Twilight Sparkle slept gently, dreaming of whatever strange things Twilight Sparkle dreamt of. Considering the average mindset of Twilight Sparkle, this probably involved an extremely long piece of paper and a bottomless supply of ink.
"Oh, of course I'll help you sign documents, Chancellor Cookie..." She murmured to herself.

Her peaceful dreams of aiding pre-historic documents were eventually broken by a series of rattling and hissing and loud crashing noises from downstairs, followed by an odd smell. Twilight Sparkle opened one of her eyes. Standing there was Midday Eclipse, right next to her bed. And she was... smiling. It was the sort of smile that made mothers stand in front of their children, the sort that sent animals running, the sort that made brave men sweat terror.

"Good morning!" She beamed. Twilight Sparkle just stared at her.
"How the-? What the-? When di-?" She sputtered. The royal blue unicorn just kept smiling. It didn't make Twilight feel at ease.

"Oh, there'll be time for sentences fragments later. But look!" She revealed a bowl of... something floating behind her, held in Midday's magic.
"Breakfast in bed" Twilight Sparkle looked to the unicorn.

"How did you get out of the hospital?" She asked.
"Oh, I just walked out. They said I was completely healthy and could go home right away." The unicorn levitated the bowl towards Twilight, who just waved a hoof at it.

"No, no, I don't eat breakfast in bed." The unicorn appeared undaunted.
"Just breakfast then" she said. The unicorn smiled and seemed to actually... skip away. Twilight stared at the odd scene and decided breakfast could wait. She quickly got up and went downstairs to find the unicorn handing a letter to Spike, who then delivered it to Princess Celestia.

"Morning, Twilight Sparkle" Midday chimed, "Did you sleep well, did you enjoy your breakfast?"
"Yes. Yes, I enjoyed it." Evidently the unicorn didn't notice the blatant lie, and she just kept on smiling.

"So, what are we going to do today?" She beamed. Twilight stared at her.
"Probably the same thing I do all the time" For an instant Midday blinked.

"Oh, of course. Silly me." She looked around the room.
"I think I'm going to go for a jog." She smiled, leaving before Twilight could stop her. She turned to look at Spike.

"Spike, I think I need to send a letter to the Princess"
"Why is she so cheerful?" Spike asked in concern, still staring toward the door.

"I don't know. But I think we'd better stop her before she does something... or anything."

It wasn't exactly a jog, per se. Jogs tended not to involve bouncing. The smile that walked went all over town, spreading nauseating cheer everywhere. Every now and then she'd stop somepony and interrogate them on 'just how wonderful everything is', leading everyone who saw her to assume she'd either gone mad, or had taken something. The occasional bout of singing didn't help. Who actually sung out loud in the middle of the day?

Apparently, Midday Eclipse did. She bounced her way into Sugarcube Corner, bought a few cupcakes and then quickly bounced out again, leaving a rather shocked pair of Cakes staring after her.

She bounced her way towards the Carousel Boutique, where Rarity was 'talking' with a thin mare with grey fur and a somewhat smug smile. The fashionista was poised, as if about to leap at the grey mare and injure her. There was a tense atmosphere, as if a fight were about to break out.

"Oh, my Rarity. You actually have a customer." the grey mare smirked, in a voice that sounded neither feminine or masculine. Evidently Rarity planned to get some manner of retort in, but Midday struck first.

"Good morning, Rarity! Good morning, pony-whose-name-I-don't-know!" She said, hugging the stranger, then Rarity. She quickly bounced back out again, leaving Rarity and Generous Embrace standing there looking confused.
"Let us never speak of this again." Embrace said, nervously.

"Agreed." Rarity replied instantly. The two looked around the room, desperately looking for a distraction.
"Where were we?" Embrace whispered.

