//------------------------------//
// Chapter Two: Crying Reflection 
// Story: Reflection of Nightmares 
// by Cold Spike 
//------------------------------//

For a moment Scootaloo could sense nothing as she seemed to float around in a dreamless state of limbo. She cracked her eyes open for a second and had to suppress a gasp on what she saw. It was two fillies who seemed to be in dazed and confused states, both rubbing their eyes. She could swear she saw a third, but really she could only confirm the existence of one Earth Pony filly and one Unicorn. She closed her eyes, pretending to play dead and waited. The filly in question walked over to what she presumed was her position.

Then she heard the unicorn filly scream so loud, it took all of her willpower in order to stay still. “Sh- she’s dead!”

The other filly snorted and then Scootaloo felt something on her chest, presumably the filly’s ear. Is she checking my pulse…? Scootaloo thought.

“Nah, she’s plum tuckered out. The thing once happened to Big Mac when he worked the farm for too long.”

The unicorn laughed embarrassingly. “Oh! Uh, I knew that…”

“What happened to the mirror, girls?”

That’s when Scootaloo cracked her eyes wide open. She knew that voice, specifically because it was her voice coming from a third filly. Taking her chance, Scootaloo quickly got up into a position behind the mirror and waited.

“What?” The other Scootaloo asked in utter confusion.

Scootaloo took the opportunity and lurched at them, tackling the bow wearing earth filly to the ground. The unicorn filly and the other Scootaloo was knocked into the clubhouse walls in a daze. 

The knocked down Scootaloo shook her head and tried to focus on the assailant, but her vision was blurry. The earth pony grunted, attempting to buck her in the head, only to be tackled to the ground, Scootaloo snarled down at her like some deranged animal. The earth pony flinched and waited for an assault, but nothing came.

Scootaloo looked around, surveying her surroundings. Looking at everything and everypony like it was all alien to her. 

Where the hay am I?! her thoughts going a mile a minute.

Once their eyes had adjusted, both fillies gasped at the sight before them. “Scoota--?” The earth pony tried to get out, before being interrupted by Scootaloo.

“Where am I?” She asked, her voice hoarse yet sounded oddly familiar. The earth pony gulped and tried to push her off, but to no avail while Scootaloo simply pushed back harder. “Answer me, now!”

“Hey! Get off of her, you freak!” The other Scootaloo screamed. Standing between the unicorn and Scootaloo.

Scootaloo pointed her hoof and glared at the imposter filly. “You stay put if you know what’s good for you!”

“Scoots, ar- are you okay?” The earth pony asked though she had to pant a bit as Scootaloo was not letting up one bit. “Kind of hard to speak no- now…” The filly said, her breath sounding extremely hoarse. 

Probably not a good idea to knock her out… Scootaloo thought and let up a bit.

“Where am I?” Scootaloo repeated.

“Uh, th- the Crusader Clubhouse. You’re on Sweet Apple Acres farm.”

Scootaloo looked out a nearby window to confirm her state, what she saw caused her to quietly gasp. 

It’s sunlight… it was the only thing she could think. Over and over it was repeated in her head. The Sun.

“Could ya get off me?”

Breaking from her thoughts, Scootaloo sighed but did no such thing. “Wh- why do you have the mirror?”

The pegasus filly looked her over for several moments before finally speaking. “Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo merely grunted before narrowing her eyes.

“Well? Are you gonna apologize for attacking us? It wasn’t very nice, you know,” The earth filly said, the others nodding to agree.

“I’m not hearing any information about that mirror,” Scootaloo said irritably.

“Okay, that does it!” The downed filly exclaimed and buckled as hard as she could, taking the signal, Scootaloo did her best to tackle the other Scootaloo looking pony to the ground, but the filly was quite fast and dodged out of the way, but not before the farm filly slipped loose.

Scootaloo scowled and backed up, narrowing her eyes suspiciously toward all of them. The other three studied her, finding the situation bizarre. Scootaloo backed up a tad feeling her bag bump into a wall. Her wing stiffened from her fresh wound as blood continued to pool around it.

The unicorn backed up a bit and shuddered in fear. “M- maybe she’s a changeling! Like at Twilight’s brother’s wedding!”

“...A What? I’m no changeling!”

“A likely story! That’s just what a changeling would say!” The other Scootaloo challenged.

“Well… maybe…” The marshmallow filly replied, feeling a tad unsure of the whole situation.

The farm filly glanced at her, shaking her head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Rarity said that changelings feed on love.”

The other Scootaloo snorted. “And?”

“Well, trying to hit somepony isn’t a very good way to do that.”

She considered this and eventually nodded. “I guess not…”

“Now look, ah don’t know what’s going on but what you just did ain’t no way to treat others. And, well, frankly you both look like Scootaloo. It’s very strange, but ah guess either of you could be changelings.”

Still not letting up her guard, reluctantly Scootaloo gave a stiff nod. “I suppose.”

