//------------------------------// // Through the Looking Glass // Story: My Little Mages: The Mirror of Shadow Bolt // by Foxhelm //------------------------------// Sunset was in the library writing in the tome she used to communicate with Twilight, “Dear Princess Twilight,” she wrote tonight's the night of the big movie premiere of Daring Do and The Rings of Destiny here in Midnight Castle. Thanks for not spoiling it, beyond saying ‘Read the book’, Sci-Twi is so excited, she’s been re-reading every book since she came back, you should really check out her charts, breakdowns... yeah she’s pretty you and Rainbow in one person when it comes to the Daring Do series. I am just surprised that they actually casted Rainbow for the role of the character based on her. I wish you could be here, but a princess has her duties.” Sunset paused as she took a breath as she looked over what she wrote. She raised her head and looked around her to see Sci-Twi engrossed in taking notes on the most recent Daring Do book, Daring Do and the Pyramid of the Sphinx, most likely to see how much of the presented history, anthropology and sociology in the story matched the actual area of Mystica it’s set in. Also in the library were Baroness Sunny and the rest of the Shadowbolts, mostly going over law books, censuses, survies, studies, and the budget of the castle and the government of the domain, well to more accurate Sunny and Sugarcoat were. Lemon was blankly staring into a text as if utterly lost in the letters, Indigo was sound asleep resting on some pages and Sour got up and was leaving the library, or rather the immediate area so that she could scream away her frustrations. Sunset smiled but something nagged at her, it seemed to be going too well. She sighed,“I know I should also be excited, but I can’t shake this feeling that something is going to go wrong.”she jotted down. “Sunset, you’re thinking way too much.” was written in response, no doubt by Twilight. “Enjoy the peace and quiet while you can. And if you want to talk about freaking out about things might go wrong, I know I told you about the night before my friends and I had to return the Elements of Harmony to the Tree of Harmony.” Sunset looked at what Twilight wrote in her reply. She was at ease with the fact that “But what if—” Sunset stopped as she looked at the page and saw that she was the end of it. She turned it over and saw that she was on the last page in the book. “Shoot.” she stated as she put her quill down and sighed in frustration. “PULL!” Indigo shouted as she woke up from her rest and started to look around. “Did I fall asleep again?” she asked. “You lasted thirty minutes today before you passed out of sheer boredom.” Sugarcoat stated as she almost mechanically put what she was working on to the side, “And you haven’t drooled once.” “That’s a record.” Lemon cheered as she was snapped out of her stupor. “I know just the mix.” “You went blank in less than twenty-five minutes.” Sugarcoat pointed out bluntly, “You’re slipping.” “You could try to do your name sake, sister.” Sunny said as set aside what she was working on. “Now what’s the matter, Sunset?” Sunny asked as she turned her focus to Sunset, as did everyone else. Sunset sighed again, “I’m on the last page of my journal.” she informed. Sci-Twi’s demeanor started to visibly sour as she frowned, “Oh, we can’t have it. You have to be able to write your pen-pal. You two are such good friends, I would just be the worst if I stand in the way.” The sarcasm and annoyance in Sci-Twi’s words were unmistakable, “Oh, Babe, don’t be like that.” Sunset said as she got up, walked to be behind Sci-Twi and pulled her into a hug. “I am not that kind of girl.” “You are aware that just saying that is not going to make your girlfriend of approximately three to four months feel better about you communicating with another girl she never met in a, while not sexual or sensual way, but an inescapably intimate manner.” Sugarcoat point out with a slight adjustment of her glasses. Sunset could only groan at first, “Thanks for pointing that out.” Sunset then sat down next to Sci-Twi and cupped her face in her right hand, “You know this is a close friendship and that’s all it is. That is not this.” Sunset said in a soft and somewhat comforting tone. Sci-Twi, sighed, “I know, but you send like an hour a day twice a day writing her.” “And I spend at least two sets of ten hours of the remaining twenty two hours with you.” Sunset counted, “I’m not going anywhere.” “I believe you spoke too soon.” came Sour as she rejoined them, in a much chipper mode. She had picked up Sunset’s journal and walked to her, “It says that she wants you to come to Magiville in about an hour and pick-up a new journal like this.” Sci-Twi huffed, turned her head, collected everything she was working on got up and left, all the while giving Sunset the cold shoulder. Sunset sighed and shook her head. She took the book and ran after Sci-Twi. “Oh come, hon!” she shouted trying to reason with Sci-Twi. “You’re timing was impeccable.” Sugarcoat stated. “DON’T BE SARCASTIC WITH ME! IT’S MY TIME OF THE MONTH AND I WAS KEPT UP ALL NIGHT BECAUSE OF SUNNY’S EMERGENCY MEETING!!!” Sour roared right in Sugarcoat face. “You really need to work on your anger issue.” Lemon said, “I know just the thing, calming music.” she added as she pulled out a portable music player and put something in Sour's ears before pressing a button. Juniper had decided to change things up, starting with her wardrobe, if she was going to make her sisters pay for their in-actions as she was pretty much at Cinch’s and other crimes, she had to do it in style. She replaced her old secretarial garbs and wore now dark blue-light purple pants with blue heeled shoes. She wore, as her top, a small white undershirt with as blue sleeveless shirt with as dark blue vest with a high collar under a light blue jacket with dark blue cuffs, which she wore open. She also wore a set if golden tassels that went from her shirt’s collar to the right side of her jacket with a dark blue artificial flower. Finally, around Juniper’s neck was a