Princess Celestia
You know what it is, you know what it does. What you saw wasn’t real, never can be. Princess Celestia frowned at her bowl of oats. The thought of the mirror plagued her mind and had done so for several days now. But it’s over now. I shipped it off to Twilight Sparkle for safe keeping two days ago.
“Sister, what bothers thee so?”
Princess Celestia jerked her head up and blinked in surprise. “Oh, Luna. I... I didn’t see you there. I’m sorry, but my mind has just been... far away from reality as of late.”
Like wishing I could have done what the mirror suggested. She gulped and did her best to force a smile for the sake of her sister.
“I’ll be fine in a few moments.”
Princess Luna cocked her head a look of concern on her face. “Thou are lying. But everypony is entitled to their secrets. We shall let it lie for the time being.” She turned and made to leave. Just before she disappeared into the hallway, she stopped and said, “But thou hast better keep your head out of the clouds today. We have the Gryphon Empire envoy visiting.
Celestia nodded. “I’ll be ready by then.”
What are you doing Celestia? You haven’t been this bad since... well... since ever. She collapsed back into her bed and just lay there on her side. You had the mirror for far too long.
After lying there for a few minutes, she made up her mind. I have four hours or so before the meeting starts. That’s enough time for me to pay a quick visit, right? She prepared a teleportation spell, but just before it went off, stopped herself. But I can’t let Twilight see me... it’d look suspicious.
Focusing her magic, she targeted herself instead of Ponyville. The spell slowly enveloped her. A strong wind swept about the room, tossing her mane around her head. She could even swear that the spell lifted her off the floor a couple centimeters.
Finally, it ended, dropping her back to the floor in a heap. Groaning, she wiped the sweat off her forehead and got up to look in dresser mirror opposite her bed. At first, she couldn’t see herself, she was too short.
Frowning, she retrieved the stool from under the window and hopped on. What she saw caused her to gasp and nearly fall off the step. A pegasus? The spell turned me into a pegasus? But... it’s always turned me into a unicorn before. Why?
She turned to one of the many bookshelves in her room and quickly scanned the shelves for the book on transformations. Then, she shook her head. That’s irrelevant now. What matters is that I have two hours before the spell wears off and it’s an hour flight to Ponyville.
Looking one last time around her room, she smiled sadly. “Sorry Luna, but I have to do this. I’ll be back before that meeting, I swear.”
Jumping out the window, Celestia let herself drop a few stories before flaring her wings and giving them several strong flaps. Gaining altitude, she made a slight adjustment in her flight course so that she flew directly south and towards Ponyville.
As she let herself glide, she let her mind wander back to that fateful night.
---
“Nightmare Moon!” Princess Celestia smashed through the ornate stained glass window to her sister’s castle. She landed on the far end of the long, stone throne room. “This has gone on far enough!” she shouted.
At the opposite end of the room, Nightmare Moon sat on her throne calmly as if nothing had happened and said, “Oh, and what do you know? Hasn’t your tyranny gone on long enough? Yet, you insist that you’ve done nothing wrong.”
Glaring at the mare that had once been her sister, Celestia stomped her hoof. “What tyranny? The ponies under our rule have been happy. They take an active role in the government,” she growled, taking a menacing step forward and growled, “If anyone is being a tyrant, it is you. It is you who is trying to force our subjects to live in an eternal night.”
“If they had appreciated the night more, there would be no need for this little... lesson.” Nightmare Moon laughed coldly. “A few months was all I asked. Yet you were too selfish, too prideful of your sun to let me do it.”
“Appreciation? That’s all you wanted?” Princess Celestia snorted. “Then you are blind. It was because of you that ponies went to bed without fear. It was because of you that ponies felt safe.”
“They should have appreciated me more!” shouted Nightmare Moon.
Princess Celestia could see the rage building in Nightmare Moon’s eyes. “Like I said, this has gone on far enough. By the power vested in me by the Elements of Harmony, I hereby banish you to a thousand years solitude on the moon.” She steeled herself for the task she was about to perform.
Nightmare Moon’s eyes twitched and she scowled. “You wouldn’t dare.” She prepared a spell.
As the physical manifestation of the elements appeared around her, Princess Celestia looked at Nightmare Moon through pure white eyes. “I would. We both know it is for the best.”
A rainbow light shot into the air from Celestia’s horn. It reached its apex and fell towards Nightmare Moon, swirling around her. Rearing up, she shot spell after spell at it, but each one bounced off and dissipated.