“So what, we just sit here not trusting one another?” The other Scootaloo asked with a snort.

“Look, you, I don’t trust anypony or anything.”

“Not even your own eyes? I’m Apple Bloom, that’s Sweetie Belle, we’re your friends. Well, we’re also Scootaloo’s friends, which there’s two of you. But you get what ah mean, right?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “I don’t know either of you, all I know is that I’m Scootaloo, and if what you’re saying is true, so is she. This will be a heck of a lot less confusing if you just tell me why that mirror is in your little clubhouse. Please.”

The other Scootaloo took a seat next to her, examining the filly, scrutinizing every inch of her. “Are you okay, by the way? You, uh, you got a bit of bl- blood on your back,” she said, stuttering a bit in fear. It wasn’t every day you saw a filly so young looking so violent. A small, yet deep wound had been cut into the filly’s side, right next to her right wing. It was bleeding quite profusely, dripping some into the clubhouse wood flooring.

“I’m fine, mirror, talk, now!”

“Look, we don’t know much about it. We were trying to get our cutie marks in… something so Scootaloo here borrowed the mirror from Twilight. But it started acting funny and glowing all orange. We heard some shouting, kind of sounded like your voice. Then a- ah guess you popped out, and that’s really all we know.”

“So you don’t even know what it is? At all?”

Three silly, adorable fillies all shook their heads. The wounded filly sighed and almost seemed to be laughing. 

“Uh, alright. You don’t seem to be lying. Hmm…”

There was an equal bit of silence from both parties as they stared at one another awkwardly.

“Now would mind explaining just why you attacked us like that?”

Scootaloo ignored her and glanced out the window, seemingly staring at something. Everypony remained silent, waiting for a response. After a moment of awkward silence, the orange filly stood up and walked outside, still staring blankly at the farm’s various trees and flora. She swallowed then felt along the tree which held the clubhouse.

It’s real. It’s alive, she thought in a daze. Everything felt like a dream to her, or like waking up from a horrible nightmare only to find herself in an improbable yet beautiful dream.

“Um, gettin’ a little bit friendly with our tree th- there…” Apple Bloom muttered, a sense of dread seeping into her consciousness. 

The fillies glanced at one another rather uncomfortably. There was a strange filly, who looked and sounded like Scootaloo. She had attacked all three of them, came out of Twilight’s freaky magical mirror and was bruised and bloodied. And yet she wouldn’t stop rubbing their tree like it was an old friend.

Scootaloo finally did break away from the tree and stared at the orchard, at Celestia’s gleaming sun shining over everything. A long stream of tears began to leak from her eyes. Despite the attack, the three of them couldn’t but look on in pity. A bloodied filly, crying just from the sight of a tree.

Timidly Apple Bloom approached her and took a seat. The other Scootaloo sighed and did the same, but what Sweetie Belle did surprise the lot of them. She reached out and began hugging the crying filly for all she was worth.

“Uh, Sw-Sweetie I don’t think, um…” The other Scootaloo tried to get out, but instead of pushing her away, the filly merely looked on in shock, not knowing how to respond. 

Though it had been the other Scootaloo’s intent to warn her friend that perhaps this new filly wasn’t up for hugging, really it was the fact that a large part of Sweetie’s brilliant coat was now stained a deep dark blood red. Scootaloo merely gawked in confusion. When she didn’t stop, Apple Bloom nudged her side.

It feels nice… she thought, her brain sending her conflicting messages. Everything felt unreal like she really was trapped in a dream.

This can’t be a dream, right? she thought uncertainty. It was unlikely unless of course her dreamcatcher had been lost or discarded somehow. Though she doubted the dark queen would let something so wonderful go on for so long unless it was her intent to torture her… which was possible.

“Uh, I think she’s had enough huggin’. Why are ya doing that anyway?”

“Cause, she’s crying. I always feel better after a big hug from my sis, when I cry.”

Scootaloo blushed and started shoving Sweetie off of her. “I wa- was not crying!” she stuttered, her voice squeaked with just a hint of nervousness though. The other two also suspected the sudden hug may have brought on a fresh bout of pain from her wound.

Sweetie shrugged and let go. “If you say so…”

The other two fillies coughed into her their hoof, while Scootaloo looked at Sweetie Belle in an awkward, painful silence. When the unicorn didn’t get the hint, they coughed louder, but still no coherent response.

“Sweetie Belle…” Apple Bloom said rather slowly while pointing toward her coat.

“What? Is there something in my mane?!” She asked, feeling all around it. “Oh, Rarity will kill me!”

Scootaloo merely shook her head. “Um, I’m really sorry about attacking you three. And, uh, about your coat…”

Sweetie Belle blinked in confusion and looked down, her pupils shrinking into pinpricks. She then promptly screamed and in a fashion befitting her bigger sister’s little fits, promptly passed out.





