"Do I even want to tell?"
After all the stuff that had happened back in the camp Everfree (which included rebuilding the dock for the third time) the Canterlot High Wondercolts rode their bus home. It was a long trip, and the students couldn’t wait to get home and tell the others of what they had seen and experienced there: beautiful scenery and more magic. Of course, the students were already used to the idea of magic, and even Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna had stopped questioning it.
The only one who did was Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer. Sunset sat next to Twilight while Twilight looked out in the window, watching the passing scenery. Sunset just wrote in her magic journal, writing the events from the camp to the other Twilight. Sunset told her every detail; about her new magic, the geodes from the crystal cave, and (this world’s) Twilight overcoming her fear of magic. It became confusing sometimes when she referred which Twilight was the other and which Twilight was Twilight. As she finished jotting down her letter, she placed the journal back to her bag.
When Sunset looked at Twilight, she noticed Twilight was levitating a pen and it slowly spun infinitely in air.
“Uh, Twilight?” Sunset called.
“Yeah?” Twilight nonchalantly replied as she kept staring outside.
“What are you doing?”
“Just taking notes on our new abilities.”
It was then that Sunset noticed a pad of paper was also levitating next to her. The sight made her smile.
“Glad to know you’re actually open to the idea of magic now. I thought I’d never get through you,” Sunset chimed.
“Well, considering it was the only way to save our friends and the camp, I think that makes a really compelling case.” Twilight took her notes from the air and placed them inside her bag. “Besides, you girls were a huge part to my acceptance.”
Sunset giggled. “I just hope I can levitate stuff too. It’s a basic back in Equestria.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I used to be a unicorn, remember?”
“Sorry, I see you often doing human stuff, I forgot you weren't exactly human,” Twilight blushed as she adjusted her glasses.
“Like I said, you’ll get used to it,” Sunset smiled.
It was then that Sunset and Twilight’s pleasant conversation was interrupted by an uproar from behind.
“No way, Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash’s voice boomed from behind their seat.
Sunset knelt on her seat and faced Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash who sat behind them.
“What are you girls on about?” Sunset asked.
“Hey Sunset!” Pinkie called. “You we got new superpowers now, right?”
“I wouldn't call them super.”
“Well Pinkie here,” Rainbow interrupted. “Thought we should have superhero names.”
“And I thought you’d be excited about that,” Sunset raised an eyebrow.
“I am! But Pinkie here is bad at superhero names!” Rainbow waved her hands in an exaggerated manner.
“Hey!” Pinkie stomped and exclaimed. “How is Rainbow Blitz a bad name?”
“Pinkie, superheroes have secret identities? Putting my name on my alter ego will surely make it pointless.”
“Oh.” Pinkie took a bite on a s'more.
“Wait, why are you guys even coming up with superhero names? It's not like we're actually gonna stop crime as they come,” Twilight questioned, popping up next to Sunset.
“Duh! ‘Cause it's fun!”
“Can’t argue with that,” Sunset nodded.
“Well, actually you can…” Twilight mumbled.
Pinkie Pie then pulled out a sketch pad and presented a list of colorful writing. It listed the seven of their names and underneath them were their potential superhero names.
“Speedster, Sonic, The Dash,” Sunset read out loud from the list. “Pinkie, you sure thought of a lot of names.”
“Yup!”
“I came up with so many!” Pinkie happily pointed. “Like for Rainbow Dash, she could be Speedy!”
“You know, that’s like a dog's name,” Rainbow said.
Sunset borrowed the name list from Pinkie sat down back to her seat and read what her superhero name could be. Sunlight Heart. Daydream. Mindscape. Heaven’s Door?
Twilight also peeked at the list Sunset was holding and read hers as well. Esper Girl. Mind Mover. Violet Witch. There were more names listed but Twilight yawned and felt sleepy despite Rainbow and Pinkie’s loud exchange. Even Sunset joined in on the fun. Twilight, however, felt different. She was tired from all the events and went back to her seat. Eventually, she felt herself drift to the world of slumber as the girls’ name argument became nothing but echoes.
Twilight woke up somewhere. She knew she stood above water, yet she didn't feel anything below her feet. She crouched and moved her hand along the water, causing ripples to appear. Twilight stood up and saw there were no borders, just endless space in the hues of violet. She walked forward anxiously.
“Hello?” Twilight called out. “Is anyone there?”
