//------------------------------// // Midnight at the Beach // Story: Tales of Twilight and Midnight // by Speculore //------------------------------// Summer had finally arrived in Canterlot and everyone was making the most of their time away from school. Some went outside to partake in various physical activities while others spent their time by relaxing with their friends. The main seven were preparing to do both at the beach with the group at the mall picking out swimsuits. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had settled for tankinis with retro bottoms and boyshorts respectively. Rarity went for a halter swimsuit while Sunset decided on a bikini with both deciding to wear a sarong as well. Fluttershy was able to find a legsuit for her, much to her relief. Pinkie had chosen a pink cross-over that she had also planned to decorate. Twilight had chosen a simple skirted swimsuit for herself, but found that she had other opinions come into her head. “Really?” said Midnight from within Twilight. “You’re gonna go with that?” “What?” asked Twilight with genuine curiosity. “Skirted swimsuits are quite stylish and comfortable.” “Yeah, if you wanna look fat,” retorted Midnight as she came to the front. “If you really wanna look hot, you gotta go for a real swimsuit.” She put back the skirted swimsuit and walked over to the two-piece swimsuits. After browsing for a second, she found a small microkini and held it up to herself in a mirror. “Now come on,” she said enticingly. “This will definitely get you noticed.” Twilight then took over and scowled in the mirror. “Yeah, by the police,” she said indignantly as she marched to put it back. “I refuse to look like an exhibitionist.” Twilight said adamantly while still making sure to not draw attention to herself. “Well I refuse to let you look like someone who doesn’t appreciate what she’s got,” said Midnight as she came forward again. The others heard Twilight and Midnight arguing and came to try and diffuse the situation. “Girls, thank goodness,” sighed Twilight in relief once she came back. “Tell Midnight that those shreds of fabric have no right to be called swimsuits.” Midnight then came forward. “And tell little miss self-conscious here that she deserves to have her beautiful body on full display for the world to see,” she declared. The others just exchanged confused looks until Twilight and Midnight explained their argument and asked the others what they should do. Sunset then stepped forward and said, “Look, you both have good points, it’s just a matter of finding that middle ground.” She then placed a comforting hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Twilight, you really have nothing to be embarrassed about when it comes to your body. you look great and you shouldn’t be afraid to show off a little bit.” Twilight smiled as Sunsets kind words as Midnight then came up. “And Midnight,” addressed Sunset, “you shouldn’t force Twilight to wear anything she isn’t comfortable with putting on.” Twilight and Midnight soon apologized to each other and promised Sunset they would find something that would be suitable for both their tastes. After a bit more browsing around, they both eventually agreed on a dark purple monokini along with a light purple sarong. With their purchases in hand, the group headed out to prepare for the big day. The beach day came and everyone was excited to get in the water. Everyone soon went to the changing room except for Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who went to secure a spot for them and already had their swimsuits under their clothes. Everyone was soon ready to have fun and were already partaking in a variety of activities. Applejack and Rainbow had decided to play a game of beach volleyball and were soon getting into it like the true rivals they were. Pinkie Pie and Spike were in the sand making sculptures and castles. Fluttershy decided to go snorkeling and help any marine animals she could find while chatting with them about life in the ocean. Sunset grabbed a surfboard and was soon riding the waves. Twilight and Rarity were left on the beach reading and tanning respectively while making sure to keep an eye on everyone’s stuff. Eventually, Twilight ended up falling asleep, giving Midnight the perfect opportunity to walk around and have some fun of her own. With a plan in mind, she grabbed a piece of notebook paper from her backpack and wrote a note on it to tell the others where she went. With that done, Midnight proceeded to explore the beach. As she did so, she heard someone calling her from off to the side and turned to see a frisbee flying towards her incredibly fast. Despite that, she held up her hand and caught it right there, though she had secretly used a bit of her magic to stop it just before it hit her palm. “Aw man, sorry Twilight,” said a familiar voice running toward her. Midnight recognized him as one of Flash Sentry’s friends, Sandalwood if she recalled correctly. “I threw this thing to Flash, but then he just rebounded it and it flew right over me.” “Don’t worry about it,” said Midnight, trying her best to emulate Twilight's voice. She then threw the frisbee back to Sandalwood with him catching it in his hand. They then waved each other off and went their separate ways. As Midnight continued her walk, she noticed some kids burying another up to his neck in the sand. She smiled as it seemed like something fun she’d like to experience for herself. A little ways further, she spotted an arcade that looked like fun and decided to look inside. She then spotted a claw machine with a variety of stuffed animals inside, including an owl. Figuring it a good present for her other half, Midnight slipped in a couple quarters and moved the claw towards her intended prize. She positioned it directly over the owl and went for it, only for the owl to slip out of the claw’s grasp on the way up. She considered using her magic out of frustration, but decided against it as she couldn’t risk getting caught. She then came up with a different idea and put in another couple quarters for a second attempt. Once the owl was in the claw’s grip, Midnight used her magic to hold the claw shut so that the owl wouldn’t slip out and made sure to let it go once it was over the prize hole. With her spoils in hand, Midnight made her way back to meet up with the others. She arrived back at the spot and saw the girls coming in. “There you are, Twilight darling,” said Rarity. She then noticed that her friend’s eyes were different. “Oh, it’s you Midnight. Please forgive me.” “Don’t sweat it,” said Midnight dismissively. “I saw that Sandalwood guy from school and he made the same mistake.” The others laughed and went to get lunch at a nearby beach hut. As they did, they noticed Midnight begin to rouse as her eyes changed, indicating Twilight had come back to them confused about what was happening. After being caught up by Midnight and her friends, Twilight smiled and they all went back to their food. A short while later, everyone was heading back out to their previous activities while Midnight showed Twilight what she had won at the arcade for her. Twilight smiled at receiving her new stuffed owl and promised to keep it in her room. Soon the sun began to set, signalling that it was time to start heading home. Everyone made their way to the changing rooms and put on their street clothes before making their way up. As they reached the parking lot, they took a moment to watch the sun sink into the ocean and the sky take on a darker orange. Twilight soon arrived home and plopped down on her bed after showering off. After she fell asleep, Midnight took over and moved to the computer. She then pulled up her MyStable page and posted about her trip to the beach and how much fun she had while there. She looked forward to what the rest of her summer would bring.