Scootaloo sighed and pressed her ear to the unicorn filly’s chest. I think the other filly said her name was Sweetie Tune? Belle? she thought, not that it mattered much to her. She was simply making sure that she was okay. She heard a nice steady beat of her heart and she nodded.

“She sh--”

“Step away from that filly, now!” a mare’s voice said, interrupting her.

Both fillies flinched while Scootaloo backed up rather quickly. Looking up her eyes suddenly shrunk to pinpricks. Her mind went blank while she tried to comprehend who the mare was. While slightly different looking, she was unmistakably Applejack, though she lacked the queen’s mark.

She watched while Applejack checked Sweetie Belle over for injuries and seemed to look confused when she found nothing. Checking her pulse over, she sighed in relief.

“Alright… ah’m not sure what’s going on here, but ah want the truth! And… why do you look like one another? And just where in sam hill did this blood come from?”

Scootaloo could only stare off into space, fear striking her heart. Urging her to run and find safety, but she was simply rooted to the ground.

“Well?!”

Scootaloo could only shake in fear, her mind unwilling to cooperate or respond. Applejack sighed then turned to face the other two fillies.

“Apple Bloom, explain. Now.”

“Um, well Scootaloo here--”

Applejack interrupted. “Which Scootaloo?” while it sounded like a silly question, Apple Bloom could tell her big sister was being deadly serious.

“Th- this one,” she said while pointing to her friend beside her. “She, um, kind of took--”

“Borrowed,” The pegasus corrected.

Grunting in irritation, Apple Bloom nodded. “She borrowed Twilight’s magic mirror, um, experiment. Before we knew what was happening, the thing lit up like crazy and all this magic exploded, or somethin’ and out popped her,” Apple Bloom said, pointing to the physically hurt Scootaloo, who still hadn’t said anything.

Applejack turned to Scootaloo and squinted her eyes. “That true?”

Scootaloo finally snapped out of her daze and quickly nodded. She didn’t have much to say to the mare though, so again she decided to remain silent.

“Well, okay. So did any of you three,” Applejack said while pointing to the three silly fillies, “do anything to Twilight’s mirror?” she asked in a calm, collective manner.

They all shook their heads. “No! Well, um…” Sweetie blushed while Applejack quirked a brow at her impatiently. “I was going to use my magic on it, but then it just started glowing and going crazy on its own. It happened before we could do anything, miss Applejack.”

She nodded in understanding. “Hmm. Oh and just Applejack is fine, Sweetie Belle. Okay, then that begs the question…” Applejack, however, trailed off and starting looking at Scootaloo before bristling her features and shaking her head. “You know what? This can wait, let me take a look at those wings of yours, sugarcube,” she said in a calm manner.

“Suga- sugarcube,” Scootaloo stuttered, her brain feeling like it was going on fire. Applejack didn’t seem to notice this and began to walk closer. Still frozen in horror, Scootaloo did nothing until the mare began touching the tops of her back. Alarm bells which had been resting deep inside of her flight or fight response starting blazing off. She could sense and see, quite clearly, just what Applejack, the queen’s knight had done to so many innocent ponies. She felt their pain, and she could see every single one she had hurt. In that instant, the happy, calm and warm breeze turned to a cold, wild wind. The warm, comforting feeling of the sun’s rays changed to the freezing embrace of the dark moon. Everything suddenly felt wrong and in that instant, Scootaloo flinched back at an impossibly fast rate. Looking up at Applejack the dark knight with wide, fearful eyes.

Applejack looked shocked before shaking her head. “Look, I know it hurts but I just need to look it over so I can patch ya up, okay?”

Scootaloo’s eyes remained in their fear induced state, still sized to deadly pinpricks. “I- I’m fine. I can p- patch myself,” she muttered quietly.

Applejack stopped moving and tilted her head in confusion. “That so?”

Scootaloo closed her eyes and tried to will away the queen’s nightmares. She knew it couldn’t possibly be real, not anymore. But it didn’t stop her from feeling fear, and feeling like she really was back in the nightmarish wasteland that had once been her home. 

Is this even real? she thought but then shook her head, figuring for now it didn’t matter too much.

After a few moments of this, she gently opened her eyes and was relieved to see everything brought back to normal. Even if a calm, peaceful and happy farm wasn’t exactly normal to her anymore, it still helped her feel better.

“Here,” Scootaloo said and she gently reached into her saddlebag and quickly took out a first aid kit. Stamped on the top of the metal tin was the symbol of the Shining Phoenix; Applejack examined it in confusion but Scootaloo ignored this. She quickly started digging around for some gauze and cleaning supplies before getting to work.

There was a long, awkward silence while she cleaned up her wounds and starting patching things up as best as she could. Applejack looked somewhat impressed, but it didn’t stop the situation from feeling strange. The other fillies merely waited in silence, silently praying that they had avoided punishment.

