Splitting aMid the Night

"Well, it's been fun and all, but I have to get back." Midnight trotted around the main room reshelving books before grabbing her rainbow scarf and wrapping herself in it. "Wait, why do I even- anyway." She tossed it back onto the stand and went to Twilight's side, "Left you a text sample in the bedroom, y'know, where you too belong. Take it easy, drink the thistle tea I've prepared, and have plenty of rest." An obedient moan set her out of her business attitude and she added, "I won't be long. Love ya." After claiming a last kiss, she evoked her usual energy to once more traverse the Flow, this time per spell instead of on hoof.

You ever had the feeling that everything you did in the past hour could be summed up in less than two words a minute?

Nearly permanently. Why you asking?

I felt that we shouldn't have to talk destiny and all that serious stuff all the time. Or complain about how you are always enjoying yourself with Ruby instead of, you know, working.

As long as everypony's cared for, I don't see why I couldn't. How fortunate that you can see through the walls for me and tell me about costumers.

Like the one coming in right now.

Bloody called it.

"I'm needed, be right back," Midnight muttered as she teleported into the office. Once that pony made it all the way through the clinic, she'd be able to sit there and pretend she'd been there to begin with. "Yes?" she asked as the door opened.

The pony revealed herself to simply be Sugar Heart, a local caretaker. Midnight recognised her, she assisted the elderly and, as called by some, mentally challenged. Sometimes, she had to wonder why Sugar Heart hadn't simply been taken into active hospital duty to fill Midnight's slot, but with the given situation, beggars couldn't be choosers. Perhaps her being an earth pony had also helped the decision. "I'm here for Miss Loose's medication," Sugar Heart said. "And by the way, that's the Nurse's desk."

"Yeah." Midnight walked back into the medicine chamber, running a hoof down the list of subscriptions until she reached the correct entry. "Ah yes, the ret- Screw Loose. There you go."

"Thanks," Sugar Heart said nearly mechanically as she stored away the meds in her bags. She turned and set to leave, "Have a nice day."

"Hope we can service you again soon!" Midnight called after her with satisfyingly exaggerated cheer.

Okay, now that we're done with that, back to filly duty. As soon as she's truly gone, at least. Jeez, this room could use some decoration. It looks way too serious and stuff.

So predictable. Like all of your kind.

I thought so were you?

Eh. I'm a spirit. Ponies, I'd say, are more like vehicles. Of course, you could ascend, if you'd finally transcend. But no...

"There we go," Midnight announced herself as she passed the door to Ruby's room. She sat back down on the bedside and said, "Now, what were we going on about?"

"Pirate trees!" Ruby happily piped.

While they could be messy, stressful, helpless, time-consuming, and often downright annoying, there was nothing like a filly's innocent mind to brighten up a heart tired from maturity. "Hm. Yeah, why not?"

Nether princess, we have to talk.

How wonderful that this coincides with the end of my shift.

How wonderful that you still believe in coincidences. Meet me in the Flow, would you kindly?

Aw. I wanted to watch the sunset!

So you don't want to come into the world of eternal twilight? Silly filly.

Midnight climbed through the rift again. Only through enhanced reflexes, she managed to barely avoid collision with Noon who was already standing in front of her waiting. Her balance, unfortunately, was not quite as good as her reflexes, so she was treated with a close-up of the Flow's ground. "Some things just have to be real. You wouldn't understand. Coming to think of it, why do I even dodge you?"

Noon pulled her up and walked away from the scene, this time following the path around the hospital instead. "For the first, no I wouldn't, but for the second, there is in fact reason for that. As you may have noticed by me, say, helping you onto your hooves, this world blurs the line of reality. There's not as much needed for matter here. I mean, look at me. The Flow allows living memories to take shape, like me or the ley lines."

Midnight hurried to catch up. "Wait, what do you mean?" As her image refused to give a clearer answer, she checked the space above the clinic herself, noticing that there was a distinctive lack of obstacles to hinder the view into the sky. "Huh. But, wait, then how did I see it in the first place?"

"Well, they're not exactly like me," Noon explained as they climbed up a thin, rocky slope that didn't seem to have existed the day before. "Your world, it's all about physics and logic and all those boring things. Here, it runs a bit more relaxed. The simple idea of set lines is something the Flow cannot handle. Besides, the lines were never real."

"Has anything here ever been?"

"Certainly." They passed a palm tree made entirely of asparagus. "Maybe not as you'd expect it," Noon remedied, "but the point is the following. While this is the world's essence, lines are more like the world's dreams. Within them, it bundles energy, but they don't exist in the practical sense if you're in the Flow itself. Only from your world, when you take in the visions of the Flow, they manifest. Which raises the problem of how else you'll draw power if you happen to live here."

