Mannequin
"That was seriously not cool, Sunny."
"Yeah! Why would you do something like that?"
"Especially so soon after The Friendship Games?!"
Sunny Flare wasn't quite sure what was going on, but she was pretty sure she had been heading to bed, intent on waking up early for school once. Now, however, she was back at the sleepover with Twilight Sparkle, and both sets of her friends, and just after she had done her ill-advised Midnight Sparkle impression too.
Okay, this seemed weird so far, especially because she couldn't remember actually doing the Midnight impression. But oh, she knew how this ended, she might as well play along.
"Look, I just thought that this was another Sunset thing; where even though it happened recently, everybody began joking about it as if nothing happened."
"Is that your excuse for mocking my daughter?!"
Sunny flinched. Maybe it was the fact the idea of Midnight being someone's daughter hadn’t really occurred to her before now. Maybe it was the fact the line came completely out of nowhere. Had she even met Twilight’s, Midnight’s, father?
Or maybe it was the fact that Twilight Sparkle had suddenly grown a moustache and was wearing a business suit.
Maybe.
"Uh, what?" she replied.
"It's okay, Dad! I'm fine with it!"
With that, Midnight Sparkle herself emerged from a shadow. Apart from the sparkling black halter dress she wore with effortless ease, there was no difference between her now and the psychopathic monster terrorizing the schools at the Friendship Games. Even the ferocious grin was identical.
"First this brat insults me at our high school reunion, and then she makes fun of you, and you still think it's a good idea to date her?!" Twilight put her hands on her hips. "I'm telling you, Midnight, I don't trust Sunny one bit! She's way too old for you too!"
As much as Sunny's brain was melting trying to make sense of what was going on, that was a statement she could not actually refute. After all, even if she looked exactly as old as Twilight, technically speaking, Midnight was nowhere near that old. At best, she had only existed for a couple of months come the time when Twilight expelled her from her mind during the Everfree Camp incident, or so she was told - if Sunset Shimmer and company were to be believed.
At worst, she had barely existed for a few minutes before Sunset defeated Twilight and drove the corruption out of her. Although, given Midnight's immense power, maybe her short existence was a blessing in disguise. After all, even just existing for ten minutes, she had managed to cause untold havoc - nearly killing people.
"Sunny, don't just stand there!" Midnight begged before flying to her girlfriend’s side and shaking her like a soda can. "Say something to Twilight! Convince her that this relationship can work out! Please!"
As much as Sunny wanted to say something, to ask what how exactly she was supposed to fix this or even just how this all was happening, her lips had glued themselves shut. Around her, the dream’s chaos continued, with Twilight ranting on and Midnight clinging frantically to her.
"Sunny! Sunny!" the spirit screamed in desperation - and then all was, finally, dark.
Back again in reality, Sunny shot up, panting and shivering like a husky after a sleigh-tug through the Arctic. Quickly though, as the freezing moonlight bled in through the fluttering curtains, she longed to return to her dreams.
Now she was in her pajamas, stumbling barefoot across the empty streets of Other-Questria during the Witching Hour, as proven by her companion: Midnight Sparkle. The spirit held a concerned expression as she shook her once again.
"Sunny! Hey, stay with me!"
"Uh, wha-what?" she stuttered, rubbing her head as she yawned. "What time is it?"
"12:20 AM, almost halfway through our time together," Midnight explained as she wrapped Sunny's arm around her. "Just forty minutes left, and I'll send you back home so you can still get a goodnight's rest, okay? But for now, let's continue our date."
Sunny yawned again as she tried to walk with Midnight, but wobbled on weary legs until she bumped cheeks with her.
"Geez, I don't remember you being this tired when we started dating," Midnight complained.
"That was because I took extra precautions to stay awake long enough to make the Witching Hour bearable," Sunny rubbed her eyes. "I didn't do it this time because I didn't think you'd want another date so soon. Of course I’m tired. You dragged me out of bed just as I was finally getting a proper sleep."
Confused, Midnight raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? It's been a while since we had a date."
"We had a date yesterday!" Sunny snapped.
"Yeah! For half of the Witching Hour!" Midnight pouted. "Just once, I want a date that goes the full hour! How does anything else even count."
Sunny groaned and clenched her fist. "Midnight, please, you have to understand that I'm not in the condition to survive the rest of the hour! I’m not like you," she explained, “I have obligations. Stuff to do in the day. I can’t just wander around at night like this.”
"I know. That’s why we're going to the house of an old..." Midnight paused, as if trying, and failing, to find the right word to use. "We're heading to someone's house! They'll help you stay awake!"
