Twilight Sparkle found that, for once in her life, her head was almost completely free of noise and chaos. The Princess of Friendship was so used to her inner thoughts being so cluttered with calculations and plans for whatever would take place over the following hours, days, weeks, and more. She’d usually be running over those plans again and again, making sure that every little detail and step was perfect, that she was so prepared that nothing could go wrong, that she could show she was indeed the Princess of Friendship and ruler of Equestria. But at this current moment… her head was free of those thoughts.

In their place came the sounds of a calm and serene ocean. The sound of water endlessly sloshing and crashing against itself and the sides of a boat. The very boat that she was standing on at the moment. She matched visuals to the sounds by simply looking out to her side, seeing nothing but an endless body of purple water, shining under the light of the moon.

She silently stood near the side of the boat, watching the water. Her eyes studied the way it moved against the sides of the ship, the sizes of the waves it would form. There was a mesmerizing quality to it all.

“Twilight, are you alright?” A voice finally shook her out of her entranced state as she glanced behind her. Luna was watching her, a slight look of concern on her face. “It isn’t normal for you to get out of bed without waking me up. Especially not at this time of night. Are you having nightmares again?”

Twilight started to shake her head, before pausing and nodding. “I can’t help it. These past few days have been so hectic and chaotic, that sleep has become difficult for me, even with you by my side.” She sighed, looking down. “I just needed a few seconds to clear my head. Or maybe a few minutes. Or hours.”

She glanced back up as she watched Luna approach her. While the former princess of the night had always looked gorgeous to Twilight, under the light of the moon, she looked absolutely stunning. Her mane blowing in the breeze looked as if it was made from a chunk of the night sky itself, complete with stars. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’ll come back to bed—”

“No, no. Do not come back on my accord. I understand your fears, Twilight. I… I am experiencing them as well. I have not shown them simply because I would’ve hated for you to feel even worse,” Luna replied, looking aside as she admitted this. “I am sorry if I have made things worse or—” Luna trailed off as Twilight slowly began to nuzzle against her. Their bodies were so warm together, their manes and coats feeling like weighted blankets in the wintertime.

“No. No. It’s fine, my love. We just both need to collect ourselves. We’ve been up against worse, haven’t we? We can do this and get everything back to normal like we always do.” Twilight gave her lover a smile that Luna slowly returned to her.

“You know, I think I like your appearance even more, now that you have taken on the traditional alicorn height,” Luna explained, leaning into Twilight.

Twilight looked at her, curious. “Oh? And why is that?”

Luna grinned before kissing her on the lips. “I do not have to bend down to show you my affection.” The two kissed and continued to embrace as their boat continued to travel across the water, the sounds of waves crashing now mixing with those of tired laughter and talking.

After Twilight had become the ruler of Equestria, an era of true peace and harmony had taken over the lands. Sure, there was still conflict and the need for friendship lessons and teachings to ponies and assorted other creatures throughout the lands but it had all remained small scale. All of them were problems that the citizens of Equestria could solve themselves using what they had learned over the years. There was no threat on the level of Discord or the Legion of Doom.

In these years of peace, Twilight had found herself with more free time than she had expected when becoming the sole ruler of the land. She would use that free time however she could, seeing her friends in Ponyville, her family in the Crystal Empire, and both Celestia and Luna at Seaward Shoals.

It was during those visits to Princess Luna that the two found themselves developing feelings for each other. Whether those feelings had always been there and for how long, neither could say, but with more time to spend together, they could at least act on them now without worry of interruption.

During Equestria’s ten years of peace, Twilight and Luna had been together for five of them. And what a wonderful five years it was. Studying the stars and the cosmos from the Canterlot observatory, watching the assorted boating events from Luna’s room at Seaward Shoals, or even just taking the train down to Ponyville for a Hearth’s Warming reunion, both ponies were in a new phase of their lives they never even knew would happen.

But of course, as with all things, peacetime would come to an end. Equestria and its various guardians would always be ready for the larger threats to make a return, but as the years went on and nothing came, their defenses would lower and the thought of a new threat shifted more and more to the back of every creature’s mind.

And then it happened. On a cold, dark winter’s night, a shift occurred. While Twilight and Luna were both asleep, the black night sky turned a bright purple and the full moon was on display. And as the moon shone down on all of Equestria, its residents changed. It did not turn them into monsters or corrupt their minds, it changed them entirely. Every pony, every dragon, every griffin, every creature that had a name and an identity had a new being in their place. Every business, store, and restaurant had a new name. It was as if the land of Equestria had never existed at all. In its place now was the land of ‘The Eternal Full Moon’. One where night was all there ever was and all there ever would be.

