"Huh." Jason stood in front of his mirror, tapping his forehead, which now had one of those square skin colored bandages on it. He continued to poke at it, checking his reaction in the mirror. Doesn't even hurt now. I should still keep it on, maybe for the next few days? He hadn't spent more than five minutes to get the bandage, so he did his best to hurry on out of the house. Phone, right pocket, check. Piece of shit wallet, left pocket, check. Apron, check. Jacket... I won't need it today. He roamed around his living room for a solid minute before standing in the center. I still feel like I'm forgetting something... He turned to his front door, unsure of what it was he could be forgetting. It's not something I would need for work. It's like, something was supposed to be here by now- Davis! He took out his phone and checked his messages. Nothing. He sent a quick text to Davis asking where he was. I don't have time for this, I need to get to work, and fast. I'll check of he sent me any messages once I get up there.
Steadfast, he opened his door and to his surprise, he saw Davis boarding down the street. "It's about time, man! I was worried-" Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Davis' board get caught on a rock, sending the lanky rider flying. Just as quick, a car drove by, and when it passed, nothing was there. No board, no Davis, no rock.
"Wh... What the fuck." Jason rubbed his eyes and stared at the street with an intense gaze. He walked across the lawn to the sidewalk, checking to see from a different angle. Not a thing had changed. "Magic mirrors, ponies, seeing people that aren't there... Maybe I do have dementia..." He stared at the street for a few seconds more. He took a step back, still looking at the street. Two steps, three steps, four. It was after the fifth that he looked away and walked along to his work place, only two blocks away.
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Now, before we go further, let's take a short look back to the past.
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Jason, as a young boy, lived with a moderately sized family. His mother and father of course, two brothers from his father's side, and a brother and a sister from his mother's side. Growing up, before he really had friends, one of his favorite pass times would be guessing what his siblings would do or say. It always annoyed them, whether they were doing something as a surprise or just for fun, young Jason would show up and guess what they were doing with around eighty percent accuracy.
His sister wearing mismatched socks, she was going to a friend's place. Eldest brother checking his cords, he was about to rearrange his room. Second brother examining his shoes, he was going shopping. Youngest brother, yet still older than Jason, snapping his fingers at a steady tempo, he wanted to go bowling.
Through out elementary, he turned his sights on his teachers and fellow classmates. He could tell when a kid wanted to leave, granted that's not very difficult. He could tell when a teacher was about to leave the room. He could tell when a kid was about to ask a question that had already been answered. He loved guessing when things were about to happen, that he had evolved to what might be said. A teacher talking about a lesson, he could guess from a hand full of words what would be said and have seventy percent accuracy.
Coincidentally, his first year of school was when he met Davis, one of the easiest to guess. Davis could make a simple gesture or say something simple and Jason had the uncanny ability to understand what it meant or would mean. The two became close, though not easily, as Jason's guessing and inquisitive nature made Davis uncomfortable. Especially when it came to Davis pulling at his pockets, but that's for another time.
Through out that time, Jason was seen as the weird kid by his classmates, and his pass time distracted him from his work, resulting in lower grades and a year or two in a special education program. He didn't let either stop him from enjoying his little game. As he continued his studies, he kept hearing how Davis would score amazingly well on a test, or have the best behaviour in class, ultimately hearing about how his friend had been accepted into a gifted education program. Jason saw his friend excel at his grades and social circles, and it left him feeling inferior. He thought that he did his best, and yet someone whom he thought he knew was excelling in a way he didn't even see. He took a hard look at Davis' grades and achievements, and decided to work even harder. He began keeping a majority of his thoughts to himself, he began learning at how to properly act in a classroom and in public, he began to finally excel. After year five, he was brought out of special ed and began developing his own social circle, albeit a very unstable one, what with kids leaving it and entering it at their whim. He didn't care, so long as he wasn't left in the dust by Davis.
As middle school approached, his friend noticed something off about Jason. Just reading a book, not paying attention to every little detail about someone. Davis asked him a simple question.
"What color am I thinking of?" He asked. Jason looked at him with a raised brow.
"Uh... What?"
"What color am I thinking of?" Davis repeated with a wave of his hand. "Can't be hard." Jason looked at him and noticed the waved hand was clenched, holding a yellow pencil.
With a cocky grin, he stated "yellow" as if it were a fact. Davis stared at him for several seconds, before smiling.