Sunny blinked and it wasn’t just from exhaustion. "How?"
Midnight merely flashed a sharktooth smile. "You'll see."
A few minutes later and the couple staggered - or, in Midnight’s case, glided - into the Carousel Boutique. To Sunny’s surprise, not only was the door unlocked but the shop itself was still populated. After a handful of tense moments tiptoeing through a forest of darkened mannequins and other storefront displays, she arrived in a backroom lit dimly by a single hissing candle atop an antique table. There two women sat, like Virginian belles right out of a monochrome photo, despite the odd hour and strange locale.
On one chair there sat an entity with long, flowing purple hair with white streaks, skin that was as dark as the night, and light blue, crystalline eyes. She wore a light purple dress with white highlights, purple boots, and white opera gloves.
Perched atop one chair like an opera-goer, or perhaps a vindictive empress at the colosseum, was an… entity. The more Sunny gawked at her, the less human she seemed - the more like her own partner the spirit became. The apparition’s skin was blacker than an overcast night, halfway between a Hindu goddess and a golliwog doll, while amethyst-purple hair streaked with silver cascaded down her shoulders and plumed out onto the tiled floor. At the shimmering quality of her lavender dress, Sunny couldn’t help but faintly whistle and that caused the entity’s crystalline sky-blue eyes to snap to her.
The effect wasn’t unlike a baseball bat to the head. Sunny couldn’t help but let her head droop and her eyelids sag, preventing her from getting a proper look at the occupant of the other chair.
A voice brought her back to consciousness - it was sharp and haughty, yet not without a hint of gracefulness. "Rarity! Be a good dear and put on another round of coffee!"
Rarity? Sunny blinked as reality struck her. As in, Rarity, one of Twilight's new friends? Sure, she knew she worked at the Carousel Boutique, but - actually, wait, wasn't the boutique supposed to be closed at this hour? How did they get in, let alone brew coffee in here?
"Ugh, not you again," Rarity groaned, tone simmering with utter exasperation. "I just served myself a cup, can't you wait a couple minutes?"
"Sweetheart, I think she was talking about me," the dark-skinned Rarity lookalike spoke.
Midnight pouted once more. "No, I was talking to the one who doesn't bully me."
Sunny tried really hard to hold back a chuckle. Midnight Sparkle, the nightmarish ghost, being bullied? That was just something she had to see for herself.
And also something she'd probably not come out of alive, if she did see it.
"Alright, I'll make you your wretched coffee," Rarity sighed as she stood up. "Sit down while I go make it."
Midnight nodded, and Rarity walked over to the French press. Midnight tried to drag Sunny to the empty table, but the lookalike Rarity caught Midnight's shoulder and stopped her, flashing a disapproving glare once she turned to her.
"You know, I'd appreciate it if you didn't act like a pest to my girlfriend."
"Well, I'd appreciate it if you didn't henpeck me, but you do it anyway, don't you?" Midnight smirked. "I like to think ordering your girlfriend to make us drinks puts us even."
The lookalike tightened her grip. "Do it again, darling, and you're a goner."
"Hah! You can't kill me!" Midnight scoffed. "As long as Twilight lives, I will live!"
"Yes, but as such, you are her." the lookalike narrowed her eyes. "Her pain is your pain, her anguish is your anguish, and her despair is your despair. I may not be able to kill you, Midnight, but that doesn't mean I can't hurt you."
The lookalike released Midnight and went back to her table, leaving the demonic entity to wobble her way to the table. She set her baffled date on one chair, then sat on the remaining one before she whispered to Sunny, "Phew! That went better than expected!"
"What the hell just happened!?" Sunny tried to scream, though her low energy barely made it sound higher than her normal voice.
"Oh, right, you probably need an explanation," Midnight noted.
"Or a dozen!"
"Well, you'll have to do with just one for now: the girl we just met is called Nightmare Rarity. She's the evil counterpart of Rarity, just as I technically am Twilight's evil counterpart. Nightmarity for short, or if you’re feeling suicidal."
"Well… okay then." Sunny rested her cheek on her palm. “But that reminds me, what even are you? Like, do I have some evil counterpart too then?"
Midnight mimicked Sunny's motion. "Whatever do you mean?"
"You were created when Twilight got overcharged with magic, and she went nuts with it, but you still existed within Twilight after Sunset calmed her down. Then, when Twilight practically rejected you during the Everfree incident, you still existed even though Twilight should've practically erased you from existence right then and there. And then you went all philosophical and told me about the clock and the word and…” she sighed, “I just need a proper answer."