Twilight and Luna should have been replaced like everyone else. Perhaps it was from their working with the magic needed to raise the moon that kept them from being swapped out. Perhaps it was the presence of two magic alicorns so close together that protected them. Both of them assumed it was that the ruler of this land wanted them to stay around and witness whatever their grand plan was.

They had not been given any idea of where they should have headed. When they had awoken, they were not in Canterlot castle, nor Luna’s room. What used to be Ponyville was now a mining town, full of workers that didn’t look like they were the types interested in songs or friendship lessons. There was no Sugarcube Corner or Sweet Apple Acres, and certainly no Castle of Friendship. The two were being set up in a challenge. They would not be given any hints or tips. They would have to figure this out themselves.

This was how they had wound up on a boat, traveling a sea of purple and green waters, heading out in the direction of what used to be Canterlot. The trains had been replaced with the sprawling seas, and while neither of the two was the most knowledgeable in how to steer a boat, it was better to try than to mindlessly fly over the waters to try and find a place that may not even be there anymore.

Twilight sighed again as her gaze went back to the waves. “It’s so weird, seeing this world. Everything feels wrong. Like this world, this version of Equestria, whatever it is, that it shouldn’t exist.”

Luna joined her in watching the water. “Indeed. It’s like we’ve been stranded in a dream, with memories and visualizations of what we saw throughout the day melding together. Whoever did this, and how they did it, what kind of magic or power do they wield?”

The two continued to watch for a few more minutes, silently resting against each other. That feeling of togetherness that they had was what was keeping them from falling into total hopelessness. Twilight then pointed out to the horizon. There was a town in the distance, illuminated by glowing orange lights on nearly every rooftop. “Here’s to hoping that somewhere here will have the answer.”

After docking and getting off the boat, the two started to explore. While this place, seemingly called ‘Lost Haven’, was nowhere near as extravagant and sweeping as Canterlot was, it was more cleaned up and refined than Ponyville was. There were so many shops that focused on selling fancy-looking trinkets and expensive pieces of clothing. Every shop keep was ready to try and sell their wares to these new customers, promising them deals at the nearby hotels and restaurants, all with large and friendly smiles on their faces. Of course, these smiles would fade the second that Twilight or Luna mentioned that they had no money on them. At least, not the currency that they were looking for anyways.

This was a passthrough town. One meant for those of a higher status, or those willing to be more reckless with their cash while on vacation, to stop in on the way to another spot. A place one comes to for photo shoots and to experience ‘fine dining’, no matter if that dining was actually fine or not.

“We’re not going to make much progress with any of these tourist traps. The fancier a place looks, the more I doubt their usefulness to us,” Luna lamented as she and Twilight exited another shop. “To think this is this world’s counterpart to Canterlot. Even a place like that was never as false and hollow as this one.”

Twilight brought a hoof to her chin as she tried to think of where to head next. Heading out on the boat in a different direction was an aimless plan that would just result in more lost time. This was their Canterlot, there had to be something that they could work with. She then blushed when she heard her stomach loudly rumble. “Perhaps, it would be good if we got some food in us? Would definitely help us think more clearly and come up with a strategy…”

Luna nodded as she looked around the streets. “I doubt we would be let in any of the places that the shopkeepers have mentioned. There must still be someplace that accepts bits as currency. One that is much more… willing to let anyone that pays in,” she said, trotting up the street.

The two aimlessly wandered from street to street, until Luna noticed a glow coming from a nearby alley. Tucked away between a few lower-end hotels was a pub, barely audible music streaming out from it. “It will likely not be the cleanest experience, but I have the feeling this is our best bet.”

The two stuck close together as they walked into the pub, the music getting louder as they looked around. The place was stuffed with creatures of all shapes and sizes, with a live band playing at the back of the place. Despite being squeezed into an alleyway, this place did feel like it had some size to it. “At least we have some breathing room,” Luna commented as they approached the counter. “I hate to trouble any of you working, but does this place accept bits?”

One of the ponies working the counter slid them a menu. “If you got a way to pay for what yer ordering, then we accept it. Put in yer orders and take a seat. We’ll be with ya shortly.”