With the final bandage in place, she put everything away and packed it secretly into her sack for later. “S- see? So I’m fine, but thanks…” she said rather unenthusiastically.

“Well beggin’ your pardon, um, Scootaloo is it?” Both Scootaloo and the other pegasus looked up at this, though it was clear she was only addressing the one who came from the magic mirror.

“...Yeah,” she finally said after another moment of thought.

“Okay, you don’t look fine. But ah suppose you did prove that you can look after yourself,” she stated. There was a quick pause before she continued, “Still, what ah need to know is, how did you get here?”

...Buck, was all she could think. 

Zecora hadn’t exactly given her any instructions, just that the mirror would more than likely give her someplace to hide, so she could stay safe. She thought about it for a while then remembered back to the other Scootaloo’s story and smiled a bit.

“Um, I was messing with a mirror, just like the one up in their little clubhouse,” she said, the other fillies seemed to take offense to that but said nothing. “I think there was a misfired spell and it sort of activated and, uh, yeah,” she finished lamely.

“Okay, misfired spell from who?”

“Twilight Sparkle,” was the immediate reply, after that she simply decided to button her lip.

“Ah see. Okay… hmm. Well ah don’t really know what to do here. And ah really don’t understand how there’s two of you. Just…” Applejack trailed off, figuring that this was all Scootaloo was gonna say. “Fine. Apple Bloom, ah want you two to take this mirror back to Twilight’s place and do your best to explain what happened.”

The other Scootaloo and the farm filly glanced at one another before shrugging. They hesitated, however, when they both glanced back to their unicorn friend.

“I’ll get her cleaned up and wake her, don’t worry about Sweetie Belle.”

They nodded and began the tedious task of getting the mirror back, Apple Bloom would later wonder just how her friend even got it there in the first place. Scootaloo watched them leave and was soon left alone with the farm mare, pondering what to do.

“Well, ah reckon we better get her inside and cleaned up, give me a sec,” Applejack said and began to pick her up.

“Uh, I think I can wake her up. Hang on,” Scootaloo said suddenly and began to sift through her bag. “Let’s see… lantern? No. Case? No… here we go!”

Applejack squinted her eyes and stared at a strange looking vial that was outstretched in her hooves. “What’s dat?”

Scootaloo didn’t respond immediately and quickly uncapped it before walking over to the downed unicorn filly. “Smelling salts.”

Scootaloo gently lowered the tiny jar under Sweetie’s nose and waited while the small bits of aroma traveled up her nostrils, the effect was almost immediate. Sweetie’s eyes were blasted open while she looked around in confusion. Thinking quickly, Scootaloo pulled the salts away and capped it again.

“Are you feeling okay?”

Sweetie grunted and nodded. “Uh, y- yeah but that really stings. What was that stuff?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “I don’t really know what’s in it, but it should be harmless. Sorry, but we had to get you up.”

Applejack couldn’t make heads or tails of the strange filly as she shook her head. “Sweetie? We should probably get ya cleaned up, c’mon now.”

The filly blinked and had to resist the powerful urge to scream, instead she hopped onto her hooves and nodded. “Please, bath… blood! NOW!”





Scootaloo waited off to the side while Applejack filled a basin with warm water. She wasn’t sure what to say or do, but it gave her time to think. Occasionally she would glance up at the sun and smile, if only slightly.

It’s really there… can this be real?

Hesitantly, she got onto her hooves and discarded her saddlebag on the ground. She then walked over to a nearby apple tree and felt all around it.

Feels real.

Next, she took a big sniff, and could faintly smell fresh air and the oh so subtle aroma of apples.

Smells real.

She began to drool ever slightly at the sight of the tree’s delicious looking fruit. She even licked her lips slightly, giving them a hungry stare. It wasn’t as though you went without eating while in the military, but meals were still scarce and even if you got a decent meal, the plants and veggies found within were a shadow of their former selves; unable to flourish without the sun’s rays helping things along. Really it was a miracle they could grow things.

“Sweetie’s all clean, Scootaloo. Ah, um, you two should probably go visit Twilight. She’ll know what to do and how to send ya on back.”

Send me back…‽

Scootaloo really wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Of course they’d want to set things right; after all, it was her who told them so little of what happened. It was her who lied about it, too. She could feel the back of her wings begin to itch at the mere thought of ever going back. She resisted the urge to scratch and slowly nodded at the mare.

“Uh, okay. Right.”

Sweetie Belle came up behind her, looking a tad exhausted from the whole ordeal, but much cleaner. Applejack stood off to the side, unsure what else to say.

“Uh, you okay?” Sweetie asked her suddenly, breaking Scootaloo from her thoughts.

“What? Oh, yes. Sorry. I- I guess we’re going to Twilight’s place?”

Sweetie shrugged. “Well, yeah, but you just kept looking up at that tree there. Are you hungry?”

Scootaloo wanted to scream out a definite yes but decided for a more subtle approach. She giggled slightly. “Heh, yeah I guess it’s been a while since I last ate.”