"Wait, there's life here?" Midnight asked, suddenly losing a lot of confidence in whether visiting this world was a good idea.

"Of course there is. What princess is ever without a people? Don't worry, they won't come out with you around. Not yet. But where I was going at - and why I brought you here - is something different."

"And that is?" Midnight said, still carefully scanning her surroundings for any movement.

"This," Noon said, forcing her to look forward. In front of them, a bright yellow orb danced around the air, emitting sparks and light alike. "Raw energy. You would not believe how much of it unicorns waste. First you summon energy from the Flow to fuel whatever you want, then you use a spell to give it form and function. Once you're done, you dismiss it. Sometimes, however, you don't use it all up, it returns to the Flow shaped, but not released, and then that's what results. Spellpower in its truest form, ready to be taken by anypony who finds use for it. Energy, just like you. Go ahead, princess, touch it. I know you want to."

Midnight felt unsure. The temptation was unbearable, and Noon knew that. Some voice in the back of her head told her it'd be a bad idea, but the closest thing she'd ever had to a conscience had advised doing it. Slowly, she reached out a tentative hoof, eventually brushing the surface with but the tip. The orb instantly dispersed across her surface like liquid spilt over it and, before her eyes, drew in through her skin. As soon as the last of its glow disappeared, she felt strangely powerful, followed by the need to demonstrate that fact. She quickly lowered her horn and summoned the first spell that came to mind, thus releasing the globule again. It traveled down onto the ground in a straight line and with near tauntingly slow speed. As it impacted, however, the resulting shockwave appeared to surprise even Noon. After the dust literally disappeared out of the air, a rift revealed itself to have formed.

"Quite amazing," Noon said, straightening her illusionary mane back into shape. "Perhaps even you have some promise after all. That should do for now, dismissed. I believe that portal should also take you into the library. As I said, applying the laws of physical logic is a bit of a lost cause here. Of course, you're very welcome to explore further."

"Well," Midnight muttered to hide her own uncertainty. She knew that she belonged into reality, yet the chance to explore another dimension didn't come often at all. However, as tempting as it appeared, there was no telling when or where she'd find another way out. Rather than linger in a world unknown to her, she decided to return to her own world of paradise.

"So be it," Noon said as she faded out walking away, her voice somehow echoing despite their platform being the only piece of matter around.

With but the noise of a normal spell, Midnight appeared in the library's kitchen. She hopefully snuck into the main room, finding Twilight fast asleep there. This was little surprising as a brief look outside into the dark sky revealed that she'd been away far longer than intended. "Finally took your medicine, didya?" Midnight whispered, mostly to herself. "Well, too bad," she added with a tone so perfect she wished Twilight would already be awake as she started to make her so.

"Uh, wuh, what's- oh, it's you." Twilight rolled off the book that had served her well as a resting place for her head. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Like I could know that," Midnight said while filling the bin for dirty books. "Few hours, maybe. I've come with three requests. Dinner, question mark, how are you feeling, and hugs?"

"Yes, if you provide it, not too bad, and of course." Twilight slowly rose, her legs already looking much more stable, then flung two of those legs around her love's neck.

Somehow, they were able to make their way into the kitchen despite her weight and constant nibbling. "What do we have here?" Midnight searched through the various cabinets for anything that'd prove a fitting meal but didn't require any particular effort or prowess. So far, the results spoke little for themselves. "Hmm, green, green, more green, white, red, flower, flour... herbivorism is kinda boring. Too bad I always toss up when I try meat. Well, I suppose simple will have to do. Don't'cha agree?"

"Absolutely," an adorable voice above her said.

"I have to say," Twilight said once the levitated handkerchief left her lips, "I was kind of surprised by your text. Quality-wise, I mean. Let's just put the other stuff aside for now. Except, you picked an interesting choice of actors. Anything you want to tell me?"

Midnight bent deeper into the sink in an attempt to hide the colour of her face, despite the dirty dishes present there. "Well, if you're askin' like this, I admit it, Starlight used to be my personal acronym. I'll let you guess who inspired it."

"And?"

"What and? I thought up the rest, alright?"

"You know," Twilight purred, changing her tone faster than any instrument could, "it is what it is and, if I have to be honest, it did its job, but should there be any hidden wishes or things like that behind it, we might be able to arrange something."

Uh, help?

Princess, you don't need help right now. In fact, I'll leave the two of you alone. More fun this way.