Splitting aMid the Night

At long last, Midnight had done the impossible. It had taken endless conditioning and a lot of help from one she would've preferred not to ask, but in the end, the result justified all the means. She laid back and basked in her glory.

She didn't dare breathe as beside her lay Twilight Sparkle in all her beauty. There were a thousand things that she was urged to do, but none of them would be executed, not now. Twilight was too peaceful in her sleep. After countless failed attempts, Midnight had once more managed to wake up first and she'd be sure to celebrate that to its full extent.

At least, she'd hoped to. However, as she contemplated the numerous ways in which she could awaken Twilight, her eyes fluttered open and her angelic voice worked its way through the initial hurdles of the day, "Morning, Midnight."

"Dammit." Midnight sighed and commanded the bedside brush to straighten her mane, all secrecy lost due to lack of need. "Oh well, there's always the next morning. Speaking of which, had a nice night?"

"Could've been better, I think." Twilight climbed out, leaving behind only her already fading warmth as a companion. "I dreamt strange things. Like I was in another pony's body, and then in another's... at the same time. You?"

"Eh, only nonsense. I've learnt to focus on the now after a few months with my personal demon. She loves dream invasions, you know." Knowing that uncomfortable things were best taken in a single shock, she held her breath and teleported down to the intermediate floor, away from the safe haven that they'd slept in. She arrived just in time to see Twilight vanish down the stairs and set to follow, but was put off by a simple motion commanding her to stay.

Not too many seconds later, Twilight reappeared, carrying a small feast in her magic once again. "There. I figured we might as well go outside since it's such a great day. No need for you to walk twice the way." She opened the balcony door and made her way outside, only then looking at Midnight. "What?"

"Uh, excuse me," Midnight said and stepped outside. "For a moment there, I was wondering how you could make all those things, in perfect condition, probably using magic, and carry them up here. I'd estimate maybe a few gigawatts of total power, generated in about ten seconds. But it's magic and you, why do I even ask." She sat down, dishes setting themselves in front of her. "I also wasn't aware that you have a breakfast table out here, but I've given up on the idea that there's anything in the world which you haven't done or in your possession."

"Don't you find that odd?" Twilight asked, taking a true lady's nibble from a croissant, followed by a stallion's bite.

"What? That sometimes you're–"

"Asked to do the unthinkable and turn out to have already done it?" She finished Midnight's sentence as it would've been down to the word.

Midnight indulged herself in the depths of orange juice. "Why do I even drink this? It's not like I'd really need it for the health. Anyhow. It'd be odder if you didn't."

"Ah, suppose you're right. It's such a wonderful day, the sun is high, unusually so for this time... anyway, just listen to all the birds singing." Twilight gestured in a wide arc around them. There seemed to be life in every tree within sight, including the one they inhabited.

"Did you ever care to think that they're basically screaming to get laid?" Twilight put up a mask of formal disappointment, trying and failing to hide the colour in her face that came of Midnight's unbound tongue. She decided to test how intense she could get it. "Then again, so does every species when they communicate."

The second flush brought her to an impressive level, but she soon took control of herself and countered, "Not today, darling, not feeling it. With that out of the way, any plans for today?" Midnight had never before noticed it, but Twilight had a strange tendency of burning through food much faster than one would come to expect.

"Whenever you ask that, you always have some of your own, I've noticed. Let me think for a moment." The first few bites of cereal gave Midnight exactly the time she needed, amongst other things. "What day is it even? Saturday, right? Ugh, I'm on shift today. Sorry."

"No harm, no tears. You have to fulfill your duty for ponykind as I will mine." She reached for yet another piece of food, but paused halfway there. The lack of commentary on her part left it up to Midnight to imagine the reasons for her behaviour. Perhaps she'd remembered her diet plan.

Fascinating. I should talk to somepony about this.

Hmm, if the problem is literally in my head, will it go away if I just ignore it?

Worthy try, princess, but a pointless one at that. Watch your tongue if you want kindness.

"Yeah, sitting on a pile of books and snapping at anypony who also wants a go at reading them. Important business." Midnight opened her eyes to find a low-charged sprite of energy flying towards her. A simple thought gave her shelter in the world inbetween, nullifying the attack. "You missed," she teased, which brought her the punishment of another. "Missed again." Twilight didn't seem to want to admit defeat, even if Midnight kept dodging her attacks. "Sparkle, I thought we'd established I am pretty good at moving through worlds. I can do this all day if I have to. The question is, can you?"

Twilight's horn lost the light shimmer it'd carried. "Looks like it. I have to study that suppression spell. Anyway. I'll handle cleaning up on my own, you should probably get going if you don't want to be late as usual."