This set off a few more alarm bells in Applejack’s head, but the mare kept her cool. “Well, here,” she said quickly and turned around and then reared up her hind legs and aiming at a nearby tree. She then bucked it forward for all she was worth and well over a dozen apples shot off their branches, showering the two fillies. “Take a few for the road.”

Scootaloo smiled and grabbed a couple, stuffing them in her bag. “Uh, t- thanks, miss Applejack.”

The mare smiled. “You can call me just Applejack, or AJ for short, youngin’. And you’re very welcome.”

Sweetie began munching on her apple quietly and then hummed with a warm smile. “Hmmm, so good! Ready?”

Scootaloo nodded and then donned her bag. The two began to canter off toward the town of Ponyville, though Applejack’s voice stopped them.

“You sure you’ll be alright?”

Scootaloo wasn't entirely sure if she meant going off on their own, or if the question was directed at her. She merely gave the best fake smile she could muster and nodded. “We’ll be fine, but thanks!”

In return, Applejack gave the most unsure stare she could muster but nodded all the same. “Alright, just come see me if you two need anything.”

As they walked, Sweetie couldn’t help but notice that Scootaloo’s frown hadn’t left her. “You okay?”

“Huh?” She blinked and looked over, Sweetie Belle looked on in concern. “Yeah, thanks. Let’s just get there. I- I guess I’m hungry,” she said and reached behind her to find an apple. Without thinking she began munching away at the thing and paused in her step. She froze and it took Sweetie Belle half a minute before she realized her new friend was no longer following.

Sweetie turned back while Scootaloo slowly swallowed her fruit. Finally, Scootaloo blinked once and then hastily and calmly devoured the apple in the span of three solid seconds.

“Wow, uh, heh, didn’t know you were that hungry.”

The sweet juices, the perfect texture on the skin and the delectable taste all combined to form something magical, something that was almost unreal.

Tastes real…

Scootaloo began shaking slightly while she did her level best to hold in her tears. Her brain wasn’t quite sure why she wanted to cry, or why she did before, but her body knew all too well. She was happy for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime ago. She bit her lip and clenched her teeth and was able to cease the small flow of tears.

Keep it together, Scoots…

Sweetie Belle sighed and walked back over to her and took a seat. Scootaloo watched in confusion and backed up a bit. “Are you sure you don’t need another hug or something? You really look like you do and--”

“I’m f-fine,” she stuttered and quickly wiped her eyes, though she could feel a horrid itch bubble up again near her wings. 

“Let’s just go.”

She nodded and they continued on. When they reached the front gates, two guards stood out in front. Each was a stallion and wore an oddly colored armor. It was a mixture of Twilight Sparkle’s coat and mane color. To Scootaloo, they looked like something out a children’s book; to Sweetie Belle, they looked pretty.

“I’m just saying that lavender doesn’t really go with… halt!” The guard trailed off and immediately stopped talking to the other. “State your-- wait, didn’t you just come in through here?” he muttered while looking at the clone filly suspiciously.

Why does she have a castle…? her thoughts mulled over this before shrugging. She had to get inside.

Scootaloo slowly nodded. “Yeah, Twilight sent me back out to go grab, uh, Sweetie Belle here.”

The guard remained stoic. “I didn’t see you leave,” he said, pointing out the obvious.

She snorted. “Duh, I took the back exit. Are you gonna let us in or not?” she shot back irritably.

The guard huffed and leaned down with a scowl. “Little filly, I think you’re being awfully rude. I’m asking these questions for Princess Twilight’s protection--”

“Princess…? I…” Her voice trailed off while she shook her head, interrupting him, “Well you’re, uh… not doing a very good job!”

Sweetie gasped. “Scootaloo! That was so rude! Apologize!” Sweetie demanded, glaring at her.

Scootaloo continued to glare at the stallion, while the other guard remained silent. She turned over to Sweetie and saw the disappointed look. She took a deep breath with closed eyes. She then opened her eyes and turned back to the guard. “Sorry, can we just come inside? We really need to see Twilight--”

“Princess Twilight,” he corrected.

“Right, Princess Twilight.”

He continued to glare, but then a white fluffy thing clouded his vision. Sweetie Belle had walked up and was looking at him while smiling. “Could you please let us in? Mr. Guard? We really do need to see Princess Twilight about something. We promise to be good!”

The two guards nearly broke out in a grin from the obvious contrast between the two fillies. He sighed. “Very well, just don’t cause any trouble,” he commanded, stepping aside and allowing them to enter, he then called back to Scootaloo, “and none of that attitude with the Princess!”

Scootaloo felt lost the second they entered. A large sprawling hallway greeted them which seemed to go on forever. 

Sweetie cleared her throat. “What was that about?”

“I, uh, sorry. I’m used to guards being… um, jerks,” she swiftly replied.

