Splitting aMid the Night

No, go away, don't force me to live!

"I'll just leave you two alone." Fluttershy dashed out through the door, slamming it shut behind her.

There she was. Twilight stood at the door, not moving, not speaking, just looking at her, no emotion within her eyes. After what seemed like hours, she broke the silence. "So, I leave you alone for a few days and this results?" Her voice was equally empty, of accusation and joy alike. "I'm sorry, Midnight. I should have known better. But when he fell sick, I was blinded away from who really needs me."

A few days? About what is she talking? Hasn't it been... no, it hasn't. She left two days ago. I remember what I remember. Empty memories, broken as the carrier knows they do not exist. Still, I murdered her... no, it wasn't me, she made me...

"Go away." Midnight retreated under the covers as far as that was possible. "I'm a monster. I don't deserve you. I don't even deserve to live. It was a mistake that I survived this far. Go and find somepony worthy of your–" She was interrupted as two sets of lips met in a kiss both all that she remembered to value and entirely novel.

"She wasn't your fault," said Twilight once they had drifted apart after another eternity had passed. "You weren't in control of yourself. This is nopony's fault." Midnight tried to argue, but was silenced. "Oh, don't tell me you didn't expect me to know about this. Back at Canterlot, I did a little digging. Talking with my soon-to-be father, looking through past reports." Twilight waved a hoof as though she was talking about the weather. "You know, normal things. You'd be surprised how many things Princess Celestia's name will get you into. The rest you told me yourself." A devilish grin on her face revealed a flash of light in the courner of her mouth. At last she showed her true emotions, though Midnight wasn't sure if she liked that better.

"Of course. Class three telepathy spell, cast with only heart energy to prevent visible signs. Why did I ever think you wouldn't be able to do that." She found herself forced to match Twilight's expression, combined with a small chuckle. "Am I not supposed to be the princess of magic here?" Guilt came back to her mind, and she could not help but succumb to it. "Still I've killed a filly, endangered another, who knows what else I might do." The first boiling hot tear made its way down her cheek. "I can't even trust my own mind any more. How can I know I won't hurt any others? I'm a monster, Twilight. I don't deserve to be treated as anything else."

Something grasped her hoof, making her twitch even though she already knew what it was. "You are a pony, Midnight, a pony with a slight problem. Sometimes your depression overwhelms you and poof goes your reason, so what? We'll make sure that never happens again, that you're never left alone. Simply that you live to this day with what you were forced to witness is a testament that you're stronger than any of us." A warm breeze of magic wiped her face dry. "We can work through all of this, together."

"You're right, I – we can do this." Midnight spoke without thinking, though she found no need to change her statement. "Aside from what should have killed me, how's Equestria doing? Your dragon will pull through, right? Can't stand the thought of killing another so soon. Ruby, what have I done..."

"Spike will come back in a few weeks." From one moment to the next, Twilight's reassuring tone had evaporated as she knew it was no longer needed. "Extraplanar diseases are tricky, but he'll be fine. As for Ruby, did she really ever get any visitors besides you? It's a tragedy, but we don't have to make it anything more than it already is." She left the bedside and walked over to the window. "Perhaps the princess can push a few levers if there should turn up any evidence that points towards you, hmm? Nopony has to know what really happened."

"Wow. Hadn't expected you to have such a ruthless side, Sparkle. Still." Midnight wiggled her legs, helping out with magic where necessary. "I'll be out for ages, a few weeks perhaps with rigorous magic therapy. I suppose at least we'll be able to unite the family of mother, mother, and dragon pet when both of us come home at the same time."

"Yeah, well, about that." Twilight turned around and swished her hoof across the floor too fast to track. A few seconds later, shimmering blue writing appeared in the same place. "We'll see if I can't take you home today. Would you mind to show me your signature spell, the one you call Mend of course?" Out of sheer curiosity, Midnight obliged, casting the spell with no specific target in mind. Once she broke it, the writing before Twilight's hooves grew considerably in size. It seemed to have grown on its own, while also increasing its energy output. "Wonderful. What do we have here." Twilight traced the razor-thin lines with a hoof, mumbling below coherence as she did. "No Focus, instead Harmony binds the whole spell. You really are the princess of the Magic Flow, this spell is incredible. Given enough power and the right focus – that being a concentration of efforts, not a rune – you could affect entire empires with the energy this can bind. Well, to work." She lowered her head, eyes shut in concentration.

Midnight could sense a transfer of energy through the room as the runes on the floor glowed always brighter than before. "Sparkle, you don't know what you're doing! We aren't talking about light cuts or bruises here, those are mashed legs! Mend wasn't made to heal those, the power required could kill even healthy ponies! Stop it!"

She didn't listen; Before long, Twilight's horn carried the same aqua glow that usually encompassed Midnight's. Without binding the spell to a target, Twilight breathed through, basking in its power. "And you cast this like it is just telekinesis. It is your spell, I suppose. I'm sorry Midnight, but I'm not taking any arguments right now." The glow expanded around Midnight's legs. The pain lessened by the second that it was there, but she knew it could not stay. However, it was also quite unlikely that she'd be able to talk Twilight out of her determination; In that moment, she regret never studying any counterspells. Blood cleaned off and wounds closed as Twilight cast, the pure power of the spell putting visible strain on her as well. "You'll be fine... in just a moment."

As Twilight's magic worked, Midnight's consciousness lightened. Fighting against stars impeding her vision, she managed to whisper, "Oh gosh, it's happening. Stop it, now!"

Your grip on this world weakens and the void beckons. Is it not a wonderful siren?

"I'm taking you home if I have to carry you!" The strain on Midnight's soul lifted from one second to the next. At first she'd expected Twilight to have dismissed the spell, until she looked down and found her, teeth clenched and leaking energy which swirled on invisible currents before merging with Midnight.

Midnight was stunned. Perhaps it was another spell that forced her to watch without action as Twilight poured herself into the spell, perhaps it was pure disbelief. About two eons later, the energy faded at long last, though Twilight collapsed along with it. Midnight leapt out of bed with power that was not her own, trying to catch Twilight as she fell, but ultimately pouncing her to the ground. The spell had taken a visible toll, robbing her of almost all colour. Yet, as their bodies collided, Midnight could feel her heart, faint but persistent, beating in perfect synchronism with her own. "You idiot!" shrieked Midnight, trying and failing to hold back tears. "You have no idea of what will kill you, and then you even pull through that! You absolute idiot." She could only barely suppress the urge to punish Twilight lying beneath her, instead silencing her in the gentlest of ways. It was more than physical contact or a declaration of love. It was a lifeline, linking both of them to stand or fall together. She climbed off of Twilight, keeping one hoof in contact to help her up. "You gonna be fine? No nausea or dizziness? You lost a good bit of blood there, and more than that. Believe me, you don't want to know how that sort of magic works. I have to check in with the Nurse, you stay here and rest. Don't try any funny stuff." She half guided, half forced Twilight onto a chair. "I'll be taking you home in a moment."