alone knowing all of them. Besides, our future is anything but written in stone. As time shifts, destinies interchange and plans crumble to ash. Remember when I was surprised about you talking to her? That was not fate. That was you changing it. That being said, there are more, less mind-frying things around here and I have other things to do elsewhere... because He sayeth so. You enjoy yourself."

Noon was already halfway faded out when Midnight called to her, "How am I supposed to do anything? I can't even move!"

"You can't?" She stared off into the distance, seemingly distinguishing a pattern invisible to Midnight. "Ah yes. Wait exactly five words. Then you will. Bye."

Suddenly, Midnight felt propulsion, created by only her will for movement. This was almost certainly beyond any border of possibility, but she shrugged it off and set to explore her new location.

Oddly enough, after leaving space with the intention to wake up, Midnight instead found herself within her own mind's halls. And if she was here, then Noon certainly was too, and she'd owe her an explanation. She dashed through the rooms, eventually finding Noon's personal space. Once inside, she paused, overwhelmed with nostalgia as it still resembled the brightly lit blue room back at Canterlot. After turning to leave, she found Noon cowering besides the door in fetal position.

"What in the name of anything are you doing here? What am I doing here?" Midnight questioned.

"Princess!" The lower figure pulled herself into a slightly more upright position by Midnight's neck. "I've worked on a simpler path out, you just need to want to leave. Enjoyed yourself?

"I guess. Is there any relevance between that and my future?"

"Mh," Noon's eyes darted across the room, "I suppose you aren't too good at capturing his thoughts. Don't worry, you don't have to. I doubt that you'll come back there. Anyway, how about this. What if I went with you?"

Midnight returned a critical look. "With me. Where?"

"Where would I want to go? Outside, of course! No, listen." She forced Midnight to keep looking at her even though she'd much rather simply leave. "It could work. Just for a while. Until I found a way out, maybe another body or... I don't know. I just," she looked up from the floor with as genuinely pleading eyes as anypony had ever seen Midnight's be, "I don't want to be here any more."

Midnight decidedly, but, through some seed of regret, carefully struggled her way free and took a step backwards. It was clear that Noon was expressing honest desire, no hidden plots or schemes, but that was a wish which could not be granted. "That's... not going to happen. I'm sorry."

Without support, be it physical or apparently mental, Noon collapsed back into her previous state on the hard ground. "Yeah, I guess I had my chance. And I wasted it."

Before she could even think another word, Midnight slipped out of this world, waking in reality.

And thus to start another day, without magic, working all the time, maybe getting to see her in the evening

It appears that you caught something back there, at least.

Midnight was already halfway through her usual grooming procedure of rinse-brush-apply-magic when the events of the previous time returned to her.

Listen, I'm sorry

Ah, don't have to be. I was just getting lonely. Desperate. You're in the body, I'm not. I was aching for a chance to see the outside, to be physical. Never stop appreciating that.

Midnight felt that she'd be well advised to heed Noon's words. While she currently couldn't do anything for her, she still owed her gratitude for the recent past, regardless of the more distant past. She walked over to the view outside. The sky was veiled, but it didn't appear to be raining. She nevertheless wouldn't be spending her time with Twilight outside, that much was certain.

So, have I heard correctly that magic is still a neigh

Ah, your cute little inherited speech artefact. I was wondering when that'd come up. Anyhow, I'm afraid so, yes. As long as your spark remains where it is, and believe me that I'm doing all I can to get it back, there's no magicka for you. Save for those few that you barely used yesterday.

Awesome. Well, I suppose I'll be able to get along. After all, I just need to not use the one spell which makes me a decent medic. Piece of cake

After making a brief detour into another room on the bottom floor, she entered the kitchen where Octavia was busy describing the events of the previous day. Midnight did not care much for it and munched her breakfast nearly phased out, with the only detail which she noticed being that the earth pony wore a different tie, one composed mostly of two black roses on a fitting background to complement her mane. She commented on it just formally when the opportunity seemed right. Octavia appeared to think the compliment was genuine and reacted accordingly.

