“Spike? Spiiike!”
There was a brief commotion to Twilight’s right as the laundry basket appeared to shake and move on its own. Until it fell over to one side, spilling half the contents on the floor in front of Twilight.
“Spike!”
“I know, I know,” came the immediate response from the speaking dog as he crawled out of the mess of clothes and took off a sock that had landed on his nose. “It’s just much warmer there, you know?”
Twilight rolled her eyes, smiling as she closed the door to her room.
“You know what mum and dad said last time they caught you in there.”
“How could I forget? Your mum was talking for at least two hours, Twilight.”
A soft chuckle from the girl filled her room as Spike shook himself.
“If you really want, I can get you a blanket or something of that sort. First I’ll need to take a bath though.”
Spike cocked his head and furrowed a brow.
“Did Rainbow Dash-”
“Kinda.” She sighed. “Nevermind it. Let me just go to the bathroom and then I’ll be back with you in a few minutes, alright?”
“Hey, take your time. You’re the boss.”
“Haaah…”
Yep. This had been one of those days. Another Rainbow Dash prank day.
How delightful, as a certain fashionista had sarcastically put it, whilst sending a murderous glare towards the prankster.
Of all the days, this had certainly been one of them. Luckily there seemed to be no amount of terrible things that a nice, warm and relaxing bath couldn’t melt away.
Twilight usually preferred a quick shower on account of her strict scheduling, but some days and some occasions just called for relaxation. She needed this much.
And now? Now she was purring away as she sank deeper and deeper towards the waterline. Her eyes had long closed, and she enjoyed the moment of absolute, serene quiet.
…
….
…..
……
Or maybe this was all a little too quiet and uneventful for her…
A day around her best friends was always great - even if it apparently ran a serious prank risk - but was likewise prone to always keep her busy and on her toes in some way. Maybe she was outgrowing her love for quiet, solemn moments in life and just… needed something to do at all times? Or someone to talk to?
Someone to talk to…
To talk to…
Slowly, with a very curious but equally weird and bad idea, she drifted off.
Twilight opened her tired eyes slowly. Part of her wanted to keep them shut, to keep sleeping simply, but there was something odd that attracted her attention and senses.
Was that… a shower?
Twilight looked around. She was in her bathroom again, just in front of the door back to her room. Looking down, she saw she was wrapped in a simple, white towel of hers. Everything seemed in order. At first.
There was the issue of her shower, or rather, two issues.
For one, it was turned on. She could tell for certain from the sound.
And also: Why was there somebody inside it?
Behind the purple curtain that served as both a vision blocker and protection against the sprinkling water, Twilight most certainly identified a shadowy figure moving back and forth under the stream of water. And yet… this was wrong…
Well, yes, somebody was using her shower, duh.
More so though, it seemed not to be a purely human shadow. It was humanoid, but something was off. Something sprouted off and out on certain parts which Twilight could hardly explain to herself from where she stood.
Unfortunately for her own good, Twilight rarely makes the most sane and sound decisions when she finds out she doesn’t understand something.
Slowly, and quietly, she put one bare foot in front of the other and approached the shower. Her footsteps were utterly drowned out by the gushing of the water, which for some reason made Twilight briefly fear that this was inevitably going to end up being a plan and place of attack for Rainbow Dash somehow for another prank of hers.
She shook her head and continued. She was so close now. Her right hand shifted and moved towards the curtains while her eyes were glued on the shadowy figure beyond. Had she still not been noticed? Given the movements, it appeared likely that, yes, she indeed had not been spotted yet as the figure was continuing to wash itself.
Twilight took as deep of a breath as she could without sounding over the water. Then, her right hand pulled.
…
“KYAAAAA!!!” “KYAAAAA!!!”
Two screams, in the same pitch and with nearly identical voices, filled the bathroom.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?”
Twilight was completely petrified at what she was seeing and hearing. Except for her face which spoke of utter bewilderment and horror, and her arms which she was flailing around aimlessly.
“M-Midnight Sparkle!?” she gasped.
In front of her stood not just some girl, or her mum, taking a shower. Nor was it some kind of monster or demon she had dreamt up. This was worse. It was her demon.
And she was completely, stark naked and drenched under a hail of water. In her shower. Behind her were the half-folded, hawkish black wings that she dreaded so much, and atop her head was that pointy, aquamarine horn. At least her usually floaty hair was now ‘normal’, drenched as much as her own was.
“What are yo-”
Midnight was close to repeating her previous, hectic and panicked question when she realised that Twilight hadn’t just stumbled upon her, but she was staring.
“STOP LOOKING ALREADY! HAVE SOME DECENCY, FOR MAGIC’S SAKE!”
Twilight blinked as her sleep paralysis demon ripped the purple curtain off the rail and held it in front of herself in a hasty attempt to conceal her… features. One feature that was not lost on Twilight, though, was the absolute rage building on Midnight’s face.
“I thought we were taking a bath!? What is wrong with you!?”
Twilight twitched, one bare foot stepping backwards just a tad as her body began to respond to her commands again.