“What? Are they evil, where you’re from?” she asked with a small giggle.

You have no idea, she thought, but didn’t really feel up to sharing. “Just, nevermind. So how do we find- well, wait, why is Twilight a princess now, anyway?”

Sweetie blinked and reviewed all she knew on what had happened. “Twilight grew wings.”

Scootaloo looked back at her skeptically. “That’s it? She magicked wings on herself and now she’s a princess?”

“I dunno. I think there was a bit more to it than that. You can ask her though.”

“Yeah. Do you think--” tried to say, but was interrupted by a rather loud, nasally sounding voice.

“You two did what?!” the voice bellowed.

Sweetie and Scootaloo glanced at each other then started running toward it. “We gotta catch up to them!”

The throne room was plain in sight, as they burst in through it, they saw Twilight Sparkle glaring down at Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. Her wings were flared out; but definitely not in excitement.

“Uh, you said it was okay…” Scootaloo said meekly.

“Okay? Why would I ever say it was okay for a filly to play around with that mirror? Do you have any idea what you could have done?!” Twilight screeched, not caring that she was causing the two to shake in fear.

“Hey! Stop yelling at them, it was my fault!” Scootaloo exclaimed, calling Princess Twilight out.

Twilight’s eye twitched and she slowly turned around. “...What? You…” Her eyes widened in shock. Dozens of scenarios whizzed through her head. “Changelings, alternative dimensions, magical clones, Nightmare Moon is back seeking revenge disguised as a filly but she didn’t have time to dispose of Scootaloo-- I need to stop reading such dark stories. Changelings!”

Both fillies’ eyes enlarged to the size of dinner plates, even Scootaloo had to admit it sounded dark.

Twilight glanced at Scootaloo and then to the other Scootaloo. She shut her eyes in frustration then sighed. Instantly the doppelganger and Scootaloo were enveloped in her magic, surrounded by a lavender colored glow. As soon as it had come, it stopped. “Not changelings,” she announced. Then she rounded back on the still scared Scootaloo, glaring once more. “What did you do?!”

“I said I did it! I was messing with this mirror and then it started glowing and I fell through, uh, your mirror. Okay? It wasn’t them,” Scootaloo stated confidently.

Twilight’s features softened, but she still looked angry. “You still took it without asking.”

The other Scootaloo coughed. “You still said yes.”

“I did? When?”

“Earlier, you were reading and I asked if I could use it, you said yes.”

Twilight thought back, but could just barely remember Scootaloo being in the palace. “I suppose it’s possible.” She sighed. “Oh, Celestia, I’m sorry for yelling at you two.”

The other Scootaloo sniffed and nodded. “I’m sorry for taking it, Twilight.”

Twilight quirked a brow down at her. “I thought you just said you didn’t take it… at any rate, I forgive you, Scootaloo. But now we have a problem… or maybe two problems.”

Scootaloo walked around the mirror, examining it. “Where’d the mirror come from, anyway?”

Twilight simply shook her head in response. “It was being stored in the royal vault for who knows how long. Not even Celestia seemed to know of its presence until I found it.”

Sweetie Belle started making funny faces in it. “Can you send her back?”

I won't be going back… she thought darkly. Again her wings started to itch, this time she actually gave in and awkwardly rubbed them back and forth using one of her hooves, she felt pain on top of the itch but eventually, the feeling subsided. 

Scootaloo already had the beginning of a plan to break the mirror into as many pieces as she could get away with. She just needed the right opportunity. A part of her wished to just flat out tell everything, but she barely trusted that what she saw was even real, she sure as hay wasn’t going to be trusting everypony on a whim.

I could say it now… she thought suddenly. She could and it would be so simple, but every time she glanced at Twilight, she would shudder in fear. She looked like a kind mare and it seemed like everything was on the up and up, but that’s what made her feel so unsettled.

“I’m not even sure how it works. It’s untested. Without the proper knowledge of how its magic works, I could end up sending her anywhere. Or hurting her… I think you’re stuck here for now. Which is… not great.”

Scootaloo could only blink and nod in response. The Crusaders gave each other an odd, uncomfortable look. Twilight, however, hadn’t really been paying much attention.

“Uh, don’t panic!” Twilight reassured her. “I can figure this out! But you’re gonna have to give me some time first. You said you were messing with a mirror like this? Where are you from?”

So she still wants to try and send me back? Hmm, maybe some misinformation will slow her down. The itch returned. It urged her to keep going, to do the right thing. She bit her lip and eventually blurted out her response.

“Uh, yeah. When Twilight, um, my Twilight wasn’t looking I started messing with all the gems and runes on it, you know for fun,” she said, sounding completely stupid. “It started glowing and I fell through it. Into their place. Which wasn’t… uh, where I had been before?”

“...Why in Celestia’s name would you do a thing like that? Who knows how you even configured it?! Oh, Luna, this isn’t good! Y- you could be stuck here! W- why would you do something so foalish?!”