"All together, the marriage was a handsome experience. Make sure to invite us to yours when it comes around, right?" She was teasing. That was glaringly obvious.

However, she didn't mask the truth behind her words too well, as Vinyl put on a confused look and inquired, "Am I missing something?"

Tell and I will break your bones, treat you back to health, and then murder you in your sleep

Apparently, Midnight had managed to convey her thoughts nonverbally as the grey mare explained without mentioning the truth, "You understand, since she thinks about Twilight all the time and all."

Ah, secrets, lies, and a good bit of manipulation. Auntie's methods really are effective, as pointless as they are

Speaking pointless, half of Ponyville already knows what's between you two. Why exactly do you want to prevent the other half from doing the same?

Because I can. There is a time for all secrets, and only itself will reveal it. We... are patient

"I do not suppose you'll be doing something else but her today, will you?" Octavia asked, tearing Midnight out of concentration.

"I'd love to, but I'm on duty. But who knows, maybe I'm not coming home tonight. Wouldn't be the first... spontaneous sleepover. Hmm, we really are good friends. Reminds me, how much time am I overdue on being there again?" She turned to the wall-mounted time display device, which gave her a pleasant surprise. "Hm, I could actually even walk."

"Can I ask ya something?" Vinyl interrupted. "You said you can teleport basically anywhere closer than Canterlot with accuracy, so... why exactly are you still walking everywhere?"

Midnight set to reply, only then realising that she did not have an answer which would leave her in a better position. Thus, she instead teleported just outside the house and began making her way to work. A slight drizzle set in, but it wouldn't be enough for her to turn back and get a coat if her honour could stand such an act.

"So, have you been a good filly in my absence?" Midnight playfully teased her favorite filly.

Ruby nodded her tiny head, a gesture so loaded with cuteness that the older mare would certainly feel sick of it were it not for her adoration of the filly. "Uh-huh! Yesterday came a funny stallion that said he'd help cure me, so he used some spell that really tickled in my belly, and when he was done, he said I'd be one'a the best patients he'd had."

A distant memory resonated in Midnight's head, but she needed further evidence to support it. "A unicorn doc, eh? Was he brownishly coloured?"

Ruby Pinch briefly tapped her chin with a hoof, then said, "I think he was."

"Huh, naturally." Midnight let her train of thought carry her away for a moment before returning and seeing Ruby's puzzled expression. "Shooting, sorry," she rolled her eyes, "Doctor Shooting Star is an expert on diseases. It's said that his magic can even amplify - improve - a pony's immune system. Mine can't do that, but I guess fixing physical injuries is a worthy trade."

"You know a lot about him," the ruby filly commented.

Midnight waved the semi-compliment away with a hoof, "Yeah, figures I'd know. I used to work under him."

Ruby sprung to the information like Midnight had just pulled out some of her favorite candy. "Really? Can you tell me about it?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Midnight saw the Nurse standing at the door. "Ah, I gotta see if I can. Hopefully, I'll be right back." She rose from the chair and went to talk to her supreme, out of Ruby's comfortable discussion range. "Is it more important than her?"

"Oh, don't worry, you'll be back to telling stories in a pinch. I just wanted to tell you that I was there on Saturday. Quite a show you two had there." She paused to let the blood accumulate within the unicorn's face. "In case you need to free up some time for things besides work, I'm open for discussion."

"... thanks," Midnight breathed.

"There. Now, I think Pinch is eager to hear about escapades. I don't think you should keep her waiting." With a smile fit of the secret she was holding for Midnight, the Nurse left, shutting the door behind her.

Midnight returned to the bedside, "There we go. You see, the Doctor must've come all the way from Canterlot Castle down here just for you, because that's where he was when I last met him. I had been just a filly, a bit older than you are, and med course required that I'd go out and collect experience."

Oh, a tale from the time when you had still murdered me. How exciting! Go on!