"Oh, you were insulting me, and I was about to reply with a scathing passive-aggresive retort."
"You were going to try"

Twilight Sparkle and Spike rushed out of the library, hoping to find where Midday had gone on her 'jog'. Fortunately they quickly found a trail of confused-looking ponies that it turned out had been forcibly hugged.
"What on earth could drive a pony to do such things?" Twilight Sparkle mused

"Did we check the basement?" Spike whispered. Twilight looked at Spike, and back to the shocked ponies.
"Go, go, go" She hissed, motioning back to the library. The dragon set off with remarkable speed.

"Do I know you?"
She reached Sweet Apple Acres, taking a moment to get a sniff of the scent of apples that filled the place, and the picturesque rolling fields of green and brown and red.

"Morning, Applejack! Ooh, nice hat!"
"... Mornin'?" Applejack said to the rapidly retreating blue shape, before checking to make sure her hat was still there.

Rainbow Dash was in the middle of work when she saw the blue blurr heading her way.
"Morning Rainbow Dash!

The three pegasi stared at each other.
"Okay..." Raindrops said, "We all saw that right?"

"I know I did" Cloud Kicker replied, still staring at the disappearing unicorn, wondering exactly how she'd managed to see them when they were standing on clouds. And how the mare had known her name.
"I've gotta go find Twilight." Rainbow Dash said, jumping into the sky and flying off.

Cloud Kicker turned to Raindrops.
"When was the last time Rainbow Dash actually did a full day's work?" The yellow and cyan mare shrugged.

"I'll bet you any money she'll just get distracted and take a nap."
Cloud Kicker rolled her eyes

Twilight rushed on, following the trail of alarmed ponies. By now she'd managed to reach Sweet Apple Acres.
"Twilight, what in the world's goin' on with Midday?" said Applejack.

"I have no idea. She just showed up, and she's unbelievably cheerful. I think she might have gotten into... it."
"Now, ya don't mean... it, do ya?"

"I really hope not. And I don't think she did." Twilight said, inbetween gasping for breath.
"Ah think I'm gonna tag along with ya. See what's going on."

"Just let me catch my breath."
"That girl was beamin' like Pinkie on a sugar-rush. Ah just hope she doesn't break anything."

Midnight stopped to have a drink by the town fountain. She looked around the somewhat chilly November morning sky. She wondered if perhaps she wasn't overdoing it. Ponies had been given her odd looks. Maybe just because everything seemed so much nicer didn't mean it was an excuse to go overboard. She kept drinking.
"Someone looks a bit weary" said somepony. She looked up. A mint-green unicorn was smiling at her. She recognised that one. Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings.

"Just spent several minutes rushing about. And I'm not exactly used to the countryside." She smirked.
"Ever tried getting anywhere in Canterlot? You've got to run, or you'll be late forever. Heck, even my roommate in university had to run everywhere, and she had wings." The mint-green mare laughed.

"First day there I passed out just trying to get to the lunch-hall. When I came home for the holidays my girlfriend actually asked me why I'd been body-building"
Midnight just shook her head.

"Never really been fond of Canterlot, myself. All snobs and politicians. Not much space either. Not that I ever went outside, though. Except for lunch, and exercise."
Lyra sat next to her. Strangely she sat with her legs bent at a very unusual angle, which the other mare didn't even blink at.

"Yeah, everypony likes Ponyville. Just so long as you stay out of trouble, don't antagonise the wrong pony, watch out for falling pianos"
The dark blue mare blinked. "Pardon?"

"I don't know. Apparently Raindrops was helping to move some heavy furniture, and Ditzy came along and... well... things always seem to go horribly wrong whenever Ditzy appears. Not that I have anything against her, she's lovely. Just... really accident prone. But still really, really lovely. Can't stress that enough."
"Oh, good morning Lyra" Came the voice of Twilight Sparkle. The mare looked up.

"Hey, Twilight Sparkle." The purple unicorn turned to Midday.
"Could I talk to you for a moment? In private?"

Meanwhile, in Canterlot.
Luna was feeling confused and irritated, which was a natural reaction being woken up several hours early without any explanation.
"So, what is it you wished to speak to me about?" Luna asked. Her sister looked at her, and tossed over the scroll. Luna unfurled it and read.