"Blue." He said. Jason examined Davis, unsure if he was telling the truth or not. Unsure. It hit him, he was actually unsure if Davis was telling the truth. He had no idea what Davis was thinking in that moment. Davis then pointed at the book in Jason's hands, the cover of which was blue.
Middle school came, and with it, he made a friend in Ty, whom he met through Davis. During middle school, he saw it became increasingly difficult to guess what people were thinking or what they would do next. Months went by where he was unable to guess what someone else was gonna do. High school came, and he had eventually given up his favorite pass time. No more guessing, no more examining and studying others. He quit, and he eventually forgot it.
_____
---~<P>~---
"There could be people missing!?!" Starlight's ears were immediately assaulted by the explosive voice of one Sunset Shimmer. Twilight's ears wilted, as did Sunburst's, when confronted with the fiery unicorn. The hay-bacon-haired unicorn poked Twilight in the chest. "Why haven't you sent a letter to Celestia!? This is something that needs to be brought up with her immediately!"
"I-i-i-i-" Twilight stuttered as she was questioned. It occurred to Starlight in an epiphany. A sad epiphany. We didn't think about!
"Heeyy," Starlight tried her best to calm the situation, walking between the two like it was a natural thing to do, "so, I don't mean to be pedantic about this, but we only just learned about this a short bit ago." This received a huff from Sunset.
"How long is a short bit?" Starlight averted her eyes when confronted with this question.
"Maybe, around, a little while?" She laughed nervously as she rubbed her neck. Sunset continued.
"How long is a little while?"
"Somewhere around... Some time ago?" She, again, averted her eyes. Sunset continued.
"And how long is that?"
Starlight's eyes shot left and right before she deflated with a heavy sigh. "An hour." Sunset's eye twitched, creating a domino effect with Starlight flinching, followed by Twilight, followed by Sunburst. The angry unicorn took a deep breath and let it out, before staring at the table.
"First, we send a letter to Celestia about everything we know about this point, including our theory about the missing kids. She should have some insight." Sunset looked up in thought before turning to a window. "Hopefully."
"Hopefully?" Twilight sounded offended as she asked this, to which Sunset chuckled.
"Twilight, we're talking about the mare who sends you and your friends on dangerous missions while she makes sure Canterlot doesn't implode on itself." She took a look around the library and settled her sights on the newer mirror. "Starswirl made many mirrors to different worlds and dimensions, meanwhile, we have a world that may or may not have many portals into our world." She looked back at the ponies. "How does that even happen? And in a world with supposedly 'no magic' to boot." Sunburst shrugged.
"We're at just as much of loss as you are." He said.
"And we've been trying to figure this out for a few days now." Starlight followed.
"Well, let's not waste anymore time!" Sunset trotted to the table and, with her red magic, took a quilt and piece if parchment and began writing. At least, she was about to. She stood still, staring at the paper in her grasp. Quickly, she shoved over to Twilight. "You do it."
"Why me?" Twilight immediately asked before back pedalling on herself. "I mean, not that I don't want to send a letter to the Princess, but why don't you want to do it?"
"Oh, trust me, I do." Sunset placed a hoof over her geode, horn still lit. "It's just that I don't."
"Thaaat doesn't make sense." Twilight shook her head as get magic took hold of the writing implements, dissapating Sunset's.
Starlight, on the other hoof. "I can actually see where she's coming from." She gained the attention of the other three. "Even after making amends with my dad, I still have a hard time writing to him. I've only written to him twice since we met, and even then it's because he sent a letter first."
"I knew you'd understand me." Sunset pointed a thankful hoof toward Starlight. She than turned back to Twilight. "Please, I just need a little bit more time before I send a letter to Celestia."
"Okay, okay. I'll do it." The young Alicorn said a bit hastily. She cleared her throat and levitated the parchment and quill in front of her. "Dear Princess Celestia, we have reason to believe, or at least assume, that there may be more than one mirror between our world and the world Starlight found. If that's true, than we may have run into a problematic situation, as reports from the other side may suggest there are humans stuck on our side. We will wait for correspondence. Signed, Your ever faithful student and friend, Twilight Sparkle." She rolled it up and turned to the door. "I'm going to find Spike so I can send this letter."
"Don't forget about those forms for the committee!" Sunburst called after her, prompting the mare to run, full gallop, out of the room and down the hall.
"Life of a princess must be tough." Sunset spoke up. "So glad I don't want to be one anymore."