They nodded as they looked over the menu. A lot more alcoholic drinks and wild meals were on hand than what either of the two were used to from their normal Equestria. “Um… I guess, we’ll just go with two glasses of water and the smoked catfish sandwiches?” Twilight said, noticing that the both of them were catching a few stray looks from various other patrons of the pub. Though if she had to guess, it was more from their height than either of them being alicorns. Surprisingly that fact hadn’t seemed to matter much to any creatures that they had encountered on their journey so far.

The pony working took the menu before nodding to another one. “It’ll take a bit, especially with a packed house like this. Just sit wherever you can find. We’ll bring it to you. Start anything and yer out. Pay when you get the food.”

As the couple made their way over to a nearby booth, Twilight looked at the walls. Photos of events throughout the history of this world. Lots of farms and ponies standing in front of their harvest, fishing boats on the water, and boxing matches. “Honestly, after we find out how to fix this, I would love to study and do research into this world. It’s been so long since I’ve seen such a fascinating culture,” she explained, looking around at the rest of the pub.

“Indeed, tis a shame that we have wound up in such a strange land via no will of our own. If this was any other scenario, I would not mind taking the time to explore and find new sights with you, Twilight. Even a place like this would have made for a fine date spot after a long day of traveling and research. Unfortunately, my body refuses to let itself relax for even a moment… not even in a place like this.”

The two of them sighed as the reality of their situation set in once more. “Is this place their Canterlot? During my time in the mirror’s reality, Canterlot was relegated to a High School, and there was certainly no castle. Perhaps it’s an altered timeline like when Starlight Glimmer used the time spell, but we weren’t there for whatever event was changed, so surely we shouldn’t be here….”

They both looked up as their meals were placed down in front of them. The scent and sight of a cooked meal was at least a bit reassuring and oddly a strong grounder for the two. They dug in, not caring if they got messy from it. Wasn’t like anyone here was one of their subjects or the like.

“Oh my, the smoked catfish, now that’s a good pick. Honestly, one of my favorites. But I gotta say, whenever I order it again from the same place, they just never get it right,” a voice said, startling the two.

They were so engrossed in eating that neither mare noticed as a figure approached the booth they were in and got into the seat across from them. Sitting across from the two was an older-looking stallion, an Earth Pony, with a dark brown coat and a curly, greying mane. He wore an eggshell-colored suit and pants, complete with a crooked tie covered with the silhouettes of ponies against a checkered background. “Ahaha, don’t mind me. You both have been through so much, take your time to enjoy the meal. Even Alicorns must get some sense of hunger.” His voice had a rasp to it, weathered with age but still firm.

“You’re the one behind this, aren’t you?” Twilight asked, doing her best to keep a calmness to her appearance. There was a chance that one wrong move could make their situation worse, and from the way the stallion smiled at them, it became clear he held all the cards.

His smile grew as he chuckled, waving off the question. “Asking such a question before I even got to introduce myself. You’re free to call me whatever you want, but I like going by the title of Mr. Midnight. Think it just rolls off the tongue without much issue.” He extended a hoof for either of the two to shake but then slowly pulled it back when he realized neither would. “This here pub’s one of my own. Don’t run the place or anything, but I invested my money when they needed it and an act like that goes a long way. Especially when this is the only place the people that live in this town can afford.”

“What is your aim here, exactly? Is this some sort of challenge you wish to see us rise to? Your attempt to steal away the Elements of Harmony?” Luna asked, gazing down at him. It should have been an easy task to intimidate him, thanks to her and Twilight’s towering and more built stature. And yet, Mr. Midnight did not shake or tremble.

“My aim… that’s a good question actually. You may not believe me on this, but I have no ill will or desire for harm towards the either of you two. Or anyone from where you hail. These things, they just sort of happen,” Mr. Midnight explained. “Magic is a curious thing. It comes in so many forms, and manifests in different environments and beings. Don’t think we’re ever gonna fully be able to grasp it in any way that we’ll be able to explain in scientific terms,” he said, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a deck of cards. He shuffled and flipped them between his hooves, watching the cards mix and slide in between each other. He put one down on the table, displaying the full moon. “This land, one of eternal night. It’s always existed. Made up of its own magical energy. Is it dark magic? Is it the magic that’s used to make nightmares? The Tantabus taking a new form? Can’t say. And I don’t care to find out neither.”

“And you’re able to control it, or manipulate it? Even as an Earth Pony.”