Midnight frowned. "Sunny, I'm going to give you the most honest yet crushing answer I can give you. You deserve nothing less."
She pouted. "I don't care, as long as I have some sort of answer."
"There is no answer."
That doesn't help me at all! Sunny vehemently thought. "W-Whatever do you mean?" she stuttered seconds later.
"Hey! You said the same thing I just did!" Midnight chirped, clapping rapidly as she bounced up and down. "Oh! We should try finishing each other's sentences next!"
"Midnight!" she slammed a hand on the table, jilting the cups to miniature tidal waves. Across from them, the nightmare fashionista hid a chuckle beneath an ivory-gloved claw.
"Right, sorry, I got sidetracked," Midnight took a deep breath. "What I mean is, trying to figure out exactly what I am is a very difficult thing to do because I was, for lack of a better word, an accident: Twilight had no intention of creating me, I had no intention of being created, and before anybody knew it, I was gone in the blink of an eye. No analysis, no attempt at figuring out who I was, I simply existed, then I didn't."
Sunny turned, folding her arms. "And that's the only answer I'm getting from you, aren't I?"
"It's the only answer I’ve reached."
Sunny’s retort was hacked off by the clink of a new pair of mugs against the table’s ebony. A particularly annoyed Rarity slid them over to their respective drinkers, before sashaying off back to her own seat beside her counterpart. Sunny glanced over at the cup, its chipped lettering betraying its intended owner - A “Number One Dad” - before glaring at Midnight, who had happily downed half the steaming liquid already; no sugar, no cream, no nothing.
"Midnight,” Sunny gulped a breath, as the Rarities resumed their own hushed bickering, “Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what is it?" Midnight cocked an eyebrow, taking a sip of the Ethiopian Roast.
After daring a glance over Rarity and getting a vaguely encouraging nod in respond, Sunny wound tentative fingers around the handle of her mug. "Could we... maybe put the dates on hold for a while?"
Midnight choked on her drink, and coughed as she set the cup down and tried to gasp for air. Having read it in a fanfic once and hoping it would help, Sunny impulsively shot up and slapped the corporeal spirit on the back.
Though why was she worried when Midnight was essentially immortal escaped her.
"Where... did that... come from?!" Midnight asked as soon as she finally could breath again.
"Um..." Sunny smiled sheepishly. "From my mouth?"
"Sunny, be serious!" Midnight snapped as she flew up and stared down the teenager. "Why do you want to put the dates on hold?!"
"M-Midnight, listen to me; you can't keep ignoring the fact that unlike you, I need to sleep!" Sunny stated, as the pair of Rarities looked on in a mixture of genuine concern and amused eagerness. "I have school, I have club activities, I have so many things to do that I won't be able to do if I don't sleep properly! A-And besides, you haven't... asked me if... if I actually wanted to go on a date with you."
Midnight's eyes widened. "... I haven't?"
Sunny shrugged. "After that letter, you... kinda just dragged me out of my bed and forced me to stay awake."
"I have?"
Suddenly ashamed, she silently nodded.
Midnight backed away a little and took a better look at the exhausted girl. And she wasn't kidding when she said she needed her sleep: between the bags under her bloodshoot eyes, her eyelids’ desperate attempt to not shut themselves, and the girl's inability to stand up and stay still for longer than a second, it was clear a week of ghost-induced insomnia was a real detriment to her life.
"I... I see..." Midnight lowered her head. "I... didn't consider that..."
"B-But we can go on dates once I'm feeling better!" Sunny hastily added. "J-Just, let me sleep for a while, and ask first before doing anything, okay?"
Midnight turned back to see Sunny's forced smile, and she returned it with a nod. After saying their farewells to their hosts, the spirit swept up her date in a bridal carry and flew out of the establishment.
Sunny plopped down on her bed, hugging her pillow and laughing joyously at the fact she would be able to sleep once more. She stopped soon after, however, once she remembered who brought her back.
"S-Sorry for cutting off our date so soon, Midnight," she said.
"It's okay, you need to sleep," Midnight answered as she swished the bedsheet on top of Sunny. "And I... have some things to think about too."
"Thanks for being so understanding," Sunny scratched the back of her head. "Although, if I can be honest, I'm surprised you were understanding at all."
Midnight frowned. "R-Really?"
"Well, you have so much power, that I thought you'd just disregard everything I said," Sunny shrugged and shook her head. "I mean, why would you care about anything I said?"
The ghost blinked. "... Because I love you?"
Sunny flinched and turned to Midnight, who was by now holding back tears. "But... I don't know if you love me too. You aren’t… well, you don’t always show it too well." With that, she sighed again, deep enough to shiver.