"'Dear Princess Celestia
How are you?
I am fine. I just wished to write and say everything was okay.
Also: keep up the awesome work
Midday Eclipse'"

""Dear Princess Celestia
Midday Eclipse disappeared yesterday, and has now reappeared and is acting incredibly... strange.
I was wondering if you might know about this.
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.
P.S. from Spike: She's also in a really huggy mood.'"

"I think something incredibly strange is going on in Ponyville today."
"You don't say."

"So..." Midday Eclipse said slowly, after they'd returned to the library. "I'm being too cheerful?"
"Yes."

"No, no. Well... also, yes. I mean, it's just a bit weird, you being this friendly."
"I see."

"Why were you being so cheerful anyway?" The mare looked at Applejack and Twilight, she shrugged.
"I just felt... I don't know, like I was free, and could do anything, you know? Just really enervated" she smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry if I caused you any undue concern."
"I guess that settles that, then. No more nauseating cheerfulness?"

"Now, I can't promise that." Midday laughed.
"Ah... suppose that settles that then." Applejack smiled. At which point Rainbow Dash flew in through the window.

"Twilight! Have you seen Midday? She was acting all weird, so I checked around town and she's gone mad and started hugging everyone and asking them how their day was. Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Good question." Midday smirked. Rainbow Dash looked almost embarrased.

"It's alright, Rainbow Dash. It was just a case of high spirits."
"Oh." Rainbow Dash landed. She looked at Midday.

"Good to know then, I guess. Probably ought to get back to work. Nice seeing ya, Midday." She extended a hoof. Midday extended hers, somehow not noticing the devious smile on Rainbow Dash's face.

There was a sizziling noise as Midday recieved a small electric shock. Then there was silence. The royal blue unicorn stood there, just staring at Rainbow Dash. Applejack and Twilight took a few steps back. Then, the corner of Midday's mouth began to turn. She smiled. And then she laughed.

"I suppose I had that one coming to me, for letting my guard down" she said good-humouredly. Rainbow Dash laughed nervously.
"Well, if that's that, I'm gonna be heading back home. Twilight. Midday. Rainbow." She nodded. Rainbow Dash left, which meant there was only Twilight and Midday in the library.

And so, the brief ten minute terror of the insanely cheerful pony ended, and life there returned to normality. Though 'Midday' Eclipse was by and large more cheerful than before. She aided Twilight with her studying, and delivering a lecture to the students at the school, utterly brushing off Diamond Tiara's bratty behaviour. She assisted Pinkie with some baking at Sugarcube Corner, after having to promise Mr and Mrs Cake she would not pretend the baguettes were swords 'this time'. She even walked into several obvious pranks from Rainbo Dash, laughing each one off. In fact, Twilight Sparkle felt like commenting on the utterly strange change in her behaviour.

"She's had an utterly strange change in her behaviour."
However, considering Midday seemed happy and unlikely to do anything dangerous, no-one decided to bother investigating.

It was Friday, and back in Canterlot, in the royal guard barracks, the troops were sitting down to lunch when they first noticed an unusual group of events. A slight hum and something making the entire room shake, followed by a strange build-up of electricity. A large energy portal opened, and a unicorn shot out, hitting the table with some speed, scattering food everywhere. She bounced ever so-slightly and slid to a halt right at the edge of the table, scattering bowls and drinking glasses in her wake. The lilac mare stood up, shaking her head, dislodging some food that had gotten entangled in it.

"I don't suppose anyone could tell me where I am?" She murmured. The room seemed oddly indistinct to her eyes, and all she could see were gold and white-ish blobs around her, which were quickly solidifying into unhappy looking ponies.

"Oh, I can help there." Shining Armor said, as part of his lunch slid down his face. The mare formerly known as Twilight Twinkle looked unbelievably nervous, and said only one thing.

The Twilight Child

by Detectivefish

Something Completely Different