In that instant, Twilight’s blind fury brought her back to her old world. She could see Nightmare Moon’s second in command, ready to strike with blind loyalty. Ready to kill anypony who dared disobey their queen. Scootaloo couldn’t help herself as she began to shake while she willed her body to relax.

She’s not here, she’s gone. I saw her die! Relax! Fear and pain mixed into her emotions, urging her to act, to do something like run. Instead, she could feel her back again start to feel irritated, but she didn’t move.

Twilight closed her eyes and sighed, taking calming deep breaths. “I’m sorry, but that was a very, well, not smart thing to do. I’ll do my best to get you home, but I really don’t know where to start…”

Slowly Scootaloo opened her eyes and no longer saw the dark queen’s assassin, but a kind and caring princess mare. She felt slightly better about her predicament, but the memories of what Twilight had done back in her world would still linger, warning her to stay on the defensive.

Apple Bloom suddenly stepped forward and snorted at Twilight. “Well ah do! How are there two of her? Just what does that mirror even do, Twilight?”

The librarian turned princess simply shook her head. “Well, I’ve had theories, but until she showed up, I wasn’t really sure which one could actually be feasible.”

Apple Bloom looked at her friends who merely shrugged in confusion, but Scootaloo stepped forward. “What kind of theories?”

Twilight gave Scootaloo a strange looking smile, one with extreme apprehension. “Well, first let me ask you something, is there anything different about Ponyville? Something you don’t recognize from where you come?”

She shrugged and nodded. “Sure, you’re not a princess where I’m from and you definitely don’t have a castle,” she exclaimed.

And you failed to stop Nightmare Moon and everypony is doomed, there’s that! she thought rather bitterly.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” Twilight suddenly said and started bouncing up and down like an excited filly, only to stop momentarily. “Oh no… no no no. If multi-verse is correct then… oh wow. This is… I don’t know how to feel, you know?”

The four fillies glanced at one another before simultaneously smacking their hooves on their faces and slowly rubbing them down in exaggeration.

“Twi,” Apple Bloom started, “maybe you wanna let us in on the conversation? Hmm?”

Twilight giggled and blushed. “Heh, heh, right. How do I explain… well, have you fillies been taught about the stars? Our galaxy and the universe?”

Apple Bloom gave a sidelong glance and shrugged, Sweetie Belle nodded but looked unsure of herself while the other Scootaloo started to look bored already. Scootaloo, however, spoke up.

“I know a bit. I know that we live on a planet that we call Equis which sort of orbits around Celestia’s sun… but, uh, not really?”

Twilight smiled and nodded while the Crusaders looked on impressed. “Mostly correct, Equis isn’t like other planets out there and it’s fairly difficult to describe, especially when you start talking about our sun.”

Apple Bloom snorted. “But what’s that got to do with any of this?”

Twilight smirked. “Everything. But it’s gonna be a bit hard to explain if you four haven’t been taught about galaxies or the observable universe, yet.”

“Well, where I’m from Equis is part of a large galaxy filled with billions of stars. And I know you can see other galaxies out there if you look far enough with a telescope-- and I guess we just call all of it the universe.”

Twilight clapped her hooves and smiled proudly down at her. “Very good! Have you taken astronomy where you’re from?”

Scootaloo gave a hesitant smile and slowly nodded. “Uh, ju- just a bit,” she stuttered nervously.

More like I was forced into some crazy school where everypony was forced to learn about the stars and how she owned them all… she thought bitterly. She shook her head of those dark thoughts and did her best to focus on the present, however.

“With us so far, girls?” Twilight asked but immediately frowned. The other Scootaloo was lying on her back, busy blowing one of her feathers up and down in boredom. Sweetie Belle looked quite bashful and slowly shook her head, while Apple Bloom busy thinking of apples and nothing else.

“Here, I’ll try and simplify it. It’s possible that this mirror can be used to find other worlds, places different from Equestria which would be housed in their own universe, different from our own.”

The four fillies nodded in understanding, so Twilight continued. “Right, well before Scootaloo here showed up, I had assumed these worlds could be anything. They could be completely alien or maybe just barren places, devoid of life-- or maybe, other Equestria’s.”

“But, how could there be more than one Equestria, Twi? There’s only one…” Apple Bloom pointed out, feeling more confused than ever.

“I don’t have any way of proving there is; Scootaloo here is the only real evidence, but usually the simplest explanation to a problem is the correct one. Just how there’s more than one Equestria remains to be seen as I wasn’t there when the universe was made, but let’s assume there are. Multiverse theory, at least the one I’m thinking of simply proposes there is an infinite number of different universes out there, each slightly different than the last.”

Scootaloo nodded, but again the three fillies could only shrug while not seeming to get it in the least.

“Here, uh, Sweetie Belle!”

The filly perked up and bounced onto her hooves. “Yeah?!”