"Hmm." A brief peek into the Magic Flow confirmed Midnight's suspicions. "Why, thanks for telling me about that beacon spell, I'll have fun dispelling it. Take care." Midnight invocated a quick teleportation spell in order to steal one last kiss, then followed it up with another that brought her where she needed to go.

Feels quiet. Ah, boring days. Looks like I'll be spending a lot of time with Ruby again.

Hey, bad robot. Kindly cut that out, nopony but I is allowed to gaze into others' minds. Or the future, for that matter. There are secrets in there, visions of great pain and justice. More than one like you could handle. Leave it to the ascended.

Chill down, I was just listening to my intuition. And before you ask, yes, I do in fact possess that, and it is not you.

Fascinating. Keep on that track.

"And that's how I defeated Napastrian the Second with only a wooden spoon." Midnight paused. She appreciated any chance to entertain Ruby, but at the same time, handling foals well strictly went against her principles. With a bit of luck, she may be able to pass off Ruby Pinch as an exception.

Regardless of whether or not she agreed with the means, her story had done its job as Ruby beamed up at her, amazement glittering within the darkness of her eyes. "Wow, that's awesome!"

Apparently, a book being popular in Canterlot doesn't mean that it's even known elsewhere. That could come in handy when she's asking for another story.

A small chuckle escaped her for more reasons than were obvious. "Yeah, I pretty much am. Ah, look at the time. Sorry, but it's medication time." She levitated forth a small plastic cup, almost spilling the yellow liquid inside during the trick. "What a coincidence, I seem to have brought yours when I came in already. Chug-a-lug, Ruby!" She set it down on the bedside table and headed for the door. "Gotta check on the other ones, then I'll be right back."

Do you really expect her not to struggle with it?

I'm counting on that happening. Now be quiet, this spell needs focus.

Is this some sort of illogic that you only get while you're in the meatbag state? I hope I didn't have it back in my days. And they say mares' logic is bad.

No idea why they do.

Elegant punchline revealing that the previous conversation was only to set you up for it goes here. Make your own, I'm busy. Her mind is awfully tight today, or maybe you're out of range. Then again, what is space but an illusion for those not yet beyond?

Hey, I like space. It's a pretty cool buddy always there to prevent us all from being flat characters.

Says she who uses the shortcut route most of the time that she travels.

Stop always ending our conversations with says she. I'm sure not even you are that shallow.

What do you speak of dimensions when you barely even master your own fourth. Heck, that's already saying too much. Mastery cannot come without understanding. Understanding will only follow to opening.

I just want a calm life with the pony I love. Tell that to yourself and whoever you're working with.

Back to work, would you kindly?

"Hey, I'm back." Midnight invited herself to take a seat next to Ruby. Once there, she was forced to talk far more sternly than she'd like. "You really should drink that. Might get an infarction if you don't."

"Eh?" Ruby wasn't resisting her, at least not with active intention. She was just looking at her with genuine curiosity. Midnight couldn't uphold her business stance, not against a face as adorable as that one.

"In brief, nothing you want to get. Look." She laid a hoof on Ruby's shoulder. Her coat was soft, far softer than it should be allowed to be given her situation. "I can understand medicine doesn't taste good, at least I imagine it doesn't. You gotta down it anyway. I can't force you to do it – well, I could, but I don't want to." A mug filled itself at the sink and returned to the table. "The actual step is yours to take, and you know you have to take it one way or another."

Ruby drew and held a breath, then downed the ill-smelling medicine in a single gulp. Already as she did, her face fell into terrible visages and she reached for the water right afterwards. "There." Midnight started comforting her. She couldn't explain it to herself, but it seemed like the natural thing to do. "Was it really that bad? Don't want to see you having to make such faces."

Ruby nodded as she lowered the mug from her lips. "Wallpaper paste. Bleh."

"Oh. Yeah, I know how those things can be. Not really, of course, because I'm immune to those things. Didn't I once break a leg, though? Hmm." Midnight played with the solitary strand of blue hair in front of her face, as she always did to pass moments of silence. "Nah, I'd remember that. Pushing painful memories out of my mind doesn't sound like me."

Allow me to guide you.

"Oh wait, yes I did," Midnight's lips suddenly blurted.

"That must have been bad on you, right?" Ruby asked with compassion which one would come to expect maybe from a parent, not a filly.

"You have no idea. I won't get around the whole story, right?" An adorable little head shook itself from side to side. "Awesome. That was ages ago, back when Mother– maybe even before you were born. I learned quite a lesson that day, let me tell you."