Mr. Midnight pulled the moon card back into his deck and started to re-shuffle them. “Maybe, maybe. Maybe I’m just another one that got pulled into this world like you, and I’m just happy I found two ponies that remember the old Equestria. Maybe I’m the grand villain behind it all. Maybe I’m just a pony that likes to talk to other ponies,” he said, shaking his head and laughing. “‘Course, I can tell you something.”

Twilight and Luna looked at him with skepticism, before looking at each other and nodding. They were treading on thin ice with this one.

“You’re going about this all wrong. The way you see this, you think that you’re standing on the same land as you would be if you were still in Equestria. You think that you’re looking at things through a mirror, or that you can line everything up with what you know. But that’s not going to help,” he explained, still shuffling. “This is a whole new land, a new frontier as it were. And the sooner you learn that the sooner you’ll get to finding the exit.”

“Even the nightmares I’ve been through, they all try to mirror the reality that the pony lives in. When we went through Ponyville, there were new buildings, but they were still in those spots. The sea was where the station would be. Even if you say this is separate from Equestria, there is still a link. There must always be a link, or else we wouldn’t have wound up here,” Luna responded, not blinking. “I say this because I wish to know, where are our friends. If you brought us here, then you must have done something with them.”

Mr. Midnight slowly spread cards over the table. On them were pictures of the other Elements of Harmony and Spike. “A link, but not a reflection. You can look for your friends, but they might not be looking for you.”

Twilight looked at the photos of her friends on the cards. All of them had such distant looks on their faces. They were watching something, but what the thing was? She couldn’t tell. “We’ll find them. And we’ll connect. Like I always have. If this is your attempt at trying to corrupt us or take over Equestria, we won’t let it happen.”

Mr. Midnight looked at the two, noting the more determined and focused expressions on both of their faces. He then bent over to this side, pulling up and placing a big jug on the table. It gave off a strong, sickeningly sweet smell. “Having just water to go with your meals. Is that any way to spend a date night? Have a cup of apple liquor, on me.”

“I will not.”

“No thank you.”

He then watched as the couple took their glasses of water and both took long sips from them. He chuckled again before popping open the top of his jug and pulling it to his mouth, taking a few sips of his own. He then placed it back down and wiped his brow. “I should get going. Liquor always tends to make a pony quite sleepy. I’ll leave you two to enjoy the rest of your meals and let you be on your way,” he said, as he collected his things and moved out of the booth. He turned away from the two before pausing and glancing back at them. “This town has a nice little church if you’re looking for other ways to clear your head. I’ve heard the Reverend Miss Pie does quite the sermons if that’s your kinda thing. Ask her about the oil mining, let her know who sent you lovebirds her way.”

With a final smile and a nod of his head, he went on his way. He had no bag or briefcase on him, and yet the jug was gone. He walked to the pub’s entrance and trotted back out into the alley. No one else noticed as he left.

Twilight and Luna watched him leave before they both let out long sighs. It was like a weight had been lifted off the air. “We shall finish eating, find a place to get some proper rest, and then make our way to the church. It would do us no good to head there now without having all our plans lined up,” Luna explained, looking at Twilight. “As tempting as it may be to try and see what has become of Pinkie, we must be fully prepared. As he said, this is a new frontier.”

Twilight slowly nodded in agreement before nuzzling against Luna. “I know. I’m not as worried as I would usually be. You’re here. I have you. We’ll fix this and find a way back. Just like we always do.”

The two kissed before they went back to eating. The music of the pub continued to play, a stream of jazz that would continue until the sun rose and the morning came. Something that wouldn’t happen in a land such as this.

Author's Note

Hey folks, finally back and writing again! Challenges and events like this give me the power and focus in my to actually write on a more consistent basis, and I also have tools that really help me focus on it when the time actually comes. I had fun taking part in Jinglemas last year so why not join again, right? I also did another fandom secret Santa event and wrote and original piece as well, so if you wanna see those, check out my AO3.

This piece was interesting as I wanted to do a romance story but also give the couple something more to do. With Twilight and Luna, I feel like they're the type to go on more long and mysterious adventures, so why not create a land of endless night where no one recognizes you?

Mr. Midnight was heavily, heavily inspired by the character of Harry from the movie To Sleep With Anger a fantastic film that I cannot recommend enough.

My dearest, I hope you enjoyed this gift from me! If you liked it and would like to see it more fleshed out or expanding in the future, let me know and I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, Merry Jinglemas and Happy New Year to you and everyone else reading!