“I-I don’t understand, I was-”
“What do you mean you don’t understand!?”
“How is this even possible? Sunset defeated y-”
“Oh, you will not bring her up! Not while I’m in the damn shower, Twilight!”
If Twilight didn’t know any better, she could have sworn that the aqua-coloured corona around Midnight’s eyes was attempting to reform, but since it was apparently made out of fire in some way, it always extinguished before it could do so.
“But how! How are you in my shower!? I was- I mean, I am in the…”
Midnight scoffed and glared.
“Is this really so hard? I thought this was a pretty easy concept, Twilight.”
There was a sigh from the demonic presence before she continued. By now, Twi had found her footing again, but was still trying to create any sort of safe distance between herself and the demon inside her which had once almost destroyed the universe. She was standing with her back leaning against the sink, though in her mind ‘safe distance’ in this case meant renting the next flight out of the country.
“Right,” Midnight began, likewise trying to compose herself for whatever that was worth. “So basically, you are still in the shower, taking your little bath and all that. You fell asleep because you are super exhausted and worn out after Rainbow Dash’s funny stunt today, and… well, now we’re here. Are you happy now?”
“Oh and,” she added, “it’s our shower, thank you very much. You don’t get to call dibs when you’re talking to yourself.”
“Wait, I… I’m sleeping? This is a dream?”
Midnight rolled her eyes and ran one hand through her wet hair as she did so, with the other continuing to hold up the ripped curtain.
“Twilight, how many times have I haunted your dreams now? And you’re seriously still wondering if seeing me is real? Normally I would take this as a compliment but not while I’m naked here, Twi.”
“Don’t call me that! Only my friends get to call me that!”
“Ugh. Twilight, I am literally you. I think I’m fine.”
“I don’t understand… How is this possible? Am I lucid dreaming? Surely if I know I’m dreaming I should wake up, right?”
“Yes and no. Though I recall that pinching thing working despite all odds,” said Midnight before briefly glancing down at herself. “Hey, uh, if you’re gonna stay and try and talk to me for any longer, I might as well step out. Can you dream up some clothes for me?”
“D-Dream up clothes!?”
“Yes, Twilight. The things that go over your body? So you don’t have to do-” she tugged at the curtain hiding her body all the way up to her shoulders, “-this.”
“But… why? Can’t you just get some-”
Twilight blinked, paused, and then looked around the room in realization.
Yep. No clothes anywhere. That would explain it.
“Ow.”
“See?” Midnight chimed. “I didn’t have my stuff with me because I thought you’d decided to take a bath.”
“You did this because of me taking a bath? Why?” asked the host of the demon with a furrowed brow.
“Isn’t it obvious?” insisted the darker half of the scientist. “Shower thoughts, Twi! Or, bathing thoughts in this case, but same thing. People are meant to be creative in the shower, or think happy thoughts. Be careless and happy!”
Her face fell, and she frowned.
“But noooo, because somebody had to think about me instead! While taking a bath!” Twilight instinctively flinched when Midnight facepalmed. “Are you kidding me, Twi?”
“I…”
There was a brief silence as the host of this mess of thoughts averted her eyes.
“Twilight, don’t tell me you’re blushing.”
Twilight perked up and looked back to her fiend, who promptly frowned in a way that could only be interpreted as ‘ewwww’.
“No way, Twi.”
“I-I was lonely!” the girl protested.
“So you go and think about the evil part of yourself that haunts you every night? Are you kidding me?”
“It’s not like that! I thought about defeating you and-”
“Sunset defeated me, Twilight, not you. Let’s not try and pretend you’re the stronger power here.”
Twilight was the one who frowned this time, placing her hands up against her hips for just a moment before quickly moving them back to where they were before as her towel almost unraveled itself.
“Well,” she said, “there certainly is only one of us who is standing here naked and helpless right now.”
Happy with being able to stand up to her very own sleep paralysis demon - something she figured she should really seek psychiatric help for - Twilight crossed her arms and grinned, eyes closed.
Then, she heard something odd.
Was that… a kettle?
Something was definitely boiling.
Wait.
Uh oh.
She opened her eyes with haste to see half the curtain Midnight was holding had burnt away from aqua-coloured fire. The demon’s forehead and cheeks were a glowing, angered red as her hands tightened into fists as they clenched what little remained of the curtain of old.
Then, there was the distinct noise of the monster charging up her horn.
Twilight gulped, eyes carefully watching as the fires burnt away the curtain. That fire, that light blue, it was just the same as the one that usually lingered around her eyes and-
“ARE YOU SERIOUSLY STARING AGAIN!?”
Twilight shook her head as if breaking out of trance and found Midnight was indeed… revealed, once again. And she was staring right at her. Again.
“N-Nono, I was just-”
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE, YOU ARE SUCH A GONER!”
The room was gradually illuminated by bright aquamarine as magical power flowed into Midnight’s horn. Twilight’s pupils dilated and her hands quickly moved, her towel dropping to the floor as she did so.
She pinched herself as much and hard as she could manage.