In her mind, she hoped for no one to answer. In a place like this, she would rather be alone than find anything unholy. The colors of the space continuously shifted as she looked at it.
“Where am I?” she asked out loud.
“In your mind, egghead,” a voice answered.
Upon hearing that, Twilight spun around, looking for the source of the sound.
“Miss me?”
Twilight knew who that was; Midnight Sparkle. She remembered Sunset saying Midnight wasn't real, but if that's the case…
I must be dreaming. Of course, what else could it be?
“I’m not afraid of you,” Twilight declared.
“Of course not,” a voice behind replied. “You became stronger after all that camping.”
Twilight quickly turned around and saw the demon. For a second she felt afraid, but then pushed aside that thought.
“You’re not real.” Twilight curled her hands into fists.
“That is an obvious observation.”
“Then why are you here?”
“This is a dream, and you made me; a vessel to contain all the blame, guilt, and shame for unleashing magic. Where else would I be?”
“But you know you're not real?”
“This is YOUR dream in YOUR head. I am a creation of yours.”
Twilight felt her head hurt. Talking to a figment of her imagination certainly wasn't a good idea. But if she wasn’t real, can’t she just make her disappear?
“Then why don’t you?” Midnight said with a smirk.
“Wait, you can read my mind?”
“Of course I can. I’m you.”
“You’re not me. You’re far from who I am.”
“Is that so? Even if you think I am a separate entity, I am still a being born from your mind. Saying that I am far from you is just plain ignorance.”
Twilight couldn't help but agree to her statement, but made no answer to Midnight. Nevertheless, she did not want to see her.
“Then why are you here? I thought you were a figment of my imagination?”
“Who knows? I’m not even sure myself.” Midnight floated and then sat in the air with her legs crossed.
Midnight was just as Twilight remembered her. Her hair all frizzed, eyes of mania, and a fashion choice she would never pick on her own. Twilight then noticed Midnight was missing her wings and crazy spectacle frames, and her hair was down.
“What happened to you?”
“Hm?” Midnight raised an eyebrow. “Whatever do you mean?”
“You... look different.”
“Do I?” Midnight summoned a mirror in front of her by waving her hand, then made it disappear. “I guess I do.”
Twilight felt uneasy. She never talked to the dark side of her mind before. It could be a sign of a mental illness, or another magic problem.
“What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?”
“I don’t know why you're still here, but I won’t let you get into my head again.”
“I know. You certainly have changed. Unafraid and bold, look at you,” Midnight smirked. “It was so much fun when you were a pushover. Unfortunately, you getting stronger means me getting weaker.”
“Huh?”
“At least that’s what I have observed.” Midnight lowered herself down and landed on her feet, still smirking. “Back then, it was easy for me to scare you into submission.”
As Midnight’s feet touched the unseen ground, Twilight’s bedroom appeared into view. It was the scene of Twilight’s nightmare where her friends disappeared into nothingness, only in this recreated image, everyone seemed frozen in place with their faces in horror.
“Ah, dreams. Aren't they a delight?”
More like a nightmare. Twilight flinched at the sight before her, but with a wave of her own hand the scene before them disappeared.
“Stop it.”
“Okay, fine,” Midnight rolled her eyes, then sat in the air again. “So brave. So strong. So magical. I might as well call you my master.”
“Aren't you just trying to catch me off guard?”
“Off guard? Off guard for what, if I may ask?”
“A chance to take over.”
For a moment, Midnight stared at Twilight with utmost silence. Then she broke out into laughter. Twilight couldn't figure out if it was genuine or sarcastic, but it definitely felt demeaning.
“Take over? I don't want to do that!” Midnight wiped a tear her eye.
“You don't?”
Midnight rolled her eyes. Again.
“Listen, Twilight. I am something you were once. I am a persona born from your fear of magic. A persona cannot hope to be a full person.”
“Why not?”
“I am made for extreme magic. You don't have such power. If I do end up taking over, I'll only disappoint myself. Being a normal human? Please.”
True. Twilight had more powerful magic back in the Friendship Games, more than what she wielded at Camp Everfree. Midnight smiled upon seeing Twilight’s thinking.
“So what, you’re like a tulpa?” Twilight asked.
“An entity created in the mind, acting independently of, and parallel to your own consciousness. Maybe. But a tulpa exists outside the borders of a dream.”
Ah, that’s true. Twilight then felt weird agreeing to practically herself, if she were to believe what Midnight had said so far.