Midnight tried to steel herself, and found that her magical confidence had all but melted away in the face of real emotional effort, the face of her girlfriend. “Of course I love you. You’re… well, you. Cute. I mean, don’t you feel the same way about me?”
The girl flinched, drawing her knees to her chest beneath the covers. She sniffed. “Well…”
Something clicked and it sounded to Midnight like a firearm’s trigger. This was too soon and too serious, and the wrong time to boot. She didn’t wait for an answer; before Sunny could explain herself, the ghost had already flown off again.
"I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!"
If Midnight wasn't both invisible and inaudible to mortals after the Witching Hour, she most likely would've woken up anybody and everybody in a ten-mile radius. But luckily, the only one who got to hear her scream was herself.
"I wholeheartedly agree."
And somebody else, apparently?
Midnight snapped back and growled upon seeing Nightmare Rarity emerging from the ground, taking a seat right next to the magical entity, who had eventually calmed down to a furious sulk atop a random rooftop.
"What are you doing here, Nightmare?"
The fiend rolled her eyes. "Darling, you're on top of Carousel Boutique, why wouldn't I be here?"
Midnight looked down, and to her dismay, the nightmare was right; she was sitting at the edge of the Carousel Boutique, legs hooked around one of its ostentatious spires.
Man, she really was an idiot.
"Anyhow, I heard your exclamation and I couldn't help but wonder," Nightmarity raised an impeccably-plucked purple eyebrow. "Why? I mean, I know very well you are, but I’d enjoy a more in-depth explanation of how exactly you figured it out."
Midnight pouted and folded her arms, avoiding eye contact with the nightmare as she explained herself, "I took Sunny back to her house so she could get the full sleep she needed, and then I got emotional and made an awkward question. Not like you care, but seriously screwed up back there."
"Oho?" Nightmare Rarity leaned closer. "What, did you ask her to marry you?"
"Heck no, nothing that far!" Midnight frowned. "I asked her if she loved me, and when she was going to give me an answer, I just... flew away."
"Ah, I see, you instinctively reacted to the possible answer with fear, especially since the answer would hurt you no matter what happened: if she said yes, then you'd have to face the fact you've been a truly awful lover, what with you basically coercing a defenceless girl into an illicit nighttime affair and whatnot. And if she said no, then instead you'd have to face the fact you've been dragging an innocent teenager into your delusion of romance and have wrecked the last month of her life beyond repair."
"That's... not something I thought about, actually," Midnight sighed. "And I guess you are right there. But, there's one thing I did think about. How am I supposed to keep this relationship from falling apart? I mean, I do like her. A lot! More than even Twilight, who technically created me."
Tilting her head one angle too far, Nightmarity grinned like a cat come feeding time.
"Oh don't act stupid, Nightmare, you know what I mean!” Midnight replied, “I'm an entity made of magic, she's flesh and blood. I'm only tangible during the Witching Hour, she's tangible all the time. She has school and a real life to live, loads of friends and a real future ahead of her. I got the loneliest existence ever, stuck with you and other monsters for twenty-three hours a day. And most importantly, I don't need to sleep, and she does."
Her tirade almost complete, Midnight brought her legs to her chest and curled up. "On paper, it sounds like our relationship is doomed to end in a sour note. And I don't want that."
Nightmarity hummed and ran an array of claws across her chin; quickly, she devised a plan. "Well, there might yet be a chance you can salvage this little tryst of yours."
"There is?!" Midnight chirped, only to grow cautious upon catching a glimpse of the fiend's sly smile. "And how do I know I can trust you?"
"You can't!” she giggled, “You simply don't have any other options."
"Dang it,” Midnight swore, “... You're right."
"Of course I am, darling." With that, she leaned closer to Midnight's ear. "Now be a good incorporeal shadow counterpart and listen properly. I shall say this only once."
The nightmare whispered her idea, and the Midnight’s eyes grew to miniature sapphire moons as she quickly thought about it.
She gulped. "That’s risky. More than destroying the world risky."
Like a dilettante walking off a train crash, Nightmarity shrugged, flicking a lock of gemstone hair over one obsidian shoulder. Her grin intensified but, after catching a faint hint of companionship in the gleaming pearl glare, Midnight nodded.
"But if it's for Sunny, then it'll be worth it! Let's do it!"
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Make more. Just- MAKE MORE. WRITE MORE. WRITE. MORE.
10055609
Calm down, dude, there's more coming, I'm just waiting for my co-worker to finish beta reading XD
10055711
There better be! Besides, I can proofread it as well.