light turquoise long neck tie. In her left hand was the mirror her father left her hand. “Let’s get started.” she said to herself before she left her chambers. After about twenty minutes of walking through the castle’s halls, she spotted the Twilight clone, Sci-Twi being her new name leave in a huff. Juniper pulled back to watch her leave down another hall. A few seconds later Sunset came out as if to chase Sci-Twi. Juniper elected to not go after Sunset, at least not yet. There was other fish to fry first. She knew that as powerful as Sunset was, there was another daughter of Shadow Bolt that was more dangerous to her plans; Sugarcoat. Juniper waited a little bit until she saw Lemon, Indigo and Sour leave. Sour seemed to have been on a calming trend, as Indigo and Lemon seemed to be relieved from boredom. She knew that she could try to take care of the trio, but that left Sunny and Sugarcoat in the library and able to get her from behind. So she waited for the trio to leave down one of the hallways. She looked ahead of the way the three were heading and noted that they were heading to the training grounds. Juniper then continued to wait for her chance to act on Sugarcoat. After a couple of minutes Sunny and Sugarcoat exited the library. Sunny headed towards the throne room of the castle to hear her subjects. This left Sugarcoat alone. After Sunny was out of sight, “Hello, Sugar.” Juniper said as she revealed herself. Sugarcoat looked at her bemused, “Good day to you, Juniper. I see you decided to change up your look.” she said as she looked up and down Juniper. “Is there something I can help you with?” she asked as she re-adjusted her glasses. Juniper took her mirror out of her pocket. “What exactly are you doing?” she asked as she raised her eyebrow in slight preplexion. Juniper smiled evilly, “Just balancing the scale. You can take our father for this.” she said cryptically. Sugarcoat was befuddled at that remake. Before she could say anything, “I wish you were out of the way.” Juniper said and the mirror projected a flash of light that pulled Sugarcoat into it. Sugarcoat blinked to regain her vision. Once she regained her sight, she saw that was in a space that was pretty much a white room that went on and on. “Well, this is a textbook case of inconvenience.” “One down, five to go.” Juniper said as she put the mirror back into her jacket pocket. She then held her chin for a second of thought. “Sunny’s alone which makes things easier, but that leaves the other three together and Sunset.” After a couple of seconds, “Better off saving Sunny for last.” She then started down the hallway Indigo, Lemon and Sour went. About a couple hours after she left, Sunset returned to the library with just a sachle. She sighed as she looked at the mirror, “Well, I can’t blame her.” she had to concede. She started to move the spirals and stars to open the portal. Once she finished, “Maybe she’ll be more forgiving before the premiere.” Once the last of the stars and spirals were in place the portal opened. She took a breath and took a step forward into the portal. Within a couple of seconds she emerged through the mirror in Twilight’s library in the Castle of Friendship. “Hey Twilight, I’m here!” she announced upon her arrival. She looked around, “Twilight?” she asked confused at the absence of Princess Twilight. “Sorry, she had to leave.” came the voice of a woman that Sunset hadn’t meet before. “Princess Celestia called a small consul of all four princesses, something about an award ceremony.” the woman informed. Sunset looked at her, “You’re Starlight Glimmer, Princess Twilight’s student I assume.” Sunset said as she held out her hand. “I think Twilight told you about me, Sunset Shimmer.” Starlight laughed as she walked up to Sunset and shook Sunset’s hand, showing that she had a book that had the right half of Sunset’s Aura Mark merged with the left half of Twilight’s, “Yeah. It’s a pleasure to met you.” She then gave Sunset the book. “This is your copy of the new linked journals.” Starlight informed. Sunset accepted it and placed it in her satchel, “Thanks,” she said. “What kind of award ceremony could they be planing, and why couldn’t Twilight just do it here with Pinkie?” she asked. Starlight gave a weak smile, “Well you see, um…” Starlight tried to find the right words, “You heard about the Changeling’s Invasion of Chantalot during Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’s and Grand Marshall Shining Armor’s wedding?” Starlight asked. “Yeah, Princess Twilight wrote about that, Nightmare Moon, Discord, Nightmare Rarity, King Sombra, I know about the whole ascension thing, the return of the Elements to the Tree of Harmony, Tirek, you…” Sunset listed off and stopped at Starlight in the list. Her eyes then widen in realization. “Oh, I get it now.” “What?” Starlight asked. Sunset smiled and shook her head, “Sorry can’t tell yah.” She stated. This brought a slight frown on Starlight’s face. Sunset looked over her shoulder to the mirror, “Say do you want to see Midnight Castle?” she asked Starlight. “Really?” Starlight asked as her eyes dilated and hearts and stars seemed to form in her pupils. “What’s it like?” Sunset chuckled, “Well, it’s not that much different to here,” she then stopped as she tried to formulate how best to explain it. After a couple seconds of thought she realized that she can’t articulate the difference at that time. “I can’t really explain it, you’d have to be there to know.” “Well she does want me to know more about friendship and forge my own friendships.” she said as if in thought. “And I am not learning or forging much here.” After another second of clearly faked thought. “Alright, let’s go!” Starlight cheered as she was about to run into the mirror. Sunset stopped Starlight, “Hold on, you should leave a message for Princess Twilight to let her know you’re with me.” she pointed out. Starlight groaned and then went over to a desk in the library took out piece of paper and started to write a message on it. “There, mom, left dad a note. Can we go now?” she asked. Sunset nodded and the two went into the mirror.