“But what does it matter what I am? You clearly have this magic thing in the bag.”
Again, she agreed with her, though it wasn't something she did on her own. She had Sunset and the others to thank for.
“Speaking of camp, there was another interesting phenomenon I observed,” Midnight said as she approached Twilight via floating.
“That would be?”
“Timber Spruce.”
Twilight felt herself blush at the name mention. She knew that if Midnight did know what she thought all the time, then Midnight knew how she felt about him.
“So. Boys.”
“Now you're being Rarity?”
“Come on now. Tell me, what did you like about him?”
“Wait, what!? Don't you already know what I know?” Twilight, already blushing, felt she had another layer of red on her face.
“I know you like him, but I don't know why.”
“That’s a lie, you know why!”
A sly smirk appeared on Midnight’s face, then shrugged her shoulders.
“Okay, I do.”
Twilight felt like screaming, but decided to hold herself.
“Well, wasn't that fun? I think our time together has come to an end.”
“What?”
“What, what, duh… Can't you say anything else?” Midnight floated towards her, stopping only inches away from her. “You're waking up.”
Twilight stared into the eyes of her alter ego. She can still see Midnight’s madness, and yet she didn't feel threatened.
“One day, I’ll understand you.”
“Huh?”
“Just like this magic business, I’ll learn and understand you. And then, maybe we can be friends.”
Midnight’s already tiny pupils shrank from what she just heard, and then she just smiled.
“Now look who’s crazy.”
“Hey, she’s waking up!”
Twilight groaned as she slowly opened her eyes, or at least tried to. Huh? I can't open my eyes. Twilight then touched her glasses and noticed something stuck between her glasses and her eyes.
“Um, what’s on my face?” Twilight asked weakly.
The only answer she had were collected giggles of her friends. Twilight took off her glasses and felt something fell off her eyelids.
“Sorry, Twilight,” Sunset said as she held her laughter. “I would've stopped Pinkie if it wasn't funny.”
Twilight rubbed her eyes and saw what used to be on her eyelids now on her lap; big googly eyes.
“Seriously? Where'd you even get these?” Twilight questioned.
“I always have the best prank toys!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Here, I even took a video!”
Pinkie shoved her phone screen to Twilight, which showed Twilight sleeping with the googly eyes moving as the bus moved or shifted. Twilight giggled at the sight.
“Okay, I’ll give that to you; that was hilarious.”
After the bus arrived, most of the people had gone home, until it was only Twilight and Sunset remained. Sunset bought some canned juice and gave one to Twilight. They sat on the steps in front of the equine statue in front of the school.
It was a fun trip. Granted it wasn't as normal as it should've been, Twilight still enjoyed herself. She hoped Gloriosa and Timber the best for their camp and wondered when she would see them again.
“So, Twilight,” Sunset called as she looked into the distance of the town. “I wanna say thank you.”
“For what?” Twilight turned her head to Sunset, looking puzzled.
“For everything. You know, for believing in me, for saving everyone. And all the other things I could mention, but I did say everything.”
“Me? If there’s anyone who should thank anyone, it should be me!” Twilight said as she placed her hand on her chest. “I should be thanking you for stopping me back then before I made two worlds collide, and that time you actually believed in me even though I was scared of magic. If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t even be talking right now.”
“Now that you said it, I guess I do deserve the credit,” Sunset folded her arms.
Twilight gave Sunset an unamused look.
“Kidding! I’m not that stuck up, you know.” Sunset showed her palms. “A lot has happened, huh.”
“Yeah.”
Twilight thought about telling Sunset about Midnight from her dream, but she then dismissed it. It’s not like she was being dangerous, and Twilight wanted to know more about her. Midnight was, after all, still a part of her.
“Let’s go home.” Sunset stood up.
“Right.” Twilight followed suit.
As they were walking away from the school, a question popped into Twilight’s mind.
“Hey Sunset,” Twilight called out.
“Hm?”
“Where do you exactly go home?”
“Why?”
“I guess I never asked before. Besides, you weren’t exactly from here. Which leads to more questions...”
Her paperwork, home, income/allowance, guardians…
“Don’t sweat it,” Sunset said.
“But I am!”
Sunset started jogging. Then broke into a run.
“AH! YOU’RE RUNNING FROM MY QUESTIONS!”
“SOME THINGS AREN’T WORTH THE TIME TWILIGHT!”
Obviously, Twilight wasn’t cut out to catch up with Sunset’s running.