“Sister, please! Think about what you’re doing!” The anger had disappeared off of Nightmare Moon’s face to be replaced by a look of pure terror. “Tia... why would you do this to your own sister?”
Princess Celestia struggled to maintain her frown. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked on without moving a muscle. Finally, as the spell disappeared along with her sister, Princess Celestia said, “I had a sister once. You are not her.”
With the ordeal over, Princess Celestia looked away, trembling. The Elements of Harmony fell to the ground beside her, lifeless. She followed suit and burst into tears.
“What have I done?”
---
Celestia shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. She sniffed and wiped her eyes. Her hooves came away damp. Blinking in surprise, she looked around.
It’s over. Her banishment is over. So, why are you sad? What’s done is done and in the past.
As she looked around, she realized that she had arrived in Ponyville. The sun stood nearly at its apex and the town below bustled with ponies.
Dropping from the sky, Celestia landed near the library. After taking a moment to dust off, she trotted into the library. Inside, she immediately almost smacked right into Twilight.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Twilight backed up, blushing. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.” She extended a hoof and cheerfully said, “What can I help you with?”
Celestia chuckled nervously. “Nothing, Twi...” she groaned inwardly before continuing. “I mean, I’ve come here to...” looking around, Celestia tried to come up with a reason to be there that could get her to the mirror, but her mind blanked. “The mirror!”
Twilight looked at her quizzically. “Come again?”
Celestia showed Twilight her cutie mark, which had been changed from her normal one to a half moon, half sun. “I’m from the court. Princess Celestia sent me to make sure that the mirror arrived safely.”
“Oh, that. It did,” Twilight said, nodding. “I’ve put in the basement for safekeeping.”
Celestia bit her lip. “Err... may I see it. To... you know, just to double check.”
“Sure!” Twilight smiled and turned. “Follow me.”
Together, they trotted across the library to a door. Twilight opened it and gestured for Celestia to go first. Gathering a spell, Twilight turned on the lights in the basement.
“It’s at the bottom of the stairs in the center of the room. Now, if you’ll excuse me...” Twilight backed up. “I have to to tend to the library just in case somepony comes in. Not that anypony will,” she mumbled.
Celestia nodded her thanks and descended the stairs. Looking around, she found herself in a large, round room. Pushed up against a lab bench was the mirror. It looked just as it had when Celestia had it at the castle.
Walking closer, she sadly brushed the surface of the mirror. As she stared, the familiar scene formed. She stood in her room, collecting the energy for a spell. When she had enough, she released the magic and disappeared in a flash of light.
When the light cleared, Celestia saw herself standing just behind Princess Luna. She was about to put on the helm of Nightmare Moon. She looked at it and then scowled.
Celestia stretched out a hoof, laying it on Princess Luna’s shoulder. Shaking her head, Celestia smiled and gently took the helm away.
The anger faded from her sister’s eyes. Together, they walked away. As they walked, Celestia saw small bolts of lightning surround her and she disappeared, appearing back in her room.
She stood there, waiting. Finally, after a few minutes of standing still, the door opened. In walked Princess Luna. She smiled and hugged her sister.
Celestia felt that the ponies in the mirror shared a connection. One stronger than anything she could ever have with the Princess Luna in real life. A bond that had been formed over a lifetime as if they had never been separated.
Wiping her eyes and taking a big gulp, Celestia silently wept. Looking away, she lay down as she tried to regain control of her emotions.
---
“Princess Celestia?”
She jerked awake at the sound of her name and looked towards the door at the top of the stairs. “Twilight!” Celestia stood up, feeling the very edge of panic. “How long have I been here?”
Twilight curiously looked at the Princess. “It’s only been a half hour since I showed your assis... oh!” she covered her mouth. “Oh, that was you, wasn’t it? Then in that case, only a half hour,” she repeated.
“I’ve got to go. I shouldn’t have come.” Celestia gulped nervously, but inwardly, she sighed in relief.
Plenty of time to get to the meeting. See, Luna? Nothing to worry about.
“I wish I could stay and chat, but I promised Luna that I’d be with her at the first meeting she hosts.” Celestia prepared a teleportation spell, setting it for her bedroom.
“Oh,” Twilight mumbled, a look of disappointment on her face. “Maybe next time. But, before you go. I know what the mirror is. I figured it out on my own. What do you see?”
Before she could answer, Celestia’s teleportation spell went off and she disappeared with a crack. Back in her room she sighed and answered the question anyways.
“Only what I desire, but can never have.”