“What did you do this morning? When you woke up?”

“Hmm… well I ate breakfast then hugged Rarity then hugged Opal-- oh and then I hugged Rarity again because I thought I hadn’t, but she was all “yes you did already but it’s nice that you want another” and then I ended up in the clubhouse and here and yeah…” she trailed off at the end, not really sure where Twilight was going with her question.

“Okay, well imagine if you got up and didn’t do any of that, or maybe you, well, didn’t hug your sister.”

“I’d be a bad sister!”

Twilight smacked her hoof to her forehead. “Uh, maybe, but the point would be that you made a different choice. Multiverse proposes that for anypony or anything, there’s an infinite number of unique things they can choose to do, each one splitting off into their own universe.”

At that point, even Scootaloo felt a tad confused, but slowly nodded along. Thankfully the three silly fillies could only smack their hooves on their heads and sigh.

“Uh, right, too complicated. Just think of it like this: there’s an Equestria for every single choice. One where maybe you three didn’t form the Crusaders, or maybe one where I’m not a princess or maybe something as mundane as Rarity wore a pink dress instead of a purple one. Even something as insane as one of us born as a colt instead of a filly, but to the same family. For every possible choice, there’s an Equestria with it. Well, that’s the theory anyway. Or should I say theories?”

Scootaloo finally understood and was shocked to hear it. It made sense, seeing everything she had seen thus far, but it made her feel rather unsettled for reasons she couldn't quite explain. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had other responses.

“Oh cool! So there’s a world where I’m a Wonderbolt?!” the other Scootaloo asked, bouncing on her hooves over and over.

“Or I’m a famous singer?”

“Or maybe one where ah’m a pegasus?!”

Both fillies gave Apple Bloom a weird look from that while the earth pony blushed. “...What?! Flying sounds like fun!”

They all giggled at this and began going on and on about all the possibilities.

“Twilight! Could you show us some worlds?! Please?!” They all said in unison. “Please!”

The princess chuckled at their enthusiasm but slowly shook her head. “Sorry girls, but I hardly know how it works. I haven’t even activated it myself since I was still studying it until this happened. I’ll have to do some serious research and scientific study or Scootaloo may never get home.”

Let’s hope I don’t go home… Bitterness didn’t even begin to describe how she felt, but she felt somewhat better about her lies. It would slow the princess down and give her ample time to destroy the mirror.

Deep down, she wanted to say something. To fully inform the ‘princess’ so she could set things right. During the war, trust was not easily earned and it certainly wasn’t a given.

You may not be the same Twilight, but you’re still Twilight. All of you failed us… Scootaloo decided then and there that Princess Twilight was not to be trusted. It wasn’t exactly irrational to think this, after all, skepticism and mistrust had kept her alive so far. Why stop now?

The three fillies pouted and gave a unified ‘awwww’, but nodded.

“Well, I’ll have to look into this. In the meantime, I’ll have to deal with something much more dangerous,” she stated firmly.

Scootaloo looked up, raising a brow. “What?”

Twilight laughed, almost snorting. Her eyes twitched and it was apparent she was extremely nervous. “Telling your parents there’s now two of their daughter and they have to take care of both of you.”

Scootaloo raised a brow and quickly glanced over to her counterpart. To her amazement, all the other one seemed to be doing was chuckling.

“Oh crud, mom’s gonna freak, dad will probably joke about it but I bet he’d be cool with it.”

The words echoed in Scootaloo’s mind over and over as if she couldn't comprehend what she was hearing.

“Yeah, sounds like fun to me,” Twilight sarcastically replied, shaking her head. “Princess’s give me strength.”

“Aren’t you a princess too?” Apple Bloom pointed out.

Twilight smiled rather sheepishly. “Right, I seem to forget that quite a bit. Heh, well, let’s get moving. C’mon you two,” she ordered to the two Scootaloo’s, urging them to follow.

“Ah guess we’ll see you later Scoots and uh, other Scoots,” Apple Bloom said and they waved.

“Yeah see ya I- uh, are you okay?” the other Scootaloo asked, glancing at the stunned pegasus. Twilight stopped and glanced down at her and waited for a response.

Mom’s gonna freak… the words echoed in her brain, bouncing around like a sickening plague, making her feel ill to her very core. Her stomach churned and she felt as though she might throw up at any moment. She eventually shook her head and nodded.

“Are you sure? You don’t look so good,” Twilight noted.

“Y- yeah. Sorry just thinking. Let’s go see mom and dad. Uh, I guess your mom and dad,”  she quickly corrected. 

The other Scootaloo snorted.

“Hey, they’re your parents too… uh, sort of?” She asked, looking back at everypony as if expecting some answer.

Twilight shrugged. “I have no idea, but since there’s two of you, I would think yes.”

Both fillies could do nothing but shrug and follow along, with the twin from another realm following behind, thinking to herself, while the other skipped along happily.

Mom’s gonna freak…